Romania: Better Than You've Been Led to Expect

Romania consistently ranks among Europe's most underrated destinations. Visitors arrive expecting the clichés — vampires, poverty, crumbling infrastructure — and leave astonished by medieval cities, remarkable food, warm hospitality, and landscapes that rival anywhere on the continent. But like any destination, Romania has its own rhythms and quirks. Knowing them in advance makes a significant difference.

1. Cash Is Still King in Many Places

While Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, and other large cities are increasingly card-friendly, cash remains essential for rural areas, markets, smaller guesthouses, and public transport in provincial towns. The currency is the Romanian Leu (RON) — Romania is an EU member but has not adopted the euro. Exchange money at bank branches or official exchange offices (case de schimb) rather than airport counters for better rates.

2. Romanian Roads Require Patience

Romania's main highways have improved significantly in recent years, but the road network between destinations is highly variable. Scenic routes through the Carpathians can be breathtakingly beautiful and frustratingly slow — mountain roads are narrow, occasionally unpaved in remote sections, and shared with tractors and horse-drawn carts. Always overestimate journey times on a map, especially outside the main corridors.

If driving, a rovinieta (motorway vignette) is legally required on national roads and can be purchased online, at petrol stations, or at border crossings.

3. Learn a Few Words of Romanian

Romanian is a Romance language — if you speak Spanish, Italian, or French, you'll find it surprisingly familiar on paper. Locals genuinely appreciate any effort to use their language. A few useful phrases:

  • Bună ziua — Good day (formal greeting)
  • Mulțumesc — Thank you
  • Vă rog — Please
  • Cât costă? — How much does it cost?
  • Nu înțeleg — I don't understand
  • Noroc! — Cheers! (when toasting)

English is widely spoken among younger Romanians and in cities, but less so in rural areas where German and Hungarian may actually be more useful in certain regions.

4. Food Portions Are Generous — Plan Accordingly

Romanian restaurant portions are substantial. Ordering a starter, main course, and dessert per person in the Western style can result in genuinely alarming quantities of food. Many locals share dishes or skip starters. Restaurant prices are considerably lower than Western European equivalents, particularly outside Bucharest.

5. Tipping Etiquette

Tipping is customary but not obligatory. A typical tip in restaurants is 10% of the bill, rounded up generously if service was good. In Bucharest's more cosmopolitan restaurants, 15% is becoming common. Tip in cash directly to the server when possible, rather than adding it to a card payment. Tipping taxi drivers, hotel housekeeping, and tour guides is appreciated but discretionary.

6. The Train Network Has Character

CFR (Romanian State Railways) connects most major cities and many smaller towns. Trains are affordable and often scenic — the route from Bucharest to Sinaia and Brașov through the Prahova Valley is genuinely beautiful. However, the network is old, delays are common on slower regional services, and booking in advance online (cfrcalatori.ro) is strongly recommended for intercity routes, especially in summer.

7. Bucharest Deserves More Than a Layover

Many visitors treat Bucharest as a transit hub, which is a genuine mistake. The Romanian capital rewards exploration: the Floreasca and Florilor neighbourhoods buzz with café culture; the Palace of the Parliament is a staggering piece of communist-era megalomania (second only to the Pentagon in floor area); the Old Town (Centrul Vechi) is lively and atmospheric; and the city's art nouveau architecture rivals Budapest's. Allow at least two full days.

8. Tap Water and Food Safety

Tap water is generally safe to drink in Romanian cities, though many locals prefer filtered or bottled water. Food hygiene standards in restaurants are regulated by EU norms. Street food — including the beloved mici (grilled minced meat rolls) at roadside grills — is widely enjoyed by locals and visitors alike without concern.

9. Orthodox Church Etiquette

Romania is a deeply Orthodox Christian country, and its churches are active places of worship, not merely tourist attractions. When visiting churches — particularly monasteries like those in Bucovina:

  • Dress modestly: covered shoulders and knees for both men and women
  • Women are often expected to cover their heads with a scarf inside
  • Speak quietly and avoid photography during services
  • A small donation in the collection box is a respectful gesture

10. Embrace the Spontaneous

Romania rewards those who leave room in their itinerary for the unplanned. The unmarked roadside stall selling raw honey, the village grandmother who insists on offering țuică and homemade bread, the hidden monastery found by taking the wrong turning — these encounters define the Romanian experience far more than any checklist of sights. Come with curiosity, patience, and an open stomach.

Romania doesn't show its best face immediately — it reveals itself gradually, layer by layer, to those willing to look beyond the surface. The reward for that patience is a country that feels genuinely discovered rather than merely visited.