Romania Tourist Information

Access Ways

By air - international airports: in Bucharest, Constanta, Timisoara, Targu Mures (in construction). Regular and charter flights of Romanian and foreign airlines with offices in Bucharest, connecting the country to the world's big airports.

TAROM - Romanian Air Transport is the largest domestic flight company.

By sea - vessels of any tonnage set anchor in the Port of Constanta, the best equipped on the Black Sea Coast.

By river - on the Danube: vessels set anchor in the ports of Sulina, Tulcea, Galati and Braila; cabin-cruisers can set anchor in the ports of Oltenita, Giurgiu and Drobeta-Turnu Severin and they may also navigate on the new European river route Rotterdam-Constanta (through the Romanian Danube-Black Sea Canal).

By railway - international trains connect Bucharest to the main central-European capitals (and the Black Sea Coast to the country's main cities). Romania is a member of the RIT and Inter-Rail tariffs and transport systems.

By road - the country is crossed by the following main roads: E 81 (Berlin-Warsaw-Halmeu), E 60 (Vienna- Prague-Budapest-Bors), E 671 (Oradea-Timisoara), E 68 (Vienna-Prague-Budapest-Nadlac), E 70 (Trieste- Belgrade-Moravita), E 752 (Trieste-Belgrade-The Iron Gates), E 79 (Athens-Tirana-Sofia-Calafat), E 85 (Athens-Istanbul-Sofia-Giurgiu), E 87 (Istanbul-Tirana-Sofia-Vama Veche), E 581 (Moscow-Kishinev-Albita) E 85 (Warsaw-Kiew-Chernowitz-Siret), E 576 (Suceava-Cluj-Napoca), E 574 (Bacau-Pitesti). All roads are marked according to the international regulations; driving is on the right side of the road.

Distance in km between Bucharest and:

Amsterdam, 2428       Copenhague,2587        Paris, 2401
Athens, 1252          Helsinki, 2900         Prague, 1465
Belgrade, 720         Istanbul, 704          Rome, 2149
Berlin, 2154          Lisbon, 4120           Sofia, 407
Bern, 2125            London, 2577           Stockholm, 3100
Bonn, 2100            Madrid, 3530           Tirana, 1172
Brussels, 2394        Moscow, 1963           Warsaw, 1797
Budapest, 893         Oslo, 2820             Vienna, 1100
Total area: 237,500 sq.km.

Relief

The Carpathian Mountains cross the country from north to south-west, covering 31% of the territory; max.altitude: 2,543 m in the Fagarasi Massif (Moldoveanu peak). They are abundantly covered with forests (of leafy and resinous trees), including vast Alpine areas suitable for grazing, natural or artificial accumulation lakes and a great many glacial lakes. Natural reserves, including scientific areas (some of them dating from the 30's) preserve rare fauna and unique endemic flora species. Snow covers particularly the northern slopes of the Carpathians between November-April.

The Sub-Carpathians hills and table lands stretch over 36% of the national territory; particular mention should be made of the vineyards (for their many times prize awarded wines), orchards, pastures.

The plain area occupies the rest of 33% of Romania's territory, being the country's major agricultural resource. The cultivation of cereals is predominant, but technical and medicinal plants and a great variety of vegetables are also cultivated.

The main water courses: the Danube River (1,075 km), Mures (786 km), Olt (736 m), Prut (716 km), Siret (596 km), Ialomita (410 km), Somes (308 km),Arges (344 km), Jiu (331 km). There are a great number and a wide variety of lakes: in the sea coast area they have fresh or salt water (in the Danube Delta, the lakes of Razim, Sinoe, Siutghiol, Techiorghiol, Neptun etc., at a 2-3 m altitude); in the plain area their waters have healing effects (Amara, Lacu Sarat, Fundata, Balta Alba, at a 20-25 m altitude); but there are also fishing ponds, artificial accumulation lakes on river courses either used for entertainment or as sources of electric power (Snagov, Colentina, Olt, Arges, Bicaz, Siret, Somes, at a 30-700 m altitude), or natural accumulation lakes (the Rosu Lake, at a 980 m altitude) and glacial lakes (in the Retezat Massif, at an over 2,000 m altitude).

The Romanian Black Sea Coast is oriented north-southward stretching along 245 km, of which about 90 km represent the delta of the Danube flowing into the Black Sea (the Danube Delta).

Climate

As in Central Europe, Romania's climate is mostly temperate continental (with hot summers and many sunny days, especially on the sea coast; moderate rainfalls; winters with abundant snowfalls in the mountains). The annual average temperature is: +11 C in the plain area, and +2 C at high altitudes; in winter -3 C; in spring +10 C; in summer +24 C, in autumn + 10 C.

Local Transport

City transport is provided by subways trains in Bucharest, trolley-buses, trams and buses (the Express network with extra-tariffs); state or private taxi-cabs are also available. The interurban transport is provided by buses belonging to specialized companies or by cars rented by travel agencies (with or without a driver). Between the country's big cities there are daily flights. On the Danube River and in the Danube Delta transport is provided by cruisers, according to a fixed time-table. A wide railway network includes slow, fast and through trains connecting all the important localities.

Post Offices

Post office, providing local and external services, are open daily, including Saturday morning in the district residence cities.

Telephones

Romania is connected with the international telephone system. Direct services are provided by telephone exchanges installed in post offices, through private telephone sets and hotel operators. 20 lei coins are used for local calls and 50 or 100 lei coins for trunk calls (as indicated on public telephones sets). For special services numbers of three figures are used:

921 Maintenance and repair services    954 Road transport
930 Institutions                       955 Police
931 Telephone users (A-L)              958 Official local time
932 Telephone users (M-Z)              961 Ambulance
                                           cars/emergencies
952 Trains time-table                  971 Long distance calls
953 Taxi cabs                          991 Trunk calls

For trunk calls dial 0, the area code of the respective town and the phone number. For long distance calls to Romania: for Bucharest dial 40 then 1, and the respective phone number; for other places dial 40, the area code of the respective town and the phone number.

National Currency

Leu is the Romanian currency; 1 leu = 100 bani. At present, coins of Lei 1 (2 emissions), 3, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and banknotes of Lei 200, 500 (2 emissions) 1,000, 5,000 and 10,000 are in use.

Customs Regulations

Romania is implementing the provisions stipulated at the Convention concerning the simplification of customs formalities in favour of tourist flow and those of the Additional Protocol of 4th June 1954, New York.

According to the governmental decision of 14th June 1994, the goods whose individual values exceeds Lei 250,000, or goods of the same kind whose total value exceeds the above mentioned amount, as well as cars, furniture, electronic and home electric appliances, carpets and guns are all liable to customs taxes. Moreover, there are goods of the same kind whose total value does not exceed the amount of Lei 500,000 but they are liable to customs taxes. Alcoholic drinks and cigarettes are tax exempted, irrespective of the way they are introduced in the country, in certain quantities: 2 l alcoholic drinks over 22 degrees, 4 l wine or beer and 200 cigarettes; one may bring into the country alcoholic drinks and cigarettes for a maximum value of Lei 100,000.

It is prohibited to bring radioactive substances and drugs on the Romanian territory. For pets (dogs, cats etc.) an antirabic vaccination certificate is needed.

Natural persons may enter the Romanian territory with cash currency amounts equivalent to max.US $ 10,000; Romanian or foreign citizens have to declare to the Romanian customs authorities any cash amount exceeding the equivalent of US $ 1,000. Natural persons resident in Romania may go abroad with amounts equivalent to max. US $ 5,000, of which US $ 1,000 without any justifying document (bank certificate). Currency amount over US $ 5,000 may be transferred through bank accounts. Natural persons temporarily staying in Romania cannot leave the country with currency amounts higher than those declared when coming to Romania.

Traveller's cheques and credit cards are accepted in Romania.

Congresses And Fairs

C SRC=World Trade Center - The Sofitel Hotel

Occasional or regular meetings of those interested, on the occasion of the numerous congresses or international fairs (TIB, TIBCO, ROMHOTEL, HOREXPO etc.) held in Bucharest, Iasi, Timisoara, Cluj-Napoca a.o. are more and more frequent and greater in scope.

The international participation is also increasing in such cultural events as the"George Enescu" Music Festival (creation and interpretation) or in European sports competitions.


Tourism By Car

Cars have been put at tourism service, which requires additional regulations. Therefore, besides passport, one needs the following documents: international driving license, matriculation certificate, international insurance policy (the "green card"). In case of an accident on the country's roads, the Romanian Automobile Club (ACR) gives assistance and support according to the bilateral agreements concluded with its partner automobile clubs from the tourists' countries of origin. For technical assistance, ACR has its own emergency repairs system equipped with patrol cars driving on public roads; phone numbers: 927 in Bucharest and 12345 (preceded by area code) in other towns. Petrol, including lead free petrol, may be supplied at the PECO filling stations.

Health Care Services

Health care services are available in hospitals, polyclinics, state or private clinics throughout the country. Citizens coming from countries with which Romania has concluded bilateral conventions, benefit from health care services according to the provisions of the bilateral conventions established between Romania and other countries.

Accommodation Facilities

Hotels, motels, inns, camping sites are to be found in any town or bigger villages or along the roads, and at high altitudes, for authentic mountaineers, there are alpine huts. Bookings can be made at travel agencies, meeting everybody's exigencies. It's up to you either to stay with your relatives, friends or acquaintances or at a hotel.

Romanian Cuisine

International cuisine is available in high class restaurants. But, most of them - and especially the traditional restaurants - offer their guests savoury menus, including famous and highly appreciated Romanian dishes: mititei (highly seasoned grilled meatballs), joints roasted on the spit, cooked or battered brain, tripe or quenelle soup, tripe stew, pork stew with hominy (maize porridge), sarmale (minced meat rolls in cabbage or vine leaves), venison, fish specialities. One should not miss drinking the local plum brandy (a strong drink obtained by distillation), followed, at the suitable time, by the many times prize awarded wines coming from the famous vineyards of Murfatlar, Cotnari, Jidvei, Dealul Mare, Husi, Odobesti, Valea Calugareasca, Dragasani, Recas, Arad, etc.


Return to the Romania Travel and Tourism page.