10 days starting in Bucharest
 

We finish up an Eastern Europe river cruise in Bucharest in early November. We have 10 days to travel before flying home from Bucharest.
Brasov and Sighisoara sound great - I'm assuming it will be quite cold there in November?
We're also thinking of Krakow and Prague. We will have been to Budapeast on the river cruise. Any must sees? Would welcome ideas!

There is lots fo see in Bucharest and I would hire a guide for a day.

Also you can use the same guide to take you on the "Castle Loop" which involves Brasov.

You will also visit the Bran castle (Dracula)!

Three full day here will be enough.

I would certainly do Prague on your way back home.

Here is a good tour guide in Bucharest:

Georgiana Goleanu
E-mail Address(es):
[email protected]

Ask for Dan as your tour guide.
He is very good, about 45 years old.

We did the "Castle Loop" with him. We left Bucharest at 7:45 Am and returned at 10 PM.

But we went in June, the daylight was longer and the weather in the 80's always.

Romania has a lot to offer beyond a simple day trip to the mountains. If you have ten days use them all in Romania and do not miss on Maramures and Bucovina, two superb areas in the North. Leave Poland and Prague for another occasion. Romania is changing quite fast.

Our tour was called the Romanian Rhapsody exclusively offered by Compass Travel Romania in Bucharest. A very well-planned and carefully studied itinerary, you will be able to maximize your time experiencing the culture, the history and the art of the past in the most direct and meaningful manner possible. On top of it all, our interaction with the locals was authentic providing us with a learning experience. Our guide was excellent: his expertise was amazing, facts, figures just rolled out of him as we just ate up his knowledge. His driving skills were equally good, we felt safe at all times and let me tell you Romania's roads aren't as bad as you may hear.

Here is our tour although since four years ago they have added extra features such as visiting with Gypsies and the Borgo Pass. You probably want to eliminate the city tour of Bucharest as I assume your cruise company will provide that.

http://www.tours-of-romania.com/roma...seller-11-days

May be you check a loop Bucuresti - Suceava/painted churches - Cluj - Sighisoara (Dracula lived there and not in the kitsch castle of Bran) - Sibiu - Brasov - Bucuresti. Can all be done by train.
Be prepared to find snow (it snowed this week already)
http://ch.webcams.travel/webcam/1292...s-Hermannstadt

An alternative could be a trip around Bulgaria.

Check with your cruise company ..they may only take to the the Parliament Palace which take up the whole morning.

Percy...both you and I know that the "Palace" is only worth a walk through, as big as it is...a shrine to a bloody, certified nut case.

DlPlatt:

Just to give you a broad familiarization of what to see during your visit, these pics were taken on three of several research/interview visits (1970's-2005), covering much of the fascinating country, as well as Bulgaria. I'll hunt up another set and post below. Have a wonderful visit. I can also recommend an independent, intelligent guide if you wish.

https://picasaweb.google.com/stuartt...ureshBukovina#

stu tower stuarttower at aol dot com

https://picasaweb.google.com/stuartt...adAndBulgaria#

Guide: (I used him to great advantage while escorting 16 of my readership on a "footsteps" tour of the country in 2005. He covered the history and I covered the associated quasi- fictional story).His picture is the young man with the hat and glasses, at the Popa Museum. [email protected]