Transylvania - June 2018
 

Just thought I'd chip in with our proposed Transylvania itinerary between 5-23 June 2018.

Booked our flights from Heathrow to Bucharest with TAROM Airlines, arriving 2000 on 5 June. Plans not set in stone yet, but the plan so far...

- 5 June - From Airport take the #780 bus to Bucharest main train station. Stay overnight, almost next door at the Ibis Hotel

- 6 June - Train to Sinaia. I'll book online @ www.cfrcalatori.ro

- 6 to 8 June - Siniara

- 9 June - Train to Brasov

- 9 to 14 June - Brasov, using it as a base for local days trips

15 June - Train to Sighisoara

15 to 17 June - Sighisoara, using it as a base

18 June - Train to Sibiu

18 to 20 June - Sibiu

21 June - Train to Siniara (via Brasov)

21 to 22 June - Siniara

23 June - Train to Bucharest [early morning] to catch lunchtime flight back to UK

I've purposely kept any time in Bucharest to an absolute minimum as Transylvania is the big, big draw.

Most of the travel will be done by rail, and I'll be doing lots of research.

I'll probably be booking most of our accommodation on Booking.com, but not necessarily all of it.

Just got back from a couple of weeks in beautiful Bosnia & Herzegovina [Mostar & Sarajevo], was in Croatia [Solin, Split, Brac and Makarska] in April, and before we go to Romania we've managed to fit in 3 weeks in Macedonia [Skopje, Lake Ohrid, and Bitola], plus a couple of lazy All Inclusive holidays which I don't really count as travel.

Our last trip, and final trip to SE Asia was to Thailand and Vietnam was in February. Got fed up of years of long haul, and now concentrating closer to home, and so far Central Europe has been wonderful.

Postman Pat has just delivered the latest copy of The Rough Guide to Romania, so lot of homework to do.

I recommend staying in smaller hotels on Booking as some of the bigger ones especially more expensive are often rubbish. The station at Bucherest is a hot bed of vice (take care of belongings). The RG to Romania is written by an old friend of mine Tim Burford (good to see it still earns him a potage).

Your itinerary sounds a lot like the start of my second trip to Romania.

See: http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...a-take-two.cfm

Or, skipping Bucharest and with photos (and links at the top of the page):

https://mytimetotravel.wordpress.com...utiful-brasov/

I don't think Bucharest is a must. I used Lonely Planet and there is probably a Bradt guide as well.

Thanks.

I'm pleased to say that me[plus the cook] and expensive don't go together. There looks to be an abundance of good budget B&B/apartments many of which are v.central in the towns we'll visit. We've just stayed in three beautiful properties in Split, Mostar, and Sarajevo, all @ 35 €uros per unit a night

I've already had the nod about Gara de Nord train station, and won't be hanging around. One night on arrival, the Ibis is next door, and we clear off by train in the morning.

First impressions of the RG to Romanis are favourable, so well done to Tim Burford.

Thursdays, thanks for those links. I'll give them the attention they deserve idc.

We're not really big city people, so won't lose much sleep by missing Bucharest. I'll track down the LP from our local library, I tried to buy the current Bradt Guide but the supplier I normally use was out of stock. I'm using the TA Romania Forum too, which helped whet our appetite for Transylvania.

I've changed our itinerary a bit. Basically I want to avoid too much travel on our final full day, and apart from overnight on arrival and final night giving Bucharest a miss. Does the following look better than the one in my opening post...

- 5 June. LHR to Bucharest. TAROM Airlines RO392

- Arrive 2000. No 780 bus to Gara de Nord train station.

- Overnight Ibis Hotel.

- 6 June. Train to Sinaia. 3 nights.

- 9 June. Train to Sighisoara. 3 nights.

- 12 June. Train to Sibiu. 4 nights.

- 16 June. Train to Brasov. 6 nights.

- 22 June. Train to Gara de Nord, Bucharest.

- Overnight Ibis Hotel.

- 23 June. No 780 bus to Airport.

- 1230 Flight to LHR. RO391.

- Arrive LHR 1405

Had a busy day yesterday searching for hopefully the right accommodation to suit our budget. Decided on the following, all now booked with Booking.com...

- Ibis Hotel, Gara de Nord, BUCHAREST - [1 night, Room only - £37]

- Hotel Tantzi, SINAIA - [3 nights, Bed & Breakfast - £100]

- Pensiunea Gasthaus Alte Post, SIGHISOARA [3 nights Bed & Breakfast - £81]

- Studio Mai, SIBIU [4 nights, Studio - £107]

- Residence Piata Sfatului, BRASOV [6 nights, Room [big] only - £188]

- Ibis Hotel, Gara de Nord, BUCHAREST - 1 night, Room only - £33]

Total for 18 nights accommodation [including 6 breakfasts] - £546 [€uros606]

Bookmarking ��

Sinaia is a beautiful area but a very small town. Just to point out that Peles aside, and the monastery above town, each coverable in a couple of hours, nature walks are probably the main activity. Not a lot of anything else going on when we were there. Brasov is really your next place to go if you were looking for day trips.


I don't know your accommodation in Sighisoara (we stayed at the Legenda, which we liked. www.legenda.ro/en/ 25EU per night), but if staying outside the citadel yours is in a pretty reasonable location at the foot of the hill. Be sure to walk up after hours. The old city is kind of touristy but when it goes quiet after dark, it's worth having another look.

From your three main towns, Sibiu, Sighisoara and Brasov, do look for chances to get into the "interior" of the triangle as well as some areas to the east and west of Brasov. The old church fortresses, some in ruins, some not, are an interesting poke around. Harmann, Prejmer, Biertan are best known but others will just turn up as you pass through little villages. Also, some of the centre of Medias is worth having a look at, I thought.

Sinaia - Pelisor as well as Peles!

https://mytimetotravel.wordpress.com...lating-sinaia/

Yes, sorry Pelisor too. THough I think I may have forgotten Pelisor after Peles more due to having my limits with stately manor homes (I'm more of an imposing fortress sort of guy). I enjoyed a wander around the monastery and an impromptu tour by the groundskeeper most in Sinaia.

Your accom looks fine

Counter Clifton.....Thanks for the info. The more I read, the more we are looking forward to our visit. Rough Guide to Romania has an excellent 101 page section on Transylvania, reasonably detailed maps of the main towns and attractions, plus info on local public transport, which we intend to make full use of.

Thursdaysd.....Thanks for the last link. I haven't read the others properly yet. We're of to Spain [Albir on the Costa Blanca] next Monday for 3 weeks on a lazy AI holiday, so I've got plenty to read while I'm enjoying the sunshine and pina coladas.

bilboburgler.....Thanks. Yep, I'm happy with our choices too. Tbh I'm amazed with the choice of excellent accommodation and the prices.

Lancaster lad,
Are you planning on writing a trip report when you return? Romania is on my bucket list! It sounds fascinating and different.

Hi Karen.....Yep, I'll either do a Here Now Report if I get a good wifi signal, or post something when we get home.

To whet your appetite:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca...7623001926246/ and subsequent pictures

<i>The more I read, the more we are looking forward to our visit. Rough Guide to Romania has an excellent 101 page section on Transylvania, reasonably detailed maps of the main towns and attractions</i>

That's a good resource. IMO, Rough Guide was probably the best option for towns (as well as Maramures and Bucovina sites) when we went. Can't say for transport, as I drove in from Budapest and back.

As a additional thought - it's been awhile, so recent editions may not be as good, but see if you can get a pre-sales look at a Freytag & Berndt folding map for Transylvania(/Erdely/Siebenburgen).

I still have the one we used here and it was really useful to find small, out of the way attractions once you got outside of the main towns. It has all sorts of small icons showing castles, churches, cemeteries, monasteries. All sorts of things. Often we'd just go off looking to see what the icon was trying to draw us to and found some interesting, out-of-the-way things as a result (including a private tour of a castle in Cris that was fenced off and close to the public when the groundskeeper spotted me looking through the fence).

Hi to all.
I just got back from a week's whirlwind research trip.
Hope you find the report interesting

http://andrewchum.blogspot.co.uk/

A

We're flying to Bucharest this Tuesday, so thought I'd bring this thread out of its slumber......all set, really looking forward.