We are spending 7-9 days in Romania in May and then want to travel to Dubrovnik. The discount airlines don't seem to fly this route and other flights are out of the way and expensive. We need to get back to Bucharest for our return home (planning to use award miles so open jaw is a nightmare to arrange). Would it be feasible to rent a car to drive to Croatia? Is there a website that would help me calculate road distances for Eastern Europe in case we decide to go to, say, Turkey instead? Thanks for the comments and help.

Hi
Check out the website www.viamichelin.com
It has maps on line as well as making a route for you.
Good luck.

Mary..if I can be of any help with lodgings, general insider tips, etc, please contact. I have auto-traveled Romania many times in the past twenty years , and just returned from extensive visit in November.

Stu T.

[email protected]

Mary: Bucharest to Dubrovnik is 675 miles, via Sarajevo in Bosnia....Istanbul is 425 miles ...Much easier drive to Istanbul, with some motorway driving. Drive through Bosnia is hairy in pla

Depending on where you want to go in Romania, consider using Budapest as a hub. It's a one day drive to the Romanian border and it offers cheap flights to Dubrovnik. So you would do a round-trip to Romania, go back to Budapest and then use the discounts flights to do a round-trip to Dubrovnik. Check it out on http://www.whichbudget.com

Thanks for the tips and websites and offers. I need to spend some time checking these out but will keep an eye on this post for any more info. It's so great to get new ideas from experienced travelers in an area I haven't been. Thanks again - lots!

This is not really on point but I hope you will forgive that. Beware drinking any amount of alcohol before driving in Romania. When I was there in late 2002 the legal blood alcohol limit was zero and neither of my guides touched a drop before they had finished driving for the day.

I was there on a weekend before All Saints Day on 1 November and the police were out in force in the middle of the day checking for drink drivers on tiny backroads in the countryside in the Szekelyland. There were more than usual because, apparently, people always return to their family homes from the cities on the weekend on either side of All Saints Day and party like mad.

I was with my Hungarian Romanian guide, Laventa, when he was flagged down and I watched in disbelief as he breathed heavily into the face of the poor policeman, who then waved him on. Laventa explained that they do that to see if they can smell any hint of alcohol because the breath test kits are too expensive to waste them on the sober.

BTW, the Lonely Planet guide had an item in its Romania guide (current in 2002 & I have not checked later versions) saying that Romanians never refill your glass until it is empty and, if they do, it is because they are planning to kill you. I raised that with both my guides (Laventa and Romanian Dan) and they said it was a lie. They were most upset that Romanian generosity to guests (to which I can heartily attest) could be seen as a sinister act by people who read this misinformation in that very popular guidebook.

I've now checked out the Michelin site which is fantastic and whichbudget - also a great find for getting around Europe. Tips like these are so helpful when planning foreign travel.

Great advice from Faux - it is so easy to stop for lunch and have a beer. Then in a moment have the trip ruined by getting nailed by the police.

It sounds like there are some really fascinating areas to see throughout E. Europe. In my earlier days I'd travel by car trying to cover as much territory as possible. But these days I rather enjoy getting to know a small area of a country without rushing through it. With the help of via Michelin, this should be easier.

Thanks all!

Hi Mary, I really recommend that you set aside a couple of days to see Maramures in the north of Transylvania. It is a beautiful country area and so far unspoilt. Most of the traffic was horse or oxen and cart outside the larger cities when I was there. For an idea of the area, check this site http://www.nnv.ro/ which has a lot of photos. The wooden churches are beautiful in their own way, just as the painted monasteries of Bucovina are. Bucovina's countryside shows the damage of too much timber cutting, wheras most of Bucovina is still farmed as it was in the middle ages.

We are now considering spending the entire 16 days in Romania only. It sounds like we could really get to know it well and that it is worth getting to know. (Plus I think Croatia deserves it's own visit). I'm not crazy about cold weather during the days (below 50 degrees F) and since it will be early May that may be the case. Since we would like to hike the hills I hope that we would see a lot of wildflowers and green mtns as opposed to snow. We might also cruise over to the Black Sea if that is worth seeing. It won't be high season and therefore pleasant if the days are comfortable. Any thoughts on this?

I'm assuming that you read Clifton's and my report. If not, you may be interested in reading them.

I have browsed the trip reports but given the level of detail, its been hard to make the time to read them thoroughly. I ought to print them then I could highlight the areas I find relevant. Trip reports are a great way to get the most on a destination. Your effort is appreciated!