Brașov to Sinaia and Peleș: Train, Walk, Closed Days and the DN1 Traffic Trap

The short version

Sinaia is about 46 km south of Brașov, over the Predeal pass and down into the Prahova Valley. The best way there is almost always the train: about an hour, dozens of departures a day and none of the traffic that makes the DN1 notorious at weekends. From Sinaia station it is a short climb through the town to Peleș and Pelișor, the royal castles in the forest above.

Before anything else, check the calendar: Peleș and Pelișor are closed every Monday and Tuesday, and both have long closures this autumn — Pelișor from 28 September to 3 November 2026 and Peleș from 2 November to 1 December 2026. All times, fares and dates below were checked in September 2026. For the castle itself — the rooms, the collections, the story of King Carol I — read our Peleș Castle guide.

By train from Brașov station

Trains run all day between Brașov station and Sinaia, on the main line to Bucharest. On the aggregator we checked, a Saturday in late September 2026 showed 54 trains on the route — 24 run by the state operator CFR Călători and 30 by private companies (Interregional Călători, Regio Călători, Softrans, Transferoviar Călători and Astra Trans Carpatic) — from early morning to late evening. Some run only on certain days, so check the date you need.

• Journey time: about one hour for 45 km; fast trains are a little quicker, stopping trains a little slower.
• Fares: second-class fares from around 17 lei, and around 24 lei in first class, were listed on a timetable aggregator when we checked in September 2026; prices vary by train type and operator. Confirm on the CFR Călători ticket site or the private operator's own site, and buy before boarding where possible.
• Tickets: CFR and each private operator sell their own tickets; a ticket for one company is not valid on another's train.

Brașov station has been under long-running modernisation, with some platforms reopened at the end of 2025 and works expected to continue; allow a few extra minutes to find your platform. See our train station page for the layout and the buses that reach it from the old town, and getting around Brașov for connections.

From Sinaia station to Peleș

Sinaia station sits at the bottom of the town; the castles are in the forest above it. The road distance is about 1.7 km, and on foot it is an uphill walk — our estimate is 25–35 minutes at an easy pace — climbing the stairs and alleys through the town past the Sinaia Monastery and then along the forest alley to Peleș. It is a lovely approach in dry weather and slippery in winter; wear proper shoes. You may find a taxi near the station, but ride-hailing cars are not guaranteed in Sinaia — do not count on them. Before you leave the station, look at the Royal Railway Station building itself.

Opening days, hours and tickets

From the official castle site (checked September 2026):

• Peleș: Wednesday 10:00–17:00; Thursday–Sunday 09:15–17:00; closed Monday and Tuesday. Last individual entry at 16:00. Entry is by timed slot, and a daily cap of about 2,000 visitors has been reported since December 2025.
• Pelișor: the same days and hours.
• 2026 closures: Pelișor closed 28 September – 3 November 2026; Peleș closed 2 November – 1 December 2026, for cleaning and conservation. In practice: on 2 and 3 November both are closed; from 4 November to 1 December only Pelișor is open.
• Tickets: Peleș (ground and first floor) 100 lei adults, 50 lei pensioners, 25 lei students; Pelișor full tour 30 lei adults, 15 lei pensioners, 7.50 lei students. Photography without flash is free. Tickets are non-refundable.

Details on the Peleș Castle and Pelișor Castle pages.

By car on the DN1 — and a warning

The drive is short on the map: 46 km and about an hour without traffic, over the Predeal pass and down through Azuga and Bușteni. The problem is the DN1 through the Prahova Valley, one of the most congested roads in the country: on peak winter and summer weekends, the stretch between Predeal and Comarnic — with Azuga and Bușteni the worst points — can turn an hour into two or three, and the full run from Predeal to Bucharest has been reported at more than three hours, sometimes five. The motorway that would relieve it through the mountains is still in documentation, with works not expected before 2029.

If you drive: leave Brașov before 08:00 at weekends, come back before mid-afternoon on Sunday, and check live traffic before you set off. Winter tyres are compulsory on snow, ice or frost, and the Predeal pass sees plenty of all three. Parking near the castles is limited on busy days.

By taxi

There is no fixed fare. From published per-kilometre rates — around 2 lei for Uber and about 3.10 lei plus a starting fee for metered taxis (checked September 2026) — our estimate for 46 km is roughly 90–145 lei one way, and more if you are stuck in traffic. For two people, the train is the better deal.

How to plan the day

• Wednesday to Sunday only. Monday and Tuesday are wasted journeys.
• Take a morning train that arrives in Sinaia by 09:00–10:00, so that you are at the gate for the first slots.
• Weekdays beat weekends, especially from June to October.
• Allow three to four hours for Peleș, Pelișor, the park and the walk up and back.
• After the castles: the Casino and the Dimitrie Ghica park in the centre, or the gondola up to the mountain.

Combining with Bușteni

Bușteni is on the same line, a little before Sinaia coming from Brașov. Cantacuzino Castle there — a neo-Romanian palace known to many as the filming location of Netflix's *Wednesday* — lists hours of Monday–Thursday 10:00–19:00 and Friday–Sunday 10:00–20:00, with a castle, gallery and park ticket at 85 lei for adults (checked September 2026). See Cantacuzino Castle. Peleș in the morning and Cantacuzino in the afternoon, by train, is a comfortable full day; for the cable car to the Bucegi plateau, read the Bucegi and Babele guide.

Our advice

Take the train, go on a weekday from Wednesday to Friday, and check the closure dates twice — autumn 2026 is the worst possible time to improvise. For more castle ideas, see all the castles around Brașov and the Sinaia and Bușteni area. If Peleș is closed on your dates, Bran is open every day, and Râșnov is half an hour away. And in winter, the train also brings you to Sinaia's ski area — compare it with Poiana in what a ski day costs.