Romania seems to be in the midst of a tourism resurgence, with visitor numbers growing the last few years after a sharp decline a decade ago. This is nothing but good news, as this Eastern European nation is able to captivate travellers with its old-world charm and natural beauty. I think those that decide to venture to this intriguing country will come away smitten, just as I have. While there’s plenty to say about this diverse and wonderful country, here are 9 things I think you should know before visiting Romania to make your time here easier and more enjoyable.

1. Getting Around when Visiting Romania

For those looking to explore Romania using public transport, you’re in luck. Romania has a fairly extensive network of trains, buses and minibuses that can take you most (but not all) places. To help you navigate the public transport network, the Autogari website will show you all the options available to you and I swear by it. I found it to be one of the most comprehensive transport sites I’ve seen and it never let me down once.

Starting with rail, the train network stretches across the entire country and connects through Hungary to most of Western Europe. Most of the time, trains have allocated seating but this seems to be very loosely followed. Unfortunately, due to significant construction works on many stretches of the train network, expect delays and fairly serious ones at that.

The network of buses and minibuses that run throughout the country is generally faster and still great value for money. You may have to switch buses for longer routes, but again trust in Autogari, it will tell you all that. Tickets for intercity buses/minibuses are bought at the station office and for local buses, you buy them from the driver.

It’s worth noting, that in nearly every major city and town, the bus and train stations are usually several kilometres from the city centre. This brings me to my next point.

2. Vlad the Impaler

It would be fair to say that Vlad the Impaler may be the most well-known Romanian internationally. A historical figure who was used as inspiration for an icon of pop culture in Dracula, Vlad Tepes comes up a fair bit when travelling around the country (see here and here). The thing is, the people of Romania seem fairly ambivalent about this medieval Prince outside of the draw he has on tourists.

In fairness, it makes sense. As a historical figure, Vlad Tepes was not an incredibly successful or long-lasting ruler. He is best remembered for his particularly vicious approach to impaling his enemies – the Ottomans – and less so for his actual time as ruler. Vlad was actually only Voivode (roughly a Duke) for 6 short years that ended in defeat at the hands of the Ottomans and his imprisonment. He was later released and managed to reclaim his throne, only to be killed a year later under unclear circumstances.

So while this 15th century ruler may be quite interesting to historians and history lovers (eg. me), he’s not all that relevant or important to modern Romanians.

3. Diversity of Sights

It seems to be the case that often when people visit Romania, they only make time for Bucharest before venturing onward. While Bucharest is a fascinating city with plenty to see, it’s certainly not representative of the whole country. In Bucharest you will see the lasting impact of communism through its buildings and layout, but that’s not the case in other places. In the city of Sibiu and the town of Sighișoara, instead you’ll find charming medieval old towns that show what the towns looked like hundreds of years ago. Different again is the Baroque and Art Nouveau architecture of Oradea, a city on the western border of Hungary.

And it’s not just the cities and towns that are different. The landscape changes wildly depending on where in the country you visit. You have the huge and dramatic Carpathian Mountains near Brașov in the centre of the country; there’s the tranquil rolling hillsides of the northern Maramures region; the vast plateaus and plains like the one Bucharest is found in; and the coastline by Constanţa on the Black Sea. Basically, if you have the option to spend a little more time visiting Romania, take it so you can see more of what the country has to offer.

Goodbye!