Romania Transportation Tips by codrutz Top 5 Page for this destination

Tarom - romanian aviation

Romania's main commercial aviation company is TAROM, which has a very good reputation, it's pilots are very good, this being acknowledged by foreign travelers also.

Tarom's fleet consists of 26 planes: 3 of 737-800, 4 of 737-700, 4 of 737-300, 4 of A318-111 (second picture of this tip), 2 of A310-325, 2 ATR 72-500 and 7 ATR 42-500 (later is a turbo-prop French made 40 seats 2 propeller engines aircraft - pictured on the right - used only on domestic flights)

Food is good on each of the flights. I recommend using Tarom and posting your opinion on VT and on this specialized site on airline quality review.

For example a plane ticket from Bucharest to Sibiu costs as low as 150 RON (EUR 35) for one way or 330 RON (EUR 78) for a return trip. Of course that are for early reservations, prices goes up sharply when the plane is filling up, so book in advance (at least two weeks).

Mode: TO

Type: Airplane

Website: http://www.tarom.ro/en/

Romanian railways

Romanian Railways (CFR) is the national railway operator. Railway travel is convenient in Romania as it is more reliable than driving on the roads, because the schedule of a train travel is most of the time (95-99%) respected, you travel without stress and increased attention like you would do while driving.

I recommend taking trains for longer trips (>200km) in Romania as they get you from point A to point B without stress. Railway network is well developed in Romania and though speeds are only up to 160kph (100mph) traveling by train is good as long as you apply the following tips:

1) There are four types of trains. The fastest ones are "INTERCITY" (IC) and "RAPID" (R), then
"ACCELERAT" (A), then "PERSONAL" (P) don't take latter as they stop in every small station. If possibly for a quick and comfortable ride try to use IC or R trains.

2) Travel 1st class. This is not much more expensive than 2nd, but there is much difference in comfort. Some 1st class carriages are well equipped (e.g. 12V plugs for laptops), some are still not (in the process of upgrading). 1st class means large seats, either open space carriages (best ones) or compartments with six seats (reclining seats usually), air conditioned.

3) 2nd class means either open space (there are some Siemens Desiro trains), or compartments with eight seats and more or less air conditioning.

4) Buy tickets from any train station (even very small ones), just ask for the destination, check the type of train, traveling times and pay (mostly cash, I don't know if they have yet POS for credit cards, perhaps in larger cities).

5) Use the website http://www.cfrcalatori.ro/ (there is an English version, click on the flag upright) to check train schedules and buy tickets online (NEW). Select Bucharest Nord for Bucharest or you won't get the results as Bucharest has other smaller train station that are rarely used by passenger trains.

Mode: AROUND

Type: Train

Website: http://www.cfrcalatori.ro/

Hitchhiking

Hitchhiking is somehow common in Romania. Commuters, backpackers and other people on the budget use the regional buses or just stay at the exit of large cities with signs pointing their destination. For example in Bucharest, when you exit north (E60/DN1), near the big round intersection at the "House of Press" you may spot some people with signs "SINAIA" (125km) or "BRASOV" (170km) or when you exit north-east to Moldova (E85/DN2) you may see hitchhikers going to "URZICENI" (60km), "BUZAU" (111km) or even "FOCSANI" (182km), "BACAU" (182km).

If you're backpacking in Romania you can hitchhike safely. There are no dangers of being ripped off or other bad things. If somebody stops that is probably that he needs company for the road or even he wants to make some money. That should be less than the most cheap transportation (which are regional buses and mini-buses), so somewhere between 0 - 20 RON (0 RON if you're friendly and the driver likes you for being a tourist in Romania, 20 RON if he needs money, he will be very happy with that amount). Don't offer more (more than 20 RON, equivalent of EUR 5) for trips shorter than 200km. Longer than that you can go to EUR 10, for more you can always take the train.

Mode: AROUND

Type: Car/Motor Home

Drive careful and stay cool

Road network in Romania is very extensive, meaning you can drive anywhere. That doesn't mean driving is easy. Before driving for the first time in Romania read the following:

1) Traffic is heavy. Most of the roads (except the two highways) are always full, many trucks (TIR transport), small cars, minivans (for transport - those drivers are pretty mad). The most traffic is on the roads that connects Bucharest with the western border (Bucharest-Oradea/E60/DN1, Bucharest-Arad/E81/DN7). When you take detours to see the rural part of Romania, out of this main routes, traffic disappears and you can enjoy driving. But again, if you catch a bad day you could spend a few hours behind a truck or stay in a traffic jam around cities like Cluj, Deva, Sinaia or entering Bucharesy.

2) Cars move at (very) different speeds. And I mean some overspeed (though radars are always on the roads) and some drive very slow, sluggish and annoying (mostly locals that have to make 5km from A to B and they have all time to do that)

3) Agressive drivers. Not civilized, they can't stand in line, some drivers need to always overpass somebody. Better let them go, signal right and they will be happy to get ahead of you. Careful with aggressive drivers coming toward you. What I do: I try not to be the first car on my direction, that way I'm not scared with the cars on the other direction coming on a collision course, I try to stay second or third in my line.

4) Radars - one of the favorite activity of the Romanian Road Police ("Politia Rutiera"). Fixed (on poles on the side of the road), stationary or moving (in the police cars, marked "Politia" or unmarked). Police can stop you the spot to give you a fine or (for the fixed radars) they send the fine at the address of the owner of the car.

5) Gas stations - are plenty. I use: Petrom, OMV, Rompetrol (those have very good cafes inside, you can eat well, have a coffee and buy snacks/refreshments). Current price for gas: 3.55-3.72 RON / liter of gas (EUR 0.85 - 0.89) and 3.30 - 3.58 RON / liter of diesel (EUR 0.80)

There is a nice easy to follow road map click this link or use a GPS system which is more easy than maps.

Mode: AROUND

Type: Car/Motor Home

Website: http://www.romaniatourism.com/romania-maps/romania/romania-detail-map.html

Regional bus lines

Commuters and people living in rural area use the regional bus lines as they are the cheapest way of transport (beside hitchhiking). The means of transportation for this are:

a) COACHES (like the one used for international rides, with cca.50 places, air conditioned usually) - Romanian word is "AUTOCAR". This is the best choice as buses are modern.

b) MINI-BUSES (small buses with cca. 20 places, rarely with air conditioning) - Romanian word is "MICROBUZ". Careful because some routes/companies can have smelly customers and the ride can be less than pleasant.

c) USES (lower quality buses, cca.50 places, like the one used in public transport, no air conditioning) - Romanian word: "AUTOBUZ". Check and see before the ride, there might be old buses and the ride may be not such comfortable.

Check out this website: http://www.autogari.ro which has some private bus lines with rides in Romania and even abroad. For example from Bucharest to Sibiu (to give the same example as in my train travel tip) the ticket is between 30-40 RON (EUR 7.2 - 9.5) and it takes 5-6 hours

Mode: AROUND

Type: Bus

Website: http://www.autogari.ro

Many rent a car possibilities

Romania has one of the largest offers when it comes to renting a car. There are over 50 companies in Romania that offers rent a car services. Beside the international companies like Europcar, Hertz, Avis, Budget, Sixt, which have rental offices directly at Bucharest Otopeni Airport (OTP) ... there are the local ones, and I will write below the links to their websites (without making recommendations)

http://www.autonom.ro/
http://www.cronoscar.ro/
http://www.active-rentacar.ro/
http://www.rentngo.ro/
http://www.rentacar.ro/
http://www.rent-all-cars.ro/
http://www.cristale.ro/rent-car-romania.html
http://inchirieri-masini-bucuresti.com.ro/english.html
http://www.rentacar1.ro/
http://www.rentacarfirst.com/
http://www.premier-rentacar.ro/
http://www.inovatin.ro/
http://www.tomrentacar.ro/
http://www.rent-cars.ro/
http://www.inchirierimasini-rentacar.ro/
http://www.qmatic-rentacar.ro/
http://www.premiumrentacar.ro/
http://www.rent-zone-romania.eu/
http://www.carbiz.ro/
http://www.rentacartop.ro/
http://www.inchiriazamasina.com/
http://www.focusrentacar.ro/
http://www.grandrentacar.ro/
http://www.metropolitancars.ro/
http://www.primarent.ro/rent-a-car
http://www.metropolisrent.ro/
http://www.totalcar-rentacar.ro/
http://www.rent-car.ro/
http://www.rentacarexpert.ro/

I wanted to start my own rent-a-car company but when I saw there were so many already .....I said to wait for M&A :)

Mode: AROUND

Type: Car/Motor Home