I would like to visit Ireland. I guess the west side is the best place to go.
The short version is the people are nice. Never felt like I was in any danger or a dislike for Americans. The Country has a very old feel to it. It cheap to visit for Europe. Out of the 5 European countries I been too it has the highest percent of beautiful Women. For a week or more it be worth going. For 2 or 3 days the travel time would not be worth it.
Beware of gypsies.
Are you thinking about Romani people and not Romanian? I believe there is a difference.
And I fucking hate Pikeys.
I've always wanted to go because I have a strong historical interest in the Roman history of the region. Let us know what you find out.
You are correct as Romani/Roma are the proper name for gypsies. Romania while named after the ancient Romans, has nothing to do with gypsies but coincidentally so, has a large gypsy minority.
I can't remember ever hearing something good about Romania.
This is one of the things that intrigues me. The Romans pulled out of the area (Dacia, etc.) in the mid-to-late second century, if I remember my history, and by the mid fourth century the lands north of the Danube were in the control of a few varieties of goths. But archaeology attests that pockets of romanized life continued into the late fourth century, at which time the Huns invaded and drove the Goths across the river into Moesia. I've always wondered if so-called gypsies weren't the wandering remnants of those last few pockets of roman civilization.
This is one of the things that intrigues me. The Romans pulled out of the area (Dacia, etc.) in the mid-to-late second century, if I remember my history, and by the mid fourth century the lands north of the Danube were in the control of a few varieties of goths. But archaeology attests that pockets of romanized life continued into the late fourth century, at which time the Huns invaded and drove the Goths across the river into Moesia. I've always wondered if so-called gypsies weren't the wandering remnants of those last few pockets of roman civilization.
I've always wondered if so-called gypsies weren't the wandering remnants of those last few pockets of roman civilization.
Just drove through Romania from Hungary to Bulgaria.
Rural Romania is a shithole.
Urban Romania outside of two or three major cities is also pretty shitty.
Horse carts on the roads, some rural petrol stations don't accept credit cards, the roads are in a horrible state, the highway is unfinished. Everything is cheap. Most everything is run-down.
Upper class hotels are usually okay to stay in. Sibiu was an okay tourist place, there's some scenic mountains nearby - but to get there is probably pretty adventurous.
I wouldn't recommend it as a travel location, but it's still a nicer place than, say, Albania or Bulgaria. Not much to see though, except run-downness.
Obligatory Top Gear best road in the world link
http://youtube.com/watch?v=OLAtcrB0GZg
that is awesome, I have to watch that full episode. I loved it when they went to vietnam and went cross country in mopeds. inspired me to go there last year
that is awesome, I have to watch that full episode. I loved it when they went to vietnam and went cross country in mopeds. inspired me to go there last year
The real Dracula did this. In fact it was a pole with tar and it was jammed up your ass.
Obligatory Top Gear best road in the world link
http://youtube.com/watch?v=OLAtcrB0GZg
Without talking the language, you can't get a grasp on the people, so there is little point in trying. What contact with people I had was better than in Bulagaria and Albania as well, but then Albania was a freaking nightmare of a country, and Bulgaria gives off the vibe that being a crook is how you get ahead in life. (In Albania, that's simply true, there's no uncertainty about it.)
And the run-downness in Romania extends to the people for the most part. But then the only reason to stop anywhere outside the major cities, except for gas, is to get a tire fixed. Plenty of tire shops along national road 1. People drive very dangerously, the number of overtakes into oncoming traffic I've seen was insane.
If you're happy with shitting in a hole, and washing with water heated over a stove, then you can probably make do in rural Romania, but at least from the main road, there's no countryside that you couldn't see elsewhere, besides the actual mountain ranges, which are okay, but in the middle of nowhere, with regard to civilization. Better keep that fuel tank full, because who knows where you can next fill her up.
Stick to the cities, and you get normal Eastern European people that may actually speak a foreign language (if you're lucky, that's English) and have the amenities of civilization. I think I even drank the tap water in Sibiu without consequences. But there's a reason why anybody who has a chance tries to get out of the country and into the EU heartland.
Try the lemonade. Try not to run over/get bitten by any of the dogs. Stay away from agriculture, because it will depress you.
I would recommend a city-hopping trip by plane (Cluj and Bucharest should have airports, not sure about Sibiu. Outside these three, I'm not sure that there's anything else worth seeing, unless you like to walk around run-down 70's soviet-style appartment blocks), and to take a rental car from Bucharest or Sibiu into the mountains. I'm not sure I would recommend hiking, to someone who isn't used to hiking in rough, isolated, terrain, with a variety of wildlife, from wild dogs, to wolves, bears and mosquitoes. If you're a hardcore hiker though, there are a few countryside hotels you can use as staging areas. I've also seen a few bike tourists. I would recommend against that, since driving a bicycle in Romania looked very much like you had 1 in 4 odds of dying in traffic.
There may also be some old castles, but tellingly, along the main roads (and you really don't want to get off those) I have not seen anything that resembles anything from the middle ages.
Of course, OP, you should listen to Magnus' advice and experience how shitty rural Romania really is, but personally, having the sampling I got, I can do without it for the future. It was fun to drive through and see that Eastern Europe still is mostly a shit hole with zero infrastructure, but it wasn't really surprising or amazing. I'm sure if you plan to actually visit Romania, you can find a few interesting spots beforehand, I was constrained by the route I had to take.
Amazing how you equate people and culture to shiny new buildings and roads or, lack thereof. Seems like you'd be happier curled up with a travel magazine at home than take the risk of actually interacting with people in person. Language is a barrier only if you let it be. The thing I find intriguing is the willingness of people outside the U.S. to overcome the language difficulties to communicate (with the possible exception of Parisians).
People live, think and, perceive the world differently in other places around the globe. Their cultures and habits evolved because that worked the best for their situation and history. Money actually has little impact on the happiness and sophistication of a culture. When you travel, you need to strive to not judge a culture by your standards but, by theirs. The only way to do that is to get out of your car.