Craiova International Airport (CRA) Guide: Craiova, Romania

Craiova International Airport is the low-cost and regional gateway for Oltenia. CRA is close to the city and useful for Italy, Spain, Germany, the UK, Greece, and Turkey routes, especially when Wizz Air Malta and Animawings schedules line up with family visits, business trips, or summer travel.

This guide is written for travelers who want the useful details first: the real airport name, where it sits, how much to budget for transport, what to expect in the terminal, where to search for flights, and which services to arrange before landing. Prices and routes are updated for June 2026 and should be treated as practical planning ranges rather than fixed promises.

Quick airport facts

Item	Details
Full airport name	Craiova International Airport
Short codes	CRA / LRCV
Also searched as	Aeroportul Internațional Craiova, Craiova Airport
City and country	Craiova, Romania
Practical address	Calea București 325A, Craiova, Romania; coordinates 44.318100, 23.888599.
Distance to city	About 7-9 km east of central Craiova, normally 10-20 minutes by taxi and around 30 minutes by bus route 9.
Updated	2026-06-15

Best for: Craiova, Oltenia, southern Romania, family visits, and low-cost Italy/Spain/Germany/UK routes.
Main route logic: Wizz Air Malta dominates, with Animawings and Euroairlines adding seasonal or leisure service.
Airport style: compact regional airport with simple road access and a growing European route map.
Planning rule: compare CRA with Bucharest if you need daily frequency or a protected long-haul connection.

Address and location

Use Craiova International Airport (CRA) for flight searches and Aeroportul Internațional Craiova, Craiova Airport as backup search wording in maps, hotel messages, and taxi conversations. The practical address is:

Calea București 325A, Craiova, Romania; coordinates 44.318100, 23.888599.

About 7-9 km east of central Craiova, normally 10-20 minutes by taxi and around 30 minutes by bus route 9. For a serious itinerary, save the airport coordinates offline, download the city area in Google Maps or Organic Maps, and keep your hotel address in both English and the local language where possible.

How to get from the airport to the city

Option	Typical time	Approximate cost	Best use
Bus route 9	25-35 min	Usually USD 1-2 / low local fare	🚌 Cheapest airport-city option.
Taxi / ride-hailing	10-20 min	Usually USD 5-10 / RON 25-50	✅ Best for most arrivals.
Private transfer	10-20 min city; longer regional	RON 100-300+	🧳 Best for groups and late flights.
Rental car	15-30 min city traffic	Often EUR 20-55/day	🚗 Useful for Oltenia monasteries, Danube routes, and regional business.

Local airport guides list bus route 9 between the airport and city and taxi estimates around USD 5-10. Taxis are cheap enough that two travelers may prefer door-to-door service over waiting for the bus.

Transport tips

🧾 Confirm the fare before loading luggage, especially when there is no visible meter or posted rate.
📍 Save the exact hotel pin offline; airport drivers may know districts better than street names.
💵 Carry small local cash for the first transfer, baggage carts, snacks, or phone calls.
🌐 Install an eSIM before departure so you can message your driver immediately after landing.

Public transport and metro

Craiova has no metro or airport rail link. Use bus, taxi, ride-hailing, transfer, or rental car.

Where public transport exists, it is usually best for daylight arrivals with light luggage. For late flights, family travel, heavy bags, or first-time visits, a taxi, hotel transfer, or pre-booked private driver is usually worth the extra cost.

Taxi prices and transfer strategy

Taxi prices around airports are rarely as neat as an official table. Time of day, luggage, driver availability, fuel prices, and whether the destination is inside or outside the central city all matter. The ranges above are realistic planning budgets, but the best practice is simple: agree the fare before moving, keep your phone map open, and avoid changing money with random drivers.

For smoother arrival logistics:

🚕 Use official taxi ranks or a hotel-arranged driver where available.
🧳 Pre-book a transfer if you land late, carry equipment, or travel with children.
🚗 Compare rental cars before arrival with DiscoverCars if you need regional freedom.
🏨 Use Expedia to check hotels near the airport and in the city before choosing a transfer.

Airport facilities, shops, and restaurants

Check-in, security, baggage, border control, cafes/snacks, small retail, parking, taxis, bus access, and car rental.
The terminal is practical rather than large; arrive with boarding passes ready for low-cost departures.
Food choice is limited compared with Bucharest or Cluj.
Low-cost baggage rules are the main hidden-cost issue on many CRA routes.

The smart rule at CRA is to treat the terminal as a transfer point rather than as a shopping destination. Eat before arriving when possible, keep a refillable bottle where security rules allow, and bring a small power bank. If you have a long delay, an airport-area hotel or city hotel is usually more comfortable than waiting in the terminal.

Airlines and where the airport flies

FlightConnections lists CRA with 18 destinations and three airlines in June 2026. Routes include German cities such as Dortmund and Memmingen, Italian cities including Bari, Bologna, Bergamo, Naples, Rome, and Treviso, plus Spain, UK, Greece, Antalya, and newly announced Istanbul-style service.

Wizz Air Malta, Animawings, and Euroairlines are the key current names. Wizz Air Malta is the airline to check first for most low-cost European routes.

Cheap routes to check first

Craiova to London Luton, Birmingham, Dortmund, Memmingen, Milan Bergamo, Bologna, Rome, Bari, Naples, Venice Treviso, Barcelona, and Madrid.
Craiova to Athens, Crete, Antalya, or Istanbul-style routes when seasonal schedules operate.
Bucharest OTP as backup for long-haul connections or daily service.

Cheap airport strategy is different from simply sorting by lowest fare. Always compare the final cost after checked baggage, seat selection, payment fees, transfer costs, and missed-connection risk. A slightly more expensive flight into the correct airport can be cheaper than a low base fare that forces a long taxi ride or overnight hotel.

Where to buy flights and hotels

Start with broad searches, then verify the exact airport code before paying. This is especially important in cities with more than one airport or with airport transitions.

Need	Recommended booking link	Why it matters
Internet on arrival	🌐 Yesim eSIM	Install before flying so maps, airline apps, WhatsApp, and hotel messages work as soon as you land.
Flights and hotels	🏨 Expedia flights and stays	Useful for comparing nearby hotels, airport overnights, and onward tickets in one search.
Tours and transfers	🎟️ Viator tours and airport transfers	Best for guided city tours, day trips, private arrival transfers, and skip-the-line activities.
Rental cars	🚗 DiscoverCars	Compare local and international rental agencies before accepting a walk-up airport rate.
Travel medical insurance	🛡️ SafetyWing	Check coverage, exclusions, and country wording before travel, especially on complex itineraries.
Support this airport-guide project	🤝 Patreon: HEDONISMcloud	Helps keep airport guides updated with fares, route changes, and city transport notes.

eSIM, internet, insurance, and car rental

🌐 Internet: install Yesim eSIM before the flight. Airport Wi-Fi can be slow, blocked by SMS verification, or unavailable exactly when you need maps.
🛡️ Insurance: compare policy wording with SafetyWing. Read exclusions for the destination, adventure activities, medical evacuation, political/security events, and pre-existing conditions.
🚗 Cars: compare vehicles on DiscoverCars before arrival. Airport counters can run out of automatic cars or quote higher walk-up rates.
🎟️ Tours: use Viator for airport transfers, city tours, day trips, and guided experiences when independent transport is inconvenient.

Practical arrival checklist

Before you fly	Why it matters
Check the IATA code on the ticket	Prevents booking a hotel or transfer for the wrong airport.
Save airline, hotel, and driver contacts offline	Messaging apps may not work until data is active.
Carry local cash	Useful for taxis, snacks, and small airport expenses.
Recheck live departures	Regional schedules can change more quickly than major-hub schedules.
Keep insurance documents accessible	Helps at medical facilities and during airline disruption.

Safety and travel notes

Romania is generally straightforward for visitors, but normal urban precautions matter. Canada flags pickpocketing, purse snatching, and theft in busy streets, public transport, train stations, airport terminals, and metros; U.S. guidance also notes strict laws around drugs, firearms, ammunition, and public alcohol rules. Use official taxis or ride-hailing, keep bags closed on buses and trains, and carry insurance for medical needs, car rental excess, winter roads, and missed connections. Around Craiova, taxi and station awareness matter more than airport-specific risk.

The most reliable traveler is the boringly prepared traveler: documents printed, data working, transport confirmed, hotel address saved, and enough time between every moving part of the itinerary.

Short airport excursion idea

If you have a long layover or an overnight stop, choose one simple plan rather than trying to see everything. Stay close to the city center or a known hotel district, keep the return transfer booked, and avoid cutting the return to the airport too close. In smaller airports, a missed flight may mean waiting a day or more for the next practical departure.

Frequently asked questions

How far is Craiova International Airport from Craiova?

About 7-9 km east of central Craiova, normally 10-20 minutes by taxi and around 30 minutes by bus route 9.

How much is a taxi from CRA airport?

Typical taxi planning ranges are shown in the transport table above. The safest method is to confirm the price before loading luggage and to use a hotel-arranged driver when arriving late or visiting for the first time.

Are there restaurants and shops at Craiova International Airport?

Yes, but the depth of choice depends on the airport size and operating schedule. Expect practical cafes or snack options at smaller airports and a better range at major hubs. Carry backup snacks and water for delays.

Which airlines should I check first?