Your Romania Travel Guide

All About Romania!

 Romanian Culture & Society

Fresh Food & Delightful Dining!

Every neighbourhood everywhere in Romania has a little market where the freshest produce and more can be found at ridiculously low prices. 

Maybe a world-class supermarket is more your style?  Not a problem!

Or dine out in style and try some great regional dishes. Read more here!

Foreign Relations

Romania became the eastern border in NATO in 2002, and will become the eastern border for Europe in 2007.

With two battalions in Iraq and five U.S. bases in Romania, Romania's support for both American and European Union initiatives has proven solid.

Culture & Society

Your average Romanian is quick to laugh and quick to anger, the Latin temperament mixing with a rich modern culture to produce a thoroughly likable people.

The consumer society has hit Romania with a vengeance since the 1989 revolution.  Read more here!

Religion in Romania

The priests marry and it is the national religion of over 4 out of 5 Romanians.

Learn about the history and traditions of the Romanian Orthodox Church, along with the other 12%, from Roman Catholic to Reformed to Muslim!

Holidays & Celebrations

Romanians are truly at their best with their raucous and seemingly endless celebrations marking life's important stages.

With nearly three times the number of annual events celebrated compared with English-speaking calendars, Romanians have fun alot!     Read more here!

Folklore & Traditions

Steeped in centuries of traditions enriched through many influences!

From Hapsburg Austrian to Ottoman Turk, the uniquely Romanian folk history survived in the foothills of the might Carpathians, with old stories to delight young and old.  Read more here!

The Legal System & Police

Joining in the EU in 2007 required an exhaustive overhaul of the laws, and the pace of reforms in legislation and the judiciary continues with emphasis on the fight to eradicate corruption.

Law enforcement in Romania exists in the national police and the gendarmarie, along with several other agencies.    Read more on Law and Law Enforcemtn here!

Politics

Romania is a modern parliamentary republic with a President and Prime Minister, most like France.

Despite the occasional rift about military in Iraq or which ministers belong to which of the two parties in the ruling Democratic Alliance coalition government, Romania's President and Prime Minister were largely successful in implementing the reforms required for joining the European Union 

GREAT INTERESTS & ACTIVITIES

Romania's Big Wildlife

Few stop to ponder the big mammals of Romania, which include the Carpathian Brown Bear,   the Lynx and the Grey Wolf. 

All of them represent the largest populations in all of Europe, and roam across a surprisingly large range in the upper Carpathian mountains. Read more here!

The Danube Delta

The vast expanse of Europe's newest land is home to migratory birds and a beautiful delta ecosystem from the mighty Danube.  

Hidden villages with their own different cultures exist behind expanses of reedbeds in out of the way river channels which criss-cross the delta.

Great birdwatching opportunities exist as well as some fun cultural events and sights!

Eco-Tourism

No other European nation enjoys the vast breadth of variety sweeping from the Transilvanian plateau and the Carpathian Mountains down to the Danube and the Black Sea Coast!

Romania truly does have some stunning natural wonders to see, from gorges and caves to snowy spires and extensive riparian zones.  Read more here!

Hiking and Climbing

Whether you call it hiking, tramping, trekking or bushwalking, it is Romania's number one outdoor activity, and you'll love the well-marked trails with rewarding vistas along the way!  

Maps are good and facilities more than adequate for some serious activity in the beautiful spruce, fir and pine forests across this great country.  Read More Here

The Dracula Thing

The folklore of the undead spirits at night have run through Romanian history for generations.

Bram Stoker used much of this background to create the Hungarian-born character Count Dracula, born in what is now part of modern-day Romania.  But there is much more to the reality of Romania's folklore than just this!  Read More Here

Shopping

Your local piaţă (market plaza) has all you need in your neighbourhood, each one like a mini-department store. 

Even smaller markets offering fruit and vegetables and baked bread dot the corners here and there too!   But, for a taste of home, the shopping mall has made a foothold here and there, although is still out of reach for most Romanians.    Read More Here

Tours and Great Trips

How wide your eyes will open on your first tour out of Bucharest after arriving!

Every Romanian understands the natural beauty of their country, and several organised, guided and self-guided tour options exist for almost every activity and every taste.

And being a rather cheap country for most English-speakers, getting a driver and car can be less daily than your car rentel in your home city!  Read More Here

Beach Life

Even Australians with their kilometres of endless sand will give a nod of approval to the nicely kept stretches on the Black Sea Coast.

The delightful tradition of sleepy seaside villages make Romanian beaches refreshingly relaxed, whilst a handful of more developed coastline with amusement parks and waterparks will keep the kids entertained too!    Read More Here

TRAVEL IN ROMANIA

Which Way Will You Go? The Best of Romania is in all directions!

Over 2 Dozen Domestic Air Routes!

Manhattan to Mamaia?  Boston to Bucharest Or Toronto to Târgu Mureş? The BEST of Romania is just one stop away from these North American cities: West Coast:  Los Angeles  San Francisco  Portland  Seattle  Vancouver  Phoenix  Denver  Central:  Dallas  Houston  Mexico City  READ MORE NOW IN OUR "ROMANIA BY AIR" SECTION!Minneapolis  Chicago  Detroit  Cincinnati East and South:  Philadelphia  Montreal  Toronto  Newark  New York  Atlanta  Washington DC  Boston  Charlotte  Orlando  Nassau  Miami

You can do it All in Romania!

"From Sea to Shining Peaks", Romania offers amazing diversity in a country with unique heritage, culture and some jaw-dropping sights.

The worst thing about Bucharest is arriving.  You get there and realise that no matter what you planned, all of a sudden, you want to do something else!

Look at the map.  Go right and run into miles of great beaches and fabulously sleepy seaside village reminiscent of France in the 1930s.

Go left across the rich alluvial plains full of sunflowers, and gypsy caravans.

Or go up to the fairytale peaks of the Carpathian Mountains, home to equally fairytale castles, ski slopes and stunning beauty.

Spending Time is Easy!

Your job is to pick your field of interest!  Tours go in all directions and for all tastes.  

Go Your Own Way

For those of you able to travel independently, you'll laugh at the cheapness of the public transport, or even for hiring someone's car for a while. 

You can get anywhere for very little, and although the roads are not brilliant, that stop at the small village along the way is bound to provide priceless memories.  Even if it is just the way the little store owners stared at your hats!

Getting There and Getting Around

Bucharest is just a single stop from over 20 U.S. cities, with service on all the alliances, British Airways, Lufthansa and more. 

As an English-speaker, you’ll most likely fly into Bucharest (or one of 7 international airports), although a train from Venice, Vienna or Budapest can be fun.   With over two dozen domestic air routes, Romania is well served by competitive airlines at great rates!

Visas are just not a problem at all, and travellers from the USA, Canada, the UK and Ireland can stay up to 90 days with no paperwork, just your airline ticket and a passport. Aussies and Kiwis do need visas, which are cheap anyways and take a week to get at the Canberra embassy.

The trains go everywhere in Romania, and there are 4 or sometimes 5 levels of service, from slow local trains to Blue Arrow intercity express trains.

You can also fly domestically to 11 cities in Romania. But, for that personal experience, a car is a great idea, and you can buy one cheap if you’re there for a month or so. Even better is getting a Romanian guy with a car, working out a daily or weekly rate. Jobs are scarce in most cities, so you’ll be doing the guy and his family a pretty big favour. Get ready for a few excuses, but he’ll stick to the agreed price if you’re firm.

Rest Romania IS Romania!  Now with 92 Full-Length Guides!

Why Romania?

Below:  A dozen typical pensiuni at Darau in the Moldavia region

You Are Making the Right Choice!

First of all, we’d like to congratulate you on your choice of Romania as a travel destination. It can be a daunting step to choose a country where your friends and neighbours haven’t really heard much about, other than Transylvania, Dracula and perhaps a gymnast or two.

How surprised your family will be to discover you are going to a European Union country like England or France, with a real Romance language like Italian or French, a member of with the population of Australia (and just as friendly), which really does contain intact some of the most amazing treasures in what is the last of Old Europe.

Even with all that, you must admit, one of the best reasons to choose Romania is the price. Things are seriously cheap.

Have lunch in the middle of a frozen ice lake in the middle of summer for 10 dollars. Laugh under your breath as the innkeeper accepts your offer of 40 dollars a night for your great room with a stunning view. Pick out the freshest of summer fruits, a freshly prepared quince paste, or some tomatoes unchanged for centuries, still ruby red and full of sunshine, and realise you just paid next to nothing at the local neighbourhood market square.

A Lasting Experience

All of these things will give you and your travel mates a lasting appreciation of simply being in a country where things really are simpler and we think, more fulfilling.  But it is the people which will give you a lasting love of the quirky, generous, hilarious and thoroughly Latin population, most of whom are still rather charming peasants, and some of whom are complete cultural sophisticates.

Despite simple roots, Romanians have a very high education level nationally, and the person serving you at the sidewalk café is university educated and probably has a good knowledge of English.

Just as Romanian society and culture is a rich mix of contrasts, so is the endless countryside, from the sparkling hot beaches of the sea coast, to the bayous of the Danube River delta, and the simply stunning jagged peaks of the grand Carpathian mountain ranges. Bears, wolves, lynx and more roam freely in the high wildernesses with masses of migratory birds in Europe’s newest land along the Delta.

Besides the natural geological wonders, eco-tourism in Romania is supercharged by the sheer biodiversity of the country, with 3600 species of Gymnosperm and Angiosperm amongst the wide palette of 33,802 species of Romanian flora, representing 40% of all European flora.  Read more in our Eco-Tourism section

 Old Europe or New Europe?

Europe’s Newest Nation

As in most European cities, old cobblestone streets reveal great little cafes, and at night you’ll find great clubs in the cities, and fun places to cool your heels in the university sectors. Even though Romanians make less than €250 a month on average, Bucharest has 3 “real” malls now.

Bucharest, Constanţa, Iaşi, Cluj and Timişoara all have world-class museums and vibrant arts scenes. Romania’s first freeway now connects Bucharest with the home of Romania’s Dacia car in Ploieşti, and soon to the old Greek and Roman port city of Constanţa on the Black Sea coast. Fashion never takes a back seat and you’ll see the daring and the innovative on city streets.

The Old Ways Intact

Yet also on city streets you can still find carts pulled by horses, belonging to families who have never seen a credit card in their $200 per month 3 room apartment. Early in the morning, a lone old Dacia will trundle out of Bucharest taking barrels to be refilled by the grandmother in the country, with powerful and exquisite plum brandy.

Many currents of modernity had little impact on Romanians due to the often bizarre and undoubtedly cruel regime of the mad dictator Ceauşescu, who exported food for hard currency. In many ways, the de facto cultural isolation preserved rural traditions, despite the ridiculous relocation of peasants from the land to dumb apartment blocks that now dominate the cities.

This transplantation resulted in a curious urbanised version of peasant life as customs and habits adapted to the concrete landscape. The same rural beliefs and methods are still alive across the cities, and many families still have older members living in the original ancestral village.

The Rich Regions

Sample the Regional Cultures!

Every neighbourhood everywhere in Romania has a little market where the freshest produce and more can be found at ridiculously low prices.  Maybe a world-class supermarket is more your style?  Not a problem!

Or dine out in style and try some great regional dishes. Read more here!

See More Mountains in our Geography Section Now!

See an Interactive Map of Romania with more locations and details!

The Banat

In Southwestern Romania, bordering Hungary and Serbia with Timisoara and Counties Timis and Caras-Severin

 

 Crişana

In the Western Region of Romania with Oradea and Arad below the Apuseni Mountains

 

Dobrogea

The seaside region, from Greek and Roman Ruins to Danube Delta country, Constanta (Constanţa) on the Black Sea Coast beaches of Mamaia, Eforie, to Mangalia and Vama Veche

 

Maramureş

Old Europe still lives in Maramureş from Satu Mare to Baie Mare with Old Wooden Churches and More!

 

Moldova

Including Old Moldavia and the capital Iasi, and Chisinau and Republic of Moldova with Transdneister

 

Muntenia

The Heartland of Romania with Bucharest (Bucureşti), Sinaia and Busteni Mountain Resorts with Skiing to the lowlands of the Danube region and swampy Calarasi!

 

Oltenia

Bordering Serbia and Bulgaria, the Mighty Olt River from the Carpathians through Ramnicu Valcea, Historic Targu Jiu and Busy Craiova to the Iron Gates of the Danube river!

 

Bucovina

Old Bucovina from it's Austrian Empire Origins to Modern Day Moldovan Culture from Vatra Dornei to Botosani with Campulung Moldovanesc and Radauti

 

Transilvania

With Strong Saxon and Hapsburg Influences from Brasov to Cluj-Napoca, Sibiu and Sighisoara

 

Wallachia

The old "original Romania, including Muntenia, Oltenia and Bucharest

 

 

The Short Version of Romanian History: 

The original Romanians, called the Dacians, were defeated by the Romans around 100AD.  The Romans left after only 150 years, and for 1000 years Romania was washed over by Goths, Huns, Slavs and Bulgars.

The system of ruling princes took over around the 1400s, and the main three regions of Wallachia, Moldova and Transilvania were variously ruled by the Austrian-Hungarian Hapsburg empire from the west, the Turkish Ottoman Empire from the south, and the Russians from the east. 

Moldova and Wallachia got together in 1859, and Romania was a kingdom through WWI and WWII, until the Communists took over in 1947.   People got tired of being tortured and starved, and ousted the mad dictator Ceausescu with short trial and some bullets in 1989.

The influence of former communists has waned in politics, with only a few remaining in government.  Romania has been in the EU since 2007 and continues it's fight against corruption.

Read More on Romanian History Here!

And see our unique History Sections at the base of all of our Guide Pages!

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