I would like some feedback on this if it’s not too much trouble.
Just let me know what you think, or if you have any questions, reply here and I’ll get back to you.

I’ve got a website dedicated to my holiday to Romania in the summer of 2004. It’s simple but has loads of photos and info.
Link is: http://www.inimbrium…

I gleefully overstayed my Visa just to get more of it.

Hello,
I appreciate the info on Romania. I rarely see info posted about it.
I have been looking into visiting Romania, but I do have some saftey concerns (being a female solo traveler).
Last year a met someone who was KIDNAPPED in Romania! He was taken for a joy ride in a taxi, robbed at gunpoint, and then left in some seedy town. No joke!
I have read that there is alot of poverty and thus, theft and such. But if that is the only thing I need be concerned about, then that will not deter me.
Any advice for female travellers to this country?
Thanks!
Happy travels.

quote:
Hello,
I appreciate the info on Romania. I rarely see info posted about it.
I have been looking into visiting Romania, but I do have some saftey concerns (being a female solo traveler).

Indeed, there is not much info about Romania as it is not promoted (enough) as a tourist destination. However the country have much more to offer then other countries much better promoted.

quote:Last year a met someone who was KIDNAPPED in Romania! He was taken for a joy ride in a taxi, robbed at gunpoint, and then left in some seedy town. No joke!

In what city does this happen? You have the person’s details?
You know, if you act just normal there is no problem. But if you have the air "hey, I’m full of money" you might get some trouble everywhere, not only in Romania.

quote:Any advice for female travellers to this country?

The same as for travelling in no-matter-which country: Try to stay away from the worst places in the cities by night. There is no problem walking alone on streets in the middle of the night as long as you avoid few bad places where in normal circumstances you cannot reach by mistake. Try to keep your money and papers in a safe place…people are usually friendly and try to get in contact with foreigners, with good intentions in mind (more than in other countries) however, be careful until you got to know each-pther better. People in rural areas could happen to let you sleep in them houses, (many times for free). Especially as you as a solo woman are not supposed to harm them anyway. In town, be more careful, especially in buses. In trains, try not to sleep unless you are sure your luggage is safe (again, this is for every country)

Do your homework. Rafael’s post is a good place to start.
Know well what you are looking for to see in the country.
I’d be glad to help you with any info you need, just don’t hesitate to ask.

All best,
Radu[url=‘http://www.outdoorholiday.com’ title=‘Travel Transylvania, Romania’]Travelling in Romania[/url]

First of all, congratulations Rafael for your nice post !!

To the initial post I’d add just :
– the Saxon villages in South-Eastern Transylvania., each of them sheltering a nice fortified church of XII – XIII century.
– the XV-th – XVI-th century Painted Monasteries of Moldova (part of UNESCO world heritage)
– Maramureş, an area where traditions and handcrafts are still kept intact. Also the wooden churches here are the highest in Europe.
As stated by UNESCO, “The Maramureş wooden churches are outstanding examples of vernacular religious wooden architecture resulting from the interchange of Orthodox religious traditions with Gothic influences in a specific vernacular interpretation of timber construction traditions, showing a high level of artistic maturity and craft skills.”

All best,
Radu

Shhhhh!!! Don’t start telling people about Romania or next thing you know it’s going to become totally overcrowded.

Seriously, I’ve been to Romania twice and it is a very nice country but definitely has its problems. Friendly people and some great sites, but much poverty and pollution as well.

Romania is indeed an amazing place that is growing up quickly. I haven’t been there in 3 years, so I’m sure it feels a bit different already. Thanks for sharing your photos and stories, Inimbrium! You’re lucky to have a Mom you can travel with like that. (I’m not so sure my Mom and I would agree on many things if we traveled together).

I wrote a few stories about my experiences in Romania on[url=‘http://www.kahunna.net’]my site[/url]. You should check them out.

Happy Travels,
~Kahunna

Hey All,
I checked out some of those sites and I have to say I am now defitnley going to add Romania as a destination this summer.Sorry to those of you who don’t want anyone else to travel there. It has so many of the things I look for when I travel to new places..

Take care, Happy travels!

Dracula (Vlad Dracul) was a real Romanian king?

Really ???

Dracula the novel wasn’t based on Vlad Dracul it was based on Vald Tepes (Vlad T was Draculs son.. Dracula (meaning son of Dracul)

Romania isn’t the type of place for your normal backpacker, if you like nailbars, drinking starbucks coffee, flashing songs onto your iPod, railpasses, clean and comfortable taxis, hot water, guidebooks and so on, give Romania a bodyswerve.

Robbery at gunpoint, beggers, dangerous taxis, lack of home comforts makes Romania a place for those willing to forego some of these or endure a litle hardship but it really is a gem of place.

I love it!

Hey Jboy,

You forgot to mention the large population of Romanian wild boars that will fight over your limbs if you walk down dark alleys in Bucharest!!!11

PS – To his credit, Inimbrium never stated that Dracula (Vlad Dracul) was a real Romanian king. He stated it as a question.

quote:
Dracula (Vlad Dracul) was a real Romanian king?

Really ???

Dracula the novel wasn’t based on Vlad Dracul it was based on Vald Tepes (Vlad T was Draculs son.. Dracula (meaning son of Dracul)

Actually Bram Stoker (who’s never been to Romania) based the Dracula character mostly on Hungarian "blood countess" Erszebet Bathory (I went to her castle in Cachtice, Slovakia, near Trencin), but since it was not acceptable at the time to have a female "bad guy", he chose Vlad Tepes as a historical reference instead.

Before releasing the final draft, Stoker also changed the title and the setting. It was originally intitled The Undead and was set in Austria before Stoker got word from colleagues that the book sounded a bit too much like the storyline of Camilla, a tale of French vampires which was released almost 80 years earlier.

The character might have been based off of Bathory, like Seraphim mentioned, but the castle itself was based off of Cruden Bay castle in Aberdeenshire, where Stoker wrote most of the novel.

And yes, I did get most of this info from LP’s Romania & Moldovia.

If anyone is interested in what Vlad Tepes’ castle really looks like,[url=‘http://www.kahunna.net/story02.shtml’]click here[/url]

Thanks for the feedcack guys. I didn’t expect this much. =-)

quote:Romania isn’t the type of place for your normal backpacker… Robbery at gunpoint, beggers, dangerous taxis, lack of home comforts makes Romania a place for those willing to forego some of these or endure a litle hardship but it really is a gem of place.

I disagree. I feel that I have to say that Romania is perfect for a backpacker. Because tourism there isn’t developed enough to cater for western tourists (ie. it does require some modernisation in some of the areas), so Romania is largely unkown to the west. I think that backpackers are the scouts that are discovering Romania before the masses of tourists arrive, probably in several years time. The more popular areas are up to western standards, but are still largely unknown to the west.

Roberry at gunpoint?? Jeeesus. I’ve lived there for 13 years and go back every year and I’ve never heard of this, let alone it happen to me. I’m not saying that it doesn’t happen, but always bare in mind that if one is cautious keeps away from the not so popular areas, this will never be a problem. From what I know, guns are part of the American consitution, and are a major problem over there. I live in Birmingham, England, but recently moved to Manchester at university and I’ve learned the hard way that going in bad areas is trouble. A friend of mine got robbed at gunpoint, 2 of my housemates got burgled at gunpoint, all this in Manchester, and I got robbed at knifepoint in Birmingham. I think that it is a mixture of bad luck and carelessness. Basically don’t flash your wallet around and you should be ok.

There is poverty in Romania, but considering that I’ve encountered far less crime there than in England, one of the richest countries of the world. Povety is an issue in Romania, and I don’t know much about it, but I’m hoping that if and when Romania joins the EU in 2007, it will help a great deal with jobs, less inflation, more economical stabilty, and greater living standards, which will help rise the stadnard of living of the poorer Romanians over there.

As a former communist country, with equality being the main part of the communist psichy, Romania considers women more as equals than most west european countries do. If you find youself alone in an awkward or possible dangerous situation, ask a passer by for help. Most of the younger generation understand English. The best thing to do is to find someone to accompany you. If this is not possible, just don’t go down the dark alleys at night. Romania or not, woman or not, that’s asking for trouble. You woudn’t see me dead going through a dark alley at night in Manchester…well…that’s probably the only way you’ll see me there. Sorry, bad joke.

Those 20 year old taxi cars are quite scary… Oh, be warned, taxi drivers do charge an arm and a leg if they see you as a foreigner. Make sure you settle on a price before you leave or get them to start the meter. The worst case scenario is that you’ll get charged an arm and a leg to Romanian prices, which is probably no more than $5 hehe. The taxi in England is like £8 ($15, €11) minimum fare, so it’s not exactly the end of the world compared to the west.

The lack of some comforts really depends on how much you are willing to spend on the accomodation. Out of all expenditures in Romania, accomodation will be the largest. If you want a 5 star hotel (and believe me, there’s no shortage of those) then you’ll get gold taps and the works, but always remember that if you’re going to pay 5 euro a night you’re not going to get Hilton standards.
Actually I much preferred staying in a rented room in a house with 2 elderly very nice Romanians that will feed you in the morning and be very nice to you, than I did in Barcelona in some tacky claustrophobic white washed 2 star hotel, and for a fraction of the price too.

quote:You forgot to mention the large population of Romanian wild boars that will fight over your limbs if you walk down dark alleys in Bucharest!!!

LOL!

I would like to thank the people that signed my guestbook too. Thanks!
Dan, the camera I used is a Sony CyberShot DSC-W1.

Hello all,
Thanks to all of you who posted really positive comments about traveling in Romania. I am confident that i will be fine there so long as I use my common sense and am alert, which are two things I employ reguarily.
I think humility and common sense are some of the most important features a traveller can have.
Don’t be flashy, loud, ignorant, I think I have that covered.

Thanks again. I look foward to my journey, you all set my mind at ease. Now it is time to do some serious research on where to go, what to do, how to get there, and where to stay.

Take care everyone and happy travels!

-

DD,

same can be said of any country…. "XXXXX where I got mugged was the worst trip I’ve ever made": so you had a bad time… would it stop you going back again ??

I’ve never made a ‘bad’ or ‘negative’ trip… I just make trips, some are good, some are brillant, none are bad!… of the 7 or 8 times I’ve been to Romania… they’re by far the best trips I’ve ever made (esp when you come back home with money in your pocket.. a first for me!)

As for all you Dracula experts… the book title is based on a Romanian name so the rest of what you say is total cock!

quote:
As for all you Dracula experts… the book title is based on a Romanian name so the rest of what you say is total cock!

That reminds me – while I was staying in Romania, my Romanian friend told me most Romanians had not read Dracula until it was published in Romanian about 10 years ago!

quote:
my Romanian friend told me most Romanians had not read Dracula until it was published in Romanian about 10 years ago!

Yeah, it’s true ! I haven’t read it yet

Radu

Inibrium & Radu,

Any suggestions as far as cheap but decent lodging in Sighisoara?? Bucharest too, as I might have to stop over on my way to Beograd…

Thanks

-A

bump…

In regards to Romania advice: I’ve read the great reviews and the words of caution. All this being said, is it a place that rookie backpackers should attempt early and feel comfortable, or do you think having a couple of months’ experience under the belt is the best way to tackle a country as “un-western” as Romania?

Thanks for your advice

I’m glad to read everyone’s responses. I am thinking of adding Romania to my itinerary, but was a bit spooked reading on one forum, (someone said people get gassed and robbed on trains in Eastern Europe.) I know it is probably urban legend, but I was a bit cautious.

Yeah, I have to admit, I am going there to see Transylvania. I’ve seen pics of the area and it looks beautiful. I’m all for experiencing a different culture.

I’m sure the gassing thing is something that might’ve happened like once 25 years ago and has since been propagated as an urban legend (in that it happens commonly). However, I will say that while I haven’t been further east than Prague myself, I’ve had people tell me really weird stories that just make it seem like the further east you go, the more disorganized rail travel gets (which I guess makes sense in a way).

For instance, these people I met in Prague this summer had just got in from Budapest, and before that were in Romania and talked about how on one night train the conductor came by and opened the door at a stop and a bunch of gypsies came in and started trying to get them to buy stuff (this was at like 4am, mind you)… and on another night train the conductor came in in the middle of the night and made them vacate their cabin for no reason and made them sleep in the hallway; they went back to their cabin a few hours later to see what was going on, and there were like 12 people in it…

Now mind you, I’ve had some discombobulated stuff go on in Germany too, but nothing like that. Then again, they could’ve just had bad luck that week

The rail system in Romania is excellent — modern trains, reliable service, etc. However, gypsies and other vendors do haunt the stations and board the trains at long stops to try to sell you stuff. Sometimes it’s very low key where they leave a few small items on the seat. You leave money on the seat for anything you want. I assume that gets around some legal ban on actually “selling” stuff on the train. On other trains (and in some stations) it’s much more direct with vendors shoving stuff in your face to try to sell it to you. The conductor ultimately shooed the vendors off the train, but usually not before they’d sold some stuff which makes me thing there was some level of agreement between the conductor and the vendors.

I’m not sure I’d take an overnight train in Romania, but I’d have no qualms about a day train — particularly in 1st class, which is very comparable to 1st class in Western Europe but still dirt cheap. My only warning would be to keep an eye on your gear and make sure it’s secured at every stop. I think grabbing a bag and jumping off the train just as it pulls out of the station is some level of “national sport” in Romania.

Hahaha! Sorry, that’s just quite an image

I suppose though, in the end it’s the price you pay for going to a “bargain” destination; typically it’s cheapt because the locals’ money ain’t worth dirt, and as such, a tourist (who obviously has expendable wealth…or else wouldn’t be in your back yard) makes an easy, and profitable, target.

Bump.

Even though it’s 3 years old the original post has some excellent info.

Gypsies in Romania isn’t really a case of “the locals’ money ain’t worth dirt.” Its a race of people who choose not to integrate into normal society. They prefer to live by their old ways, growing food and making much stuff by hand (which is perfectly fine), but some of them choose to steal, barter, and live off any form of welfare they can get. I’ve heard that in Spain, the Roma have the right to free primary education just like any other citizen, but most of them choose not not educate their children, to keep living by their old ways.

Don’t get me wrong, the Leu isn’t a strong currency, but the point is, the majority of Romanians are hard working and fair people, and aside from cab drivers and maybe police, aren’t going to try to swindle you. They are in fact some of the friendliest people toward complete strangers, that I’ve met in europe.

And, they themselves dont take friendly to Roma either. I witnessed, on a city bus, a guy beat and kick the crap out of some gypsy (I can only assume he was trying to pick his pocket or something). The bus driver just kept driving, nobody tried to stop him, they just acted like it was normal, got out of the way of the kicking and beating, paid no attention to him while whimpering and dripping blood. It was kind of sad to watch, but from the reactions, its obviously not an isolated incident.

Does anybody have any mid-range hotel and “authentic” restaurant recommendations for Sighisoara?