Anyone been to Romania?

[JDMMAN]

For those who've been to Romania, was it difficult to get around without speaking Romanian? I've been toying around the idea of checking out Bucharest in January. Any tips would be great.

[davidI]

I've only been to Cluj but I managed just fine. I've heard Bucharest is a bit sketchy but it should also be manageable.

Romanian birds are wicked hot. Even just leaving the airport I would have happily got on the check-in girl, security girl, customs girl, lounge girl, boarding gate girl...

You'll have a great time.

Best trick, if you're drinking the plinka / rakija / moonshine take a deep breath before you take the shot as it will be much more manageable. If you have to breathe in those combustible fumes you're bound to cough or puke or burst into flames.

[diamondedge]

Originally posted by davidI
I've only been to Cluj but I managed just fine. I've heard Bucharest is a bit sketchy but it should also be manageable.

Romanian birds are wicked hot. Even just leaving the airport I would have happily got on the check-in girl, security girl, customs girl, lounge girl, boarding gate girl...

You'll have a great time.

Best trick, if you're drinking the plinka / rakija / moonshine take a deep breath before you take the shot as it will be much more manageable. If you have to breathe in those combustible fumes you're bound to cough or puke or burst into flames.

Solid tip. Also works for any strong other European spirits (Slivovitz/slivovice/lighter fluid). Rent a car and drive the highway from Top Gear.

:)

[rob the knob]

watchout for gypsies. be careful.

[BigMass]

- prices are cheap so if you stick to "high end" restaurants and hotels they'll still be affordable and everyone will speak English and be more than helpful because they respect the higher end clientele. If you want to travel around more authentic areas its always advisable to be with someone that knows the language. Not that you will be killed or anything but you will be taken advantage of and often be confused or unfamiliar with the culture

- don't rent a car because you will get into an accident. Romanian drivers don't follow the law. If there's a gap they go and they don't signal. 2 lanes, 3 cars wide. People will turn anywhere, park anywhere, they will not let you in lanes and roundabouts will be impossible for someone that doesn't have experience driving in those conditions. You think i'm exaggerating but good luck. Cabs are cheap and the subway is cheap and very efficient. MAYBE rent a car if you want to travel the country side to visit the historic sites and castles. Then it would be worthwhile, just not in Bucurest

- Carry local currency not euros. Carry plenty of small bills and tips and such. Euros are only really used for large purchases like cars etc. You will get ripped off on the exchange rate.

- Visit Peles Castle
- Visit Sigisuara (eat at the place Vlad Tepes was born)
- Visit Curtea de Arge and one of the most significant Byzantine historical churches.
- Visit the historic fortresses, Rasnov, Rupea, Bran Castle etc.

maybe find a tour that hits the major historic sites if you're not brave enough to go at it on your own.

- Don't worry about Gypsies. Theyre not that common in popular areas. Mostly in the countryside herding goats. Don't look like a mark and you won't be a mark. Don't act like an asshole loud mouthed stereotypical American and you won't have issues.

Have fun and enjoy the beautiful countryside, architecture and the history. Romania was / is a beautiful country that was unfortunately ravaged by communism. But it's history goes far beyond that. Also remember that Romania has a latin heritage, not Slavic. People confuse this because of communism. The language is latin based. Don't insult people thinking that it has any relationship to Russia or Slavic culture. It's far more like Italy, Spain etc. Expect to get your ass kicked if you say shit like "comrade" and crap like that.

[Rarasaurus]

Most young people speak English. In my experience more people there speak English than countries like Spain, Italy or Germany.

[JDMMAN]

davidI - Thanks for the tips.. Cluj is actually on the agenda for a place to visit too. Was there much to do in Cluj? Did you rent a hotel room or a service apartment?

I'm not a drinker, but thanks for the tip. I was in Odessa for the Ukrainian Independence Day and there was free Vodka everywhere... needless to say, that was a bit of a gong show! :lol: I'll let you know if the "scenery" is better in Romania vs. Ukraine. It was a "whiplash" type experience when I was there in August.

diamondedge - unfortunately the Transfăgărășan in the winter and a diesel "econobox" isn't going to be as fun as in the summer :(

BigMass - Thanks for the info. Hopefully my tourist $ will be stretched far. Looks like the cost of living in Romania is 50% of that in Calgary.

I'm really there to absorb the history and architecture. Based on what I've read, they've had an interesting past with all the various different empires that have ruled the area.

[bart]

Originally posted by rob the knob
watchout for gypsies. be careful.

yes haha

[davidI]

Originally posted by JDMMAN
davidI - Thanks for the tips.. Cluj is actually on the agenda for a place to visit too. Was there much to do in Cluj? Did you rent a hotel room or a service apartment?


Cluj is a quaint but fun college town. I think Brasov would be more interesting from a scenery perspective as there are only a few "tourist sites" in Cluj. I stayed at the Transylvania Hostel, which was great.

Other than wandering around seeing the sites the only other thing I'd recommend is checking out the cardboard bar. Everything is made from cardboard (tables, chairs, wall art) and it's pretty cool.

[LollerBrader]

Originally posted by JDMMAN
For those who've been to Romania, was it difficult to get around without speaking Romanian? I've been toying around the idea of checking out Bucharest in January. Any tips would be great.

I would not go there.

That is where vampires come from.