The majority of tourists, when they think about Romania, count Dracula pops into their heads. However, Romania has so much more to offer than some breathtaking, scary stories about vampires.
If you’re planning on visiting the country for the first time, then you’ll need some travel tips so you can get around much more easily and also to know what you can expect.
Let’s get started.
Travel Tips for the First Time Visitor to Romania
1. Entry and visas
Romania is part of the European Union which means if you’re an EU citizen, you won’t need a passport, just your national identity card.
2. Currency, exchange, and payments
Romanian’s currency is the Romanian Leu (RON), which actually means “lion” and the shops accept only the national currency. The currencies which are most available at the exchange houses are US dollars, UK pounds, euros, or Swiss francs so we recommend bringing just those.
The currencies which are most available at the exchange houses are US dollars, UK pounds, euros, or Swiss francs so we recommend bringing just those if you can’t exchange money in your country.
There are plenty of exchange bureaus in Romania, especially in Bucharest, the capital. We advise you to avoid those which are located at the airport or in the central areas because they don’t offer good rates.
There are a lot of ATMs in Romania, so you can withdraw money, as well. It’s safe to pay with your card if you don’t want to withdraw money. Only VISA, MasterCard, and Maestro are accepted throughout the country. If your card is by American Express, for example, it will not work, so you need to have a backup.
Important tip: when traveling to rural areas, having cash is a must.
3. Traveling to Romania
There are quite a few low-cost airlines that fly to Romania’s airports from up to 100 European destinations. This is definitely the most affordable solution for you, especially because the flights don’t take longer than 4 hours.
There are also commercial airlines such as KLM, British Airways, Turkish Airlines, or Lufthansa which connect Europe to the US or Asia.
You can also travel by train from Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Sofia, or Thessaloniki.
4. Getting around
In the cities, you can take public transportation, a taxi, or an Uber, all of which are extremely affordable. Uber is available in Romania in a few major cities, such as Bucharest, Timisoara, Cluj-Napoca, and Brasov.
When traveling between cities, you can either rent a car, take the train, take a bus or you can even take a flight towards the most important cities in Romania.
If you want to see as many attractions as possible in Bucharest in just one day, you can book one of our tours.
5. Diversity
One of the best travel tips we can provide is visiting as much as you can in a foreign country, especially when there’s so much diversity like in Romania.
While Bucharest has its charm with the mix between old and modern buildings and a big city life vibe, you should also explore the Northern part of the country, as well.
That is where you’ll find hidden gems and the most authentic and traditional villages and food.
Transylvania, Maramures, and Bucovina are not to be missed from your itinerary.
Travel with Us
These are all the major travel tips you need to know before coming to Romania. You can count on us if you want to save time during your trip, and discover amazing new places.
You can choose between tours in Bucharest, near Bucharest or in medieval cities such as Brasov, Sibiu or Sighisoara.
Give us a call at 40 735 525 710 so we can discuss your trip.