Trifter

1.  The Romanian people are, on the whole, friendly and very hospitable.  In the cities, many younger Romanians speak quite good English, so communicating isn’t as hard as you might expect. 

2.  The Romanian currency is the LEU (plural – LEI, pronounced ‘lay’).  It is abbreviated to RON, which stands for Romanian New Lei, as the currency was recently redesigned and four zeros were knocked off so that 10,000 old lei is now one leu – approximately $0.30.

3.  You will see many enormous, luxurious-looking homes, and people driving expensive SUVs, but as in every country, alongside wealthy people, there are also poor people.  Behind the concrete façade of apartment blocks you can still find large families sharing a tiny single-roomed apartment with no bathroom facilities and no access to hot water.  In the cities you will probably see some begging on the streets, especially by street children and Roma people (recognisable by the fluorescent clothing patterns preferred by Roma women).

A Roadside Shrine – the Orthodox faith is widely practised

Image by author.

4.  High summer in Romania is gloriously hot – around 30-35 degrees C (85-95F) – but winters can be harsh and icy, with temperatures regularly dropping to -15 degrees C (5F) and below.  The cold weather has some advantages though, as the mountain regions become a snowy winter wonderland.

5.  The best way to travel around Romania is probably by public transport.  Roads, even the major inter-city connections, tend to be crowded and the going can be slow as many highways are not multi-laned.  Some guide books recommend using four-wheel drive cars only, but that isn’t really necessary as main roads are properly paved.  Just don’t expect 6-lane freeways!  Cities have large and well-used bus, trolleybus and tram networks which make getting around a breeze.  Trains are slow, but frequent and reliable and with an extensive network all over the country, you really can go wherever you like.  You can find online railway timetables at www.mersultrenurilorcfr.ro

6.  The capital city has two international airports: Bucureşti (Bucharest) Otopeni and its lesser brother, Bucureşti Baneasa.  The Romanian airline Tarom operates regular internal flights from Otopeni to major cities, including Cluj-Napoca, Arad, Timişoara, Braşov and Iaşi.  Depending on your plans, it might be worth seeing whether it would be cheaper to fly to Budapest, Hungary, and then travel to Romania by train as Budapest is better served by budget airlines than Bucharest.

7.  Eating out is relatively cheap in Romania and in the cities there are plenty of options, ranging from street stalls selling pizzas, pastries and fresh bread right up to luxury restaurants serving a range of Romanian and international foods.  Romanian cuisine is tasty and hearty and well worth trying.  Accommodation is also relatively inexpensive, especially once you are out of the capital city.  If you are on a budget, stay away from large hotel chains, and instead look out for little hostels or ‘pensiune’.  Tucked away down side streets, these are often a pleasant, clean, friendly, and much cheaper alternative.

(author’s own image)

8.  Just because food and accommodation are inexpensive for travellers, don’t make the mistake of thinking that everything in Romania is incredibly cheap.  If you visit the large shopping malls in the cities you will not necessarily get a bargain.  In fact you might find some items more expensive than at home.  Look at the prices carefully and then remember that most Romanians earn substantially less than $500 per month.  However, if you look around, especially in smaller shops and at the markets, there are wonderful bargains to be found.  Romanian traditional crafts are flourishing, so look out for all kinds of glassware, ceramics and fabrics.

9.  While some types of crime are very unusual in Romania, do watch out for pickpockets in cities, especially on public transport, which can be very crowded.  Keep your valuables well hidden, and position bags so that pockets and zips cannot easily be opened without your knowledge.  Apart from that, you should feel that you can walk the streets of the cities in safety as long as you take everyday sensible precautions.  Even at night, Romania is very unthreatening.

10.  Romania is a fairly bureaucratic country and everybody carries an identity card which is needed for many simple activities.  As a traveller you will need your passport with you at all times.  Be careful about handing it over to strangers – just hold it and show it to them if necessary.  There is still some corruption about, and bribes are a common way to do business, especially in hospitals.  Make sure you know your rights as regards healthcare treatment before you go, and ensure that your travel insurance is updated and adequate. Having said that, hospital treatment in the cities is good quality – many medical students from all over the world travel to Romania’s hospital teaching facilities.

So there are ten things you should be aware of if you are traveling to Romania.  Obviously there are many wonderful things about Romania which have not been mentioned here, not least the beautiful mountains, the lovely painted monasteries and many other attractions.  Hopefully, these ten pointers will help you know what to expect if you travel to Romania for the first time so that you can stay safe, and make the most of your time there.

Have a great trip!

Cetaţuia Monastery, Iaşi

(author’s own image)

See this article to learn more about Romania’s traditions, or this one about Romania’s famous Merry Cemetery.