I did not see Romania in the drop down menu. I am interested as a solo budget traveler to know more about transport and amount of time to spend in Romania. I am also doing POLAND on this trip for an additional 3 weeks.I saw some info on line about Botiza/Maramures area and it looked so peaceful and traditional . Any other must see spots that can be reached by bus or train?
Thanks in advance!
Carol USA
Posted by
Sioux Falls, SD, USA
3100 posts
Really depends on what you want. We have just been to Timisuara and Oradea. We have previously been to Bucharesti, Sinoaui, and Brasov. To determine how much time, you need to tell us what you will do with your time.
We found that trains connect most large cities, that they are fast, they are cheap, and they are old without air-conditioning. Timisuara - Oradea was 24 lei ($6) and took 4 hours.
Posted by
Washington DC
27925 posts
I am nearly certain you will find Maramures in the northwest (also Bucovina in the northeast) impossible by public transportation. Its charms are mainly rural. Take a look at the excursions offered by the Retro Hostel in Cluj-Napoca (see website). You do not have to stay there to take the excursions. My two-day trip to Maramures was really good. The trips do not run on a fixed schedule, so some flexibility is required. They have a longer combo trip to Maramures and Bucovina, but I suspect it may not run terribly often.
I did all of the following by train and bus except as noted, traveling in from Beograd and out to Sofia: Timisoara, Sibiu, Brasov, Sighisoara, Peles Castles in Sinaia (taxi in and out but I think mostly possible without), Cluj-Napoca, Oradea. Ruse on the Bulgarian border is reportedly a nice place, too.
Transportation through Romania is quite slow--figure about 30 miles per hour--and it's a large country. Three weeks will give you a decent look.
Three weeks is actually a bit short for Poland, though it depends on your interests. I'm all about 20th century history, and Poland has many large, excellent, English-accessible, museums. I spent five weeks in the country and had to skip some major cities as well as many interesting-sounding smaller places.
Posted by
Washington DC Region, USA
7053 posts
The visitor website has good itineraries and descriptions of cities, towns, and highlights, so I won't reinvent the wheel:
http://romaniatourism.com/sample-itineraries.html
http://romaniatourism.com/transportation.html
Posted by
OP
Normal Illinois part of the year/ Green Valley AZ in winter
122 posts
WOW thanks for the quick reply and excellent tips. Agnes and Craven.without a car I will rely on train/bus/ day tours.I found lots of i nfo for the 3-4 weeks I will spend in Poland. My budget is $40 or less for rooms since I am willing to stay in 1* hotesl/ rooms with airbnb/ hostels.Eating food at small local cafes or getting take out doesnt seem to be a problem Glad to see how inexpensive a train trip can be.
Best regards Carol
Posted by
226 posts
See the discussion at the following link:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/romania-and-hungary
Depending on the time of year, also consider to visit the Danube Delta.