Travel advice for Romania
From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to Romania
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Relaxing beach fun - the Black Sea Coast in Bulgaria and Romania
The perfect trip for those that are looking for sun, sea and sand while also getting to know the culture and history of both Bulgaria and Romania. Start and end in Bucharest and discover Constanta, Sunny Beach, Nessebar, Burgas and Madara Rider.
customize ⤍The legend of Dracula
Transylvania is known to be the land of Dracula. Are you curious to visit the places mentioned in the book and the castles that hosted the major life events of Vlad the Impaler, the cruel ruler known as Dracula? Explore mysterious places and breathtaking landscapes all over Romania.
customize ⤍Luxurious Highlights of Romania: From Bucharest to Transylvania
Romania offers plenty for the discerning traveller, including beautiful Boutique properties. On this trip, discover Bucharest, the Danube Delta, Bucovina and Transylvania with Dracula's castle. A private guide will accompany you throughout the trip, well-equipped with Romanian knowledge and facts.
customize ⤍World Heritage in Romania and Bulgaria
Discover the most important UNESCO heritage sites in Romania and Bulgaria as well as some lesser-known attractions. From the capital Sofia to Plovdiv and Nessebar, as well as Veliko Tarnovo in Bulgaria to Romania's capital Bucharest to Sibiu, Cluj and Dracula's castle in Brasov.
customize ⤍Delicacies in Romania: food & wine
Perfect for foodies with little time - spend 5 days in Romania between Bucharest and Brasov, home to the famous Dracula castle. On the way, you will pass by vineyards and wineries, with tasting arrangements available for you. A private guide will be with you all throughout the trip.
customize ⤍Museum admission charges are extremely low, the typical fee being €1–2, though some of the major attractions (such as the Palace of Parliament and Peleş Castle) will charge around three times that amount – moreover, these attractions often levy a fee (often at least the equivalent of the amount it costs to actually get in) for the use of cameras/camcorders. The more expensive hotels, flights, car rental and excursions are sometimes priced in euros, but must usually be paid for in lei.
If your passport goes missing while in Bucharest, telephone your consulate immediately; anywhere else, contact the police. Thefts and other losses can be reported to the police who will issue the paperwork required for insurance claims back home, though only slowly and with painstaking bureaucratic thoroughness.
One of the legacies of Ceauşescu’s systematization policy of the 1980s, when people were forced to move into concrete apartment blocks, was that thousands of dogs were abandoned and left to roam the streets. The problem is not nearly as bad as it once was, but stray dogs remain a common nuisance, particularly in the cities, and you’ll see plenty of them wandering the roadsides; should you feel threatened, just walk on slowly.
For all emergency services dial 112.
Most public toilets are acceptable enough, and usually charge a small fee, particularly in the larger train stations. In any case, you should carry a supply of paper. “Barbaţi” means men and “Femei” means women.
It’s rare for Romanian men to subject female tourists to sexual harassment. Romanians (both male and female) are highly tactile, so you may find yourself being prodded more than you care for. Most trouble is alcohol-fuelled, so it’s best to avoid going alone to any but the classiest bars. Within earshot of other people, you should be able to scare away any local pest by shouting Lasaţi-ma in pace! (“Leave me alone!”) or calling for the poliţia.
Summers can be blisteringly hot, particularly along the coast, so make sure you take a high-factor sun cream, and strong insect repellent if visiting the Danube Delta. Conversely, conditions in the mountainous regions, particularly at higher altitudes, can present potential dangers – take appropriate clothing, sufficient provisions and equipment, and keep an eye on the weather. Tap water is safe to drink practically everywhere, though bottled water (apă minerala) is widely available. Avoid any contact with stray dogs, as there’s a very slight risk of rabies.
All towns and most villages have a pharmacy (farmacie), where the staff – in the big towns at least – may understand English, French or German. Pharmacies are typically open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 6pm, though all cities and most towns should have at least one that’s open 24 hours – failing that, dial the emergency number displayed in the pharmacy window.
In Bucharest, the British and American embassies can supply the address of an English-speaking doctor or dentist, and there’s a special clinic for treating foreigners. In emergencies, dial 112 or ask someone to contact the local casualty (staţia de salvare) or first-aid (prim ajutor) station, which should have ambulances. Each county capital has a fairly well-equipped county hospital (spital judeţean), but hospitals and health centres (policlinics) in smaller towns can be poor.
For all emergency services dial 112.
The maps produced by the national tourist offices are fairly poor, though just about adequate for motoring, but the campsite and cabana maps are useful for hikers. There are also good hiking maps of the major mountain massifs, by Editura Pentru Turism and Abeona in Bucharest and Editura Focul Viu in Cluj (available from bookstores as well as tourist offices). Hikers should also look out for the booklet Invitaţie în Carpaţi; the text is Romanian, but it contains detailed maps of the region’s 24 main hiking areas, showing trail markings, huts, peaks and so on. It’s reproduced in The Mountains of Romania.
Romanian television offers the standard diet of news, soaps and gameshows. Once restricted to two hours a day, with half of that devoted to Ceauşescu’s feats (ironically, it was TV that played a crucial role in his overthrow), these days there is no shortage of programming. Any decent hotel will have satellite TV, with CNN and BBC World most likely to feature. More annoyingly, many restaurants deem it necessary to feature huge plasma screens. Like many of the foreign-language programmes on Romanian TV, films at the cinema are shown in their original language with Romanian subtitles.
If you need to change money, you’re best doing so at a bank (banca); these are generally open Monday to Friday between 9am and 4 or 5pm. Alternatively, private exchange offices (casa de schimb valuta) can be found in just about every town and city; in the bigger cities they are everywhere, and some may even be open 24 hours. You don’t usually need to show your passport but it is worth taking just in case. As a rule, neither exchange offices nor banks charge commission. If taking cash, a modest denomination of euros, pound sterling or US dollar bills is advisable. Make sure that you get rid of any unwanted lei before you leave the country, as it’s unlikely you’ll be able to change them once outside Romania.
Cash machines (Bancomats) are ubiquitous, even in the smallest towns, including many railway stations. Credit cards are accepted in most of the better hotels, restaurants and shops.
Museums (muzeu) are generally open Tuesday to Sunday from 9 or 10am to 5 or 6pm, though some do also close on Tuesdays. For the opening hours of post offices, banks, pharmacies and restaurants, see the relevant sections in town accounts of the Guide.
Public holidays in Romania are on January 1 and 2 (New Year); Easter Monday; May 1 (Labour Day); December 1 (National Day) and December 25 and 26 (Christmas).
In big coastal resorts and at Poiana Braşov there are kindergartens for the benefit of holidaymakers. The most obvious child-friendly destinations are the beaches along the coast, which, on the whole, are clean and safe, while there are enough water parks and fairgrounds in most resorts for further stimulation. You’ll also find that most large towns have a good puppet theatre (Teatrul de Păpuşi). Rail transport is free for under-5s, and half-price for under-10s.
From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to Romania
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