Getting there & away
Travel documents
Tickets
At better-known travel agencies you may pay slightly more than a rock-bottom fare in return for security and peace of mind.
www.cheapflights.co.uk Posts bargain flights out of the UK only.
www.dialaflight.com Offers worldwide flights out of Europe and the UK.
www.expedia.com Good site for checking worldwide flight prices.
www.lastminute.com Mostly deals in European flights, but has some worldwide flights including a link to an Australian version.
www.statravel.co.uk STA Travel’s UK website. There are also websites in Australia (www.statravel.com.au) and the USA (www.statravel.com).
www.travel.com.au A good site for Australians to find cheap flights. From New Zealand try www.travel.co.nz.
For last-minute tickets online try Skyauction (www.skyauction.com). Priceline (www.priceline.com) tries to match the ticket price to your budget.
Water
River
There are ferry crossings into Vidin, Bulgaria, from Calafat. Ferry crossings between Giurgiu and Ruse, Bulgaria, are no longer in operation.
Land
Border crossings
When crossing the border by car expect long queues at Romanian checkpoints, particularly on weekends and public holidays. Carry food and water for the wait. Don’t try bribing a Romanian official and beware of unauthorised people charging dubious ‘ecology’, ‘disinfectant’ or other dodgy taxes at the border. Though this is unlikely to happen, request a receipt if you are unsure. It is best to stick to the major border crossings, as staff at smaller ones may not always know how to process foreign visitors.
To avoid hassles entering Moldova, check the changing visa situation beforehand.
To/from romania
Eurolines (www.eurolines.com) covers most bus routes across Europe, and has many links with central and western Europe. It has offices all over Romania. A one-way ticket to Vienna costs €65, Paris €125. Many routes offer a 10% to 15% discount for those aged under 26 or over 60. Children under 12 and under four years old receive additional discounts. Some passes, good for extended periods, are available.
There are many daily buses, on various bus lines, to Budapest from cities throughout Romania, including Bucharest, Arad, Braşov, Cluj-Napoca, Târgu Mureş and Satu Mare. There are no bus services from Moldova to Hungary.
Maxitaxis go between Bucharest and Ruse, Bulgaria, but otherwise there are no buses to Bulgaria. Buses galore, however, trundle across Bulgaria on the 804km route between Bucharest and Istanbul in 19 hours. There are also some leaving from Constanţa.
Between romania & moldova
Maxitaxis connect Iaşi, Moldavia, with Chişinău across the border in Moldova five times a day. Daily buses connect Bucharest with Chişinău, a 12-hour trip.
To/from moldova
Eurolines (www.eurolines.md) connects Moldova with Italy, Spain and Germany; offices are found all over Moldova.
Daily buses between Chişinău and Kyiv, Odesa or Moscow run through Transdniestr and Tiraspol; even if you have a Moldovan visa, local authorities are likely to make you pay for an additional transit permit. There are occasional buses to Istanbul.
Car & motorcycle
The best advice here, and it’s worth repeating, is to make sure all your documents (personal ID, insurance, registration and visas, if required) are in order before crossing into Romania and Moldova. A fairly easy access way is from Hungary at Oradea; crossing to/from Bulgaria isn’t always easy due to border restrictions – the most popular route is into Ruse, south of Bucharest.
Driving into Moldova is possible but can bring on an extra dose of police ‘fees’ at the border (we’ve heard US$250!). Generally it’s recommended to hire a car in Chişinău.
The Green Card (a routine extension of domestic motor insurance to cover most European countries) is valid in both Romania and Moldova. Extra insurance can be bought at the borders.
Train
International train tickets are rarely sold at train stations, but rather at CFR (Romanian State Railways) offices in town (look for the Agenţie de Voiaj CFR signs) or at Wasteels offices. Tickets must be bought at least two hours prior to departure.
Those travelling on an Inter Rail or Eurail pass still need to make seat reservations (€3 to €4; €15 for a sleeper) on express trains within Romania. Whether you have a rail pass or not, practically all international trains require a reservation (automatically included in tickets purchased in Romania). If you already have a ticket, you may be able to make reservations at the station an hour before departure, though it’s preferable to do so at a CFR office at least one day in advance.
Between romania & moldova
There’s an overnight train service between Bucharest and Chişinău; at 12 or 13 hours, the journey is longer than taking a bus or maxitaxi (the train heads north to Iaşi, then south again), but is more comfortable. It also lets you experience a unique bogie change at the border. The train lurches, vibrates and clanks while the undercarriages are changed; to slow down a potential invasion, the USSR changed all its train tracks to a wider gauge and, to this day, trains entering and exiting the ex-Soviet Union must undergo this bizarre operation.
Entering the destination
Entering romania & moldova
Travellers entering Romania should not exper- ience any trouble at customs and immigration, particularly if they come from a country which does not require them to possess a Romanian visa.
Moldova’s a bit different. As a result of the Soviet legacy, travellers may experience some questioning on entering Moldova but, thanks to the same legacy, any potential complication is easy to resolve on the spot – most often by offering a few dollars (often about US$5 at the border).
From bulgaria & turkey
The train service between Romania and Bulgaria is slow and crowded but cheap. Between Sofia and Bucharest (11 hours) there are two daily trains, both of which stop in Ruse. Sleepers are available only on the overnight train; buy your ticket well in advance to guarantee yourself a bunk for the night.
The Bosfor overnight train travels from Bucharest to Istanbul (803km, 17 to 19 hours).
From hungary
The Budapest–Bucharest journey (873km) takes around 13 to 15 hours. To or from Arad it is a mere 28km to the Hungarian border town of Lököshaza, from where it is a further 225km (4½ hours) to Budapest. It’s also possible to pick up the Budapest-bound train from other Romanian cities, including Constanţa, Braşov and Cluj-Napoca. From Chişinău, you must go to Bucharest, then catch a Budapest-bound train.
From ukraine & beyond
Between Romania and Ukraine there is a daily Bucharest–Moscow train that goes via Kyiv. A second train, the Sofia–Moscow Bulgaria Expres, takes an alternative route through western Ukraine to Chernivtsi (Cernăuţi in Romanian), and stops at Bucharest. Some wagons of this train continue to St Petersburg through Ukraine and Bel- arus (you will need transit visas for these countries).
From Chişinău, one daily train goes to Lviv and St Petersburg, two to Minsk and three to Moscow. Westbound, there are nightly trains to Romania and beyond.
From western europe
There’s only a direct train service to Bucharest from Vienna.
Tours
It’s generally cheaper to use a Romanian-based operator if you want a prebooked tour. Here are a few recommended international tour agencies offering Romania tours:
Quest Tours (800-621 8687; www.romtour.com) US-based operator offers ‘best ofs’ and a week-long Dracula tour (Є993, not including flight).
Transylvania Express (44-7798-932933; www.transylvaniaexpress.com) Beginning in 2007, this luxury 14-day train journey starts and ends in Budapest, but takes in much of Transylvania, plus Maramureş and Sucovina.
Transylvania Uncovered (44-1-539-531-258; www.beyondtheforest.com) UK-based operator books a variety of inclusive trips including a week chasing Dracula (from €1300) or a week’s stay in a restored Saxon home (from €650).
Air
Many airlines fly into Bucharest, but Carpatair’s hub is in delightful Timişoara. Budget airline Wizz Air connects Budapest with Transylvania’s Târgu Mureş.
Airports & airlines
Flying is a popular way to enter Romania, though there are no direct flights from North America, Asia or Australia. Most international flights land at Bucharest’s Henri Coanda Airport (formerly Otopeni; airport code OTP; www.otp-airport.ro; 201 4788; Şos Bucureşti-Ploieşti). An exception is discount airline Wizz Air, which uses the capital’s older Băneasa Airport (airport code BBU; www.baneasa.aero; 232 0020; Şos Bucureşti-Ploieşti 40) for all flights. Wizz connects Bucharest with London (Luton) three times weekly. It also offers flights to Budapest, Rome, Barcelona and Dortmund. Wizz also connects Budapest with Târgu Mureş three times a week.
Carpatair sends planes from its hub in Timişoara to several cities in Germany and Italy, plus Paris and Chişinău. Tarom is Romania’s struggling state airline.
Moldova’s only airport is Chişinău International (airport code KIV; www.airport.md; 22-526 060). Voiaj Travel (www.voiaj.md) in Chişinău publishes the latest airport schedules. The national airline is Air Moldova, which serves Bucharest’s Henri Coanda Airport too.
Airlines flying to & from romania
Air France (airline code AF; 21-319 2705; www.airfrance.com)
Air Moldova (airline code 9U; 21-312 1258; www.airmoldova.md)
Austrian Airlines (airline code OS; 21-204 2208; www.austrianair.com)
British Airways (airline code BA; 21-303 2222; www.british-airways.com)
Carpatair (airline code V3; 256-300 900; www.carpatair.com)
ČSA (Czech Airlines; airline code OK; 21-315 3205; www.csa.cz)
KLM (airline code KL; 21-312 0149; www.klm.com)
LOT Polish Airlines (airline code LO; 21-314 1096; www.lot.com)
Lufthansa (airline code LH; 21-204 8410; www.luft hansa.com)
Swiss Airlines (airline code LX; 21-312 0238; www.swiss.com)
Tarom (airline code RO; 22-541 254, 0992 541 254; www.tarom.ro)
Turkish Airlines (airline code TK; 21-311 2410; www.turkishairlines.com)
Wizz Air (airline code W6; 403 6440 2000; www.wizz air.com)
Airlines flying to & from moldova
AeroSvit Airlines (airline code VV; 422 237 682; www.aerosvit.ua) From Kyiv, Ukraine.
Air Moldova (airline code 9U; 21-312 1258; www.airmoldova.md)
Austrian Airlines (airline code OS; 22-244 083; www.austrianair.com)
Carpatair (airline code V3; 22-549 339; www.carpat air.com)
Moldavian Airlines (airline code 2M; 22-529 356; www.mdv.md)
Tarom (airline code RO; 22-541 254, 0992 541 254; www.tarom.ro)
Transaero (airline code UN; 22-542 454; www.trans aero.md)
Turkish Airlines (airline code TK; 22-527 078; www.turkishairlines.com)
Australia & new zealand
From Australia, expect to pay around A$1700 return during low season and upwards of A$2200 during high season. Austrian Airlines, British Airways and Qantas all have some good fare deals. Sometimes prices for flights from New Zealand can be disturbingly high – try NZ$15,000 return. If so, it may be cheaper to book a separate ticket to Sydney.
Eastern europe
Bucharest is connected with regular flights to and from Prague, Budapest, Warsaw, Sofia and Moscow. Chişinău is connected with regular flights to and from Sofia, Minsk, Moscow, Budapest and Prague. In 2006 Wizz Air began a Budapest–Târgu Mureş service.
Romania & moldova
Air Moldova and Tarom together operate daily flights between Chişinău and Bucharest (about €225 return), and Moldova’s Transaero also has flights on that route. Air Moldova also has daily flights to Timişoara.
Turkey
Tarom and Turkish Airlines operate regular flights between Bucharest and Istanbul for about €200 return. Air Moldova connects Chişinău with Istanbul daily.
Usa & canada
Tarom has a flight at least once a week direct to/from New York. Peak season prices hover around US$1000, with off-season rates falling to US$600.
Western europe
Bucharest is linked with all of the major European capitals, while Chişinău has direct flights from Amsterdam, Rome and Paris. Carpatair’s Timişoara hub connects Romania with many places in Germany, Italy and Paris. Tarom also runs flights from Timişoara to Milan, from Sibiu to Munich and Stuttgart, and from Cluj-Napoca to Vienna, Frankfurt and Munich.
The big news for 2007 was Wizz Air’s start-up of discount fares from London Stanstead to Bucharest; other airlines’ London–Bucharest fares start around £170 return. For other Western European cities, expect to pay between €250 and €500 return.
Air Moldova travels daily to Vienna, four times a week to Rome, three times a week to Athens and five times a week to Frankfurt.
Romania
Things to do
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