Travel to Romania — everything you need to know
When to go to Romania?
- May – September — Ideal season : Pleasant temperatures (20–28°C), Carpathian wildflowers in May–June, Danube Delta in July–August, splendid autumn colours in September. Avoid the height of summer (35°C+ in Bucharest in July).
- December – February — Winter in Transylvania : Snow-covered medieval villages, skiing in the Carpathians (Sinaia, Poiana Brasov), Sibiu's Christmas markets. Temperatures -5 to -10°C in the mountains.
Weather in Romania
Check the weather city by city, starting with Bucharest.
- Bucarest: daytime highs from 7 to 33 °C depending on the season, 54 mm of rain per month on average.
- Brasov (Transylvanie): daytime highs from 5 to 27 °C depending on the season, 50 mm of rain per month on average.
What to do in Romania?
Romania is the great surprise of Eastern Europe: Transylvania with its medieval Saxon fortresses and Bran Castle (Dracula), the Danube Delta (UNESCO, the third-largest delta in Europe), the painted monasteries of Bucovina (UNESCO), the Carpathians with wild bears and wolves, and Bucharest with its Art Nouveau architecture and its absurd Palace of the Parliament — the second-largest building in the world.
Transylvania — Dracula's castles and forests
Transylvania is a magical region: Bran Castle (associated with Dracula/Vlad the Impaler), the medieval Saxon citadel of Sighișoara (UNESCO, Vlad Tepeș's birthplace), the fortified villages of Viscri and Biertan (UNESCO), and the Carpathians with wild populations of brown bears, wolves and lynx — the largest in Europe outside Russia.
Highlights : Bran Castle — 'Dracula's castle' in the Carpathians, Sighișoara — fortified medieval Saxon town (UNESCO), Viscri — UNESCO Saxon village, Prince Charles's farm, Carpathian brown bear hike (guided, Braşov).
Danube Delta — UNESCO wilderness
The Danube Delta is the third-largest delta in Europe and one of the richest ecosystems: 300 bird species (pelicans, egrets, pygmy cormorants), 45 fish species including the beluga sturgeon, floating forests and roadless inland lakes. You get around only by boat from Tulcea. UNESCO-listed and a biosphere reserve.
Highlights : White and Dalmatian pelicans (Europe's largest colony), Boat trip through the delta's secondary channels, Sfântu Gheorghe village — fishermen at the tip of the delta, Sunset over the reeds from a boat.
Bucovina Monasteries — UNESCO frescoes
The painted monasteries of Bucovina (Voronet, Sucevita, Moldovita) are UNESCO-listed: their exterior facades entirely covered in 15th–16th-century frescoes depicting biblical scenes in Voronet blue (a unique shade never replicated). One of the most astonishing artistic curiosities in Europe, set among green wooded hills.
Highlights : Voronet — the 'Sistine Chapel of the East', a unique blue, Sucevița — monastic fortress with intact frescoes, Moldovița — frescoes of the Siege of Constantinople, Humor — rare comic details in religious art.
Bucharest — Excess and beauty
Bucharest is a capital fascinating for its contradictions: the Palace of the Parliament (the 2nd-largest building in the world, commissioned by Ceaușescu), the Art Nouveau districts of Floreasca and Dorobanți, the Village Museum (open-air museum with 300 peasant buildings), and a booming nightlife and food scene. The 'Little Paris of the Balkans' is regaining its splendour.
Highlights : Palace of the Parliament (Ceaușescu) — guided tour mandatory, Village Museum — 300 open-air peasant houses, Calea Victoriei — Art Nouveau boulevard and Belle Époque palaces.
Travel budget for Romania
Romania is one of the cheapest destinations in the European Union. Bucharest has the lowest cost of living among EU capitals. The leu is stable. Restaurant quality is rising sharply.
- Backpacker : 35–60 €/j — Guesthouse + local restaurant + public transport
- Comfort : 70–130 €/j — 3★ hotel + restaurants + guided tours
Practical tips for travelling to Romania
- Flight from Paris : ~2h45 (Wizz Air, Ryanair, direct Tarom CDG/Beauvais–Bucharest). Also flights to Cluj-Napoca and Timisoara.
- Visa : No visa required — EU (Romania a member since 2007, land Schengen integration in 2024). A French ID card is sufficient.
- Currency : Romanian leu (RON). Bank cards accepted in towns. Cash useful in rural areas and markets.
- Language : Romanian (a Latin language close to French). English spoken by young people. German useful in Transylvania (Saxon heritage).
- Electricity : Type C/F (European) — 230V. No adapter needed.
- Health : No particular precautions needed. EHIC valid. Ticks in the Carpathian forests — cover your legs.
- Brown bears : The Carpathians are home to 6,000 brown bears — the largest population in Europe outside Russia. Don't hike alone deep in the forest. Guides know the areas.
- Roads : Road quality off the motorways varies. The Transfăgărășan (mountain road open June–October) is one of the most beautiful in the world.
Compare Romania with other destinations