Despite the rather cool winters and very hot summers, Romania is a year-round travel destination. There are big ones regionallyclimaticDifferences: The annual average temperature in the south of Romania is 11 ° C, in the north 7 ° C and in the mountains only 2 ° C. In recent years, summer temperatures in Bucharest and on the Black Sea coast rose to over 40 ° C, while in winter in the Bra? Ov lowlands and in Miercurea Ciuc in Transylvania it was sometimes as cold as -35 ° C.
According to Themotorcyclers, the summer (June-August) is a good time for swimming on the Black Sea, as well as hiking and mountain biking in the Carpathians. Now all tourist facilities are open and the weather is usually good, but there are more tourists around. The best time to observe the migratory birds in the Danube Delta is from mid-April to mid-May and in October. Spring in Romania is also a good time to travel, when the landscape is covered with the last of snow and wildflowers.
At higher altitudes, the snow sometimes lasts until mid-May. The hiking season doesn’t start here until mid-June. The best time to ski is between December and March.
Romania – arrival
Airplane: the national Romanian airline is Tarom (RO).Direct flightsthere are between Bucharest and Budapest (Hungary), Dortmund (Germany), Barcelona (Spain) and Rome (Italy). There are flights from Targu Mures to Budapest several times a week. There is alsoFlight connectionsbetween Timisoara and various German and Italian cities as well as Chisinau and Paris.
Airlines that offer flights to and from Romania include Lufthansa (LH), KLM (KL), British Airways (BA), Austrian Airlines (OS), Air France (AF), Wizz Air (W6), Air Moldova ( 9U), Tarom (RO), CSA Czech Airlines (OK), LOT Polish Airlines (LO), Swiss Airlines (LX) andTurkish Airlines(TK).
Airports: Romania’s main airports are in Bucharest. Many airlines fly to the capital’s Henri Coanda Airport (OTP). However, some airlines also use the older Baneasa Airport (BBU). There are other airports in Targu Mures and Timisoara.
Ship: from Calafat there is a ferry connection to the Bulgarian Vidin.
Rail: international tickets are rarely sold at train stations in Romania. Usually they can be found in the offices of the Romanian State Railways (CFR) in the city. Tickets must be purchased at least two hours before the train departs. A seat reservation is required for practically all Romanian trains and is made automatically with the ticket purchase.
There is a regular night train connection between Bucharest and Chisinau in Moldova. The journey is longer than by bus or maxitaxi, but it is also more convenient.
Trains between Romania and Bulgaria are often overcrowded and a little slow. Trains run twice a day between Sofia and Bucharest with a stop in Ruse. The journey time is about eleven hours. If you want to travel by night train, you should reserve a place to sleep in advance. The Bosfor-night train runs regularly from Bucharest to Turkish Istanbul. A train ride from Bucharest to Budapest takes around 13 to 15 hours. There are also regular train connections between Budapest and other Romanian cities such as Constanta, Brasov and Cluj-Napoca.
Between Romania, Ukraine and Russia there is the Bucharest – Kiev – Moscow train connection. The Bulgaria Express offers an alternative route. It connects Sofia and Moscow, crosses western Ukraine and stops in Bucharest. Some of the wagons of this train continue their journey from Bucharest towards St. Petersburg via Belarus. To Western Europe there is only one train connection between Bucharest and Vienna in Austria.
Automobile: Those who travel to Romania by car have to be prepared for long waiting times at the border crossings, especially on weekends and public holidays. Travelers need an identity card or passport, the green insurance certificate, the registration papers and, if necessary, a visa. It is best to cross the border at large crossings, as there is a certain routine in the handling of foreign visitors, in contrast to small border points. The easiest way to enter is via the Hungarian city of Oradea, which lies between Budapest and Cluj-Napoca. Entry via Bulgaria is not always unproblematic due to restrictions. The most popular crossing there is Ruse, south of Bucharest.
Bus: Eurolines has offices all over Romania and connects the country with Central and Western Europe. Daily buses connect Romanian cities such as Bucharest, Targu Mures, Arad, Satu Mare, Brasov and Cluj-Napoca with Budapest. There are regular connections between Bucharest, Constanta and Istanbul.
Maxitaxis run daily between Bucharest and the Bulgarian town of Ruse. Otherwise there are no bus connections to Bulgaria. Maxitaxis also connect the Romanian Iasi with the Moldovan city of Chisinau several times a day. There are also daily buses between Bucharest and Chisinau.
