Romania

City

When to Go

Essentials

The young people in Romania pretty much to a man all speak english (thank the Americans for something I guess). The older generation grew up under the Communists and such were taught Russian and French. They are picking up English slowly but as tourism is still not as fast as it should be due to lack of knowledge in the west, many Romanians wont understand you. I met a professor in Constanta who spoke Italian, French, Russian, Romanian, Greek, Latin, Ancient Greek BUT not English. Thus a Romanian guidebook is essential, though 'Noroc' (= cheers) is a substitute for alot I found!  Saying that, try English first as those who have a small knowledge of the language relish the chance to try it out on a westerner. 

Transport

When in the main cities such as Constanta and Bucharest, travel is no problem. There are frequent buses and in Bucharest itself there is a surprisingly efficient tube network (better than London I thought - http://www.romaniatourism.com/maps/bucharest/subway_map.html).

 When you get out into the styx it becomes a different story. The main roads are generally well maintained but the transport of choice out in the countryside is horse and cart. Buses exist between towns but are infrequent (1-2 a day) and packed. Its not uncommon for farmers to use them to take chickens and other animals to market, so I wouldnt expect a seat if the goats in it first! However saying that, its extremely cheap and the drivers tend to be quite helpful if youre clueless about procedure.

Practical Information

The beginning of the film BORAT was filmed in Romania though it claimed it was Kazakhstan. I wouldnt mention that around Romania though as apparently they were extremely hurt by the taunting of their simple village life. If you ignore the obviously made up stuff (e.g. the town rapist being a 9 yr old) and just look at the images, it can give you an idea of rural life.

For example, the communal dancing is no exaggeration. If youve ever done a ceilidh, its quite similar.

If you'll notice also, the car he leaves the town in, which is towed by a donkey is a 'DACIA', which is basically a Renault but you can only get them in Romania and they are very proud of the make. They do actually work of course, the horse is just for the movie! 

Their favourite spirit is 'tweekah' (I'm typing that phonetically as I cant remember how to spell it) which is a clear brandy made from plums. Its a bit sharp but honestly it grows on you. Their wine isnt exported much these days (except for some sweet wines if you can find them) but honestly its fantastic - best kept secret in Europe. Their pork is extremely good also and is worth a try. 

Health & Safety

Romania and Romanians have a bad name in the rest of Europe as being a nation of gypsies, something which the people themselves resent deeply. Romania is the corridor of Europe, funnelling people travelling out of Russia into Europe (some go along the more northern corridor the other side of the mountains but it becomes extremely cold so they tend to head south into the warmth). As such gypsies do occur in Romania, especially in the countryside and city stations. However the police are extremely vigilant as are the local people. As you know, Romania just entered the EU and is extremely proud of its new membership. When they joined they were given strict advice to secure their borders against these travellers.  Romanians not only hate the reputation but know too well that gypsies spread disease and steal frequently so will even throw stones at gypsies when they see them. Keep your wits about you when in a crowd in the city or when walking in the countryside. Girls also shouldnt walk alone. Theres obviously nothing to stop a gypsie mugging you, even violently if it comes to it. But as I said, the local people dislike them as much as you do so they dont hang around long.

Romania's border control is strict for the above reason so dont be surprised if you are travelling near the frontiers of the country to have your passports checked if on the road by the 'frontier police'. They're just being naturally suspicious about anyone who...more

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