Destination: Romania

Odyssey travels by coach and occasionally uses local transport, including trains and ferries. Specifics are always outlined in your tour itinerary. Most Romanian towns and the capital city of Budapest has a decent public transportation systems, with bus, train, and tram services providing transport options in urban areas. Taxis are cheap and commonplace in Romanian cities, though you might be advised to book one in advance rather than hail a cab off the street.

In Budapest, Odyssey stays in centrally located 3-4 star hotels, ideally in the old town with easy access to public transport. In smaller towns or rural areas, we usually stay in family-run hotels or guesthouses. On our longstay tours, during which you spend the length of the tour in a single location, we use serviced apartments.

Odyssey always engages with a local tour guide with regional knowledge to ensure an authentic experience during which you can learn as much as possible about the history and culture of places you visit. Our approach is the same for a guided walking tour.

Romania‘s geography is primarily composed of mountains, plains and hills. Three mountain ranges cross the north, centre and west of the country – the Eastern Carpathian, the Southern Carpathian, and the Western Romanian Carpathian. Enclosed within the northwest corner of the country by the Carpathian Mountains is the Transylvanian Plateau, while beyond the Carpathian , the terrain flattens into plains in the south and east of the country.

Romania has a temperate-continental climate with hot summers and cold winters. Depending on the time of year you intend to travel, check the weather reports and prepare accordingly.

Romania has 8 UNESCO World Heritage Site(s). You can view the official list of the sites here (https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/ro). The listed sites include:

Dacian Fortresses of the Orastie Mountains, the ancient military and religious complexes built by the former Dacian peoples
The Danube Delta, an area of immense biodiversity, hosting over 300 species of birds and 45 species of freshwater fish.

The extensive Wooden Church collection of Maramures, stands as striking examples of the region’s distinctive local religious architecture as well as the painted monasteries.

Much of Romania’s traditional culture is preserved through the country’s numerous festivals and events. The annual Sighisoara Festival of Medieval Arts and Crafts endeavours to recreate medieval Sigihisoara every year, with a three day celebration featuring costumed reenactments, parades, medieval music and traditional food and drink. In August, the Dance at Prislop is celebrated across many villages in Romania, with villagers donning tradtional costumes and parading to Prislop Pass in the Carparthian Mountains, upon which they participate in dances, singing and feasting. If you are looking for more contemporary fare however, Romania holds many art and music festivals across the year, including Art Safari, Romania’s biggest annual art exhibition, and the Sibiu Jazz Festival.

• A Concise History of Romania, by Keith Hitchins
• Exploring gypsiness, by Ada I. Engebrigtsen
• Bucharest Diary: Romania’s Journey from Darkness to Light, by Alfred H. Moses
• To Romania with Love, by Tessa Dunlop

Soups and stews are mainstays in Romanian cuisine, with Romanian meals often beginning with a serving of soup. One such soup is ciorbă, a ‘sour’ soup which comes in several different varieties, including ciorbă radauteana (chicken soup), ciorbă de fasole (bean soup), and ciorbă de burtă (tripe soup). One of the most widely popular dishes is sarmale, slow cooked cabbage rolls filled with rice, minced meat and local herbs. Many dishes in Romania are served with a side of mămăligă, a corn-meal porridge made out of yellow maize flour. Sweeter dishes include papanasi (cottage cheese filled with sweet cream and served with jam) and clătite (crepes filled with chocolate or fresh fruit). Romania has had a long history of producing wines, and today the country is one of the world’s largest wine producers. If you’re a wine enthusiast, be sure to give a local variety a try.

Generally speaking, Romania is safe to travel in, though always exercise common sense while travelling. Be aware that drink spiking occurs, particularly in Centrul Vechi (the old town in Bucharest), so never leave food or drink unattended.

Whenever you travel overseas, it’s always wise to take an appropriate travel adaptor. Romania’s electricity supply runs at 230V and 50Hz. Romania uses both the Type C and Type F electric plugs, so make sure you have the right travel adaptor with you.