| About Romania |
| Lodging in Romania |
| Finding an accommodation in Romania is very easy, for any price. In all the touristic places, as soon as you get to the train station, several people will come to you asking whether you need an accommodation. Those people welcoming you at the station often speak English, French and Italian. Moreover, while walking on the street, you will often find "cazare" on the houses, that means they will rent you a room in their own house. You'd better book an accommodation in the big cities (Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Constanta, Timisoara and Iasi), since it'll be quite hard to wander around looking for a place to sleep, but anywhere else you won't find any problem at all.
Rural tourism is relatively well developed in Romania. There is a national association of rural guesthouses owners, ANTREC, who offer accommodations in over 900 localities throughout the country.
Accommodation is available throughout the country in five star hotels in Bucharest and Mamaia, Cluj Napoca or Predeal from famous chains like Intercontinental, Marriot, Accor (Sofitel, Novotel, Ibis), Hilton, Crown Plaza, Best Western, Ramada, Howard Johnson or Golden Tulip, to 3 star hotel rooms well furnished and with rather poor service.
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| Travel guides about Romania |
| "Romania has recently begun to reinvent itself as a diverse and unique European destination, boasting stunning mountain scenery, historical cultural sites such as the Painted Monasteries, beach resorts, and medieval towns." (Wikitravel.org)
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| "… why should you go to Romania? The straight answer is because it is one of the most beautiful countries of Southeast Europe." (The Blue Guide)
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| "Romania has majestic castles, medieval towns, great hiking and wildlife…"
(The Lonely Planet)
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| "No journey to Eastern Europe would be complete without paying a visit to Romania… Outstanding landscapes, a huge diversity of wildlife…" (The Rough Guide)
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| Travel in Romania |
Romania is the largest of the Balkan states, sitting at the crossroads of Europe, whose nationals are proud of being ‘an island of Latinos’ in a ‘sea of slavs'. The country has seen several empires come and go - Roman, Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian, all leaving their legacy.
Romania has a rich cultural and natural diversity. Its dramatic mountain scenery includes the densely forested Carpathian Mountains, the Danube Delta (the largest wetland in Europe) and 70km (43 miles) of fine white sandy beaches on the Black Sea Coast.
Romania has the majestic castles, medieval towns, great hiking and wildlife, and cheap skiing of much of the 'undiscovered' former Eastern Bloc. You'll be floored at how different it is, but you'll almost certainly see signs that it's chasing the dreams of the rest of the West.
In picturesque valleys and on mountain slopes are many health and winter resorts. Romania's cultural heritage can be experienced in the Saxon towns of Transylvania, also home to Bran Castle, of Dracula fame, the painted monasteries of Bucovina and the rural village idyll of Maramures.
The capital, Bucharest, earned the nickname ‘Paris of the Balkans', but it is the stunning medieval city of Sibiu in Transylvania that was crowned European Capital of Culture 2007.
May and June are the best months to visit, followed by September and early October. At these times, you can visit the medieval painted monasteries in southern Bucovina, and enjoy them minus the tourist hordes. Spring and autumn are also the best times for birdwatching in the Danube Delta. Romania has harsh winters, when tourism is centred on the ski resorts like Poiana Brasov, Predeal and Sinaia. Snow lingers as late as mid-May and the hiking season doesn't begin in earnest till June. The resorts along the Black Sea coast start filling up in late June and stay packed until September.
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| Sources: Wikitravel.org, worldtravelguide.net, romaniatourism.com |
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