Is it worth going to romania. Romania: to visit Dracula, the Black Sea resorts and delicious mamalyga. Road and hit

Due to the high level of inflation, prices in the country are changing quite quickly, although there has recently been some stabilization in this matter. In tourist areas, prices in shops and markets are often indicated in lei and in euros.

  Safety regulations

Theft is a big problem in Romania. The presence of a large number of gypsies, for the most part not working anywhere, creates excellent soil for petty theft and hacking of cars. You should never leave any valuables in the car, even in a paid parking lot. There are many pickpockets in public transport, so documents and money should be kept in the most inaccessible places for the thief. To the same extent, it is not recommended to leave any expensive items and documents in the hotel room.

Bucharest is safer today than most other European capitals. Although petty thefts and frauds are quite widespread, they usually flourish far from the main attractions of the country and the eyes of the police, which have very wide powers in this country. Inspections on the streets are rare, but are meticulously and thoroughly. In this case, you must always have a copy of your passport or driver’s license with you. Drug use is particularly severely prosecuted - even a foreigner can be convicted of drug-related offenses for up to 7 years. Petty theft, fraud with currency and credit cards are very frequent, sometimes fraudsters dress in the uniform of a policeman or taxi driver.

  Roads

Of course, the Romanian roads can be called one of the worst in Europe. Excluding several major routes, the vast majority of roads are in very poor condition: they are narrow, with many pits, cracks, not enough road signs and signs, free livestock walking, lack of lighting at night. All this, and especially coupled with the unusual mountainous terrain, creates significant difficulties for the tourist.

  Stray dogs

Numerous packs of stray dogs pose a real threat to tourists. According to various sources, up to 300 thousand stray dogs live in Bucharest alone. Even taking into account the fact that most of these animals are absolutely harmless, however, hundreds of people annually become victims of attacks and bites by dogs. In 2009, a Japanese tourist was bitten to death by dogs in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Gara De Nord station in Bucharest. In order to avoid trouble, you should avoid wastelands, remote parts of city parks and untidy poorly populated yards. In addition, it is not recommended without special need to walk in the dark, when packs of dogs go out in search of food.

  Corruption

In recent years, especially with the accession of Romania to the European Union in 2007, the level of corruption (previously reaching depressing proportions) has declined significantly. The vicious practice of total police stopping cars and extorting money has already been practically eliminated. A car enthusiast can travel in Romania as calmly as in any other country in Europe. No less difficult situation on the Romanian borders with neighboring states also significantly normalized. Many tourists remember well the entry into Romania by land, almost always accompanied by attempts to extort money - now this is not the case.

  Smoking

  Alcohol

The classification of Romanian wines complies with European standards. The wines are divided into “wines”, which in turn are divided into canteens (VM) and high-quality canteens (VMS), and “high-quality”, divided into high-quality wines (VS) and high-quality wines with the controlled name of the region (VDOC). In turn, wines of the VDOC class are divided into wines with a controlled name of the region (DOC), wines with a controlled name of the region and the degree of quality (DOCC), full-ripening wine (CMD), late-harvesting wine (CT) or selected wine (CS ), noble wines (CIB), late-harvest wines (CSB) and noble-ripe vintage wines (CMI). In accordance with this classification, the price of the product is also determined, but in general, local wines are very inexpensive.

  Water

Tap water is usually chlorinated and relatively safe, but can cause stomach upsets. It is recommended to use only bottled or boiled water. Romania is currently experiencing a shortage of water, therefore, in some areas (especially around Bucharest and other big cities), water in the mains is supplied only a few hours a day. In the mountains, this problem is practically not worth it. Drinking water from mountain springs is safe.

  Nutrition

Milk and dairy products are pasteurized everywhere and are considered safe for consumption. Local meat, poultry, seafood, fruits and vegetables are considered relatively safe to eat, but products from the market require processing.

  Natural hazards

Natural hazards also include earthquakes that occur most frequently in the south and south-west of the country, as well as landslides.

  Tip

Tipping is not accepted. You can leave 5-10% in a first-class restaurant or, if the cost of service is included in the bill, round the bill up. In a taxi, tips are optional.

  Electricity

Mains voltage 220 V, 50 Hz. Two-pin sockets. Some hotels of the highest category have European-style sockets.

Our decision to go to Romania was quite spontaneous. In early summer, when I leafed through the pages of the magazine “Tourism and Recreation” and dreamed (like in a joke) of another globe, my eyes fell on the “Romania” section. A certain company offered a combined tour: rest at sea + trip through the mountains. It was called all - "Following the Count of Dracula."

Further, my daughter and I had such a dialogue:
  Me: But do not we go to Romania?
  Daughter: Where is it? Is there even a sea there?
  I am. Black ... And also Romania - the birthplace of Dracula.
  Daughter: And what? Can I go visit him ?!
  Me: Dracula's castle is on the tour program.
  Daughter: Mom, act!

In general, we went ... As the great Lem said, "in reality, everything is not at all what it really is." That's about what we actually saw, I want to tell.

So:
  Visas Until recently, Romania was a visa-free country for Russians. Recently, a visa is needed, but it is issued without problems - just fill out a simple questionnaire, hand in one photo, and after five working days you get a visa.

The local currency is lei. In fact, thousands of lei. One leu approximately corresponds to our ruble before denomination. The current exchange rate is about 34,000 lei per dollar, so translating local prices into rubles is very convenient - you just subtract three zeros from the price in lei and a little more. Then, however, you are fooling about the price - everything (by our standards) is so cheap.

Security. The country is completely safe, there are practically no violent crimes. The only place where you need to keep track of bags and wallets is the old city in Bucharest (there are many gypsies). In hotels of any star rating there are always free safes, and even you do not leave the balcony door open when you leave the room. They told me that in a nearby hotel, a tourist (a Ukrainian) was robbed from us - a friend left the balcony open and went to the beach. Then they threw documents to him, but the digital camera, mobile phone and money were not returned. What can I say? This is not only happening in Romania ...

Sanitation. With this, everything is fine. You can eat anywhere.

Service. The only thing that we noticed was that in restaurants the waiters do not like when a large company asks for a separate bill for each. Otherwise, everything is very decent - they always give change carefully, in restaurants there are no Turkish tricks with double menus. In hotels, they clean and change their linen quite regularly (in the three stars where we lived, towels were changed every day, bed linen was changed every three days). Arising problems (in our room, for example, a light bulb burned out) are fixed quickly and without reminders.

Tip. In hotels (neither maids nor porters) are not provided, in restaurants, as a rule, the waiter brings change with rounding up to 10 thousand lei in their favor. I don’t know about taxis - if we traveled somewhere in excess of the program, we used public transport.

Tongue. Naturally, Romanian. The older generation, when meeting with Russians, joyfully tries to recall Russian; young people, as a rule, can explain themselves in English or (less often) in German. The level of English, as it seemed to us, was surprisingly good (we were scared that the Romanians did not know English at all). However, we met surprisingly many English-speaking people. Well, there are waiters or sellers in resort towns, but when the cashier talked briskly to us in English in a residential area of \u200b\u200bBucharest in a “for my own” shop ... Maybe we were just so lucky - I don’t know.

Romanians. I thought that all Romanians are brunettes. Whatever the case: I, the fair-haired and blue-eyed, was mistaken several times for mine and spoke to me in Romanian.

Here, perhaps, are all the introductory ones ... Now about our journey. First we spent nine days at sea. There are several resort centers in Romania, but we did not have the opportunity to choose a resort - everyone who went on a combined tour was sent to Neptune Olympus. In principle, we did not regret it. Neptune - one of the oldest resorts - began to develop quite a long time thanks to its microclimate. There is a huge forest nearby (by the way, Komarovo is called. Hello, Petersburgers!), And the breeze blows all the time, so it doesn’t get hot. Cons of Neptune - hotels, as a rule, are not new (although they are maintained in good condition), built under Ceausescu. Basically, these are two stars, there are several three-ruble notes. The four, it seems, is only one, built recently and, as a result, not on the first line. The neighboring resorts - Saturn, Venus and so on - look about the same. (named after the Roman gods).

I read unflattering reviews about the Mioritsa Hotel - members of our group also complained about him. Among other things, it is also located far from the sea and next to the railway. Why our travel agencies work with him is a mystery to me. Our treshka is quite consistent with its stars.

Romanians say that if you want to relax more smartly, then you need to go to Mamaia - it began to develop later than Neptune, there are newer hotels and “starter”, and even there is a water park (the only one in Romania).

The sea in Romania, of course, is Black (after the Mediterranean, I want to add salt to it). In some places it is really very shallow (knee-deep), but in Neptune there is a good bay about two kilometers long, where you can already swim three steps from the shore. By the way, buoys are very funny in Romania. Usually they show the border where you can’t swim, and in Romania where you can’t get up. If you wish, you can sail for buoys, lifeguards (if you do not swim a kilometer from the coast) take it calmly. Another plus of Romania as a poor country is that there are almost no water-powered pleasures (in Tunisia, because of the motorboats you cannot swim for buoys).

The beaches (small shell rock) are publicly available. In some places there are sun loungers and umbrellas (paid), but the bulk of vacationers comes to the beach with their own umbrellas and rugs. There are equipped volleyball courts and basketball hoops. Romanians (and they are 90 percent of the vacationers at sea) - people are athletic and agile, they love all kinds of ball games (on the shore and in the water). If you want to join an unfamiliar company, you will be welcome.

The sea is clean, the beaches are also cleaned ... Romanians, like neighbors on the beach, I liked. First of all, by the fact that they do not leave children unattended and do not believe that their precious children can do what they want. If a Romanian child begins to yell, an adult will immediately materialize next to him, comforting or (depending on the situation) punishing. If a child accidentally bothers you, they will apologize to you and make a suggestion to the child. Adult Romanians on the beach behave correctly and do not bother, at most - they can ask for a lighter.

Food. We had BB in the package (breakfast only). The breakfast in our three stars was quite decent. In addition to the standard set (cereals, sausages, eggs, scrambled eggs, ham, sausage, cheese, yoghurts, fruits), dairy products (cottage cheese, local curdled milk, etc.) turned out to be a pleasant addition - all the freshest, and pastries. By the way, there was no juice for breakfast. Anyway, drinking juice in Romania is somehow not accepted. Even in expensive restaurants, freshly squeezed juices on the menu, as a rule, do not exist. But Romania is a country where they simply do not know how to brew bad coffee. Tea at the hotel was from tea bags, but black coffee was boiled and strong.

As for lunch and dinner, eating in Romania is not a problem. The only inconvenience is that there is not always a menu in English (the coast, as I said, is mainly a resort for its own). However, we got out of the situation simply: we went into the tavern we liked, looked at what the natives were eating and asked the waiter to bring us the same thing. The waiter showed us the selected dish (and its price) in the menu and, after our “yes” (in Romanian “yes” is “yes”) rushed to fulfill the order. Prices (ridiculous by Moscow standards). To eat (without alcohol) we cost a maximum of 250-300 rubles for two (the only time we paid more was lunch in a restaurant in the mountains - salads, mountain trout, local cabbage rolls, venison, water, coffee and cakes cost us less than 600 rubles). A trip to the pastry shop (4 cakes, tea and double coffee) - 80 rubles.

Prices in the local market: tomatoes - 15-20 thousand lei, apricots, peaches, plums - 20-25. The season has not yet come to grapes (it was July), so the most expensive one cost 50 thousand. I must say that after Romania in Moscow I am not attracted to fruit - the taste is different.

Another point where Romanians are just magicians is puff pastry. Something like puff pastries (with cottage cheese, with feta cheese, with apples), called strudel, is really an overeating. Still selling something like bagels with poppy seeds or sesame seeds, called covrigi. Do not pass by! Well, local cakes, of course ...

Cons of relaxation on the Romanian coast. Since 80 percent or 90 vacationers are their own Romanians, the souvenir industry on the coast is almost not developed. And there are few excursions from the coast. You can go to the Danube Delta, visit a wine company (with wine tasting), go to a folklore dinner with singing and dancing. There are excursions to Budapest and to the "Dracula's castle", but we had them in the tour program. That’s probably all. In Constance, as they say, there is nothing special to watch (the city was badly damaged during the war), but there seems to be a good oceanarium and dolphinarium. My daughter and I, however, did not get out there. In general, such a sightseeing "poverty" is understandable - they rest on the coast, mainly their own.

As for entertainment in Neptune ... I know that there is a bowling center, nightclubs, discos and all that jazz, but we had a plant life on the coast and didn't go anywhere.

Part two. Journey to the mountains.
  Our route looked like this: the reference point is Sinaia (with the Sinai Monastery and Peles Castle), Bran Castle, Rasnov fortress, Sighisoara, Brasov, Bucharest. In addition, there is a climb to Mount Busteni (2200 m above sea level). The distances are not small, but the roads in Romania were quite decent, and they gave us a DEU minibus - new and air-conditioned. I won’t talk about the beauty and sights. Suffice it to say that all the members of our group constantly bought more film - no one expected that it would be SO beautiful.

In the mountains, foreign tourists are much more than on the coast. Accordingly, the prices are higher (however, not by much), and there are more souvenirs. However, it seems to me that buying mostly is not souvenirs, but handicrafts - sheepskins, woven items, embroideries. In Sinai, for example, the park has a long alley where local embroideries and lace are sold. Saleswomen immediately knit or embroider. If you like some kind of pattern, you can order yourself, for example, a tablecloth or blouse of a certain size and certain colors, and then after a few days pay and pick up your order. The prices are again ridiculous (by Moscow standards). But the T-shirts with Dracula we bought near Bran Castle turned out to be of Turkish manufacture. In addition to this place, there are also souvenir rows along tourist routes. The mountain roads themselves are amazingly beautiful. In the mountains there are untouched forests with a frightened beast, so we saw roe deer, foxes, and squirrels along the way. They say that sometimes the bears go on the road.

However, mountains and forests end fifty kilometers from the Sinai, and the further route to Bucharest is not so picturesque. About Bucharest in general a separate conversation. I can believe that in the past or the century before last this city was called little Paris.

But the good uncle Ceausescu did more for his capital than Stalin, Khrushchev and Luzhkov put together for Moscow. The buildings he built for all sorts of ministries and departments, Romanians with gloomy humor are called "Chausani". The sight is absolutely surreal ... It’s enough to say that the unfinished building of the Palace of the Soviets (or something like that) is the second largest in the world in size (after the Pentagon). And for the construction of this architectural nightmare, entire blocks of historical buildings were demolished. In the same place where the old buildings were preserved, it is clear that at one time this city was very beautiful. However, now it is slowly being restored.

And yet - the highway leading from the center of Bucharest to the airport and one of the parks in the area of \u200b\u200bthis highway is called the highway and Kiseleva Park. Not in honor of a journalist, of course, but in honor of Tsar General Kiselyov, whose troops liberated Bucharest from the Turks. The grateful residents of Bucharest raised money for him as a gift, but he refused, saying that it would be better if the Bucharest people paved the way for this money. The Bucharest did just that - they built a road from Bucharest to the north and named it after Kiselev. And then they threw themselves again, and broke a park next to the highway - also named after him. By the way, neither the highway nor the park were renamed even under Antonescu. But Ceausescu at one time frolic with renaming. Brasov (and it is not in vain called the Romanian Salzburg) under him was called Stalingrad. Thank God the city was given back its historical name ...

But I have to repeat myself - Bucharest, in general, didn’t really seem to us, but I think that judging Romania by its capital will not be very true ...

In general, like on any trip, there were pluses and minuses, but my daughter and I are quite seriously going to Romania again - already with a stop in Bukovina and western Transylvania. Something this country, as they say, "hooked."

Is it worth going to Romania, what can you see in it, is it dangerous to travel there, what does the Romanian sea look like? Read the most vivid impressions of a trip to Romania in the article below.

To begin with, when we woke up in the morning at a Bucharest hotel, we saw just such a bleak picture. It's June, but the weather was cool and it was raining heavily. In general, the cityscapes in Bucharest are very depressing: the roads are not very good quality, the old peeling panels, some strange groomed buildings. Since the purpose of our trip is not Bucharest, after breakfast we immediately rushed to the mountains.

First we drove through the city of Ploiesti, which is located in the historical region of Wallachia. The city looks more prosperous than Bucharest. This city is famous for the fact that it opened the world's first refinery in 1857. Yes, you heard right. This region is a major center for oil production and oil refining in the region, during the trip we saw several oil wells near the routes, but did not manage to photograph. Back in 1900, Romania was the third country in the world in oil production. During World War II, Romania was the main country that supplied oil to Hitler.

On the way back, our path ran through Pitesti. The city also looked more prosperous than Bucharest, you see, because it produces Dacia folk cars. The name of the car came from the name of this area, which was formerly called Dacia.

Arpechim Oil Refinery is located right in the city, which produces 3.5 million tons of gasoline. Apart from the refinery and automobile production, the Pittsheti is famous for the fact that Romanian Prime Minister Ion Antonescu was born here

Now I’ll tell you a little about the roads and the behavior of drivers. When we were driving from the airport, it seemed to us that we were at home, but in the morning our fears were confirmed. People here calmly overtake along oncoming tram tracks, are being rebuilt in an impudent and without turns, honk constantly, go to a red light, in general, behave like our drivers. In the photo you see a typical picture for Romania: I park where I want. Here you can easily see the parking on the sidewalk, in the second row, on the lawn, but at least in the middle of the road! Pay attention to fences: fences in cities can be seen everywhere, advertising on them is pasted in a hundred layers.

Romanians are also very fond of black jeeps, black esque Mercedes and cool numbers. Such a black jeep will be polished, toned, and the driver with a golden chain in his finger will show with all his appearance that he is cool like a camel.

This is what a jeep carrier will look like, only in clothes.

This is the whole of Romania - stop at the traffic lights and go out for a smoke, but no problem. Even after a smoke break, the driver changed places with his companion.

The power lines reminded me of Thailand.

My next surprise is that villages and houses in villages look much more decent than houses in cities. In Romanian villages it is clear that the houses are being watched, that the houses have a strong good foundation, the fences are again solid, houses are always decorated with flowers. In the photo we see that people drive cows, by the way, 29% of the country's population is engaged in agriculture. Farmers produce many vegetables and fruits, grow poultry, small and cattle.

Let's move from economics to landscapes. The Carpathians are very beautiful here, but just behind this pass is the highest mountain in Romania - Moldovanu (2544 m.).

The fog in the mountains is very dense. In the photo you can see powerful power lines, houses with a tiled roof, a normally made pedestrian crossing.

Like everywhere in the Balkans, in Romania there are many stray dogs, they are sad, but, unlike Serbia, they are not aggressive: they simply approach the travelers and ask for a piece of bread.

Typical urban landscape for Romania. Terrible houses, new houses nearby, cell phone and fast food ads, sleeping bums, cheap cars. Maybe because of such landscapes, people in the country are dissatisfied, they do not smile and are very closed. Although during our entire trip we did not meet a single beggar or a scam, we did not see any broken windows in cars or other traces of crime. The country has rather strict laws for criminals and, apparently, it is easier for criminal individuals to move to other EU countries, where the laws are softer to turn their affairs there, and in Romania there are hard workers. Also, there are no blacks and Arabs in the country, because this country looks unsightly for illegal immigrants, who are now very active and are rushing to Germany and England.

If you think that in Romania and in its capital Bucharest there are no attractions, then this is not so, it is there, the whole and the main one is the building of the Parliament. This building is not just big, it is gigantic! This palace began to be built under socialism in 1984, when Nicolae Ceausescu ruled the country, who drove the country to such a place that when he was overthrown, they simply banged him, and the country still pays his debts for it. This is the largest, most expensive and heavy administrative building in the world, the construction cost of which amounted to 3 billion Euros.

Romanians are very fond of parties and revels, especially on Friday. You can’t get to restaurants, taverns and bars on Friday, everything is full, songs, dances, wedding festivals are heard everywhere, and it’s very smoky in the rooms. And young people from all over Europe come to the center of Bucharest to hang out. Here, the entire historical center is given over to restaurants, cafes, brothels, pubs, Thai massages, cabarets and clubs.

Prices in Romanian supermarkets are the same as in the Czech Republic. It was interesting to see the electronic price tags on goods: as I understand it, they are connected to the store’s database and if the price of the goods changes, the number in the database just changes, the price on the price tag changes automatically. In the photo, the juice costs a little more than 1 Euro per liter bottle (the rate for today is 1 Euro \u003d 4.5 Lei). A trifle is called funny - a bath! About supermarkets, it’s worth saying that, unlike central Europe, the people there are nervous in lines, constantly wants to squeeze closer, overtake, climb on their heads, move the cart, put their products on yours. I have lost the habit of such behavior.

I noticed that in the country there are few restaurants of national cuisine, fast food with kebabs, Turkish or Greek dishes, as well as pizzerias are more common. Their dishes are very beautiful

Further, our path lies to the Black Sea through the Dobrudja region. This region is a hilly steppe on which wheat and grapes are grown. By the way, Romania ranks 11th in the world in wheat exports. And takes 5th place in terms of wheat production. Along the road saw a lot of modern granaries.

The bridges over the Danube are very powerful here, this is the 2.5 km Cernavodă bridge.

Railway transport in Romania is the best in the Balkans. Railway transport of the country began to develop since 1894, and now the country takes 4 place in Europe along the length of railways. There are a lot of old trains in Romania, but the trains are gradually being replaced by new ones from the German company Siemens. In the photo, the train travels along the bridge over the Danube, the length of the bridge is 4 km, the bridge was built at the end of the last century and named after Prince Wallachia and Romania, and later King of Romania - Carol I.

We drive to the city of Constanta. The city is famous for its port, which is the largest on the Black Sea. In Europe, the port occupies the 20th place in size, it employs 6,000 people, cargo turnover is 55 million tons. In the photo only a small part of the port. The port has a very favorable location and good transport accessibility; therefore, transport companies choose it rather than the Bulgarian ports, which are only now beginning to develop, for delivering cargo across the Black Sea.

We drive past Constanta and go to the beaches of Romania. With the beaches of Romania, no luck: the country has only a small access to the sea, and then in the north is the Danube Delta, and almost all of that territory is swampy, and there are no beaches. We were in the town of Mangalia - this is south of Constance. Hotels here, to put it mildly, are not very, look like Sovdepovskie.

The beaches here are so-so, but sandy. On our way we met several good beaches, with beautiful African umbrellas and quite culturally decorated.

The right place to relax at sea in Romania is Mamaia. There is a steep wide beach, good hotels and service, and the sea is much better than in Mangalia Bay. Mamaia is a party place, vacationers not only from Romania come here for the sake of beach parties, casinos, bars and clubs. Here is a list of the best hotels, the prices for holidays in them will be much lower than in Spain or Italy: Hotel On Plonge Junior, Hotel Del Mar Mamaia, Best Western Hotel Savoy, Vega Hotel. This place is also suitable for families with children, for example, this resort has a cool Aqua Magic Mamaia water park. You will not find such a good water park in the whole territory of neighboring Bulgaria, where our tourists like to go on vacation.

On the map of Romania you can see all the places that I talked about.

This short trip to Romania turned out to be very informative and interesting, the main thing is to put the Romanian dictionary on the phone, because there is trouble in the country with English. To visit the country is worth at least for a visit. The nature here is very beautiful. It’s worth a trip at least once if you are traveling in the Balkans.

Of all the countries of Europe, it is Romania that can be called the most diverse, budgetary, and rich in beauty country. The birthplace of the most famous and bloodthirsty villain is Dracula, excellent sea resorts, a wonderful place for skiing, a gastronomic paradise. All these advantages are slightly spoiled by the fact that Romania is the poorest European country. You should not expect miracles from the service and level of hotels, you should not expect the ideal condition of roads and developed tourist infrastructure. However, vivid impressions and a wonderful healing climate, as well as delicacies and mysterious stories will certainly be.

Visa, insurance and other formalities

Romania is an EU country, but has not joined the Schengen agreement. A visa for tourists from Russia is required. It costs 35 euros (provided that you do the design yourself). Along with the application form and passport, you need to submit the hotel reservation, return ticket, bank statement proving that you have the funds necessary for traveling (at least 50 euros for one day). Sometimes consulates may require a certificate of employment, which indicates the position and monthly income. This requirement is not always valid, but it is necessary to prepare this document.

You can apply for a visa at the Romanian consulate or at visa centers (paying extra for services). The hassle of opening a Romanian visa can be entrusted to a travel company, but then the price of the coveted sticker will increase by 100%, or even more.

Be sure to insure yourself, it is better to purchase insurance yourself in any company. The main thing is that the total insured amount should not be less than 80,000 euros.

Road

The most convenient way to get to the Romanian capital is by plane. A round-trip ticket will cost 170 euros (the cheapest tickets are offered by Aeroflot). A direct flight from Moscow to Bucharest lasts two and a half hours.

The train to Bucharest from Moscow takes a day and another 12 hours. It runs only during the tourist season (May-September), and the ticket price practically does not differ from the air ticket (from 155 euros).

By bus, you can get to Bucharest from Chisinau (9 hours on the road, return ticket - 40 euros). And by train - from Lviv (11 hours, 35 euros one way).

Hotels

A day in a hostel in the center of Bucharest will cost 7-9 euros. A modest hotel on the outskirts of a city of level *** will cost 12-15 euros / day. In the center, a double room with breakfast will cost 25-30 euros.

In a Romanian province, especially in the towns most beloved by tourists, an overnight stay will cost the same amount. A modest hotel in a quiet street in the city of Sibiu welcomes guests in double rooms for 20 euros / day.

A popular place to stay in Romania is the family house. At the disposal of tourists is provided a room with all amenities, breakfast is included. You can ask the owners for full board. A day in such an institution costs from 25 euros. But if you stay here for several days, a significant discount is provided. This option is suitable for a large family or youth company.

Where and how to eat?

Traditional breakfast in a street cafe (coffee, pastries or a sandwich) - 2-3 euros. Lunch at the restaurant - 10-12 euros. Dinner in a traditional Romanian tavern - from 7 euros (with wine - from 10 euros). Romania has a very large price difference between cafes for tourists and those for locals. It is worth choosing a cafe or restaurant for Romanians. The food there will be just as tasty, but the bill is several times smaller. Visiting a traditional tavern once is enough to enjoy the local flavor.

In the event that you choose apartments and do your own meals, your daily diet will cost 7-10 euros / day, it all depends on your gastronomic preferences. It is better to buy products in the market, here you can bargain.

You need to try corn porridge - mamalygu, chorbu with meat, stuffed tomatoes. These dishes are also offered to tourists in traditional restaurants.

Where to go? What to see?

Tourists come to Romania to relax at sea in the summer, ski in the winter, see castles and wine cellars in the fall, and heal in the many spa resorts in the spring. It rarely happens that the capital of a country is poorer in sights than the province. In the case of Romania, this is exactly so. In Bucharest, you can live two days and no more. The main tourist treasures are stored in cities such as Brasov, Sibiu, Sighisoara, Sinai. Consider all the possibilities for tourists who decide to visit Romania.

Dracula's castle and other historical places

The history of Romania is replete with bloody wars, internal strife and constant conflicts with neighbors. The main reminder of this is the numerous castles fortified by impregnable walls, moats and drawbridges. Among all this diversity, a place stands out for which the majority of tourists come to the country.

Dracula - “dragon” in translation from Romanian. The nickname of the ruler Vlad Tepes is associated with his cruelty. Only specialists, and schoolchildren from textbooks, would know about this person. But Bram Stoker's novel has changed everything. For more than a hundred years, tourists have come to Romania to visit the castle of the Count bloodsucker. Inside is a medieval museum. For many, it will be a disappointment that the famous Dracula spent only one night here, but this is not very worrying for the bulk of tourists.

Dracula Bran Castle is located in the vicinity of Brasov, 30 kilometers from its center. The town can be reached by train from Bucharest (2.5 hours on the road, ticket - 10 euros one way). We go by bus from Brasov (40 minutes on the way, ticket - 1.60 euros one way).

Admission to Bran Castle costs 6.80 euros.

Particular attention should be paid to the souvenir market, which is broken in front of the castle. A variety of souvenirs on the theme of "bloodsucking" is simply amazing, as, however, are the prices for these very souvenirs.

A trip to Brasov will become interesting not only because of the Bran Castle, as the town itself is interesting for tourists: narrow medieval streets, coffee houses, ancient churches, a mixture of architectural styles.

Nearby are other royal castles of Romania - Poenari, Peles and Pelisor. But it is better to visit them as part of a tourist group, so as not to waste time on transplants and waiting for public transport. Such an excursion will cost 50 euros if you buy it at a travel agency in Bucharest or Constanta. Traveling to castles in Romania is the most popular tour that will be interesting even to the youngest travelers.

It offers tourists numerous "Dracula tours" with an individual Russian-speaking guide. The cost of such a tour (duration 6 days), along with food and accommodation - from 350 euros per person.

Black Sea resorts

Almost three hundred kilometers of the Black Sea coast, which belong to Romania, are dotted with sanatoriums, hotels, beaches, water parks and other tourist attractions. The climate is as in, but the service and features are completely different. Low prices for holidays also attract tourists.

Romanian beaches are perfectly sandy. The entrance to the sea is gentle, and on the beaches themselves there are sunbeds, umbrellas, and cafes. Public beaches do not look so attractive, but they are much better than domestic ones. The fee for using the services of private beaches can go up to 5 euros / day.

The resort area is not happy with prices. A place in a city hotel will cost 40 euros / day.

The average bill in the restaurant is 18-20 euros (two dishes and a glass of wine).

Holidays in the resort town of Mamaia will cost less.   Overnight at the villa - no more than 20 euros / day. But the room must be booked in the winter.

Among the attractions of Mamaia are water parks (a day ticket is 14 euros, children 7 euros), a dolphinarium and an aquarium (ticket 2.50 euros to each of the institutions), numerous amusement parks, etc.

In Mamaia, you can take a mud treatment course. Local healing mud is well known throughout the world. People come here to relieve diabetes, normalize metabolism, lose weight, get rid of skin and nervous diseases. In medical centers on the Black Sea coast of Romania you can undergo a course of treatment (6 days and 12 treatment procedures - from 160 euros per person).

The whole world comes to Romanian resorts for the sake of rejuvenation. Local mineral waters and mud work wonders. Anti-aging treatments (baths, massages, inhalations, masks, etc.) can be bought separately, or you can buy one package (from 250 euros per person).

Ski resorts

Romania is a mountainous country. For lovers of skiing, there is an excellent choice of resorts:

• Poiana Brasov - next to the castle "Dracula". Great for inexperienced skiers and families with children. The slopes are gentle, there are many sledges. Of the shortcomings - few restaurants and cafes;
• Sinai - an hour away from Brasov. Well-developed infrastructure, a picturesque place. There are several hotels in the town. Slopes of different difficulty levels;
• Azuga - not far from Sinai. The most modern ski resort in Romania. In addition to ideal slopes for skiers with different experience, there are night clubs, entertainment centers, wine cellars, etc.

Accommodation in local hotels - from 25 euros for a double room.

The average bill in mountain restaurants and cafes is 15 euros (dinner with wine).

A one-day “ski passport” at Romanian resorts will cost a tourist 32 euros (88 euros for 4 days). Children's "passports" are half the price. The ski season begins in December and ends in mid-March.

We also recommend reading the article. From it you will find out what the cheapest ski resorts are in Eastern Europe and in Russia, including: Harrachov, Kopaonik, Abzakovo, Elbrus region and others. The article provides an overview of the most budget places in eastern Europe, where prices are 2-3 times cheaper than in the west.

Excursions abroad Romania

Most often, tourists do not want to travel outside of Romania. The country is self-sufficient, diverse and very interesting. But if the soul requires even more impressions, you can easily get to:

•   - it is better to go from Constanta. Just get to Varna, for example. The tour will cost 40 euros and will last one day;
•   - You can get from Bucharest to the train in 13 hours. One way ticket - from 96 euros.
  the most beautiful castles in Hungary. It gives a detailed description of the best castles of the country, their history and sights, as well as opening hours and the cost of entrance tickets.

Traveling outside Romania is troublesome. The country is not small, and all departures are associated with additional costs. Moreover, these trips do not always carry more vivid impressions than Romanian beauties.

When to go?

Romania is good all year round. Each season will be interesting. Traveling through the castles of Transylvania is best in autumn or spring. At this time, the Carpathian species are especially charming, and the crowds of tourists are not so numerous.

Ski lovers come to Romania in the winter and the first half of March (the most budget time!).

Holidays on the Black Sea and mud treatment are summer pleasures. But you can be treated in the Carpathian sanatoriums (salt caves, mud and mineral springs) at any time of the year.

Be careful!

Despite its unusual tourist attraction, Romania is one of the poorest countries in the EU. Unemployment, lack of investment, low standard of living, gypsy diaspora - this list of problems of the country can be continued for a long time. The police here are working with full dedication and are trying hard to protect tourists from all kinds of scammers and beggars. But the police can not all. Travelers must be careful and observe four rules so that the rest is carefree and positive:

• keep all documents in the hotel safe, and carry only photocopies with you;
• never carry a wallet in the back pocket and generally try not to let it out of sight;
• not respond to offers from street vendors and suspicious individuals;
• do not buy jewelry from hand.

Be that as it may, Romania is a country for the brightest and at the same time budget vacation. Have a nice experience!

Is it worth going to Romania and what is it famous for? Is it safe to travel around the country alone? Is it suitable for family holidays?   Romania - reviews about the country, its cities and attractions, pluses, minuses and personal impressions, as well as recommendations for obtaining a visa and other tips and life hacks from experienced travelers.

Romania: the most ambiguous trip

The first country that I remember more in the atmosphere, mentality and traditions than in the sights. A trip to Romania greatly expanded my experience. If you want to relax so that you can laugh and get scared, then you are clearly on the road with me. My friends and I heard that Romania has a very high level of theft. But I left not only with what I arrived, but also gifts for relatives. From my own experience I can say that the legends of theft have long become an awkward stereotype. But you should not breathe a sigh of relief, because there are many other reasons to be afraid of a trip to Romania.

Mysticism, decadence, traditions in Romania

• A visit to Romania is like traveling back in time, where I saw many traditional villages dotted with haystacks. And even wild horses pulling carts along dirt roads. The roads that I saw were quite impressive compared to, say, other European countries. Some futurism in everyday life.
• And now to the horror stories that made the country popular. Vampires are real, and they live in Romania. If viewing True Blood, Twilight, and The Vampire Diaries taught me anything, then this is what vampires are real. But here are the real fans of the vampire theme - the locals. They told me many legends that they call life stories. Here he is mysticism in action. Plus hi this is the birthplace Dracula. Known as Vlad Dracula, aka Vlad the Impaler, and yes, these are Dread Pants.

• When I hitchhiked, the locals sometimes perceived me strangely. They asked questions about the reason for my appearance in the country and for how long I arrived. But all the same, they drove me, and even to the desired location. Public transport in Romania was very expensive, it shocked me.
• Since the Romanian language is a Romance language, I had to forget the Russian language, which helped me in the rest of Eastern Europe. Romania has a certain decadence, I do not know for a while it or not. If this continues to be the case, then the country will soon be empty. Local residents say that the reason for this is the lifting of restrictions on work in the EU.
• Cities look as if they were created on the basis of collections of gloomy stories. But the mountains bribed my heart. Romania is full of magnificent mountain peaks that just beg for climbing. Therefore, the country allows you to experience mixed emotions that make you think a lot.
• I will share a little experience of delicious food. Romanian cuisine is my paradise, because I love delicious home-style dishes. The ingredients are not exotic, which makes the dish even cooler, because quality is decisive here. I easily found organic fruits and vegetables at an affordable price, and very tasty. In Romania, I tried traditional dishes, which are very popular here: sarmale and mamalyga. I did not even understand the name of some: mămăligă, mititei, ciorbă and papanași. Special attention should be paid to the branded brand of plum brandy, it is divine. All the time I was surrounded by beauty and untouched nature. I already miss the atmosphere of the country, and because it is not due to material things. All this is due to the color of the country, the spirit of local residents who do not leave their homeland. I was impressed by the various leisure options that she should have offered: the sea, mountains, vineyards and golden fields of wheat, beautiful lakes, mysterious and spectacular caves, and amazing wildlife. I was impressed by the incredible views of the plains of the south to the wild mountains of the Carpathians and the smooth hills of Transylvania.
• Folk craftsmanship and creativity is not the last place in Romania, rather it is an occasion for pride. My favorite Romanian artifacts are Ia (traditional peasant blouse), wood carvings from Maramureș and Romanian ceramics: Horezu and Marginea. For example, the Romanian peasant blouse is a representative of Romanian folklore, which inspired international designers such as Tom Ford or Jean Paul Gaultier
• . While the wooden culture in the north is impressive and rich in symbols. Khorezu pottery is included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

And now I’ll tell you a little about traditions, hospitality and faith. Romania warmly welcomed me and showed its essence: open, happy and hardworking people. I met with an important part of the Romanian lifestyle, with customs and traditions. I had the opportunity to touch the rich and exciting universe of Christian holidays, entangled in ancient superstitions. Yes, this is one of the most superstitious and religious peoples that I have met. One of the main reasons to return to Romania is to admire the beautiful Kaluza, ritual dance from the south or the colorful traditions of the north, Maramures. If you are in Romania, be sure to go to churches to feel the creativity, faith and hope of the Romanian people. It helped me to get closer to the country.

It's time to take stock of my journey

• I recommend traveling here alone without children or friends. Perhaps this vacation will appeal only to you, and you will have to return home at the request of loved ones. Therefore, it is better to go alone. In this place mysticism is really felt, not for nothing that it became the birthplace of Dracula. The trip turned out to be quite budget, it looks like a gift from the country for a visit.
• There were problems with communication from time to time, but the staff mainly knows English. Or maybe it's just lucky for me. The locals did not understand me so well, but the gestures and google translator did the trick. In this country it is worth living a maximum of 5 days, and then you can plunge into melancholy.
• On the last day of the trip I was directly inspired by the spirit of Romania, but perhaps this is not the best place to live. Romanian cities look like modernization has not taken place here, and time stands still.
• One of the main reasons to go here is uniqueness, because in the future this country may disappear from the map of tourists. Yes, such a journey for the brave, lovers of vampires, delicious food without frills and everything in the style of decadence.

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Romania - it seems to be Europe, but somehow it is not at all well-known to us. It is possible that the inhabitants of Ukraine, due to their territorial proximity, are not so, but here are the tourist paths of the Russians - they usually run either to the west, or then to Bulgaria, in order to enjoy the Black Sea in a plus or minus verified environment. From my own experience I can say that although Romania is a small country, but it is fabulously interesting, and here you can spend more than a week or two, exploring a variety of attractions.

Road and hit

You can enter Romania with a Schengen visa if you have more than one entry. Quite a few direct flights to Bucharest directly from Moscow. I, in the best traditions of the genre, drove here in my own car. This is quite comfortable - the roads are good, normal asphalt throughout the country. Only a vignette needs to be bought, for example, at a gas station - this is such a sticker-permit, the cost of which includes the right to use the state’s roads. It costs only a few euros, if you count in the common European currency, and will save you time in communicating with the traffic police. After all, you still were warned about the need to buy a vignette with an information board at the entrance to the country, and you probably just didn’t notice))))

Language and people

Personally, it seemed to me that the Russians and Romanians have a lot in common. And they look like Bulgarians. It’s like some kind of border nation: there is a lot of Slavic in them, such reckless in a good way, but there is something European and even Eastern. Romania is associated with gypsies for many, and there really are a lot of them, but somehow the language does not turn out to call them “titular nation”. These are completely different nationalities, you can even offend locals, if you ignorance call them gypsies. Yes, there are enough beggars, but they are in neighboring neighboring bulk in Serbia, and in Bulgaria, and in Hungary, and in the whole region. Romanians are cheerful and responsive, able to celebrate widely, hospitable. Of course, they don’t speak Russian (although someone studied in the Union and recall, perhaps, a couple of phrases especially for you). The general standard of living outside large cities and very popular tourist regions like Transylvania cannot be called high, unemployment, alcoholism - all this, alas, is present. But the Romanians are adherents of traditional values, they love their family and children very much. For myself, I was surprised to find that the main religion here is Orthodoxy. And for some reason I used to think that Catholicism. What is true is true, the people are religious, and there are a lot of temples in the country.

As for the language, this is a bizarre mix of Latin and Slavic roots. It sounds rather complicated, although the grammar is said to be straightforward. But with English, there should not be any special problems, especially, again, in large cities, and especially if you talk with young people.

You must start, of course, from the capital, Bucharest, all the more so, most likely, here you will find yourself in the first place. The city is large, beautiful and modern, with a pronounced historical part. There are many ancient temples, there are princely ruins, a lot of beautiful green parks with a variety of entertainments, including for children. The Danube River lies at some distance from the capital, but within the boundaries of Bucharest there are many picturesque lakes and canals with beautifully decorated embankments.
Of the most-most tourist places in the first place, of course, Transylvania is remembered. Vampire theme is the main local feature in the design of restaurants, hotels, in the organization of various events such as costumed ships over witches. The landscape has: castles, wooded mountains, fogs, dilapidated fortresses. Here, by the way, is located the anomalous forest of Hoya-Bachu, in which, they say, people disappear, and strange lights are visible, and mysterious voices are heard, and the trees somehow grow incorrectly.

In short, this is a paranormal forest, and something began to happen to him, well, maybe a century ago - they used to quietly hunt here, pick mushrooms and berries, and this did not bother anyone. Nearby is also the legendary Dracula's Castle, also known as Bran Castle of the 14th century - the most popular attraction in Romania.
Although in other parts of this country there are enough strange places. In the north, for example, near the village of Sepyntsa, there is the so-called Merry Cemetery. Tombstones are more reminiscent of comics, and all epitaphs are stacked in a humorous manner. This attitude towards death is just like moving to the next level of life. And therefore, you can spend the deceased with jokes and jokes.

For outdoor enthusiasts, Romania can offer excellent ski resorts. In my opinion, the level of service does not differ at all from what is offered on the well-known European slopes, but the price tag is much lower. And what gorgeous views are there, wow! Among the most famous are Sinai, Predeal, Poiana, Brasov.

Kitchen

Honestly, I have not identified anything specific for myself in Romanian cuisine. Full of international facilities. Typical dishes - from a little bit of everything. And there is something from the Mediterranean cuisine, from both Turkish and Balkan. The cheeses are excellent here, and some of the varieties I have never met and tried before, for example, sweet cheese, unfortunately, I do not remember its name - they put it in baked goods. Of course, cheese is cooked excellent, and many other young pickled cheeses. But quite often in the menu you will find lard and jellied meat, and even some kind of stuffed cabbage! They eat a lot of meat everywhere, and fish only where it is closer to the Danube or to the sea coast. Still, it is expensive everywhere. And so the main course is often pork with potatoes and other vegetables. Wine is very decent here, especially white. After all, they did not hear about Romanian wine in Russia, did they? Well, the traditional Balkan moonshine from apples, plums and pears are made in large quantities. In Serbia, it is called rakiya, and here it is called Tsuyka.