Before you set up all the details regarding your holiday in Romania, you need some essential information to avoid unpleasant situations. We have prepared for you a summary of everything a foreigner must know about Romania.

Weather in Romania

Romania has a temperate-continental climate with four seasons. The average annual temperature is approximately 10°C, with values of 21°C during summer and -2°C during winter. The average annual precipitation is 640 mm and it varies depending on the region and altitude. There is abundant precipitation in the west of the country and in the mountain area, and high temperatures are specific to the south part of Romania.

These seasons are well-defined, characterized by distinct phenomena. Spring is relatively short, but pleasant, with chilly mornings and evenings. Summers are very hot, with many scorching days, when temperatures reach 39° or 40°C; also, sometimes powerful storms appear with massive quantities of precipitation. Autumn brings periods of dryness, which alternates with abundant rainfall; the first snow falls at the beginning of November. Minimum temperatures during winter can reach values of -20°C, the most disadvantaged areas being Harghita and Covasna.

You can find out the weather conditions in the most important cities in Romania by accessing the website weather.com.

Local time in Romania

UTC/GMT + 2 hours

Throughout a calendar year, like in all the European Union’s states, the daylight saving time practice takes place, adjusting the clocks to the official winter time in the last Sunday of October and adjusting them to summer time in the last Sunday of March.

Language

The official language of Romania is Romanian, but residents know English, French, Spanish and German. Young people mainly speak several languages, so don’t hesitate to ask them for information when you need help.

Useful phone numbers

112 – Police, Firefighters, Ambulance (emergency unique number)

(021)9544 – Road Police

(021)9590; (021)3162598 – Border Police

(021)9660 – Consumer Protection

(021)9521 – CFR Information

116000 – Missing children (European number)

Ambasada.ro – phone numbers of embessies in Romania

Ghidul.ro – phone numbers of general interest

Public transport in Romania

Urban transport

The transport system in Bucharest and in big cities includes the subway (flagged with ”M”) and surface public transport (bus, tram, trolleybus). Ticket price is fix regardless the destination within the city, but there are different ticket prices for the rides that reach the outskirts of the city, especially in Bucharest. We’d recommend you to purchase tickets and get them stamped on every ride, because check ups are frequent and there are fines applied. In the capital there are two rush hour intervals, between 7.30 a.m. and 9.30 a.m. and between 4.30 p.m. and 7.30 p.m., periods during which we advise you to choose the subway to reach your destination faster. In Bucharest there is also night transportation between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.

We advise you to pay attention to your pockets and luggage when you are in a crowded means of transport.

Transporturban.ro - map of the means of transport

Taxis

State and private cabs are equipped with a taximeter. The average fee per kilometer is between 1,8 and 2,5 lei, and in Bucharest between 1,4 and 1,8 lei. Don’t accept the trip if the car doesn’t have a taximeter for charging or if this isn’t turned on the moment you step in because you will pay an unjustified amount of money. Also, don’t travel with drivers who assult you with their offers in airports or train stations. In their vicinity you will find many safe taxis to take you to your destination.

Taximetre.ro - list of company cabs in Romania

Railway transport

The railway network goes across the entire country. In terms of rank and comfort, there are three types of trains: Regio (R-they connect cities that are close to each other), Interregio (IR- medium and long distance travel) and InterCity (IC-used for routes between the big cities). The trains are composed of first and second class carriages; there are differences regarding the comfort between the two. The best choice from this point of view is represented by the InterCity trains - clean, efficient and fast. They have compartments  that offer you privacy and you have the possibility to smoke in the corridor. You also have at your disposal EuroCity and EuroNight trains on the Belgrad-Timisoara-Bucuresti, Budapesta-Bucuresti (via Arad), Viena-Timisoara routes.

Depending on the rank of the train, the route and weather conditions, the speed varies between 35 km/h and 87 km/h. We recommend that you avoid travelling by train when there is abundant snowfall forecast, because it can have significant delays, but in the rest of the periods you will definitely reach safely to your destination.

Though the general impression of Romanian trains is not a favorable one, these represent the most popular way of travelling in Romania. Tickets are cheap and convenient if you go for longer journeys. Plus, the landscapes you will see are really delightful, especially in the Carpathian Mountains.

Advice

Tickets are bought only from train stations and travel agencies; you can’t purchase or reserve tickets online.

We advise you to buy tickets a day before your trip, otherwise you risk finding no available seats, especially on the much frequented routes.

Check the trains’ timetable before you go to the train station to avoid waiting for hours for the next connection.

Check  Cfrcalatori.ro  for more details regarding the trains’ schedule.

For internal flights access: Tarom.ro

Driving in Romania

You can enter Romania with your National Identity card, if you are a citizen of a European Union country and with your passport if you are a citizen of an extra-European state. We’d recommend you to purchase a road tax sticker (called “vinieta”) when you enter the country. The motorway tax is charged at the checkpoints and you will pay 3 euros for every 100 km.

If you come to Romania with your own car, you need your drivers’ license, the car’s documents, civil liability insurance for cars (in Romania it’s called “The green card”), and a Romanian road tax sticker (the “Ro-vinieta”) to circulate on public roads. People drive on the right side of the road, and the speed limits are the following:

· 130 km/h - on motorways

· 100 km/h - on national European roads and expressways

· 90 km/h - on national, county and rural roads outside towns.

· 50 km/h - within towns

· 5 km/h - in pedestrian areas.

The permitted alcohol limit is 0,00. A value over 0,8g of alcohol/liter of blood constitutes an offense and it is punished with imprisonment from 1 to 5 years. In Bucharest and in provincial towns , it is best to pay for the parking, unless you want to risk a fine or the blocking of the car’s wheels.

In winter conditions, when public roads are covered with snow, ice or glazed frost, the use of winter tires is mandatory.

Any sort of accident must be reported to the nearest police station.

Renting cars

In big cities you can rent cars with or without a driver, at advantageous prices, especially if you decide for an included guide (some drivers are certified guides). This can be the perfect choice, if you have lots of luggage and travel for a longer period of time. Prices start from 35€ / day.

You cannot leave Romania with a rental car.

Advice

Be careful and pay attention when you are driving. At night you may cross paths with traditional horse-carts, improperly signalized.

Pay attention to the road and avoid holes. You will also find roads in a pretty poor condition.

Currency exchange and payments

The national currency of Romania is called “leu” (plural: “lei”). There are coins of 1 unit (0.01 lei), 5 units (0.05 lei), 10 units (0.1 lei), 50 units (0.5 lei) and banknotes of 1 leu, 5 lei, 10 lei, 50 lei, 100 lei, 200 lei and 500 lei. The euro and the dollar are the easiest currencies to change in Romania. The currency exchange can be done in banks and authorized offices; we advise you to ask in advance how much the exchange fee is. Don’t change money on the street and don’t buy lei from shady people that approach you in this manner.

Banks are open Monday to Friday, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. and they are closed in the weekends. You will find here ATMs for international cards and ATMs for currency exchanges.

In Romania payments are made only in lei. In some hotels and restaurants you can use international cards, but we advise you to ask in advance. In small shops payment cannot be done by cards.

Opening hours

In Bucharest, shops are open every day between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. or midnight. Malls are open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., with a special timetable during the holidays. In rural areas, the shops are open for a shorter period of time, especially at weekends and during holidays.

Post offices are open from Monday to Friday, between 7.30 a.m. and 8 p.m., and on Saturdays until 2 p.m.

Other information

Medical assistance is given in state and private units based on the European Health Insurance Card. In case of emergency, dial the unique number 112.

In case you are travelling with pets, these must be identified through microchip or tattoo, vaccinated against rabies and must have a passport that certifies the validity of the vaccination. All airlines allow people with visual disabilities to travel with a guide dog.

Advice

Don’t engage in conversation with people who want to sell to you different objects on the street or in the public means of transport. Even though the prices are very tempting, you risk buying stolen or counterfeit goods.

Don’t encourage street beggary and don’t give money to children who sell flowers, cards or other small goods.

Beware of the dogs on the streets; some of them can get pretty aggressive.

Don’t throw the garbage on the ground and don’t make inappropriate jokes regarding the locals.

Cross the street on the specially marked crosswalk, otherwise you risk a fine.

In restaurants, cafes and bars a small tip is given in exchange for quality services.

[An article written by Andreea Bertea]