Any friend from Romania?

jyotirmoy

I am planning for our next year’s trip to Romania. We are four persons, me, my wife & two grown up daughters. We normally fly Austrian airlines so we will reach Vienna from Delhi. I checked out the train fares including reservation & couchette charges plus transit visa fees for Hungary all these adds up to more than Delhi – Vienna – Bucharest – Vienna – Delhi air ticket so we will take the Tarrom/Austrian flight OS7011 from Vienna.
The itinerary I have made is like:
Bucuresti - Timisoara - Cluj Napoca - Sighetu Marmatiei - Salva / Salva - Gura Humorului - Suceava Nord - Brasov - Sighisoara - Medias / Medias - Sibiu - Brasov - Sinaia – Bucuresti.
I have the following questions & would very much appreciate your valuable suggestions.
1.Is the itinerary doable in about 9 days time?
2.Is mid June ok for travel in Romania?
3.Are mosquitoes a big problem there & in June specially?
4.How much would a decent hotel with attached bath cost?
5.I hope like other places in Europe the hotel tariff includes breakfast.
6.After a good breakfast & our hands have become deft enough to slip a boiled egg, some bread, fruits etc. from the breakfast buffet spread in our pockets unnoticed we can mange the lunch. We would have one sit down meal at night with meat & salads, a few local hard drinks to knock off & a bottle of local wine (Francusa?) with the dinner. How much shall we be spending on food? Considering the insatiable appetite of our two daughters please factor in a snack of Pizza or ice creams in between.
7.How do we visit Somesului Cald Gorges?
8.Who is Maria Bolea of Brasov? Is she reliable?
9.Is the bus journey over Prislop Pass really scenic?
10.Due to paucity of time we have left out the Danube delta, are we missing something really great?
That’s lot of questions but IMers are a generous lot!
Please post the costs in Euro or even better in Rupees.
Thanks & Regards.

passingby

I think it is kind of hard to do all these is 9 days. you might need to cut down on some places.

North of Romania as well as Transilvania are gorgeous, but it takes about 12 hours or more to get from Bucharest to north of Romania.

that's a perfect time to travel in Romania. It might get hot sometimes, but you are going to the mountains area so at night it won't be so hot, actually it might be cold sometimes.

I think you will need to ge some insect reppelent for that time of the year. but Romania does not have any malaria at all. so musquitoes are not dangerous.
that I don't know. I haven't been to Romania in a few years now. But last time I went there I stayed in a very nice guest house in Sinaia for only 12 euros.
I don't think it is very nice in general to steal food off the table. Romanians are pretty concern with table manners. I don't know how mush you should spend on food. I think the prices in Romania have gone up from the last time I was there. The food in Romania might be expensive for the quality. That is one thing foreign tourists complain about. You might not like the food and you will have to spend quit a bit for it too.

I don't know. I never heard of it.

no idea, never heard of her.

no idea about this one either. but the mountains in Romania are really beautiful.


yes, you are missing out a great deal. apperantly the nature is fantastic in the delta.

Judi

[quote=jyotirmoy]
The itinerary I have made is like:
Bucuresti - Timisoara - Cluj Napoca - Sighetu Marmatiei - Salva / Salva - Gura Humorului - Suceava Nord - Brasov - Sighisoara - Medias / Medias - Sibiu - Brasov - Sinaia – Bucuresti.

I have the following questions & would very much appreciate your valuable suggestions.
1.Is the itinerary doable in about 9 days time?

No. You are trying to do too much. Bucuresti to Timisoara will take you the best part of a day's travelling alone. Cut your trip down, or you won't enjoy it.

2.Is mid June ok for travel in Romania?
Fine, but hot.

3.Are mosquitoes a big problem there & in June specially?
Yes, but there's no malaria, so they are justa nuisance, but not dangerous.

4.How much would a decent hotel with attached bath cost?
Sorry, it's been too long since I went to give you an idea of current prices.

5.I hope like other places in Europe the hotel tariff includes breakfast.
Some do, some don't.

6.After a good breakfast & our hands have become deft enough to slip a boiled egg, some bread, fruits etc. from the breakfast buffet spread in our pockets unnoticed we can mange the lunch.
Not a very pleasant habit - it gives travellers a bad name, I'm afraid.

7.How do we visit Somesului Cald Gorges?
Never heard of it, sorry.

8.Who is Maria Bolea of Brasov? Is she reliable?
Should we know about her? I've never heard of her, sorry.

9.Is the bus journey over Prislop Pass really scenic?
Absolutely fantastic!

10.Due to paucity of time we have left out the Danube delta, are we missing something really great?
Yes!

If you are patient, there is a fellow IMer who is from Cluj Napoca, and will no doubt contact you. However he/she is currently travelling in India, so you might have to wait a few days.

__________________
It is better to light a candle than complain about the darkness.

icetea

1.Is the itinerary doable in about 9 days time?
Nope...you'd be just travelling instead of actually enjoying!
2.Is mid June ok for travel in Romania?
Sure...especially for Indians.
3.Are mosquitoes a big problem there & in June specially?
No.
4.How much would a decent hotel with attached bath cost?
40-50$
5.I hope like other places in Europe the hotel tariff includes breakfast.
Well it usually does, but you should check.
6.After a good breakfast & our hands have become deft enough to slip a boiled egg, some bread, fruits etc. from the breakfast buffet spread in our pockets unnoticed we can mange the lunch. We would have one sit down meal at night with meat & salads, a few local hard drinks to knock off & a bottle of local wine (Francusa?) with the dinner. How much shall we be spending on food? Considering the insatiable appetite of our two daughters please factor in a snack of Pizza or ice creams in between.

Dont be so sure that breakfast will be served buffet style
Francusa is sure not a known wine brand in romania..where did u get that from? But generaly all are good wines and affordable too..just pick any from the shelf at the supermarket..Rai de Murfatlar, Feteasca Neagra, Cotnari, Busuioaca de Bohotin, Ausbruch, Lacrima lui Ovidiu are just a few (now i mixed brands with wine sortiments..).
Prices in India, in my experience, vary from half the price of their romanian counterparts up to around the same price, with most items at around 3/4. (I'm talking about food, household, clothes). Of course,there are many exceptions, for ex. apples are cheap and bananas are expensive, lol.
Some examples:
bread - 0.5 Euro
1 l.milk - 0.3 Euro
1 egg - 0.16 euro
1 chocolate - 0.75 euros
bakery stuff (pretzel, doughnut, etc) - 0.15 to 0.42 euros
1 large pizza - 4 Euros
decent clothes- starting at 10 euros/item
train ticket Bucharest-Cluj, for example- 12 to 17 euros, depending on class
cinema ticket 1,7 euros
1 bottle of wine (750 ml.) - starting from 3 euros

As about the "local hard drink" (tuica/palinca/palinka, rachiu, visinata) be careful not to faint....they can seem very strong if you are not used to them.

7.How do we visit Somesului Cald Gorges?
mmm..it doesnt ring any bell in my mind...although its around my area. The most famous gorge that i know is Bicaz/Lacul Rosu, which is beautiful indeed.

8.Who is Maria Bolea of Brasov? Is she reliable?
No idea..and I'm romanian, mind you. Is she one of these healers.....magicians....bleah ....I wouldnt trust any of them.

9.Is the bus journey over Prislop Pass really scenic?
oops...i again have no idea where it is, although it rings a bell! will check google.

10.Due to paucity of time we have left out the Danube delta, are we missing something really great?
yes, id definitely leave out a few points on ur itineraryand add the delta. For example there is not much to see in Cluj-Napoca, Medias, Timisoara, maybe even Brasov. Interesting places are Sighisoara, which is my favorite (only the medieval part of the town), Sibiu is also not bad, the monasteries in Bucovina, then Oas and Maramures (Sapanta, with its colourful cemetery), the mountains (Retezat, Ceahlau, Fagaras), the delta of danube, the Corund area in Harghita, the caves near Oradea or in Alba County (Pestera/Ghetarul Scarisoara, Pestera Ursului, Pestera Vantului), Stana de Vale (in Bihor), Padis, the Village Museum/Muzeul Satului (in Bucharest, for example) and generaly the countryside, with its villages, forests. Then there is Peles Castle at Sinaia, which you mentioned (Sinaia, that is). There, besides the calstle, the scenery is beautiful, you will see from the train also, ifyou pick a day time journey from bucharest to transylvania.

You should rather try to travel less extensively and go a bit in depth, go in the mountains, villages, etc.

A piece of advice: dont exchange much currency in Bucharest airport, the rates are bad. And if you do, then change it at the first counters you see after getting off the plane...dont wait to pass the custom boots, because after those the rates are even worse. You'll find plenty of forex in the city, even at the train station.

jyotirmoy

Thank you very much icetea for the info. I need to rework my itinerary.

old india hand

I returned to Transylvania for 10 days in mid-September 2005, and had a most enjoyable time visiting the Sachsen cities/town of Sibiu (Hermannstadt), Brasov (Kronstadt) and Sighisoara (Schussburg).
Flew Munich - Sibiu - Munich with Tarom for EUR 298/- (internet booking, taxes included) which was about the same cost as a train ticket.

Your suggusted itinerary for nine days is overfull and should not be attempted, definitely leave out Medias unless visiting Biertan.

Regular trains in Romania are punctual, but can be grotty. Train times can be squeezed out of the German Bahn website.


Brasov has a wonderful setting and is a major resort (with a McDonalds). The downside is that one can get turned-over tourist-style. Be very careful of bags and pockets at the railway station. Restaurants scam by pricing fish or meat by the 100g and then supply a double portion, quote a weight when ordering. Brasov has good pizza.

Yes, I know Maria Bolea (The Phenomenon) and stayed at her hostel (not good value) - it was interesting to see how she operates - pressure selling over priced tours.
Not recommended, however anyone who likes to be dominated will not be disappointed.
It is possible to day trip to Bran using public bus.


Sighisoara is a nice small town with little home guesthouses in the citadel (very touristy) where rooms with attached bath are offered from about EUR 20/-
A small chap named Paul may meet you at the station.


My first vote goes to Hermannstadt (that's Sibiu) a really friendly buzzing big town/small city place with a large student population. A great blend of Latins under the 'eyes' of an old German city. Heaps of outdoor cafe life and at night the cellars are full of weekend action. Try the smart Imperivm Pub for food with music, or for the last word in traditional Rumanian the Crama Sibiul Vechi.
Even the midnight striptease at the Hotel Boulevard is very professional.

Sibiu, together with Luxemberg, will be the European City of Culture in 2007.

Guesthouse rooms (breakfast not included) start (increasing each year) from EUR 25/-
The Pensiunea Hermannstadt has new and very clean rooms, can be recommended.

For breakfast, mid-morning/afternoon snacks visit the bakeries for either fruit or cheese pasties.
The Hotel Boulevard has very good sit down ice-creams in its 'tent' restaurant.

The local beers are good, no need for West European imports. For wine the De Murfatlar Carbernet Sauvignon is of drinkable quality.


Sibiu is also well positioned for trips to the nearby mountains (hiking) and Michelsberg (Cisnadioara).
Or for something different take the train to the semi deserted (after 800 years the tight Sachsen culture has dispersed) market-village of Miercurea Sibiului.



A huge problem in Romania is cigarette smoke - it's everywhere.

Deltas are flat! - (okay for ecologists or bird buffs)

Somewhere I have a folder (paper) with contact details - if you need.

jyotirmoy

Old india hand,
Thank you so much. I was rewriting my itinerary & your post will be of immense help. I think we will make it 12 days instead of 9 days.
Regards.

olimpia_herciu

it's so good to see old india hand speek so nicely about my home town - Sibiu.
Everybody is right about your itinerary being too much for 9 days.
The cities in Transilvania (Timisoara, Cluj, Brasov, Sighisoara, Medias, Sibiu) are very similar so I don't think it would be time well spent seeing them all. My favourites are Timisoara (the biggest in Transilvania), Sibiu (great village museum - biggest in Eastern Europe, very well taken care of) and Sighisoara (the best preserved medieval burg in Romania). If you really want to enjoy Transilvania I suggest trekking and living in villages. Rural tourism is very big in Romania now and you can easily find guest houses with very welcoming people (much more hospitable than the ones in city hotels) and you get to eat home cooked romanian food (God I miss that!!!).
Also don't miss Romanian cheese (telemea) if you go to Sibiu. In June you find great fresh ones in every market.
Other that that I recommend Moldavia (for the monasteries).
About the Danube Delta - it's a large national park, probably moskitos will be a problem in June, because it's mostly swamp. If you like it or not it's a matter of personal taste, being a remote and not very populated area and the only thing to do is going by boat with a local fisherman and seeng loads of birds. But the landscape is great.
The prices for accomodation can range between 15 to 50 euros, depending on the city and no of stars (or daisies, in rural guest houses )
Food is not a lot cheaper than in European Union, so a good meal in a traditional restaurant in the center of Sibiu goes up to 10euros per person. But I mean a GOOD meal!!! And don't plan to have breakfast food also for lunch because it usually isn't a bufet, but they give your plate whith what you're entitled to and that's it. You will eat it at breakfast, because it's not that much (anyways it was this way the last time I talked to somebody staying in a hotel, cause I don't need to go to hotels in Romania ).

Also you have to take into consideration transportation. You don't need to book in advance, but when you get to one city I think the smartest thing to do is to find your options to go to the next place. This way you won't be stuck till the next day because there is no bus to take you to your next destination after 5pm (just an example).
A good and reliable way to travel is train: http://www.cfr.ro/ but also buses are quite ok (you can ask for skedules when you get there).
Enjoy your stay in Romania and let me know if there is anything else I can help you with!
Pia

jyotirmoy

Thank u very much olimpia. I am already finishing with my plan & i have a few questions which I will ask you.
Regards.