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Facts and Information
Getting There: We went via the ferry from Newcastle (North Shields) to Amsterdam (Ijmudien) but the route would be broadly the same from either Calais or Dunkerque To have enough time to really see Romania it would be best to allow at least 3 weeks for the trip. 1 week to get there, 1week in Romania and 1 week to return. We did take a week to get there but we stopped in Hungary for 2 days for a break and we never did more than 300mls in any one day. When the new motorway is opened in summer 2008 between Budapest and Bucarest it will easily be possible to reach Campulung in just 3 days as it will be all motorway from the Channel ferry ports all the way to Bucarest. I have often done 500mls a day on Autoroutes/Autobahns without any problems at all. (see map). Fuel: Fuel was approx 70p/litre when we were there and there were plenty of petrol stations. Currency: The currency in Romania is the new Leu or becoming better known as the Ron. Approx current exchange rate is around 4.8 Ron to the £. However the Ron is currently a ‘closed currency’ which means that it is not possible to get hold of it outside of Romania but it can be obtained at border crossing points. Every border point we crossed at had a currency exchange office and it was easy to exchange Euros. (Don’t be tempted to get currency from the ‘touts’ which are at most border points, you run the risk of getting ripped off and it is possibly illegal anyway). ATM’s: We found plenty of ATM’s in Romania and had no trouble with either Debit or Credit cards. Transactions can be made in English so just follow the on-screen instructions and there shouldn’t be any problem. There are numerous banks in all of the major towns and currency can be exchanged/obtained at any of them. Accommodation: Accommodation can be very cheap in Romania, for instance we stopped at a small hotel near Cluj and paid just 70 Leu for a twin room with en-suite and Satellite TV. That’s around £15 compared to £57 for 1 night in a Travellodge. If you see signs saying Cazare it means rooms available. These could be just a room in someone’s house but they are very common in Romania and also very cheap. A Pensione is basically a small hotel or boarding house, again common throughout Romania and again very cheap when compared to Britain. Restaurants: Eating out in Romania can also be very cheap. For instance we twice went out to the best restaurant in Campulung, had an excellent 3 course meal with drinks and coffee for 4 for approx £28 or just £7 each. There are many cafes that have that certain continental flavour where you can buy a coffee and sit outside and just watch the world go by, (one of my favorite pastimes). Language: Never really had any problems. Following the fall of communism in 1989 a lot of the younger Romanians started to learn English as a second language in school and in any case the people were so friendly and helpful that even if English wasn’t spoken we always got by. Security: Never at any time felt anything other than safe throughout our stay. Certainly felt safer than I would in many of Britains cities on a night time. On the roads the Police were ever present as they are determined to stamp on the current ‘Kamikaze’ style of driving of a lot of Romanians. Went to a music festival on our last night in Campulung and whole families were out, much as they are in France, and never saw any of the so called binge drinking currently the vogue in UK. Essentials: Beer: A half litre of beer could be had from 2 Leu or around 42p. the best I tried was the local Ursus, (an excess of which resulted in a memorable hangover after a good night in a village bar). Cigarettes: 20 Malboro Lights could be had for around £1 a packet. Entering Romania: Although Romania is now a full member of the E.U. and E.U. rules regarding motor insurance means that a vehicle insurance policy taken out in any member country should be valid in all member countries, (subject to conditions regarding length of stay), an insurance Green Card should therefore not be necessary. However the Romanian authorities still insist on a Green Card and this I confirmed on the Motor Insurers Bureau own web site. When I phoned my insurers and requested a Green Card for Romania they insisted it was not necessary. After a couple more phone calls and referring them to their own MIB web site they rang me back and duly apologized and sent me a Green Card free of charge. As it turned out I was never asked to produce a Green Card at the border or any other document apart from my passport, indeed, the Romanian border officials were very friendly, but the confidence of knowing that you have the correct documentation is always a good thing and it may well be a different situation should you be unfortunate enough to be involved in an accident situation.
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