Three numbers. The ones that decide the meeting.
When the world meets at work.
Read the day in both zones.
If it's this in Istanbul, it's that in București.
When it's 8:00 am in Istanbul, it's 7:00 am in București — morning there, the same day.
When it's 10:00 am in Istanbul, it's 9:00 am in București — late morning there, the same day.
When it's 12:00 pm in Istanbul, it's 11:00 am in București — late morning there, the same day.
When it's 3:00 pm in Istanbul, it's 2:00 pm in București — afternoon there, the same day.
When it's 5:00 pm in Istanbul, it's 4:00 pm in București — afternoon there, the same day.
When it's 9:00 pm in Istanbul, it's 8:00 pm in București — evening there, the same day.
Crossing the border. Money, language, plugs.
Money changes hands at the border: Istanbul uses the TRY (₺) and București uses the RON (lei). Language shifts too — Turkish in Istanbul, Romanian in București. Cars drive on the right in both, so rentals feel familiar.
- Country
- Turkey
- Capital
- Ankara
- Currency
- Turkish lira (TRY · ₺)
- Language
- Turkish
- Calling code
- +90
- Drives on
- Right
- Country
- Romania
- Capital
- Bucharest
- Currency
- Romanian leu (RON · lei)
- Language
- Romanian
- Calling code
- +40
- Drives on
- Right
Quick answers. Before you book the call.
What's the time difference between Istanbul and București?
Istanbul is 1 hour behind București. Istanbul runs on GMT+3 and București on GMT+2. The gap can shift by an hour when either side enters or leaves daylight saving — the live clocks above always reflect the current offset.
When it's 10 am in Istanbul, what time is it in București?
10:00 am in Istanbul is 9:00 am in București on the same day — late morning there. The same shift applies to any hour; the quick-conversion cards and the 24-hour table above cover the full day.
When it's 3 pm in Istanbul, what time is it in București?
3:00 pm in Istanbul is 2:00 pm in București on the same day — afternoon there. The same shift applies to any hour; the quick-conversion cards and the 24-hour table above cover the full day.
When's the best time to schedule a meeting?
There are 7 hours where both cities are inside a 09:00–17:00 workday. Aim for the middle of that window so neither side is starting or closing out.
Does daylight saving time change the difference?
Yes, if either city observes DST. When one side shifts and the other doesn't, the gap changes by one hour. The DST badges under each clock show whether each zone is currently shifted and when the next transition lands.
How far is Istanbul from București?
About 447 km as the crow flies (great-circle distance). A non-stop commercial flight cruises that in roughly 1h 2m, not counting airport time, winds, or routing around restricted airspace.
Can I send this meeting time as a calendar invite?
Yes. Pick a time on the slider above, open the meeting card, customize the title and duration, then download the .ics file. It imports cleanly into Google Calendar, Outlook, and Apple Calendar with the correct timezone attached.
What currency do Istanbul and București use?
Istanbul uses the Turkish lira (TRY, ₺); București uses the Romanian leu (RON, lei). Check the live rate before transferring money or paying with a card abroad — most banks add a 1–3 % FX margin on top of the mid-market rate.
How do I call Istanbul from București?
Dial the international prefix used by your carrier (often 00), then +90, then the local number — drop any leading zero of the city or mobile code. For free calls, WhatsApp, Signal, and FaceTime work over Wi-Fi regardless of country code.
What language is spoken in Istanbul and București?
Istanbul primarily speaks Turkish; București speaks Romanian. English is widely used in business contexts in major cities of both, but written contracts may need translation.
Do Istanbul and București drive on the same side of the road?
Yes — both drive on the right. Rental cars feel identical between the two.