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 there is still a lot of poverty in Romania. 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. Begging on the streets is fairly common, especially by street children and Roma people (recognisable by the fluorescent clothing patterns preferred by Roma women). Many elderly people suffer greatly, especially in the harsh winters, so if you want to give to them, do so, but one or two lei will be considered enough.
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.
5. The best way to travel around Romania is probably by public transport. Roads, even the major inter-city connections, tend to be single lane and in poor condition, and Romanian driving styles take some getting used to! 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. 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.
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.
9. While some types of crime are very unusual in Romania, do watch out for pickpockets, especially on public transport, which can be incredibly crowded. Keep your valuables well hidden, and position bags so that pockets and zips cannot easily be opened without your knowledge.
10. Romania is a very 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 a lot of 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.
Acestea sunt recomandarile facute strainilor de catre un site foarte vizitat de cei ce cauta locuri mai putin promovate in media. Spre surprinderea mea descrierea este foarte corecta iar comentariile cu atat mai interesante. Aproape toata lumea era de acord ca e un loc care merita vizitat. Stau si ma intreb daca nu cumva ar trebui facut mult mai mult pentru a promova turismul in tara asta.
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