Romania by train: an itinerary
Romania had been on the cards for a while and eventually we managed to do it.
Instead of hiring a car, we decided to use the cheap and reliable Romanian railway network to bring us around and everything did go to plan.
It is vey easy to move around the country using the train and tickets can be purchased in advance online:
Romania is a beautiful country, not still discovered by mass tourism, therefore still relatively quiet, with incredibly charming towns, unspoilt scenery and delicious food.
Prices are very reasonable and taxis are very inexpensive.
Geographically, Romania sits in the heart of the Balkan peninsula, with a mountain range, the Carpathians, a river delta, the Danube delta, and the Black Sea.
Romania has a long history, starting from the first recorded cave paintings of around 12,000 years ago to the Thracian empire, the Greeks, the Dacians, the Romans to subsequent invasions by the Hungarians, the Saxons and the Ottomans until modern era, when, in 1991, Romanians voted for a new Constitution.
It is quite a convoluted journey to the Romania of today and Romania usually does not get a good reputation. Romanians are aware of this, and they will ask you “what do you think of my country?” and they are really happy when you praise its beauty and hospitality.
Romanian people are friendly, polite and welcoming . And Romania is safe!
Food is delicious and there are plenty of vegetarian options in nearly every restaurant; the dishes I remember:
Fasole batută is a traditional Romanian bean paste consisting of mashed white beans combined with minced garlic, oil, bean stock, salt, and pepper.
Dovlecei pané or zucchini fritters (not vegan).
Braşovence is a traditional Romanian dish originating from Braşov, consisting of breaded pancakes filled with mushrooms (it’s not vegan).
Bucharest
Our itinerary started in Bucharest, one of the places that surprised us during this adventure and that we long to return to.
Bucharest is very underrated, but it’s beautiful, rich in architecture and history, vibrant and alive with a lot of cafes and restaurants, old churches and opulent palaces.
Most of the sightseeing is in the city centre which is compact enough to walk around.
Sinaia
A short (1.5 h) train ride brought us to Sinaia, our gateway to Transylvania; Sinaia is often overlooked as a destination in itself and only visited on the way to Peles castle. Beyond the famous Peles castle, there is an old monastery, a casino and the stunning beauty of the Carpathian mountains. We stayed two nights and we thoroughly enjoyed it, although the temperatures really dropped at night and we had to turn the heating on!
Brasov, Sibiu and Sighisoara
One hour train away takes you into Transylvania to Brasov and its mysterious history; a further 4 hours journey brings you to Sibiu and its vibrant large squares, and another 2 hours journey to Sighisoara, my favourite, and its kaleidoscopic houses, and these are the heart of the region with their colourful, vibrant towns, their haunted (maybe?) castles and their charming natural settings.
And we finished in Cluj-Napoca, another underrated city with lots to offer, from markets, to architecture, to top quality dining.
Every place we visited was so different and had its own charm and characteristics.
It was truly a relaxing and idyllic journey.
For more Romania blog posts mentioned on this guide: https://blog.worldswithout.net/romania/
