Essential Romania: Bucharest and Transylvania
Duration : 9 days
Route : Bucharest (2 nights) → Sinaia / Peleș (1 night) → Brașov / Bran (2 nights) → Sighișoara (2 nights) → Sibiu (1 night) → Bucharest (1 night)
Custom travel to Romania
Romania is one of Europe's most underestimated destinations — a 238,000 km² country that condenses medieval Carpathian castles, Orthodox monasteries with blue-gold frescoes painted in the 15th century, preserved Saxon villages, fertile Romanian plains, and a wild delta where the Danube meets the Black Sea. Eight UNESCO sites, a rich cuisine, warm people, still-affordable prices: Romania offers, in just a few hours' drive, one of the continent's sharpest cultural and geographical contrasts.
Highlights
- Transylvania: Bran, Peleș and UNESCO Sighișoara castles
- UNESCO Bucovina: painted monasteries (Voroneț « Sistine of the East »)
- UNESCO Danube Delta: 5,800 km² of wetlands, 300 birds
- Maramureș: villages and 8 UNESCO wooden churches
- Bucharest: Parliament Palace and Belle Époque heritage
- Sibiu, Brașov, Cluj: medieval Saxon towns
Sample itineraries
Complete Romania: Bucovina and Maramureș
Duration : 13 days
Route : Bucharest (2 nights) → Brașov / Bran (2 nights) → Sighișoara (1 night) → Sibiu (1 night) → Bucovina / Voroneț (2 nights) → Maramureș (2 nights) → Cluj-Napoca (1 night) → Bucharest (1 night)
Danube Delta and Transylvania
Duration : 11 days
Route : Bucharest (1 night) → Tulcea / Danube Delta (3 nights) → flight Cluj → Sibiu (1 night) → Sighișoara (1 night) → Brașov / Bran (2 nights) → Sinaia / Peleș (1 night) → Bucharest (1 night)
When to go
Romania is ideally visited in spring (May-June, flowering meadows, monasteries surrounded by lilacs and peonies) and autumn (September-October, flamboyant colors in the Carpathians, harvests in Wallachia). Summer (July-August) is hot in Bucharest (30-35 °C) but pleasant in Transylvania and Bucovina; busiest season for Bran and Peleș. Winter (December-February) is harsh in the Carpathians (-10 to -20 °C) but magical for Brașov under snow, Sibiu Christmas markets, skiing in Poiana Brașov. For the Danube Delta: May-June (migration peak) and September (nesting birds); avoid July-August (heat and mosquitoes).
- Spring (May – June) — Bucovina, Maramureș, Danube Delta, Transylvania
- Summer (July – August) — Carpathians, festivals (Sibiu Theatre, Untold in Cluj)
- Autumn (September – October) — Burning Carpathians, Bucovina, Cotnari harvests
- Winter (December – February) — Sibiu Christmas markets, snow-covered Brașov, skiing
Practical information
In Romania, ID card or passport sufficient for Europeans (EU 2007, partial Schengen 2024 — air/sea borders only). Currency is leu (RON, €1 ≈ 5 RON); no euro despite EU — easy city exchange, ATMs everywhere. Cards accepted in cities but cash useful in rural areas. Tipping: 10% in restaurants. Tap water drinkable but prefer bottled in rural areas. Excellent mobile network (Orange, Vodafone — eSIM recommended). European emergency number: 112. Generally very good security, vigilance in crowded Bucharest transport. Some stray dogs in rural areas (no serious risk). Well-equipped pharmacies.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time for a Romania trip?
May-June and September-October offer the best conditions (mild temperatures, flowering meadows or autumn colors, low crowds). For the Danube Delta: May-June (migration peak) or September. For Christmas markets: December (Sibiu, Brașov). Avoid July-August for Bran and Peleș (crowds).
How long for a Romania trip?
Minimum 7-9 days for Bucharest + essential Transylvania. 11-13 days to add Bucovina and Maramureș. 14-17 days to combine with the Danube Delta or Bulgaria.
What budget for a custom Romania trip?
As a guideline, €1,990-2,400 per person for 9 days in comfort (excluding flights). Premium (Mihai Eminescu Trust manors + Athénée Palace Hilton + private visits): €2,890-3,800. Paris-Bucharest flights: €200-500.
Do I need a visa for Romania?
No for Europeans, British, Americans, and Canadians (≤ 90 days). For Europeans, ID card sufficient. Romania has been in the EU since 2007 and in partial Schengen since 2024 (air/sea borders).
Is Bran Castle really Dracula's?
It's a clever legend. Vlad Țepeș (1431-1476, Wallachian prince who inspired Dracula by his cruelty toward Ottomans) stayed there little. Bram Stoker, the Irish author of the 1897 novel, never visited Bran or Transylvania — he was inspired by travelers' descriptions and popularized the conflation. But the 14th-c. castle is magnificent and atmospheric in itself.
Why visit Bucovina?
For the UNESCO 1993 painted monasteries, a phenomenon unique in the world — 8 Orthodox 15th-16th-c. monasteries whose exterior façades are entirely covered with blue-gold-green frescoes preserved 500 years. Voroneț is nicknamed « Sistine of the East » by André Malraux. Voroneț blue remains a scientific mystery.
How do I get around in Romania?
Private car with French-speaking driver-guide (most practical for distances and Romanian signage). Subway and taxis in Bucharest. Domestic flights (Tarom, Wizz Air) to save time Bucharest-Cluj or Bucharest-Delta. Picturesque but slow CFR trains. Car rental possible but not recommended outside cities.
Is the Danube Delta worth the detour?
Absolutely, for those who love wild nature and birdwatching. 5,800 km² UNESCO, 300 bird species including the world's largest Dalmatian pelican colony, stilted eco-lodges, Lipovan villages. Plan minimum 3 nights. Better to avoid July-August (heat, mosquitoes).
Is Romania safe?
Very safe, particularly in rural areas (Bucovina, Maramureș, Saxon villages). Usual vigilance in Bucharest (pickpockets in subway and transit), as in any capital. No specifically area to avoid.
Is Romania suitable for a family trip?
Absolutely. Castles for children (Bran, Peleș, Corvin), traditional Maramureș villages, Mocănița steam train, bird observation in the Delta. Warm hospitality, excellent safety, accessible prices, reasonable distances.