Bucharest offers some of the country’s cheapest car-hire rates. Major rental agencies can be found at the Henri Coandă International Airport arrivals hall. Most large companies also have an in-town branch.
The cheapest rates available are from Autonom ( GOOGLE MAP ; %airport 021-232 4325, nonstop reservations 0742-215 361; www.autonom.com; Henri Coandă International Airport; per day from 150 lei), offering a Dacia Logan for around 150 lei per day (including unlimited mileage and insurance, minimum two days); rates drop if you rent for more than a week. Rates for the major international car-hire companies tend to be higher, starting at about 220 lei per day, depending on the make and length of the hire period.
Avis ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0722-636 595; www.avis.ro; Henri Coandă International Airport; h7am-11pm)
Budget ( GOOGLE MAP ; %021-204 1667; www.budgetro.ro; Henri Coandă International Airport; h7am-11pm)
Europcar ( GOOGLE MAP ; %021-310 1797; www.europcar.ro; Henri Coandă International Airport; h8am-8pm)
Hertz ( GOOGLE MAP ; %021-204 1278; www.hertz.com.ro; Henri Coandă International Airport; h8am-10pm)
Train
Gara de Nord ( GOOGLE MAP ; %phone reservations 021-9522; www.cfrcalatori.ro; Piaţa Gara de Nord 1; mGara de Nord) is the central station for most national and all international trains. The station is accessible by metro from the centre of the city.
Buy tickets at station ticket windows. A seat reservation is compulsory if you are travelling with an InterRail or Eurail pass.
Check the latest train schedules on either www.cfr.ro or the reliable German site www.bahn.de (when searching timetables, use German spellings for cities, ie ‘Bukarest Nord’ for Bucharest Gara de Nord).
Left Luggage is on the main level of the Gara de Nord in the long hallway near the information stand. It's on the right side as you're walking away from the tracks.
Daily international services include two trains to Budapest’s Keleti station (13 to 15 hours), and one each to Sofia (nine to 11 hours), Belgrade (12 hours), Chişinǎu (13 hours) and Kiev (26 hours).
Below are sample fares and destination times from Bucharest to major Romanian cities on faster IC (Inter-City) trains.
Destination Cost (lei) Duration (hr) Daily IC departures
Braşov 50 2½ frequent
Cluj-Napoca 92 7½ 4
Constanţa 60 2-4 3
Craiova 60 3 5
Iaşi 90 7 3
Sibiu 85 6 2
Sighişoara 70 5 3
Suceava 90 7 3
Timişoara 101 9 3
8Getting Around
To/From the Airport
Bus
To get to Henri Coandă International Airport from the centre, take express bus 783, which leaves every 15 minutes between 6am and 11pm (every half-hour at weekends) from Piaţas Unirii and Victoriei and points in between. The Piaţa Unirii stop is on the south side.
To buy a ticket, you must first buy an 'Activ' card at any RATB bus-ticket booth near a bus stop for 3.70 lei, which you then top up with credit. A single journey on the express bus costs 7 lei. Validate the card on entering the bus. Henri Coandă International Airport is 45 to 60 minutes from the centre, depending on traffic. The bus stops outside the departures hall then continues to arrivals.
To get to the centre from Henri Coandă, catch bus 783 from the downstairs ramp outside the arrivals hall; you’ll need to first buy an Activ card and add credit to it from a small booth inside the terminal.
Taxi
Taking a reputable taxi from the centre to Henri Coandă International Airport should cost no more than 50 lei. To hail a taxi, go to a series of touch screens located in the airport arrivals hall, where the various taxi companies and their rates are listed. Choose any company offering rates of from 1.39 to 1.69 lei per kilometre (there’s little difference in quality). The touch screen will then spit out a ticket with the taxi number clearly displayed. Leave the hall and wait for the taxi outside, keeping a close eye out for your number.
Public Transport
Bucharest's public transport system of the metro, buses, trams and trolleybuses is operated by the transport authority RATB (Regia Autonomă de Transport Bucureşti; %021-9391; www.ratb.ro). The system runs daily from about 4.30am to approximately 11.30pm.
The ticketing situation differs for street transport (buses, trams and trolleybuses) and for the metro system. To use buses, trams or trolleybuses, you must first purchase an 'Activ' card (3.70 lei) from any RATB street kiosk, which you then load with credit that is discharged as you enter the transport vehicles. Trips cost 1.30 lei each, and the minimum amount of credit you can buy is 5 lei. Children under seven ride free. Validate your Activ card as you enter the tram or bus. Travelling without a validated Activ card risks a 50 lei on-the-spot fine. Activ cards can be topped up as needed at any RATB kiosk.
Metro stations are identified by a large letter 'M'. To use the metro, buy a magnetic-strip ticket available at ticketing machines or cashiers inside station entrances (have small bills handy). Tickets valid for two journeys cost 5 lei. A 10-trip ticket costs 20 lei. The metro is a speedy way of moving up and down the central north–south corridor from Piaţa Victoriei to Piaţa Unirii, passing through the convenient stations of Piaţa Romană and Universitate. The metro is also useful for travelling from the Gara de Nord to the centre of town and back.
Taxi
Rogue drivers are a problem, so watch for rip-offs. Always opt for a cab with a meter, and avoid the guys who line up outside the Gara de Nord as well as at Piaţa Unirii, the Inter-Continental Hotel and just outside the main arrivals hall at Henri Coandă International Airport.
Drivers are required to post their rates on both the passenger- and driver-side doors. The rate in an honest cab ranges from 1.39 lei to 1.69 lei per kilometre. Any fare significantly higher is a sign the taxi is a rip-off and should be avoided.
It’s best to call one in advance – or have a restaurant or hotel call one for you. Reputable companies include Cobalcescu (%021-9451; www.autocobalcescu.ro), CrisTaxi (%021-9466; www.cristaxi.ro) and Meridian (%English 021-9888, general 021-9444; www.meridiantaxi.ro).
Around Bucharest
Snagov Lake
Serpentine Snagov Lake, 40km north of Bucharest and running north–south, serves as the main weekend retreat for residents of the capital looking for a place to relax. The lake has a lovely semirural setting, and there are plenty of opportunities for swimming, boating, fishing and sunbathing. Summer weekends get crowded as nature-seeking hordes from Bucharest descend. Weekdays are more peaceful. Resorts line both sides of the lake, east and west, though places on the western side, in a protected area across the lake from Snagov village, feel more exclusive and remote.
Snagov has an even bigger claim to fame: a small island at the northern end of the lake holds a fine monastery that also happens to be the reputed final resting place of none other than Vlad Ţepeş (aka 'Vlad the Impaler'), the legendarily brutal Wallachian prince who served as the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
1Sights
Snagov MonasteryMONASTERY
(Mănăstirea Snagov; GOOGLE MAP ; %0724-768 949; www.snagov.ro; Strada Mânăstirea Vlad Ţepeş, Snagov Island; adult/child 15/10 lei; h7.30am-6pm)
Tiny Snagov Island, at the northern end of Snagov Lake, is home to Snagov Monastery and Vlad Ţepeş' alleged final resting place. The small stone church dates from the 15th century; Vlad Ţepeş’ purported grave is located towards the back of the church.
The island is connected to the mainland by bridge. You can also get here by boat from Snagov village or resorts along the shore. Expect to pay around 100 lei for a ride out and back.
As with many aspects of the ‘Dracula’ story, there is much debate as to whether the body buried here actually belongs to Ţepeş. The bloodthirsty prince died in 1476 battling the Turks near Bucharest. His head was famously lopped off and carried back to Istanbul, where it was paraded on a stick. What happened to the rest of the body was never made clear. Whether
or not he’s actually buried here, Vlad Ţepeş apparently had strong connections to Snagov. In 1456 he built fortifications around the monastery. He also built a bridge from the lake to the mainland, a bell tower, a new church, an escape tunnel and a prison and torture chamber. The remains of the prison (behind the present-day church) can still be seen.
There’s been a church here since at least the 11th century, when Mircea cel Bătrân first built a wooden structure. The monastery was added in the late 14th century during the reign of King Dan I (r 1383–86), and in 1453 the wooden church was replaced by a stone edifice that later sank into the lake. The present church came after that.
Snagov PalaceHISTORIC BUILDING
( GOOGLE MAP ; %021-320 8954; www.palatulsnagov.ro; Snagov; hclosed to the public)
On Snagov Lake's western shore you’ll see an impressive-looking villa, Snagov Palace. It was built by Prince Nicolae, brother of King Carol II, in neo-Renaissance style in the 1930s. During the Ceauşescu era, the palace was used for meetings of high-level government officials. Today the building serves as a retreat for state guests and private parties.
4Sleeping & Eating
Most people visit Snagov on a day trip, though there are a couple of pleasant overnight options.
Dolce VitaHOTEL$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %boat 0723-580 780; www.dolcevitasnagov.ro; Snagov Parc; r 200 lei)
This hotel and restaurant complex is located on the western shore directly across the lake from Snagov village, at the edge of a protected nature reserve. There are simple rooms here for rent and pretty lakeside-terrace dining (mains 20 to 30 lei). To get here, either drive or take a maxitaxi to Snagov village and phone for someone to fetch you in a motor boat.
Complex AstoriaBUNGALOW$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0744-372 640; Şos Snagovului; r 3-/4-star 160/190 lei; pas)
This nine-hectare wooded resort complex east of Snagov, on the lake's northern end, has three- and four-star villas as well as space to pitch a tent. On weekends, crowds from Bucharest descend and it can get packed; on weekdays it’s quieter. There’s a pool (20 lei), tennis courts and boats to hire as well places to eat.
To get to here by car drive through Snagov village for a further 3km northeast to the complex (signposted ‘Baza Turistică Snagov’).
Hanul VlasieiROMANIAN$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0732-022 888; Str Hanul Vlasiei 1; mains 25-40 lei; h11am-10pm)
On the western side of the lake, across from Snagov village, this upscale terrace restaurant is one of the nicer places to eat in the Snagov area. There's an indoor restaurant, too, that borders on the stuffy and is popular with wedding parties. The menu centres on grilled meats and traditional Romanian cooking.
El CapitanBAR
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0756-385 638; Snagov Park; h2-9pm Mon-Thu, 11am-midnight Fri-Sun)
Upscale terrace coffee and cocktail bar, just south of Dolce Vita on the western side of the lake across from Snagov village, attracting a glamorous boating crowd and their entourage. Relax on lakeside sofas and gaze out over lovely Snagov Lake.
8Information
Snagov Tur ( GOOGLE MAP ; %021-323 9905; www.snagov.ro; Str Snagov 78; h9am-5pm Mon-Fri) offers information on the lake, plus guided walking and cycling tours. See the website for a current list.
8Getting There & Away
Though it's only 40km north of Bucharest, it's not that easy to get to Snagov without your own wheels. The best bet is to catch a maxitaxi (6 lei, 45 minutes) from stands at Piaţa Presei Libera in the north of Bucharest, which will drop you at the centre of Snagov village. The Complex Astoria, from where you can get a boat ride to Snagov Monastery, is a further 3km along the road to the northeast. To cross the lake from Snagov village, try to negotiate with a private motorboat (around 15 lei per crossing) or call Dolce Vita, and they will send a boat across the lake to get you (free ferry for customers).
To reach Snagov by car from Bucharest, follow the signs out of the city to the airport and then keep heading north along the E60 until you see the turn-off for Snagov, which lies 11km from the main road.
Wallachia
Ploiesti
Targoviste
Pitesti
Curtea de Arges
Craiova
Drobeta-Turnu Severin
Wallachia
Why Go?
Wallachia (Ţara Românească), the region between the Carpathians and the Danube River, admittedly lacks the must-sees of Transylvania and Moldavia. Nevertheless, it's rich in early Romanian history, particularly at the historic seats of the Wallachian princes in Curtea de Argeş and Târgovişte. This was Wallachian prince Vlad Ţepeş’ old stomping ground, and north of Curtea de Argeş stands the ruins of what many consider to be the real 'Dracula’s castle'. Lovers of modern sculpture will want to see Constantin Brâncuşi’s work on open-air display in Târgu Jiu, close to the region of his birth.
The Danube flows along the southern edge of Wallachia and is best seen west of Drobeta-Turnu Severin, where it breaks through the Carpathians at the legendary Iron Gates. Drobeta-Turnu Severin was once a thriving Roman colony, and you can still see the remains of Emperor Trajan’s mighty bridge (AD 103) that once traversed the Danube.
When to Go
AMay Spring flowers cover the mountain highlands north of Curtea de Argeş.
AJun–Aug Warm summer afternoons are ideal for cruising the Danube near Iron Gates National Park.
ASep & Oct Regional cultural hubs like Craiova reawaken after a long summer slumber.
Best Places to Eat
A Epoca
A Domnesc
A Hanul Domnesc
A Taverna Dionysos
A La Tuciuri
Best Places to Sleep
A Pensiunea Ruxi
A Hotel Corona
A Pensiunea Casa Simoni
A La Strada
A Hotel Europa
Wallachia Highlights
1 Poienari Citadel Appreciating the misery of captured Turks as you gasp up 1480 steps to Vlad Ţepeş’ ‘Dracula’s Castle’.
2 Princely Court Gaping at original 14th-century frescoes at the court's St Nicholas Church in Curtea de Argeş.
3 Endless Column Enjoying the simple perfection of Constantin Brâncuşi’s sculptures, including this structure in Târgu Jiu, near the place of his birth.
4 Iron Gates National Park Admiring the dramatic beauty of the Danube as it breaks through the Carpathians west of Drobeta-Turnu Severin.
5 Iron Gates Museum Wondering at the ruins of a Roman bridge that spanned the Danube here almost 2000 years ago.
6 Târgovişte Reliving contemporary history at the modest army base in Târgovişte, where Nicolae Ceauşescu and his wife met their bloody ends.
History
The principality of Wallachia was founded by Radu Negru in 1290. It was originally conceived as a vassal state of the Hungarian kingdom to serve as a buffer between Hungary and the growing influence of the Ottoman Turks.
As Hungarian power waned in the 13th and 14th centuries after a wave of Mongol invasions, Wallachian Prince Basarab I (r 1310–52) defeated Hungarian King Charles I in 1330 and declared Wallachia to be independent. The region is considered to be the first of the three main Romanian lands to gain independence.
The 14th century was a golden age for the Wallachian princes, who established their first capital at Câmpulung Muscel, before moving on to Curtea de Argeş and Târgovişte. To this day, you can see the remains of once-grand Princely Courts in Curtea de Argeş and Târgovişte. Eventually, the Wallachian capital moved to Bucharest.
After the fall of Bulgaria to the Turks in 1396, Wallachia faced a new threat, and in 1415 Mircea cel Bătrân (Mircea the Old; r 1386–1418) was forced to acknowledge Turkish suzerainty. Other Wallachian princes, such as Vlad Ţepeş (r 1448, 1456–62, 1476) and Mihai Viteazul (r 1593–1601), became national heroes by defying the Turks and refusing to pay tribute.
Vlad Ţepeş’ legendary disposition and gruesome tactics against the Tu
rks served as inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula, four centuries on, although the author located the ‘Prince of Darkness’ in Transylvania. He remains an undisputed hero in these parts. Look for the big bust of 'Dracula' in Târgovişte and the remains of one of his real castles in Poienari, north of Curtea de Argeş.
In 1859 Wallachia was united with the province of Moldavia, paving the way for the modern Romanian state.
Ploieşti
Pop 209,945
Ploieşti, the main city in the Prahova region, is the centre of Romania's oil production and ranks as one of the country's most important industrial cities. It's had an oil-refining industry since 1857 and this is a source of enormous pride for its inhabitants. That said, it's not a leading destination for visitors, and your main reason for coming is likely to be practical – the city sits at the centre of the country's rail network, with excellent connections to both Bucharest and Braşov. There are several good hotels and restaurants and some decent museums to pass the time.
Ploieşti
1Sights
1Art MuseumC3
2Cathedral of St John the BaptistA1
3Clock MuseumC3
4Museum of OilC2
5SynagogueC1
4Sleeping
6Hotel CentralB2
7Hotel Prahova PlazaC2
5Eating
Lonely Planet Romania & Bulgaria Page 8