Surprised at Romania

Me Too!
I love Romania! Bucharest is spectacular.
I can recommend a wonderful tour guide to expand your Romanian experience....Ana Adamoae. She is Absolutely The Best!
Don't short change Bulgaria, though.
It may be separated by the width of The River Danube, but the cultures of these two exquisite countries are very different.

Thanks for this--Romania is on my short-list and enthusiastic reports are always encouraging--I hope you write a more detailed report when your trip is done.

Thanks for this post! We're going to Romania (18 nights) and Bulgaria (12 nights) in September and reading this just made us more excited.

Kaeleku - "Many people don't travel for the joy of discovery they do it based on other reasons, and probably number one on the list is what other people think of their travels." Have to say we've had similar thoughts but have not heard them expressed so well.

Where did you hear negative stories about Romania? Are travel books or blogs publishing such info, or is it a matter of low expectations?

I arrived into Bucharest last Sunday night and was very concerned with stories I read and heard.

What were these stories that you read and heard?

We visited Bucharest last December and took our two young children with us without giving it a second thought. Never once considered that it was going to be dangerous and rightly so.

Many people don't travel for the joy of discovery they do it based on other reasons, and probably number one on the list is what other people think of their travels.

To be less cynical about it, you could say that there is a social aspect to travel, in that people enjoy discussing their trips with others who have already been there, comparing notes etc. For many people, saying "I'm going to Paris and Rome" would incite excited conversations, while "I'm going to Romania and Bulgaria" would result in blank stares.

"Which sounds better a trip to Rome and Paris, or a trip to Brasov and Plovdiv?"

Which has the best cache of Vuillard or Bonnard paintings?

I could not care less what acquaintances, friends, relatives or coworkers think of my travel destinations. I choose travel that meets my needs which at all times involves continuing study of the 19th-20th century French painting that inspired me while attaining my MFA. I would definitely choose to visit an uninhabited iceberg that offers me an opportunity to bask in a stash of Nabi paintings....if it existed.

We were in Bucharest in 2014, and at that time, they were replacing all the sidewalks with beautiful, wide, cement-tiled sidewalks. It looked wonderful. Many lovely shops with interesting stuff. The Ethnographic Museum is HIGHLY worth the stop. Many pleasant restaurants which are not cheap, but are very good value.

We will go back.

Kaeleku: Great! Looking forward to a great trip.

Bucuresti has made huge improvement over the last 20 years. Its revamped Old Town is now a pleasure to visit and the Palace of Parliament (formerly House of the People) is a worthwhile tour.

Brasov is one of my favorite cities in Europe. The city wraps around a mountain with good hiking to the top - and a furnicular if you want the quick-and-easy trip to the mountain-top vistas. The old city wall and bastions are set in the perfect mountain-forest atmosphere. I love the Schei District, with its gates into old town and perfect old-world European charm. Also, great access to castles and fortified churches. Peles Castle in Sinaia rivals anything else in Europe and Sighisoara has its medieval clock tower and the covered stairway to the Church-in-the-hill (and the Dracula stuff - the Goulash is fantastic at Casa lui Vlad). Bran Castle and Rasnov Fortress are worth the visit - though bombarded by commercialism and Dracula.

Corvin Castle in Hunedoara reminds me of Hogwarts and is probably my favorite castle. The massive fortress complex at Alba Iulia and the historic center of Sibiu don't disappoint.

Personally, I think it makes the most sense to visit Romania as part of a visit to Hungary. They share loads of history and culture. Transylvania was part of the various iterations of Hungary for centuries. You will meet plenty of Hungarian speakers throughout Transylvania...and even some German. (even better if you have enough time for Vienna-Budapest-Romania). Here's what I would do with 2 weeks:

Budapest - 5 nights (consider day-trips to Godollo Palace and Esztergom Basilica)
Szeged (HU) or Timisoara (RO) - 1 night
- Corvin Castle and Alba Iulia en route
Sibiu - 2 nights
- Take the long way through Sighisoara and Transylvanian fortified churches en route (travel by car)
Brasov - 3 nights (day-trip to Bran Castle and Rasnov Fortress)
- Peles Castle en route
Bucurest - 2 nights

If you only have time for Romania:

Bucurest - 2 nights
- Peles Castle en route
Brasov - 3 nights (day-trip to Bran Castle and Rasnov Fortress)
- Take the long way through Sighisoara and Transylvanian fortified churches en route (travel by car)
Sibiu - 2-3 nights (day-trip to Corvin Castle and Alba Iulia)
Bucurest - 1-2 nights

I am leaving for Bulgaria/Romania in two weeks (and am so excited!!).

Would love a recommendation for a hotel in Bucharest: clean, quiet, and sans "interesting" odors would be nice, but it doesn't have to be new or fancy. I don't mind stairs, dated decor, funky shower controls or limited access to electrical outlets, but wifi would be nice.

In 2014, when in Bucharest, we stayed in a private room in Umbrella Hostel. It was not in the old town (which is not a huge part of Bucharest), but it was close. It was an easy walk to the town center (8-9 blocks).

JulieB.....

The Rembrandt Hotel is my recommendation in Bucharest.
I was there in early April. An ideal location.
I also recommend a tour guide - try to see if Ana Adamoae is available.

I like the RembrandT Hotel suggestion.

Try also Cismigiu Hotel - http://www.hotelcismigiu.ro/en. Nice hotel within walking distance of Palatul Parlamentului and Old Town. Have lunch or dinner at Caru' cu Bere and Hanul lui Manuc.

Another restaurant that we went to in Bucharest was Restaurant La Mama. Good food, good wine, not hugely expensive.

I would recommend the Rembrandt hotel also - excellent location, interesting decor, great staff, etc. However, if you’re truly looking for quiet this may not be the place for you. We stayed there last spring on a Saturday night and the techno music from the rooftop club next door kept us up until around 2am. With an early morning flight the next morning, this wasn’t ideal to say the least. It may be perfectly fine on a week night but if you’re a light sleeper this may not be the place for you, particularly on a weekend.