JaneElizabeth

Just found out I'll be going to Timisoara, Romania in August for three days for work, after which I'd like to spend 5-6 days vacationing. I know virtually nothing about Romania, let alone the city I'll be in, so I'm trying to decide (and quickly!) if I should plan to spend my vacation time there or venture somewhere else.

Is Timisoara safe? Would experienced travelers recommend going elsewhere - possibly Turkey or Greece? I'm looking for great food, interesting people and historical sites, and easy and safe public transportation. My bucket list is wide open - I've only been to France and England so have many places left to see.

Thanks in advance for any insights and suggestions!

Michael

There is a lot to see in Romania. I would spend the time there. Sibiu is a lovely town. If transportation is available, the Lutheran fortified churches in small villages are worth a visit.

You might want to take a look at my trip report, which includes Maramures and Bucovina. It's not the most recent, but the things to be seen have not changed very much. Click on my name to find the report.

live42day

We loved Romania. We were there last year and spent time in Sighasora and Brasov. I would just stay in Romania there is so much to see. We hired a car and driver in both places as the driving is a little bit nuts and hiring a driver was not much more than just the car rental. Romania is very inexpensive compared to other parts of Europe.

thursdaysd

Plenty to see in Romania. Although you could go over the border to Hungary - Szeged is not far from Timisoara and has some gorgeous Art Nouveau architecture.

Public transport in the south of Romania is fine, although you may still need a car and driver for the north. Transport is very cheap.

I traveled in the south on my own last year, see:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...a-take-two.cfm

LBloom

If it were me, I would travel to Budapest and spend several days there. But, I like big cities.

Everything is very reasonable there (by American standards). You could visit the public baths, the city market, museums, churches/synagogues.

I have recommendations if you are interested.

Aboehmer

I agree with LBloom. Budapest is the closest large city available by rail.

If you do choose to spend time in Romania I also suggest Sibiu, Sigasoara and Brasov. The are all centrally located in the country. I've heard Cluj is a fun place for younger people.

I am going back and spending 8 days touring the northern and central areas. I loved it my first time and taking someone with me this time!

Bedar

I didn't particularly like Romania. Much preferred Bulgaria, the people, the food, the sights. Have fun. Wherever you go will be fine.

bilboburgler

With so little time I'd stay in Romania. Trains seem to miss out a fair bit of Transylvanian plateau (for historical reasons) so you would need to use buses. Good advice above about where to stop.

The things I enjoyed about the country

1) the lack of agricultural progress ensures that farms are not desolate mono-cultures, with lots of butterflys etc
2) many of the woods are wonderful
3) the older villages with careful racial segregation by house type
4) the hungarian culture in Transylvania
5) the wine

Safety; the only area I would worry about is Bucharest main station but only because of pick pockets not muggers, while the dog pack situation is much improved.

The language is at least just about understandable for the reader if you can read french, it is a struggle but doable.

We had a great time