Hey guys! :cool:

So this Saturday I and a friend are going to Romania! We arrive in Bucharest somewhere between 12 and 14:00 and we're gonna spend 2 days (1 night) there and then head to Brasov. We're planning to go to Bran Castle close to Brasov, sleep there one day and head to Sighisoara, where we also sleep for one day. Then back to Bucharest and back to Berlin.

And I also have one question: how long does it take to get from Brasov to the Bran Castle?

So, any tips, advices, places to visit, places to avoid, nice food, drinks, good clubs in these cities, romanian beer, etc, everything is welcome! :cool:

Thanks, it's gonna be great!!! :)

Depends where are you going to stay in Bucharest. In the city or at a hotel at the edge so you can leave fast for Brasov?

Bran is about 30 km from Brasov...Don't know how long it would take time wise...Traffic can get pretty brutal in the region.

... do not miss Sibiu ... as Brasov and Sighisoara ... IZ very German also :cheers:
http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/3594/sibiukw4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

viel erfolg für heute abend gegen portugal schmidty. fährst du mit den zug in RO oder?
entschuldigung für die Fehler :)

Regarding beer, i can surely help :lol: :

If you want a sharp, light-bodied beer try Ursus. If you want a good, memorable "group" beer, try Timisoreana. Ciuc (pronounced "chook") is comparable to the Czech Boom, much maltier than Ursus. If you want to get "drunk-by-beer", grab a Silva Dark :D. And there are others, but in the end its just a matter of taste :cheers: .

In Bucharest there are lots of places to see, Palace of the Parliament, the 3rd largest structure in the world, near the Union Square (Piata Unirii in romanian), or you can just drop in the center at University Square (Piata Universitatii , its on the M2 subway line) and take the Queen Elizabeth Boulevard (Bulevardul Regina Elizabeta), then take a right on Victoria Avenue (Calea Victoriei) and just keep going straight. Thats the main cultural Avenue in Bucharest, with nice café's, pubs, restaurants, it depends on what you're looking for. From University Square you can get in any place in Bucharest with the right city guide map.

If you have in mind to grab a cab, pay close attention on their listed prices on the front doors of the car, to avoid any unpleasant surprises (yeah, like Kinder eggs). Just take Perozzi, Cristaxi, Cobalcescu, they offer reliable taxi services.
For a short journey anywhere in the centre, a few euros should suffice; you shouldn’t pay more than €5 or so to travel right across the city, while the airport run starts at €20. Few taxi drivers speak english, or any other foreign language, so if you cannot pronounce romanian names have your destinations written down for his benefit :D.

For more info about Bucharest, Brasov, Sighisoara etc you might try this link: http://www.romaniatourism.com

Hope you have a great time, enjoy your stay!

On your way to Brasov, you should stop off in Sinaia to see this beautiful mountain resort and visit Peles Castle (former summer residence of the Romanian Royal Family).


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/22/Peles-2007-bgiu.jpg/751px-Peles-2007-bgiu.jpg

Yes, don't miss the Royal complex near Sinaia, i even rec you to stay around if you can, its a very nice place.

One very important thing to keep in mind, especially while in and around Brasov, is: watch out for bears....the area is overpopulated with them and they like to come into the city....So don't pull a Steve Irwin.

^^ That would be amazing, I've never seen a bear in real life. Well, I saw in Berlin, but in a cage.

(Mind you guys, I'm Brazilian, don't forget that!)

So thank you so much for the advices, I really think this is gonna be an awesome trip. I've read that people speak a lot of French there, right? And thank you so much on the advices for beers, I definitely wanna try some Romanian beer just to have a comparison parameter to German beer. :D

I really wish Romania was still participating in the Euro '08, so that I could watch the Romanian quarter finals there! :(

Oh and I'd really love to go to these other destinations you guys are suggesting me, but the whole trip is already planned, so there's no way I cannot leave this route. I feel sorry for myself hahah. :(

People speaking french, i doubt it...
Most of the people below the age of ~35-40 speaks english however.

he needs a stingray to pull off a Steve Irwin...you're safe for now, schmidt :))

viel erfolg für heute abend gegen portugal schmidty. fährst du mit den zug in RO oder?
entschuldigung für die Fehler :)

Obwohl ich fliegen hasse, fahre ich nach Rumänien mit dem Flugzeug! :runaway:

Do not use taxis NO NO NO
ZA bus and subway network is quite decent and very cheap

Bus (form airport every 10/15 min - bus no.783 (from Otopeni Airport) and 131 (from Baneasa Airoport))
http://www.ratb.ro/
http://www.ratb.ro/download/harti/autobuze.pdf

Subway
http://www.subways.net/romania/buchmap.JPG

Obwohl ich fliegen hasse, fahre ich nach Rumänien mit dem Flugzeug! :runaway:

ich woelte sagen in rumaenien nicht bis hier

^^ Achso, ja, natürlich. :)

nebunul: don't worry, I never take cabs when I travel. :cool:

... do not miss Sibiu ... as Brasov and Sighisoara ... IZ very German also :cheers:
http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/3594/sibiukw4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

This cracking picture of Sibiu made me think that we should probably make this thread alive by posting one outstading picture(great quality) of a different place not to miss while visiting Romania

Today..Transfagarasan!
http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/8710/transfagarasanroadzs9.jpg (http://img211.imageshack.us/my.php?image=transfagarasanroadzs9.jpg)

A classic..Brasov!
http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/8725/brasov.jpg

The trip from Brasov to Bran SHOULD take up to an hour. That can change, depending on traffic. It's pretty hectic sometimes and there are a couple of railway crossigs... I believe there are busses to Bran from the Regional bus station next to the train station. There is no train going all the way to Bran. Hope you have a good time in Brasov :)