Romania: Bucovina, Transylvania, Montenia

Romania Itinerary

For anyone who is interested in the quick tour of Romania, this is what we did:

Suceava Train Station

01/03/13: We crossed the Ukrainian Romanian border from Chernivtsi—Suceava on foot.  We took a taxi to the border, walked over, and then hitchhiked to Suceava.   Once we got to Suceava, we got on a train to Cluj Napoca (70 lei) at 13:10 which arrived in Cluj Napoca at 20:25.  We then walked around the town a bit and got some tasty pastries before our next train to Sighisoara (58 lei) which left at 22:22.  We arrived in Sighisoara at 02:42 and got a taxi to our hostel (Burg Hostel).

            ***Burg Hostel was a cute little café where all the locals hung out.  We were the only ones staying in the hostel, but it was comfortable, quiet, and in a perfect location.

Sighisoara: view from top of Clock Tower

01/04/13: Walked around Sighisoara all day and went to Dracula’s house (a restaurant that was just ok….) Sighisoara was definitely a must see, but could easily be done on a day trip.

 Brasov

01/05/13: Took a train to Brasov at 11am (17 lei) which got us to the city at 13:59.  We then took a tram to our hostel (Old Town Hostel) and then quickly went about the town to find something to eat.  Brasov was probably my favorite place overall we visited.  The city was very quaint with a variety of things you could do.  It isn’t far from a lot of other touristy places to go to for day trips like Bran’s castle and Rasnov.  We walked around the town, hung out at the Christmas/winter market and then called it a night.

01/06/13:  headed to Bran’s castle about a 45 minute bus ride (6 lei).  It was definitely a must see, but it was pretty crowded, even on the off season.  We then took a taxi back to Brasov and realized we could have easily stopped at Rasnov to check out the fortress there and the cave, but we didn’t…

Night view of Brasov center

01/07/13: In the morning we walked alone the city walls before our train departed for Bucuresti at 13:44 (58 lei).  We arrived at 16:10.  This train ride was so beautiful riding through the mountains.  It was snowing the whole time which was even more beautiful.  All the trees looked like it was topped with icing.  It was mystical and a definite plus to the trip.  Glad we did that train ride in the day time.  We did find out, though, that we could have gotten a train ticket around the same time for about ½ the price…. Ohh well, they got us tourists.

Once we got to Bucharest, we headed to our hostel (Explorers Hostel), which was not too far from the train station. There we headed to old town and grabbed a bite to eat at a place called The Barrel.    After  walking around town, we called it a night.

Bucharest

01/08/13:  Kristen and I went for a morning run to the Triumph Arc and the Free Press building that was given as a gift from Russia.  There and back was a total of 7 miles.  There was a nice walking path right along all the embassy buildings and was a nice flat run.  The people there were super friendly with us running and would cheer or tell us to “go go go”.  It was a great way to see the arc because it is kinda far out there with not much else to do once you are out there.   After we checked out the parliament building and walked around old town some more.  We ended up going to dinner at Caru Cu Bere which had a spectacular ambiance, with live performances, and really tasty food.   They are known for good beer, but the beer was just alright.  

Bucharest: Old Town

01/09/13:  Went to the museum of old books and maps which was a museum of only maps… but it was very interesting.  The oldest map we saw there was from the early 1500s.  If you have the time to go check it out, I would.  It is a small museum, but definitely worth a look.   After the museum we walked until we wandered into old town again where we went shopping in some really cute boutiques and finally retired at a nice café.  That night, we took an overnight train back to Suceava (85 lei) that left at 23:30 and got in at 06:24 and then grabbed a taxi and walked across the border again.

** Taking a taxi with 4 people was quite the deal and after splitting the costs, didn’t cost us too much. 

Our Romanian friends all told us to check out Sibiu, which we didn’t have time for…. But I guess next time I go back, gonna check that out.  Also, found out that from the Train to Brasov to Bucharest, Peles castle is one of the stops, so if you want to stop there and check it out, it is also apparently a must see!

I was uncertain as to traveling to Romania in the winter, but it was still beautiful as ever.  I definitely want to go back when everything is green and florally!

And to re-emphasize how beautiful a country Romania is:  It is BEAUTIFUL!  If you have the chance to visit, I highly recommend it. 

I never had any trouble getting around with English.  It seemed that if they didn't know English, they knew French or Russian.  All Romanians I encountered were super friendly, and always went out of their way to help. It was fabulous!