Hello, I am a 22 year old female looking to do a month volunteer abroad trip and then travel through Europe once my month is done. The two countries I have the option of going to are Romania and Moldova. I was wondering if anyone could give me advice on which country would be safer to go to as a young women? I have traveled before to Europe but not to eastern Europe. Also if you have any advice on place in eastern Europe that I don't want to miss on my travels after I am done volunteering I would also appreciate that.
Thanks.
Posted by
Genesee, ID
1840 posts
I would suggest Romania. We have been there, but not Moldova. It would be a good idea for you to do some research on tourism in Moldova before you consider it.
Posted by
Bellevue, WA, USA
811 posts
Bulgaria is also pretty good. ran into 2 peace corp volunteers in sofia and they said it was good experience. never been to moldova myself, but suspect it's a little behind romania or bulgaria in terms of conditions. have seen some pretty poor places in romania and bulgaria, but the big towns are pretty developed with a lot of cool stuff.
Posted by
Ann Arbor, Mi
3696 posts
I have traveled to Romania and it is beautiful. It seemed perfectly safe to me and a very friendly people. However, as always, no matter where you travel just be smart and aware of your surroundings. Sounds like a great opportunity.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
I've never been to either country and don't know anything about volunteering in Europe. But, if you're still thinking of going to Moldova, you may want to read The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World by Eric Weiner. I learned about this book when Rick interviewed him on his podcast. He has a chapter on Moldova, as the most miserable place in Europe and one of the most miserable in the world. It's only one person's view, of course, but it's quite harrowing. Romania, by contrast, gets good reviews from everyone who's been there and posted on travel forums. The consensus is that while Bucharest is not enticing, much of the rest of the country is. It's not as "advanced" as countries in Central Europe, like Hungary or the Czech Republic, and many like that "time capsule" quality. Of course, visiting a country as a tourist and volunteering there for a month are two different things. Be sure to try to get information from those who have actually done the volunteer project you're considering.