Anyone know Romania? DS and I really want to visit -any travel advice appreciated!

[LabradorsByTheSea]

DS and I have decided we want an adventure this summer, just the two of us. He is 11 and quite well travelled but normally we go as a whole family. We would love to visit Romania, maybe Transylvania and plan to travel from Bucharest by train. I really want to keep journey times as short as possible (2-4 hours each trip) to avoid whinging. We have 6 nights. Any advice about good places to visit, places to avoid and hidden gems (accessible by train) would be greatly appreciated.

Have been thinking of Romania for a while, but 3 us are pescatarian. Is that do-able or is the cuisine very meat based?

I’ve been out to Romania to work (many weeks at the film studios in Snagov) and we were utterly spoiled by staying in the Marriott in Bucharest, but we travelled throughout the country on location and it’s probably one of my favourite places on Earth.

Definitely explore the Carpathians and Transylvania, it’s so beautiful. Bucharest itself has a few not so nice areas (keep your cash & cards close) but I’d probably put it on a par with some parts of London.

I was out there throughout the winter, so I can’t comment on weather (November/December/January in Bucharest is bloody freezing, but Transylvania is spectacular in the snow. Friends that have worked there since say summer can be very hot & humid. And midge-y!

The people are very welcoming & friendly and there’s lots of choice of cuisines in the city. Even in the Marriott there were multiple restaurants & bars (if the Lebanese restaurant is still in the shopping concourse at the hotel, it’s epic).

Bucharest did have a huge problem with stray dogs - almost all hotels had their own dog packs, as did the studios - and unfortunately we did see many strays who had been victims of the heavy traffic.

Of course, like any place, be alert & cautious at night in the city, however I wouldn’t say it was more frightening than many spots in London or New York. And yes, like a PP above, some parts are a dump. But then, there’s shite places in every city I’ve visited around the world.

It’s a decade since my last trip there, so the dog issue may be very different now of course.

Have a fabulous time!

We go fairly often as have Romanian friends right down in the south, which is not touristy at all. There are still houses without running water or proper electricity, life is hard. Our friends parents have goats, chickens, a cow and a donkey and grow a lot of fruit and veg, to survive not to be trendy! You see boy racers with a horse and cart, the horses with ribbons in its mane instead of pumped up cars. Riding as a leisure activity is not a concept, horses are for work. Except maybe nearer the cities. Although the main roads are good ( better than ours!) and you are seeing more money trickling south so get the weird juxtaposition of people with expensive cars whizzing past a horse and car through a village. All the working age people go away leaving children with grandparents, or taking them with them if they can. We have also done touristy trips and second the other places mentioned. Sinaia, Sibiu, Sigasaora and Brasov. Brasov was lovely, very picturesque. We have also taken the train to Constanza, which was really hot! An overnight train from our friends, the bunks were three high and very narrow! Bucharest - I wouldn't particularly bother with ( there's a lot of reinforced concrete!) except to see where Ceausescu lived and the history surrounding it as it helps to understand the crushing effect of communism and subsequent rapid growth of materialism. You can do a tour but I think you need your passport which we had left in the hotel. Lots of feral dog packs too, lets you see that charities who re-home from Romania would do well to invest as much in neutering.
You need to be careful with cards/ phone etc in the city but no more than I would be in London.
It's a beautiful country of huge contrasts, enjoy.

I have been a couple of times, it's one of my favourite places.

Bucharest isn't for everyone, but I have an odd affection for it, it's rather scarred by one man's mad vision, but it has nice pockets, interesting squares and arcades and street life.

Cluj is also a nice city, Brasov too. Sighisoara is beautiful, small but with very eccentric architecture, if a bit too touristy for my taste.

It's the countryside where Romania really stands out. Hiking is world class, trail marking really good. The Apuseni is where I would go for this. The Turda gorge is amazing, Turda salt mines too. In fact Turda is a nice town, despite its name.

Things to watch out for: chronically delayed trains, possibility of bear encounters (seriously) and perhaps worse, sheepdogs guarding flocks. They're actually vicious, you can search online for tips. I once encountered the fake police in Bucharest, just ignore anyone who approaches you.