Hello all,

I am wanting to visit Istanbul and had hoped to stop in Romania as a precursor to my visit to the Turkish city. My plan was to arrive in Bucharest by plane and to travel north (via train or bus) for several days visiting sites in the Carpatians. I read a bit about "medieval towns" and would like to experience them along with the capital. I would visit these sites and then spend 1 -2 days in the capital before heading off to Istanbul. I have read up on the overnight rail transit the had and thought that too might be interesting to do.

Can anyone share their experiences with a trip like this? Favorite to-dos, things to watch for (scams, unethical behavior). I've traveled a bit but mostly within English speaking countries or with people local to the area. This time I would be on my own. I'm 45, male, American (I won't tell them that) and in good physical shape and mainly interested in historical sites/customs and site-seeing.

I also would like to go via "backpack" rather than lugging a large suitcase with me, meaning cutting down on my normal over-packing neurosis, so any ideas there would be beneficial.

Any comments or suggestions are appreciated. I've enjoyed reading the posts and hope to save myself some pain and frustration.

Like you've probably read the major historical/medieval cities in Romania are Sibiu, Brasov and Sighisoara. Try to spend 1-2 days in Brasov and Sibiu each and about half day in Sighisoara (you could also do it as day trip from Brasov or Sibiu if you're short on time).
Also try to get to at least a few of the major sites near the three cities mentioned above: any of the ancient German villages with fortified churches (especially Viscri and Biertan), the so called Dracula's castle in Bran (40 minutes away from Brasov), Peles palace in Sinaia (one hour south of Brasov) etc.

Domestic train timetables in Romania are available on http://infofer.ro/ ;you can book tickets on https://bileteonline.cfrcalatori.ro/loginuser.aspx .
Bus schedules can be found on http://autogari.ro/?&lang=UK

The train from Bucharest to Istanbul is fairly slow (over 20 hours); a few slightly faster buses also run on this route.

As for things to watch out, if you have to use taxis before getting in check carefully what's the price per km (it must be written on the vehicle); if it's over 2 lei/km don't take that cab, it's likely a rip off cab. Also make sure the taxi you take has and actually uses a taximeter.

The best way to get the local currency (the only thing that most restaurants, shops etc. accept) is by card straight from ATMs. If you're not willing to use cards don't change too much/any money at airport exchange offices, they give very low rates.

Hotels are relatively overpriced; a better choice (same quality as in hotels but lower prices) are pensions (guesthouses) in most cities and rural areas, respectively short term apartment rentals in Bucharest.

If you need to ask for directions, infos etc. speak to people under 35 years, most young people know English.

Great points and what I was looking for. Thanks!

If you're taking the time to visit Romania I'd recommend visiting Maramures and Bucovina as well as places closer to Bucharest. See my TR at wilhelmswords.com/eur2006 For what to take (my backpack weighs in at 22 lbs + another 6-8 in my day pack) see three posts starting here: mytimetotravel.wordpress.com/2010/02/08/what-to-take-part-one/

And why would you not say that you're American? Are you going to pretend to be something else?

Thanks for the links. As for being American, it was said tongue-in-cheek. Though when in London I was embarrassed by an American slob being overly loud and abusive to his wife as well as to the help. In Harrod's no less.

My itinerary includes 3 nights in Bucharest with a day trip to Brasov (with a tour). Then 3 nights based in Sibiu before heading out from there to Istanbul via air. I plan on purchasing a 5 day EuroRail pass since I will be going from Bucharest to Sibiu via rail anyway (the cost didn't seem too high for the flexibility). I had planned another day drip to Brasov after my tour from Bucharest if I felt I wanted to see more. I was hoping to see more of the areas away from larger cities if that seems ok. But I'm a bit worried of straying too far from areas of population. I'm reviewing rail travel now. Feel free to post up any objections! I'm heading out the 8th of September.

What does your Brasov tour include? Is it just a city center, Black Church, local museums tour or more than that?

"I was embarrassed by an American slob being overly loud and abusive to his wife as well as to the help. In Harrod's no less."

What else would you expect in a shop owned and mismanaged by a loudmouth slob? It was probably one of al-Fayed's chums.

Personal, national and racial insults may be your style, but they do not belong on Fodor's. I have pushed the grey triangle, and i hope others do also.

I am sorry to have brought up my nationality. It was meant in jest and I apologize that it has opened the door for further negative comments. This is my first thread on here an I am unhappy that it came to this.

Saige, The trip goes to Sinaia for a visit to the monestary,then Peles castle, then on to Bran and finishing up with the Black Church. This seems a lot to cover in one day! That said, I thought perhaps to take another day from Bucharest to go back to Brasov to revisit what I feel I missed or to wander the city. I also could take a day from my Sibiu location (3 nights) to re-visit Brasov. However, I did want to see Sighisoara or perhaps some of the more outlying villages. I just feel I have too little time.

I am seriously thinking of altering my return flight from Istanbul back to the States and have another stop directly in Brasov for a few more days. I would like to extend my stay while I am in Romania but with all my booking done it would be a big hassle to my travel agent.

Wilhelm's webpage is a great source of information and overview. It is a primary reason I am looking to extend my stay! So thanks again for the input and I appreciate any more suggestions and "appropriate" comments. ;-) Thanks again Wilhelm!

I am sorry Aboehmer, but the last person who came up with the nasty comments is a habitual one. And i made the mistake of responding here.

i have never been to Romania, but i hope you have a great time there.

And when you wish to find out anything about the Istanbul or Turkey part of your trip, you can ask any question and i will try to repond.

Irony or humour are not understood or appreciated much on these forums. In fact, i find that they are not appreciated much anywhere.

We rented a flat on our second trip to Romania and lived in Brasov for a month while we did day trips to the other Saxon villages by train and a longer visit by van to the painted monasteries of Bucovina before moving on to Istanbul.

If you decide to go back to Brasov you might want to take a hike up to the ski resort at Poiana Brasov. It's a nice hike that a lot of locals do. There are buses that run from the square but they tend to be crowded.

There are also a couple of interesting museums in town that most tourists miss. One is a folk art museum the other is on the square in the old town hall. There are two good farmers markets in town if you want to explore that aspect of life in Romania.

Pizza, if you order it, will come without sauce and is served with ketchup. But local beer and wines are generally good. Food is cheap by US standards and portions tend to be large. Almost everything is served with potatoes.

The museum in Sibiu is excellent!

I hope you enjoy Romania as much as I do. If you have specific questions, I'd be happy to respond.

Buna seara, Saige

By the way, have you read the older posts that are archived here? You can find them by entering Romania or Istanbul in the search the forums space at the top of this page.

Thank you Saige, I found it not feasible to change my plans now. I have three days (minus train time from Bucharest to Sibiu). I plan on a day trip to Sighisoara and just need to decide whether to spend another day in Sibiu or try another day trip. I will use this as a dry run for possibly more detailed trips here if I enjoy it. I've been perusing their local website for cities and it just looks wonderful.

Thank you all for your input. I'll be sure to put the museum in my plans.

One additional thing, I see an area called "Miercurea Sibiului"; it seems to be a collection of agricultural villiges. It's about 30 minutes train distance from Sibiu. Anyone have experince with this? Is this worth taking a 1/2 day to visit? My impression was there was a village on the train line and you could take a tram that passed through many of the villages. I am looking for something a bit away from the city-sized area of Sibiu and Brasov. After a day-trip to the medieval city of Sighisoara I thought it would be nice to have some place closer to Sibiu before I head out from Romania. Thanks.

Just wanted to thank everyone for their input. I completed my trip a couple weeks back and had a wonderful time. I appreciate the input which did help me in making some decisions. I only scratched the surface of what I'd have liked to do but time was a factory this trip.

Thanks again,
Andrew

There is an outdoor museum, which is a collection of rural structures, at the end of the tram line from Sibiu. Its gift shop is excellent.

I've heard that it is also possible to take a boat from a Black Sea port to Istanbul. If available, it might be a good alternative to the train ride.

Aboehmer, why not do a trip report? I've just returned from Budapest and realized that while it is absolutely lovely, I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as our trip to Bucharest in July. Which is odd because parts of Bucharest are hideous. But there are layers of history there that I simply didn't feel in Budapest. Bucharest gets short shrift on this forum - our brief visit there made me eager to return and experience more of Romania. I'm sure others would be interested in hearing of your trip.

Thank you Boveney. I agree on your analysis with Bucharest (have not been to Budapest but have heard similar). I will do so as soon as I have time!