Has anyone ever been to Romania?

[Printer Bandit]

how do romanian girls compare to czech girls?

 

[biostud]

I can't remember ever hearing something good about Romania.

 

[Murloc]

there's a reason all the gypsies moved to central-western europe to run their scams.
Also many (if not most) prostitutes here are romanians. That does not happen if the country is not a hellhole.

 

[buffaloe420]

Went to Romania 2012. It a beautiful country if you want too feel like went way back into the past. By train it took 13 hours be train from Budapest to Brasov. If you get a sleeper car it has 2 bunk beds this is 1st class. On the way there my train broke down and I miss the connection from Budapest to Brasov so miss my reserved bunk. On the next train had to sit in 2nd class seat. There was several youths there from 17 to mid 20's and they kept to themselves, I never felt ill at ease. It was a night train so not much to see, very boring. On the return trip the train was stopped for 2 hours because the the oncoming train on other track caught fire. Was quite a site, 2 cars burned up. No idea how common that is.

Once it got light out then it was a trip. They farm the same way as 500 years ago. Harvesting wheat by hand sickle and donkeys pulling wagons. Pulling a number out of my ass I say about 10% of the land is farmed using modern equipment.

The people there are reserved but if you don't act like a ass they do there best to help. For example when I got to Brasov I took a bus to my hostel. I showed the driver the address going too so could confirm on the right bus. He said a few word to a man sitting in the front of the bus then told me to get off when the man did. The man took me right to the door of the hostel. All the merchants and most of the people there do speak English.

If you want to check out Transylvania then Brasov is a good choose. I believe It is the largest city in Transylvania and a hub for transportation. 45 minutes by bus to Bran (Dracula) castle and 2 and half hours to Sighisoara, birth place of Vlad Tepes. It also a old city with buildings from 16th century. Would not go again for less that a week, the 24+ hours train trip from my Moms house in Germany was not worth it for 2 days.

It real cheap to visit. The Hostel I stayed at cost 4.77 Euro a day for a bunk in a 4 person room breakfast included. Food is also cheap if you like simple down to earth foods such as stews. Buses are cheap and in good shape. Trains not sure about the cost since had a Europass and could jump on any train I wanted without any cost. The train cars are also around 50 years old.




The short version is the people are nice. Never felt like I was in any danger or a dislike for Americans. The Country has a very old feel to it. It cheap to visit for Europe. Out of the 5 European countries I been too it has the highest percent of beautiful Women. For a week or more it be worth going. For 2 or 3 days the travel time would not be worth it.

 

[inachu]

I would like to visit Ireland. I guess the west side is the best place to go.

Ireland political lines are north and south.

 

[Markbnj]

The short version is the people are nice. Never felt like I was in any danger or a dislike for Americans. The Country has a very old feel to it. It cheap to visit for Europe. Out of the 5 European countries I been too it has the highest percent of beautiful Women. For a week or more it be worth going. For 2 or 3 days the travel time would not be worth it.

Sounds pretty awesome, actually.

 

[NetWareHead]

Beware of gypsies.

This. Dont even talk to them, you will get robbed, pickpocketed or have a knife pulled on you. These people are all criminals and pretty much live a life of dishonesty. There is no shame in them trying to scam you and even the children are not to be trusted. The scams they pull are simply outrageous. Be aware of any gypsy that approaches you with something to sell; thats the distraction for someone behind you to lift your wallet. Dont let any of them put a bracelet on your wrist for instance. People here in the USA view them as living some sort of romantic care-free lifestyle but in reality they are reviled and discriminated against all over Europe. About the only positive thing I can say about them is being originally from India and middle-east, they have a style of music and dance that seems foreign to the rest of european culture but is well liked.

Are you thinking about Romani people and not Romanian? I believe there is a difference.



And I fucking hate Pikeys.

You are correct as Romani/Roma are the proper name for gypsies. Romania while named after the ancient Romans, has nothing to do with gypsies but coincidentally so, has a large gypsy minority.

 

[NetWareHead]

I've always wanted to go because I have a strong historical interest in the Roman history of the region. Let us know what you find out.

Same here. Romania is a place that miraculously managed to preserve much of her language despite being surrounded and dominated be her neighbors. The food has mixes of German/Austrian and Hungarian influences. Along with a healthy mix of Turkish, Slavic and Greek. The language while it is one of the closest to Latin (after Italian) has a healthy dose of Slavic influence. The country, being so deep in what was considered Byzantine sphere of influence, is overwhelmingly eastern orthodox and wrote with the Cyrillic alphabet until the late 1800s. Romania is one of the true melting pots of Europe and the women there are beautiful too.

 

[Markbnj]

You are correct as Romani/Roma are the proper name for gypsies. Romania while named after the ancient Romans, has nothing to do with gypsies but coincidentally so, has a large gypsy minority.

This is one of the things that intrigues me. The Romans pulled out of the area (Dacia, etc.) in the mid-to-late second century, if I remember my history, and by the mid fourth century the lands north of the Danube were in the control of a few varieties of goths. But archaeology attests that pockets of romanized life continued into the late fourth century, at which time the Huns invaded and drove the Goths across the river into Moesia. I've always wondered if so-called gypsies weren't the wandering remnants of those last few pockets of roman civilization.

 

[NetWareHead]

I can't remember ever hearing something good about Romania.

Try the Țuică if possible. Ass kicking liquor popular in Romania. Its made with fermented than distilled plum juice. Romania , I read grows one of the world's largest plum crops and something like 80& of that is earmarked for Țuică production. if you like grappa, you may like it. Its a sinus clearing liquor that is remarkably good. Neighboring Slavic countries also make a version of this but and could be known as Rakia or Slivovitza

 

[NetWareHead]

This is one of the things that intrigues me. The Romans pulled out of the area (Dacia, etc.) in the mid-to-late second century, if I remember my history, and by the mid fourth century the lands north of the Danube were in the control of a few varieties of goths. But archaeology attests that pockets of romanized life continued into the late fourth century, at which time the Huns invaded and drove the Goths across the river into Moesia. I've always wondered if so-called gypsies weren't the wandering remnants of those last few pockets of roman civilization.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jireček_Line

if you listen to a Romanian speaker, the language will undoubted sound latin derived with slavic influence, yet there are some strange words that are dacian origin that have managed to preserve themselves into the modern language. This is a good article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origin_of_the_Romanians

 

[smackababy]

This is one of the things that intrigues me. The Romans pulled out of the area (Dacia, etc.) in the mid-to-late second century, if I remember my history, and by the mid fourth century the lands north of the Danube were in the control of a few varieties of goths. But archaeology attests that pockets of romanized life continued into the late fourth century, at which time the Huns invaded and drove the Goths across the river into Moesia. I've always wondered if so-called gypsies weren't the wandering remnants of those last few pockets of roman civilization.

I think most think the Roma's originated in India. I'm sure being nomadic has give them many influences from other cultures though.

 

[NetWareHead]

I've always wondered if so-called gypsies weren't the wandering remnants of those last few pockets of roman civilization.

the gypsies didnt arrive in Europe until after the 1100s and brought their own language with them. By the time they arrived in what is now known as Romania, the romanian language/culture was firmly established. Gypsies/Roma/Romani are different than romanians

 

[Albatross]

Just drove through Romania from Hungary to Bulgaria.
Rural Romania is a shithole.
Urban Romania outside of two or three major cities is also pretty shitty.

Horse carts on the roads, some rural petrol stations don't accept credit cards, the roads are in a horrible state, the highway is unfinished. Everything is cheap. Most everything is run-down.

Upper class hotels are usually okay to stay in. Sibiu was an okay tourist place, there's some scenic mountains nearby - but to get there is probably pretty adventurous.

I wouldn't recommend it as a travel location, but it's still a nicer place than, say, Albania or Bulgaria. Not much to see though, except run-downness.

Well I don`t like it,but that`s accurate.

 

[NoTine42]

Obligatory Top Gear best road in the world link
http://youtube.com/watch?v=OLAtcrB0GZg

 

[evident]

Obligatory Top Gear best road in the world link
http://youtube.com/watch?v=OLAtcrB0GZg

that is awesome, I have to watch that full episode. I loved it when they went to vietnam and went cross country in mopeds. inspired me to go there last year

 

[smackababy]

that is awesome, I have to watch that full episode. I loved it when they went to vietnam and went cross country in mopeds. inspired me to go there last year

My favorite was when they were in Monaco trying to find a car that nobody could show up, so it would remain in front of their hotel until morning. A Veyron would have been shown up but some other unicorn car. They opted for a Ford Model T. And it stayed, but mostly due to the fact the valet couldn't figure out how to get it started.

 

[GrumpyMan]

Travel and living conditions are great!!!!....If you are rich. And if poor, not so much.

 

[NoTine42]

that is awesome, I have to watch that full episode. I loved it when they went to vietnam and went cross country in mopeds. inspired me to go there last year

Hopefully you can find the entire episode, including where they go tunnel blasting under the "People's Palace" (usually BBCA plays a chopped version without that segment)

 

[Markbnj]

Relevant...

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2014/09/romanian_romas_celebrate_the_birth_of_the_vir.html

 

[smackababy]

Relevant...

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2014/09/romanian_romas_celebrate_the_birth_of_the_vir.html

The real question is: is the term gypsy derogatory? I sure hope so, because I call people it all the time.

 

[Jaepheth]

The real Dracula did this. In fact it was a pole with tar and it was jammed up your ass.

What I've read was that they'd cut a new hole in your taint and insert a rounded tip pole.

This prevented perforation of the bowels and thus you wouldn't die too soon from septic shock.

 

[_Rick_]

Obligatory Top Gear best road in the world link
http://youtube.com/watch?v=OLAtcrB0GZg

Drove there 5 weeks ago.
Road surface on one side is pretty bad (the one they show them drive on), and the other side was as horrid as James May points out.

Worse than that, the top had some kind of market happening. There's no gas anywhere on that road. There was a bunch of traffic when I was there, but maybe that's because it was a public holiday on that day.

Scenery is still nice, but coming from the French Alps, it wasn't astounding.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Without talking the language, you can't get a grasp on the people, so there is little point in trying. What contact with people I had was better than in Bulagaria and Albania as well, but then Albania was a freaking nightmare of a country, and Bulgaria gives off the vibe that being a crook is how you get ahead in life. (In Albania, that's simply true, there's no uncertainty about it.)

And the run-downness in Romania extends to the people for the most part. But then the only reason to stop anywhere outside the major cities, except for gas, is to get a tire fixed. Plenty of tire shops along national road 1. People drive very dangerously, the number of overtakes into oncoming traffic I've seen was insane.

If you're happy with shitting in a hole, and washing with water heated over a stove, then you can probably make do in rural Romania, but at least from the main road, there's no countryside that you couldn't see elsewhere, besides the actual mountain ranges, which are okay, but in the middle of nowhere, with regard to civilization. Better keep that fuel tank full, because who knows where you can next fill her up.
Stick to the cities, and you get normal Eastern European people that may actually speak a foreign language (if you're lucky, that's English) and have the amenities of civilization. I think I even drank the tap water in Sibiu without consequences. But there's a reason why anybody who has a chance tries to get out of the country and into the EU heartland.

Try the lemonade. Try not to run over/get bitten by any of the dogs. Stay away from agriculture, because it will depress you.

I would recommend a city-hopping trip by plane (Cluj and Bucharest should have airports, not sure about Sibiu. Outside these three, I'm not sure that there's anything else worth seeing, unless you like to walk around run-down 70's soviet-style appartment blocks), and to take a rental car from Bucharest or Sibiu into the mountains. I'm not sure I would recommend hiking, to someone who isn't used to hiking in rough, isolated, terrain, with a variety of wildlife, from wild dogs, to wolves, bears and mosquitoes. If you're a hardcore hiker though, there are a few countryside hotels you can use as staging areas. I've also seen a few bike tourists. I would recommend against that, since driving a bicycle in Romania looked very much like you had 1 in 4 odds of dying in traffic.

There may also be some old castles, but tellingly, along the main roads (and you really don't want to get off those) I have not seen anything that resembles anything from the middle ages.

Of course, OP, you should listen to Magnus' advice and experience how shitty rural Romania really is, but personally, having the sampling I got, I can do without it for the future. It was fun to drive through and see that Eastern Europe still is mostly a shit hole with zero infrastructure, but it wasn't really surprising or amazing. I'm sure if you plan to actually visit Romania, you can find a few interesting spots beforehand, I was constrained by the route I had to take.

Amazing how you equate people and culture to shiny new buildings and roads or, lack thereof. Seems like you'd be happier curled up with a travel magazine at home than take the risk of actually interacting with people in person. Language is a barrier only if you let it be. The thing I find intriguing is the willingness of people outside the U.S. to overcome the language difficulties to communicate (with the possible exception of Parisians).

People live, think and, perceive the world differently in other places around the globe. Their cultures and habits evolved because that worked the best for their situation and history. Money actually has little impact on the happiness and sophistication of a culture. When you travel, you need to strive to not judge a culture by your standards but, by theirs. The only way to do that is to get out of your car.

 

[_Rick_]

Amazing how you equate people and culture to shiny new buildings and roads or, lack thereof. Seems like you'd be happier curled up with a travel magazine at home than take the risk of actually interacting with people in person. Language is a barrier only if you let it be. The thing I find intriguing is the willingness of people outside the U.S. to overcome the language difficulties to communicate (with the possible exception of Parisians).

People live, think and, perceive the world differently in other places around the globe. Their cultures and habits evolved because that worked the best for their situation and history. Money actually has little impact on the happiness and sophistication of a culture. When you travel, you need to strive to not judge a culture by your standards but, by theirs. The only way to do that is to get out of your car.

I wouldn't get out of the car while driving through a fly-over state either, unless I had business there. But the lack of culture in most towns was pretty bad. No amount of getting out of the car would have changed that. Socialism has created a rather sterile environment, and post-socialist rejection of socialism has eliminated what socialist culture there was. Rural people are farmers, and farmers aren't the must culturally engaging people. And the medium sized towns are mostly from the socialist era, and thus lack both history and culture. This leaves you with only a few spots that remain of cultural relevance, where people have an identity that is reflected in their dwellings and their environment. If you want culture, you will not be disappointed in the cities (even though there's already the Eastern European spirit-oriented culture - home-distilled Zuika would be an after-meal drink anywhere west from the Aegean, in Romania, Bulgaria etc. it's something you drink like a wine during the meal, only with three times as much alcohol...) and the opera in Cluj for example is worth a recommendation for the low cost of watching a decent performance alone.

The other problem I have with Romania, is that it has a culture that's deeply pervaded by cutting corners and institutionalized corruption and the persistence of gypsy culture inside their borders, which lead me as a foreigner to be distrustful of the locals, from border official to beggar.

And when in Sofia, Bulgaria one morning there was no hot water at the hotel, and apparently there was no heating in hald the city, I realized how fragile the infrastructure in those countries still is. These are things that matter, because while you are a visitor to their country, it is somewhat natural to expect that you can take a hot shower in the morning, when booking into a hotel. Not so. But then Bulgaria is slightly worse-off than even Romania.

Actually, my father has regular dealngs through a EU project with people from the University of Cluj-Napoca, which gives me further insight into the culture. And his experience is one of frustration, which probably colors my opinion of the country further. Especially, because one would expect the University to be one of the key representatives of culture of a country.