Romania

Romania is in southeast/central Europe. The centre of the country is largely dominated by the Carpathian Mountains and Transylvanian Alps.

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Romania shares borders with Ukraine to the north, Moldova to the northeast, the Black Sea to the southeast, Bulgaria to the southeast, Serbia and Montenegro to the southwest, and Hungary to the northwest. The Danube River flows along the southern border of Romania from west to east through the Danube Delta, emptying into the Black Sea.

The official language is Romanian but German and Hungarian are also spoken.  Romania joined the U.N. in 1955, NATO in 2004, and the European Union in 2007 (but not the eurozone). Currency is the Romanian Leu.

Bucharest is the capital city, situated in the southeast of the country.  It is a beautiful city, with wide boulevards and elegant old buildings.  Popular tourist areas include Revolution Square, Cantacuzino Palace, and the National History Museum.  Other sizeable cities in Romania include Constanta, Craiova, Galati, Brasov, Cluj-Napoca and Timisoara.

The Black Sea coast covers an area of approximately 240 km (150 miles) and offers sandy beaches and plenty of resorts and hotels. Some of the better-known resorts include Mamaia, Venus, Neptun, Saturn, Jupiter, Eforie and Cap Aurora. The coastal area is also famous for its mineral and thermal springs, spas and mud baths (the mud comes from salt lakes in the area). Constanta Airport is the closest to access the Black Sea coast.

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The Danube Delta is a designated UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site.  The Danube flows into the Black Sea and the Delta area is rich with birds and wildlife, with thousands of fascinating square miles of lakes, rivers, floating reed islands, canals, forests, and marshes.  Boat rentals and river cruises are available to explore the area.

Popular outdoor activities in Romania include cycling, fishing, horse riding, golf, and bird watching in the Danube Delta area.  The Carpathian Mountains provide great opportunities for camping, rock climbing, river rafting, mountain biking, and hiking. 

In winter the Carpathian Mountains, especially the southern mountains (known as the Transylvanian Alps) become a winter playground for skiers and snowboarders. Major resorts include Predeal and Polana Brasov. 

History buffs will enjoy visiting the many medieval castles, fortresses and fortified churches dating from the fourteenth to eighteenth centuries, and fascinating medieval towns such as Sibiu and Brasov.  Historical Romania has inspired writers such as Jules Verne and Bram Stoker (of Dracula fame) who used Romania and the Carpathian Mountains as settings for their novels.  

The Carpathian Mountains of Transylvania are home to the legendary vampire, Count Dracula. The legend of Dracula was started in Transylvania’s mountains and ancient forests.  The character Count Dracula is believed to have been based on Vlad Tepes (aka Vlad the Impaler) a former ruler of Walachia in the 14th Century. Needless to say, fans of Anne Rice and Bram Stoker will be thrilled to know that Dracula tours are readily available, including the gothic Bran Castle and Sighisoara, the birthplace of Vlad Tepes.

Romania has many beautiful national parks, filled with amazing and unusual sights such as ice caves, mud volcanoes, volcanic lakes, glacial lakes, subterranean caves, gorges, and forests.

In the northeast the famous Painted Monasteries of Mucovina are a fantastic sight. Several are listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. 

Before you travel to Romania we recommend that you visit the website of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) for the latest travel advice and information as part of their ‘Know Before You Go’ campaign. Their advice includes the following topics:

-Visas and Passport validity
-Personal safety and security and scams to watch for
-Public transportation and taxis
-Driving in Romania
-Changing money
-Working and residing in Romania
-Travelling with children
-Emergency contact numbers

Note:  Visitors are advised to stay away from stray dogs in Romania as Rabies is common..

Visitors should be aware that Romanian currency cannot be bought outside Romania as export of the currency is not permitted.  ATMs are available in larger town and cities, but may be hard to find remote areas. 

The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is valid in Romania, but this should not be used as a substitute for comprehensive travel insurance.  For example, the EHIC does not cover non-urgent or ongoing treatment, medical repatriation or many other potentially very expensive travel-related problems. http://www.travel-insurance.net/info/european-health-insurance-card.php

Important:  Romania is a popular destination for medical and dental tourism – especially cosmetic dental work.  It is important for visitors to know that travel insurance policies do not normally cover claims related to medical tourism.

Useful website:  http://www.romaniatourism.com/

Disclaimer: While we have tried to ensure the information in this Travel Guide is correct we do not accept responsibility for any inaccuracy, or the content of external links.

Inclusion in this Travel Guide does not guarantee travel insurance is available in any country at any given time. Travel Insurance is not available in countries where the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) have issued an advisory against travel.

You are strongly advised to visit the FCO website for updated travel information and general travel advice before you travel.