All about hosteling in Romania

Social Conventions
Handshaking is the most common form of greeting, but Romanian men may kiss a woman’s hand when being introduced. Mr or Mrs should be used when greeting someone for the first time. Visitors should follow normal European courtesies on social occasions. Dress tends to be rather conservative but casual wear is suitable. Beachwear should not be worn away from the beach or poolside. If visiting a home, a small wrapped gift should be given to the host, such as flowers or chocolates (to women only), wine or liquor. Flowers should be given as a gift in odd numbers only.
Many Romanians are smokers and gifts of Western cigarettes are greatly appreciated. Other well-appreciated gifts include toiletries.

Photography: Military installations should not be photographed. Some tourist attractions require visitors to pay a fee (sometimes hefty) for taking photographs.

Smoking: The Romanian government bans smoking in every public place, but, as in many countries in Eastern Europe, smokers have little respect for non-smokers and for smoking laws. Smoking is forbidden on planes, on buses and on some trains. Luxury hotels have designated no-smoking floors but very few restaurants have no-smoking sections.

International Travel:
Getting There by Air
The national airline is Tarom (RO) (website: www.tarom.ro). Delta (website: www.delta.com) flies direct from New York to Bucharest.
Departure Tax
None.
Main Airports
Bucharest (OTP) (Henri Coanda) (website: www.otp-airport.ro) is 16km (10 miles) north of the city. To/from the airport: An express bus service operates to the city (journey time – 45 minutes). Taxis, minibuses and limousines are available 24 hours (journey time – 25 minutes). Facilities: Bar, snack bar, restaurant, left luggage, first aid, post office, bank, bureau de change, ATM, car hire, duty-free, information office and business lounge.
There are also international airports at Arad (ARW), Cluj (CLJ) (website: www.airportcluj.ro), Constanta (CND) (Mihail Kogalniceanu), Sibiu (SBZ) and  Timisoara (TSR) (website: aerotim.ro).
Getting There by Water
Main port: Constanta (website: www.constantza-port.ro) on the Black Sea.
Sea ferries: Not running at present. Contact the Romanian National Tourist Office for up-to-date information (see General Info).
River cruises: Sailings from Passau to Constanta on the Black Sea along the Danube are available; these stop at various places of interest, including Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, Bazias, Giurgiu, Calafat and Bucharest. The cruises incorporate varied itineraries: historic towns, museums, art collections, monasteries, spas, archaeological sites, folk evenings, nature reserves and of course, the dramatic scenery of Eastern Europe, including the ‘Iron Gate’ through the Carpathians. Some companies offer travel via the Main-Danube Canal as far west as Rotterdam along the Rhine. For further information, contact the Romanian National Tourist Office.
Getting There by Rail
CFR (tel: (21) 319 9539 ext 134 563; website: www.cfr.ro/calatori) operates services from many European cities to Bucharest. First and second class sleepers are available. The Wiener Waltzer takes around 20 hours from Basel to Bucharest, operating in summer only (June to September). There are sleeping cars from Vienna to both Bucharest and Constanta on the Black Sea coast. There are also through trains from other Eastern European cities.

Rail Passes
InterRail: offers unlimited first- or second-class travel in up to 30 European countries for European residents of over six months with two pass options. The Global Pass allows travel for 22 days, one month, five days in 10 days or 10 days in 22 days across all countries. The One-Country Pass offers travel for three, four, six or eight days in one month in any of the countries except Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro. Travel is not allowed in the passenger’s country of residence. Travelers under 26 years receive a reduction. Children’s tickets are reduced by about 50%. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Discounts are offered on Eurostar and some ferry routes. Available from Rail Europe (website: www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).

Balkan Flexipass: allows five, 10 or 15 days of first class travel for one month across Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Turkey. Available from Railpass.com (website: www.railpass.com).

Getting There by Road
Border crossing between Romania and its western neighbors is just a formality. At the border, drivers need to show vehicle registration, proof of insurance and a driving license for their home country. Insurance can be bought at any border crossing point. The most direct international routes to Romania are via Austria, Germany and Hungary. The best route from Hungary is the E64 from Budapest to Szeged through Arad, Brasov, Campina and Ploiesti. There is also a route from Szeged to Timisoara. A more frequently used route from Hungary to Germany is via the E60 through Oradea.

Coach: Eurolines (tel: 0870 580 8080, in the UK; website: www.eurolines.com) runs regular coach services from other European cities to Romania. Travelers can buy 15- and 30-day passes.

Overview
The following items may be imported into Romania from outside the EU without incurring customs duty:
• 200 cigarettes, 40 cigars or 200g of other tobacco articles.
• 2l of liquor.
• 4l of wine or beer.
• Gifts up to a value of €175.
• 20 rolls of camera film and reasonable quantities of perfume, medicines and travel souvenirs.
Note: Valuable goods, such as jewelry, art, electrical items and foreign currency should be declared on entry. Endorsed customs declarations must be kept, as they must be shown on leaving the country.

Abolition of duty-free goods within the EU
On 30 June 1999, the sale of duty-free alcohol and tobacco at airports and at sea was abolished in all of the original 15 EU member states. Of the 10 new member states that joined the EU on 1 May 2004 and the two states that joined on 1 January 2007, these rules already apply to Cyprus and Malta. There are transitional rules in place for visitors returning to one of the original 15 EU countries from one of the other new EU countries. But for the original 15, plus Cyprus and Malta, there are no limits imposed on importing tobacco and alcohol products from one EU country to another. Travelers should note that they may be required to prove at customs that the goods purchased are for personal use only.
Member states may follow the EU’s guide levels of: 10l of spirits; 20l of fortified wine; 90l of wine; 110l of beer; 800 cigarettes; 400 cigarillos; 200 cigars and 1kg of tobacco.

Prohibited Imports
Ammunition, explosives, narcotics, pornographic material, uncanned meats, animal and dairy products.

Prohibited Exports
Articles of cultural, historical or artistic value are not permitted to be taken out of the country.

Internal Travel:
Getting Around By Air
Carpatair (website: www.carpatair.com) operates domestic flights from Timisoara. Tarom (website: www.tarom.ro) operates internal routes from Bucharest.
Getting Around by Water
The Danube Delta is easily explored by boat. Most trips and cruises depart from the ancient city of Tulcea and sail to Sulina.
Getting Around by Rail
Bucharest’s main station is the Gara de Nord on Calea Grivitei. CFR (tel: (21) 319 9539 ext 134 563; website: www.cfr.ro/calatori) runs five different types of train, varying in speed from the slow personal to the faster accelerat, rapid and express trains, and the more expensive, modern and comfortable Inter-City. Rural services have a way to go – currently poor onward connections make these an undesirable choice for travelers to the countryside. Seats must be reserved in advance on express routes. Rail Inclusive Tour tickets include transport and hotel accommodation. There are no platforms of any great height in Romania, making entering and alighting a little difficult for the elderly or infirm.

Rail Passes
InterRail One-Country Pass: offers travel for three, four, six or eight days in one month within Romania. Travel is not allowed in the passenger’s country of residence. Travelers under 26 years receive a reduction. Children’s tickets are reduced by about 50%. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Discounts are offered on Eurostar and some ferry routes. Available from Rail Europe (tel: 0844 484 4064, in the UK; website: www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).

Romania Pass: available to those who reside outside Europe, the CIS, Turkey, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. Allows five or 10 days’ travel within a two-month period. Available from Rail Europe in the USA (website: www.raileurope.com).

Getting Around by Road
Traffic drives on the right. Road conditions vary widely throughout Romania. While major streets in larger cities and major inter-city roads are in fair to good condition (DM (Drum National) are better maintained), other roads (DJ (Drum Judetean)) are in poor repair, badly lit, narrow and often do not have marked lanes. Drivers need to be alert for horse-drawn carts and livestock especially at night.
Tolls are charges on motorways and main roads, payable in Euros. Drivers must buy a toll badge or RoVinieta; these are available for one week or one month at border points, post offices and at most petrol stations.

Coach: Several bus companies offer fast and inexpensive connections between Romania’s main cities. Inter-city bus stations are usually located next to the train stations.

Car hire: Available at hotels and at Bucharest Airport from local and international firms. The minimum age for car hire is 21 years. Driving is very erratic, so it might be advisable to hire a car with a driver
.
Regulations: Children under 12 are not allowed to travel in the front seat and front seat passengers must wear a seat belt. Speed limits are 50kph (30mph) in built-up areas, 90kph (56mph) on main roads, and 110 kph (70mph) on highways.

Emergency breakdown service: Contact the Romanian Automobile Club (ACR) (tel: (21) 222 2222; website: www.acr.ro).

Documentation: National driving license or International Driving Permit are required, as is Green Card insurance. Police carry out frequent checks so observe the speed limit, and carry relevant documents.

Getting Around Towns and Cities
Most cities offer efficient and inexpensive bus, trolleybus or tram transport.

Bucharest has a good bus and tram system and a metro. Tickets are pre-purchased from agents, and there are stamping machines on board buses and trains. There are also daily, weekly and fortnightly passes. A separate minibus network is operated.

Taxi: Inexpensive metered taxis can be hailed in the street or called from hotels. Although most drivers are honest, prices should be agreed beforehand, especially at the airport.

Journey Times
The following chart gives approximate journey times (in hours and minutes) from Bucharest to other major cities and towns in Romania.