Romania Travel Info

Simply Surprising - this is how the Romanian tourist office describes its country, and it is simply true! In this hiking tour you can discover the mountains of the Carpathian chain as we travel from small villages into the back country and back to some typical country inns each night. We willl also visit the famous town of Sighisoara a medieval village known as the birth place of Prince Vlad Dracula as well as the famous Bran Castle which came to be associated with Prince Vlad (Vlad the Impaler to his enemies) and a charming and fun visit!

You will start in Bucharest, once called the Petit Paris between world wars, and from here you will go into the countryside where small villages and charming people await. You will see all that is modern advancing Europe and still horse drawn carts of the old world. Hiking will expose you to well marked trails and panoramic views; and if you are lucky you may even see some of the wildlife which is remarkably intact.

Romania Travel Info

Telephone
International direct dialing service is available throughout Romania. Most public phones require the use of a calling/phone card.
Calling within Romania: 0+(3 digit area code)+(6 digit telephone #)
Calling within Bucharest: 0+21+(7 digit telephone #)
International from Romania: 00+(country code)+(area code)+(telephone #)

Cell phones
You should contact your cell phone supplier before departure.
If your phone isn’t equipped to work in Europe, you might want to rent a phone. We recommend Cell Hire, who makes it convenient since they deliver the phone to your home before your departure: www.cellhire.com

Emergency telephone #s
General Emergency: - 112
Emergency Hospital in Bucharest – 962
Ambulance Service – 961
Police – 955

Email/Internet:
A number of Internet retail outlets and cyber-cafes in almost every town offer convenient Internet access. An increasing number of hotels offer data ports with high-speed modem connections for their guests to access the Internet and retrieve email in the comfort of their rooms.

Public Holidays
January 1-2 / New Year
May 1 / Labor Day
Easter Monday
December 1 / National Day
December 25-26 / Christmas

Electric current
Electrical current is 220V and 50Hz. Outlets take plugs with 2 round prongs. A plug and power adapter is necessary for most appliances requiring 110V.

Great cities
Bucharest
Known for its wide, tree-lined boulevards, glorious Belle Époque buildings and a reputation for the high life, Romania's capital was once known as the "Little Paris." Romanian legend has it that a shepherd named “Bucur” whose name meant, “joy” founded Bucharest. His flute playing reportedly dazzled the locals and his hearty wine from nearby vineyards endeared him to the local traders, who gave his name to the place. Remodeled, in the late 19th century, by French and French-trained architects Bucharest even features a Triumphal Arch on the elegant Soseaua Kiseleff, a boulevard longer that Paris' famed Champs-Elysees. Communist rule interrupted Bucharest's cosmopolitan days. Many years after the overthrown of the communist regime, the "House of the People" — the world's second largest building after the US Pentagon — reminds Romanians of the communist years. Only Romanian materials and products were used — local marble, cherry and walnut paneling, crystal chandeliers, specially commissioned hand-woven tapestries, carpets and draperies — to build what supposed to be the headquarters of Romania's last communist leader. Now renamed the Palace of Parliament, this magnificent building of 1,000 rooms reflects the work of the country's best architects and artisans.

Bucharest has 37 museums, 22 theaters, opera houses and concert halls, 18 art galleries, lots of libraries and bookstores. Sights include: Architecture of the Historic Center; Calea Victoriei, Piata Palatului, Bulevardul Bratianu, Bulevardul Regina Elisabeta, Strada Lispcani, Piata Romana, Piata Victoriei, Bulevardul Aviatorilor, Soseaua Kiseleff, Bulevardul Dacia, Muzeul Satului (Village Museum), Catedrala Patriarhala, Cismigiu (Park).

Bran Castle
This fortified medieval castle, often referred to as Dracula's Castle, was built in 1377 to protect nearby Brasov from invaders. It also served as a customs station.
The castle's rooms and towers surround an inner courtyard. Some rooms are connected through underground passages to the inner court. In 1920, the people of Brasov who owned the castle offered it as a gift to Queen Maria of Romania, and the castle soon became her favorite residence. Bran is home to a rich collection of Romanian and foreign furniture and art items from the 14th-19th Centuries. The castle sits high atop a 200 ft. tall rock overlooking the picturesque village of Bran. On the grounds below there is an open-air ethnographic museum of old village buildings with exhibits of furniture, household objects and costumes.

Geography/Terrain
Romania's territory features splendid mountains, beautiful rolling hills, fertile plains and numerous rivers and lakes. The Carpathian Mountains traverse the center of the country bordered on both sides by foothills and finally the great plains of the outer rim. Forests cover over one quarter of the country and the fauna is one of the richest in Europe including bears, deer, lynx, chamois and wolves. The legendary Danube River ends its eight-country journey through eight European countries at the Black Sea by forming one of the biggest and most interesting wetlands in the world, the Danube Delta.

About a third of the country consists of the Carpathian Mountains (also known as the Transylvanian Alps). Another third is hills and plateaus, rich with orchards and vineyards. The final third is a fertile plain, largely devoted to agriculture. The Danube River runs through the country, from northwest to southeast, culminating in the Danube Delta and the Black Sea.

Climate
Romania can be hot one day and cold the next, wet one hour and sunny the next. If you are out on the road and the weather changes you can either wait it out or continue hiking. While out on the road it is very difficult to have a taxi come find you and it likely to be very expensive. Do not count on being able to transfer with your luggage to the next hotel. These contractors are not insured to carry passengers and are likely to refuse you on such grounds.

Food/Beverage