Most people don't necessarily equate “Romania” with “cool travel destination.”
This Eastern European country between Hungary and Bulgaria isn't usually a place people have high up on their must-visit lists. Romania is where communism and vampires live — not somewhere you travel to for fun. Right?
Well, that couldn't be farther from the truth.
While Romania is still developing after the fall of Ceausescu and communism (and most will say communism hasn't fully left), it's a much easier and interesting place to travel than you probably realize.
(And, for the record, I didn't see a single vampire while I was there.)
Romania, in short, blew me away. I had been looking forward to traveling there for years, but the country far exceeded my expectations. And here's why:
Why You Should Travel to Romania Right Now
It's affordable
Cheaper even than the Czech Republic and Hungary, Romania should be attractive just because of its price tag. Everything from accommodation to transport to food is affordable. Even the “touristy” places are far from expensive.
For example, in Brasov — one of Romania's top tourist destinations for both domestic and foreign tourists — entry to the major attraction (Bran Castle) was only $7 USD for an adult ticket with photo license. The most expensive meal I had in the country (at a really posh restaurant) was $12 — the cheapest was less than $3. You can only imagine how cheap beer was.
It's beautiful
The countryside, the medieval cities, the people… Romania has plenty of surprises in store.
Cities like Sighisoara and Brasov are ridiculously attractive and colorful, and the rolling countryside remains largely untouched in most parts of the country. And the locals? Lovely people who will undoubtedly be happy to see you and happier still to talk to you about their country.
It's relatively easy to travel
One of the biggest surprises for me was how easy it was to get around Romania. The country is fairly well-connected by trains, buses, and planes to the rest of Europe, and you can even use your Eurail pass here.
And, out of all the public trains and buses I rode while in Romania, only one was old and slightly dirty. Most were newer and clean — some even had air conditioning! And the best part? Every single train and bus I rode actually ran on time! (Not necessarily always the case, of course, but no delays in a week is pretty good.)
Most people speak English
Adding to the ease of travel is the fact that almost everyone in the country speaks at least a little English — especially those in the younger generations. This makes it easy to not only travel in Romania, but also to get to know the locals a bit.
It's not too crowded yet
Because Romania (and, really, most of Eastern Europe) is quite a ways off the usual tourist trail, even the “touristy” places feel relaxed and welcoming — even in high season. The only place I really found to be crowded was Bran Castle — but there are plenty of better things/places to see anyway.
Old traditions survive
Since Romania isn't teeming with tourists, older traditions — like making homemade schnapps and weaving and woodcarving — are still going strong.
You can still find quirky places like Merry Cemetery that nobody knows about. Villages still feel like villages. And the cows still come home at night.
It's ready for tourism
Because of the above reasons and more, Romania is very much ready for tourism.
Bucharest has a brand new subway system and buses equipped with GPS-enabled screens. Villages like Viscri are converting old heritage buildings into home stays. And nearly everywhere offers visitors free wifi access.
But this won't all last, of course. As the country continues to develop and Romania's economy improves (likely to happen once it officially joins the Schengen zone soon), many of these reasons may become irrelevant.
So, if you've ever considered traveling in Romania, go now!
Find accommodation in Romania:
Do you think you'll ever travel to Romania?
*Note: Intrepid Travel graciously provided me with a complimentary Eastern Europe Explorer tour. But all opinions, as always, are entirely my own.
If you're interested in doing the same tour I did, you can check it out here.
Amanda Williams is the award-winning blogger behind A Dangerous Business Travel Blog. She has traveled to more than 60 countries on 6 continents from her home base in Ohio, specializing in experiential and thoughtful travel through the US, Europe, and rest of the world. Amanda only shares tips based on her personal experiences and places she's actually traveled!
Great post! Such beautiful images too, this has really given me inspiration to visit this awesome country!
You definitely should! I loved Romania.
[…] I was born there and lived in Iasi for a huge chunk of my life 🙂 But you… you must GO and visit Romania, it is absolutely beautiful and you will fall in love […]
Well
Its a great post. I just started planning my summer vacation sitting in office looking at Euro map and suddenly thought “why not Romania”. Started searching for the details and there is your comprehensive write-up answering most of the queries.
I shall be visiting in July or August for 10 days. I am into hiking & landscape photography and colors, mountains and nature inspire me a lot. My previous experiences to such places in Europe include Switzerland (Jungfrau, Zermatt, St Moritz & Lucerne) & Austria (Salzburg & St Wolfgang). Can you please recommend me a few places of this sort in Romania.
Cheers
Romania is great for all of those things! I would definitely recommend Sighisoara for the colors, and Brasov for mountains. The Maramures region in northern Romania is also very beautiful as far as landscapes go, though you really can’t go wrong anywhere in Transylvania when it comes to mountains!
I have always wanted to go to Romania. I’m fluent in Romanian, and I’m the only one who knows about the country in my school.
I hope you are able to go someday, Raven!
Thank you very much for this wonderful post about my home country:)
Happytravelling!
You are very welcome!
Well thanks a lot for this article.As a romanian it is a great thing to see a foreigner talking about my natal country in such a beautiful way.
You are very welcome!
[…] click am dat de toate articolele ei despre România (sau în care amintește de ea), dar și de articolul relativ tradus și transpus în limba română. Și așa m-am întors la articolul de pe […]
Thank you so much for this review. I feel like nobody’s really seeing the great potential in Romania.
Next time you come here, you should visit Timisoara too (the city where the revolution started). I’d be happy to show you around.
P.S.: Today’s our national day. Thank you, Romania, for being such a great home
Love, Andreea
Of course! I would definitely like to see more next time.
Thank you for writing those nice words about my country. People like you promotes Romania better than our politicians. I hope you will come back soon and have a great time again.
Of course! I really enjoyed my time in your country!
I plan on going back,too. I didn’t get to spend much time in Bucharest and would like to see more of it. Hopefully I’ll include that in my travels to Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Czehk Republic in the next year or two. Romania definitely deserves more time for exploring; there’s just so much beauty to take in. 🙂
I have a friend in Romania who is inviting me to go to their city, Brasov. At first, I was a little hesitant, but after reading this post I guess I am going to give it a try. I love nature (vampires, too!) and I would like to see what this place can offer. I had a great time reading the comments as well. Thank you for making this.
That is great to hear, Anna! I’ve been to Brasov, and really really enjoyed it. You can read about it here: https://www.dangerous-business.com/2012/07/city-spotlight-brasov-romania/
I hope you have a great time!
Anna,
Do NOT hesitate at all……..RUN to Romania. I am American and it was always my dream to see Romania at some point in my life. Well this summer I fulfilled that dream and went in July. Let me just say, this country is one of the most beautiful and diverse countries I have ever been to. Simply stunning. Brasov was one of the cities we stayed in and it is truly breathtaking, warm, and welcoming. But don’t just take my word, go and see for yourself. I promise you won’t be disappointed. My only regret is that I only had a week to spend in this misunderstood country. 🙂
Paula
Nicely said, Paula! I totally agree with you! Romania is severely underrated as a destination.
One good reason to AVOID Romania – It’s a land of animal cruelty!!! Why would anyone like to visit a place, where the government allows the massacre of dogs?
No, thank you – there are far better places to go to in a CIVILIZED part of this world.
Sorry you feel that way. There are plenty of worse places, though. You know, like where the government allows the massacre of PEOPLE…
A civilized person from a civilized country would never write something like that on a traveling blog. I hope you will read about the way you managed to get rid of your stray dogs. Every country had stray dogs at some point. What do you think that happend to them? Dissapeared in thin air? Have a great day.
[…] back up my argument, here are the top reasons why you should visit Romania by Roomorama and why you should go there right now by Amanda of A Dangerous […]
It’s just great to see all these enthusiastic comments about a country I love. Some friends and I have been trying to offset the current negative British press which has been spawned by a fear of being swamped by ‘Gypsy thieves’ after 1st Jan 2014 when Romanians and Bulgarians will be able to work in the UK without restrictions. We are frustrated by the lack of oomph shown by the Romanian tourism ministry when there are so many fantastic things to see in their country. I have written two guide books and have two blogs about Romania, which I visit every year, sometimes two or three times, because it is so amazing to find a place where you can feel free as a human being. You are right that too much tourism could spoil this balance, and there is a great deal of poverty-if you measure poverty by British standards. But as I learnt many years ago in the Maramures, you don’t need fast cars and expensive houses and clothes to be happy. Life can be very tough, but also very fulfilling, as I’ve discovered by living with Romanian shepherds. So glad you all want to go to Romania- hope to see some of you there, getting that depth of experience I’ve had the privilege to share!
Thanks for the great comment, Caroline. There definitely are plenty of people who recognize Romania’s merits. I hope you go back there soon!
A spot on judgement by Caroline!
The beauty is everywhere and in everything, including most Romanian people. I have made more friends in Bucuresti than back home in England (family excluded, of course!)
The depth of tradition and history is breathtaking.
My Bucurestian lady friend may also have something to do with it…. :-))
I am also grateful to you too,in fact i am grateful to all foreigners who speak highly and use such nice words when speaking about Romania.
Wonderful article we rediscover Romania…
Thank you for this article and because you promote my country. Romania is a very beautiful country. And I hope to be interesting for tourists from all over the world. There are so many place “must to see”: The Monasteries from Moldova, Danube Delta, the medieval cities: Sighisoara, Brasov, Sibiu; the beautiful castle: Bran, Peles, Mogosoaia, Huniade ans so on; the austro-hungarian old cities:Timisoara, Arad, Oradea; the mountain splendors of Cheile Nerei, Transalpina, Transfagaras; the old Mures Velley castles. Thank you again.
You are very welcome!