Europe By Camper - Travelling Europe By Motorhome: Romania

Guide to Visiting & Driving in Romania with a Motorhome

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This guide is the first in the new format of 'Country Guides' we will write to try and provide some of the information we struggled to obtain while researching our trip to Romania. It is based on our own experiences and is provided in good faith but your own experience and impressions may differ to ours. We hope that you find it of use and encourages you to visit.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Country Facts</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Country Code (RO), Currency RON , Capital Bucharest, Full EU Member (Jan 07). Non-Schengen Country; there are manned border crossings, but no visa requirements for EU citizens. You may be asked for your vehicle documents, there are no import restrictions but there are export limitations for alcohol and tobacco.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh13qpAdknvCO3Z4ovNJSFOmtbAz3yfjAPOee1DOYqaDLF3C3rkqq7TVO_OwKj_F5M15CxDoFUWKdMNa_G21dT0gv0CX9wdYod_09UtkSsLA5jLfjUlUs7jdb-hoaL-Il5v9DZ2bWHe85k/s1600/IMG_6473_4_5_fused.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh13qpAdknvCO3Z4ovNJSFOmtbAz3yfjAPOee1DOYqaDLF3C3rkqq7TVO_OwKj_F5M15CxDoFUWKdMNa_G21dT0gv0CX9wdYod_09UtkSsLA5jLfjUlUs7jdb-hoaL-Il5v9DZ2bWHe85k/s320/IMG_6473_4_5_fused.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Road Vignette Required?</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>YES. </b>You are required to purchase a vignette for all roads immediately upon crossing the border, a camper van comes under a 'Goods Vehicle' unless and the cost for up to 3.5t was €16 for a month or </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">€6 for a week. If you are over 3.5t then the toll will be </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">€52 for a month and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">€20 for a week</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">. We have heard of some people getting through as 'private cars'. As of 2011 you will no longer receive a windscreen sticker, instead your registration will be logged on a database. It is worth entering the office with your registration number already written down and ensure that you get a receipt and the details and dates printed on it are correct. The offices only accept Romanian currency and Euro, not Hungarian Forint despite being on the border and are unlikely to accept card.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Toll Roads</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>YES. </b>Toll roads are rare, however there is one at the Giurgeni – Vadu Oii Bridge over the river Danube on highway DN2A at Vadu Oii and one at the Cernavodă Bridge, on the A2 motorway, a 17 km long section between Feteşti and Cernavodă which consists of two road/railway bridges.</span><br />
<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></b><br />
<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Road
Condition </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #073763; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: yellow; font-family: MingLiU;">★</span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #a6a6a6; font-family: MingLiU;">★★★★</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDWbTVkDdm3EQmD0RFF6eHL2DNZaFyMKxvxUoNQJsn1OW22z3t3go7Z7t_5MeDs7RXXjwhQ5sWtaVZIRXXRWPrFwTJ_ppL38LtfTs6j5BoB38WmowMaJjVeGSKnqQUPWcBkjeYNwtJjCI/s1600/Romania.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDWbTVkDdm3EQmD0RFF6eHL2DNZaFyMKxvxUoNQJsn1OW22z3t3go7Z7t_5MeDs7RXXjwhQ5sWtaVZIRXXRWPrFwTJ_ppL38LtfTs6j5BoB38WmowMaJjVeGSKnqQUPWcBkjeYNwtJjCI/s200/Romania.JPG" width="200" /></a></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Generally Poor.</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> While many of the main
arterial routes are on par with Western Europe many secondary roads deteriorate
quickly often without warning; the size of the potholes are not to be
underestimated! Main roads always pass through villages as there are no such
things as ring roads or by passes and extra care should be taken here. Should
you stray off these roads then the tarmac quickly disappears and gravel roads
are common. If road conditions are a concern plan your route including
stopovers carefully, we didn’t allow roads to limit our exploration and
suffered no permanent damage. </span><b><span style="font-family: 'Wingdings 3';"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Driving
Standard </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #073763;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: yellow; font-family: MingLiU;">★</span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #a6a6a6; font-family: MingLiU;">★★★★</span></span></span><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Generally Poor.</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Expect to encounter
many horse drawn vehicles, homemade contraptions and laughably  overloaded ancient cars and lorries. However
given the quality of the roads and vehicles the average speeds can be
relatively low and with the exception of the Bucharest area the roads are not
sufficiently busy to encounter widespread congestion. That said driving in
Romania can be tiring and stressful and it is worth planning regular breaks and
not expecting to cover large distances in a single day.</span><b><span style="font-family: 'Wingdings 3';"><o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Wingdings 3';">   <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Diesel,
LPG & Autogas<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Limited availability of LPG/Autogas.</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> We
saw an abundance of fresh new fuels stations being built all of which accepted
card and fuel pumped by attendants. Average price of diesel was £1.08 and LPG
50p in Aug 11.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Useful Links:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> LPG / Autogas GPS POI for Romaina (to follow)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Winter
Tyres Required<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">YES.</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> The Romanian Ministry of Travel are looking to
make Winter Tyres compulsory between 1<sup>st</sup> November and 31<sup>st</sup>
March however as of Nov 11 this law has not yet been passed. Given the
country’s infrastructure and ability to keep roads clear it would certainly be
advisable to adhere to these guidelines. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Official
Aires / Service Points </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #073763;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #a6a6a6; font-family: MingLiU;">★</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a6a6a6; font-family: MingLiU;">★</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a6a6a6; font-family: MingLiU;">★</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a6a6a6; font-family: MingLiU;">★★</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>None that we are aware of. </b>Know different? Please get in touch. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Campsites <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #073763;"> </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #073763;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: yellow; font-family: MingLiU;">★★★</span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #a6a6a6; font-family: MingLiU;">★★</span></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Many of the campsites you will find listed are
usually gardens of residential properties purchased by European ex-pats and
usually filled with people from the same nationalities. Prices usually between
£10-£15 however the standards of the facilities can vary greatly but they can
be goldmines of information and links to the local community.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Free
/ Wild Camping </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #073763;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: yellow; font-family: MingLiU;">★★</span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #a6a6a6; font-family: MingLiU;">★★★</span></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #a6a6a6; font-family: MingLiU;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJfZNi8669v1tkvum5r5UfefTDGsAOwRAxdFW5ByLwsAz2F2l77f9f1brUTatfvRZtjre8OsB2Zddlk8A64jeI9uxrU4YG5dPxZzXapIZ_saghWmbNyT95U_kzzi4tihMV7316FUlQRY/s1600/Romania.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJfZNi8669v1tkvum5r5UfefTDGsAOwRAxdFW5ByLwsAz2F2l77f9f1brUTatfvRZtjre8OsB2Zddlk8A64jeI9uxrU4YG5dPxZzXapIZ_saghWmbNyT95U_kzzi4tihMV7316FUlQRY/s200/Romania.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">While free camping is perfectly legal and a
practice embraced by Romanians you are unlikely to be in the company of other
motorhomes while doing so. Locations vary from large open fields near tourist
locations to the inside of hairpin bends on the Transfargen Pass, basically
anywhere big enough to pitch a tent and light a fire. Rubbish in these areas
can be a problem due to lack of infrastructure but don’t let this put you off
since Romanian’s themselves are very friendly. It is worth having some small
token English gifts to hand, perhaps a shot sized Whisky or Shortbread
Biscuits, as we were often on the receiving end of Romanian hospitality but had
nothing suitable to give in return. Ground clearance on access roads can also
be an issue so it is worth carefully considering your entry and exit strategy
if you intend to venture off the paved road. A better strategy for Wild Camping
we found was to plan each day to end at a camp site while looking for a
suitable Free Camp en-route meaning that should be unsuccessful we were sure to
have somewhere to stay instead. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Useful Links:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> <a href="http://www.europebycamper.com/p/wild-camping-gps-poi.html">Our Wild Camping GPS page</a> has some locations for
Romania</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Availability
of Fresh Water </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #073763;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: yellow; font-family: MingLiU;">★★★</span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #a6a6a6; font-family: MingLiU;">★★</span></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #a6a6a6; font-family: MingLiU;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Fresh water is often available from Fuel Stations
and we had no problems drinking from the mains supply. There are occasionally
taps or pumps in villages. Bottled water is available everywhere and in as
large as 10L containers from Supermarkets. </span><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Grey
/ Black Waste Disposal </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #073763;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: yellow; font-family: MingLiU;">★</span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #a6a6a6; font-family: MingLiU;">★★★★</span></span></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #a6a6a6; font-family: MingLiU;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Very few opportunities to dispose of waste, public
conveniences were virtually non-existent. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Price
Index<span style="color: yellow;"> </span></span></b><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #073763; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: yellow; font-family: MingLiU;">★★★★★</span></span><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Owing to being a poor country Romania will appear
incredibly cheap to Western Europeans with entry fees to tourist attractions very low at just £1-2. Typical prices
are: Loaf of Bread: 50p, 600ml Beer: 50p, 500g Meat: £2-3.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Food
/ Supermarkets </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #20124d;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: yellow; font-family: MingLiU;">★★★</span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #a6a6a6; font-family: MingLiU;">★★</span></span></span><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">You will find all of the Western European
supermarkets present in the bigger towns Romania, however some such as Carefour
are expensive even by western standards. Penny Market we found gave a good
selection of Romanian food compared to Lidl which just seemed to stock the
usual, albeit at less than half the price paid in Germany. Do not dismiss the
roadside stalls selling fresh produce and kiosks selling bread, however, some
of the fruit and vegetables purchased were excellent. </span><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Eating
& Drinking Out </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #073763;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: yellow; font-family: MingLiU;">★★★</span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #a6a6a6; font-family: MingLiU;">★★</span></span></span><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">As you would expect the cost of eating and drinking
out in Romania is incredibly low, Romanian cuisine focuses on simple homemade
foods although there are of course the usual outside influences. As a rule of
thumb less touristy the place the more 'genuine' the food. Romanian wine is
excellent however we found the Romanian beer an aquired taste. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Availability
of Open Wifi </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #073763;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: yellow; font-family: MingLiU;">★★★★</span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="ZH-TW" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #a6a6a6; font-family: MingLiU;">★ </span></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #a6a6a6; font-family: MingLiU;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Surprisingly unsecured Wifi was often available in
Cafes and Bars and even more surprising was just how fast it was compared to
the UK! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Useful Links: </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://www.europebycamper.com/2011/04/wi-fi-access-in-europe.html">Our Guide to obtaining Wifi in Europe</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Our
Summary and Posts on Romania:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Romania was an amazing experience and is without a
doubt the most interesting country in Europe willing to reward anyone who
wishes to take it on. In that respect a visit should be likened more to an
adventure then a relaxing holiday.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Our Other Blog Posts on Romania:</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 13px;">
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="http://www.europebycamper.com/search/label/Romania">View all our posts on Romania</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.europebycamper.com/2011/09/romania-in-motorhome-summary-of-our.html">Our 2011 Trip Summary</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.europebycamper.com/2011/08/bucharest.html">Bucharest</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.europebycamper.com/2011/08/transfagarasan-pass-vidraru-dam.html">Transfagarasan Pass & Virdu Dam</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.europebycamper.com/2011/08/sighisoara.html">Sighisoara</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.europebycamper.com/2011/08/bicaz-gorge-and-lacu-rosu.html">Bicaz Gorge and Lacu Rosu</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.europebycamper.com/2011/08/romania-first-impressions.html">Our First Impressions</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</span></div>
</div>
</div>

Guide to Visiting & Driving in Romania with a Motorhome

This guide is the first in the new format of 'Country Guides' we will write to try and provide some of the information we struggled...

Romania in a Motorhome - Summary of our Trip

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjC4QUOywzjkoWq1NvkVheorzR8-Fcas2OcbTDgDNtOyqktTsI3KP7s3gKfNJP53xzYvzn8bI_9dBQj9TXO4ZNwdIYA1uZ4d0XvEyKXB_1IkFmnl0SMUzELLbWaVFkWqnluesA4c0xhw/s1600/Romania+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjC4QUOywzjkoWq1NvkVheorzR8-Fcas2OcbTDgDNtOyqktTsI3KP7s3gKfNJP53xzYvzn8bI_9dBQj9TXO4ZNwdIYA1uZ4d0XvEyKXB_1IkFmnl0SMUzELLbWaVFkWqnluesA4c0xhw/s200/Romania+%25284%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a>We ended up spending 16 days and covering in the region of 1200 miles through Romania in August 2011 and what an experience it has been. The intention of this trip was to provide us with a 'taster' of Eastern Europe as I think it's impossible to attempt to see everything on a single trip and indeed would leave nothing for future trips so in some cases we intentionally missed places which were too far from our planned route.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyRVYRsiaYbkI6-A_QXCnxn50fl9ayY3Jgqnyb0MGiCTga1_U9kRR8p70bi1-k7ck51q6Lr-p4FVFoeb3dn5L2VhMauvc7wG8dRrzGbpRpAix8cX9xEm2LvDheuR2mLV2DeGxgAMVw50/s1600/Romania.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyRVYRsiaYbkI6-A_QXCnxn50fl9ayY3Jgqnyb0MGiCTga1_U9kRR8p70bi1-k7ck51q6Lr-p4FVFoeb3dn5L2VhMauvc7wG8dRrzGbpRpAix8cX9xEm2LvDheuR2mLV2DeGxgAMVw50/s200/Romania.JPG" width="200" /></a>Romania has been everything we had hoped for and more besides - from the moment we crossed the border at Satu Mare from Hungary it was hard to believe we were in Europe at all, never mind still within the European Union. Horse and carts were everywhere, the villages were unlike anything we had seen in previous countries and in some places the roads were terrible!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkYxOFubpXXabl80FnLMYeSCp_iwc0UbLIDmj4fIjPWiQ6f4waBCZNUvA3zXqmzd7HkMOJNKv45Dy_i_j3RsEsolvAODPNfNIhh2LDlL0hdZX51ijVBT3kIJnRLIMKLgWzSvxi_d1CKio/s1600/Romania+%25285%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkYxOFubpXXabl80FnLMYeSCp_iwc0UbLIDmj4fIjPWiQ6f4waBCZNUvA3zXqmzd7HkMOJNKv45Dy_i_j3RsEsolvAODPNfNIhh2LDlL0hdZX51ijVBT3kIJnRLIMKLgWzSvxi_d1CKio/s200/Romania+%25285%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a>If you are travelling in a motorhome of any value it is worth taking some time to carefully plan a route especially when the intention is to deviate too far from main roads. These can vary greatly in quality and in many cases do so irrespective of the grade of road which ranges from A, DX, DN, DJ and to DC. For us the worst strech was when travelling from the top of the <a href="http://www.europebycamper.com/2011/08/transfagarasan-pass-vidraru-dam.html">Transfagarasan Highway</a> towards the Virdu Dam - a video of which can be found on the bottom of our blog post <a href="http://www.europebycamper.com/2011/08/transfagarasan-pass-vidraru-dam.html">here</a> which is surprising given it's popularity with tourists.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXHpXpPbvEMRY_O-q1uUPE8-Nf_KErScTEM-K1_da3q3BakFREjAuAAtFYR0Rq2d-pgFFWnp982YFsK_iHpZyJT3TJbNLtkjcKF3KZkHu7rXa1SzE0_IdJSFy8HwzGnYh3hdYh3S2R6Kc/s1600/Romania+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXHpXpPbvEMRY_O-q1uUPE8-Nf_KErScTEM-K1_da3q3BakFREjAuAAtFYR0Rq2d-pgFFWnp982YFsK_iHpZyJT3TJbNLtkjcKF3KZkHu7rXa1SzE0_IdJSFy8HwzGnYh3hdYh3S2R6Kc/s200/Romania+%25283%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a>Wild Camping is something which is practices by thousands of Romanian's who think nothing of pitching up a tent at the side of the roads or on a hairpin bend! Expect a few curious glances and walk pasts but usually friendly and we had many Romanian's coming up to us offering to share their food, home brewed whisky or asking to borrow a tow rope to pull their Dacia out of a ditch! We would recommend this for mixing with the locals and some of the spots we used are on our Wild Camping pages.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJfZNi8669v1tkvum5r5UfefTDGsAOwRAxdFW5ByLwsAz2F2l77f9f1brUTatfvRZtjre8OsB2Zddlk8A64jeI9uxrU4YG5dPxZzXapIZ_saghWmbNyT95U_kzzi4tihMV7316FUlQRY/s1600/Romania.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJfZNi8669v1tkvum5r5UfefTDGsAOwRAxdFW5ByLwsAz2F2l77f9f1brUTatfvRZtjre8OsB2Zddlk8A64jeI9uxrU4YG5dPxZzXapIZ_saghWmbNyT95U_kzzi4tihMV7316FUlQRY/s200/Romania.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp776-FQwsarr4jmr2mHEKkND8Hs-D-plr5iSHpv0priSAmQmtQXPAzJvD90ZqxGA6UFQqC-1LGL7ZhsNuv2RMDcW1xEk29UU0Rf5NBGvLxLllm3g20aoXfMFN8Z9-Hkk04J4wrbS7WD0/s1600/Romania1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp776-FQwsarr4jmr2mHEKkND8Hs-D-plr5iSHpv0priSAmQmtQXPAzJvD90ZqxGA6UFQqC-1LGL7ZhsNuv2RMDcW1xEk29UU0Rf5NBGvLxLllm3g20aoXfMFN8Z9-Hkk04J4wrbS7WD0/s200/Romania1.jpg" width="200" /></a>Our strategy for Romania and Bulgaria has been to plan a route to a campsite and then look for a free location en-route. This for us takes the stress out of ending up in an area with no free opportunities and in most cases camp sites were well under £10. Invariably a decent free camp will be a little way off the main roads and usually found next to water or more often a dam. This strategy always worked for us and we were always in company of other campers, usually Romanian's in tents but sometimes a small group of Spanish or German van's would roll up too.<br />
<br />
The produce available at the roadside is fresh and a great way to interact with the locals, although we are yet to find out what the yellow liquid in recycled plastic bottles was - answers in the comment section please!<br />
<br />
To read more about our trip, click <a href="http://www.europebycamper.com/search/label/Romania">here to see all our Romanian Posts</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUexT9Yn_mJLu9tNq5h5dEjkOB9vOgcfl2g4orh7zSCfnj3UPYXnjjSXOOZuWE7Lk-ddMc-dlgbsq43fxEjURDGXUrLLsixWSRV-Dacowtv8eOPEg_ErKrbztr7zwMTKO6ARB_GEdtt0E/s1600/Untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUexT9Yn_mJLu9tNq5h5dEjkOB9vOgcfl2g4orh7zSCfnj3UPYXnjjSXOOZuWE7Lk-ddMc-dlgbsq43fxEjURDGXUrLLsixWSRV-Dacowtv8eOPEg_ErKrbztr7zwMTKO6ARB_GEdtt0E/s400/Untitled.png" width="393" /></a></div>
<br /></div>

Romania in a Motorhome - Summary of our Trip

We ended up spending 16 days and covering in the region of 1200 miles through Romania in August 2011 and what an experience it has been. T...

Bucharest

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1IYrRoeyJ6yerjdd41mmnp7nohrZbgufcVUNAezh_Wev3Ors-oNwghhCm-7bk0S29OGDnQCvWMR5YX6vxApqGaQbnOvNRlB1qwoTia7ZROF-R5aV7j_Hge2Kl9i47YGus266Ucxuc-lI/s1600/Bucharest+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1IYrRoeyJ6yerjdd41mmnp7nohrZbgufcVUNAezh_Wev3Ors-oNwghhCm-7bk0S29OGDnQCvWMR5YX6vxApqGaQbnOvNRlB1qwoTia7ZROF-R5aV7j_Hge2Kl9i47YGus266Ucxuc-lI/s320/Bucharest+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
We arrived in Bucharest on the Saturday but didn't fancy visiting the capital until the Monday, which posed the problem of where do we stay. We made our way to the campsite at the north of the city - Camping Casa Alba. I use the term campsite in the loosest sense of the word, since it is actually a 1970's holiday cabin type campsite with a carpark where caravans and motorhomes can stay. There was a large Belgian tour there when we visited. However, should the mood take you, you can park round the back of the restaurant Casa Alba in the large park area behind - we did so for two days, only moving to the security of the "site" to leave our van to venture into the city. Cost £16/day with EHU.<br />
<br />
We were going to have a guide for the city, but we've misplaced his details (Michael, get in touch!) so we had to go it alone. We tried tried the bus for a couple of stops but decided when we had to change we would just get a taxi instead. Taxi's are all Dacia's (naturally) and are between 1.39 and 1.69 LEI per KM or about 60p a mile. Our driver was sipping whiskey and smoking for most of the journey but we arrived in central Bucharest in one piece, physically at least.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqA-35I-JxGlgQWx_9piObwX9TqWAmkPBqziQcU3R6Ba2BihvCOOucYi86hFIQZ1uGtgDaLbzfzWD8emnuFesY8H-1SLBoKk7pe3ENfR134DLQo6kydaaokWhfktXFKyxpwoOLlPah8p0/s1600/Bucharest+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqA-35I-JxGlgQWx_9piObwX9TqWAmkPBqziQcU3R6Ba2BihvCOOucYi86hFIQZ1uGtgDaLbzfzWD8emnuFesY8H-1SLBoKk7pe3ENfR134DLQo6kydaaokWhfktXFKyxpwoOLlPah8p0/s200/Bucharest+5.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYNXZpWAYW7VXoJeQ17aqwOmkkQ4TBuXD5TtCmjUTh85Ru3Bi96T8KgGzepWb3IhgMSS42uYe1LxgmSKVr8AgsimglrZBGECCjtVBqEbHeEdd8xRLSwLhP4_UvwUfhZOLZDWNr9pOrYZg/s1600/Bucharest+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYNXZpWAYW7VXoJeQ17aqwOmkkQ4TBuXD5TtCmjUTh85Ru3Bi96T8KgGzepWb3IhgMSS42uYe1LxgmSKVr8AgsimglrZBGECCjtVBqEbHeEdd8xRLSwLhP4_UvwUfhZOLZDWNr9pOrYZg/s200/Bucharest+2.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcDjcRc4sIS4qMPdxLa49syHimOFpz68r0v78L1AJMLpH_lSHa5hLka8FXRNuQjDvSHnj3cpQkhBVbm38Tw-AJlPaZTVg5vypRORUz8MFlNOzJO3K7pZZREn4x3iYTixS2tiAplfD4kdI/s1600/Bucharest+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcDjcRc4sIS4qMPdxLa49syHimOFpz68r0v78L1AJMLpH_lSHa5hLka8FXRNuQjDvSHnj3cpQkhBVbm38Tw-AJlPaZTVg5vypRORUz8MFlNOzJO3K7pZZREn4x3iYTixS2tiAplfD4kdI/s200/Bucharest+6.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFhIaDB432hyJudcWHNwppYkwqHV_Yld9vJG5qkdZAyVLD2fBnwvL_j8yeKl1jlCHQQVD36edlDTx6mt60psIU2NFGkkztxjLt7eZNFuBv4wJ0yyDzM6DSOAuv0FIOYEzse2RO_lN90ho/s1600/Bucharest+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFhIaDB432hyJudcWHNwppYkwqHV_Yld9vJG5qkdZAyVLD2fBnwvL_j8yeKl1jlCHQQVD36edlDTx6mt60psIU2NFGkkztxjLt7eZNFuBv4wJ0yyDzM6DSOAuv0FIOYEzse2RO_lN90ho/s200/Bucharest+3.JPG" width="200" /></a>The traffic could be likened to that of St Petersburg and there is an almost complete absence of tourists of any kind. While we were getting our bearings Sophie spotted a modern looking hairdressers and stopped so we could both have a cut - Sophie's first since home and my first since Estonia. Being a trendy Toni and Guy type outfit we were both treated to a wash, blow dry and cut and finish for just over £20 for both of us - it felt good to have some TLC!<br />
<br />
We made our way to The Palace of Parliament which is undoubtedly Bucharest's #1 landmark, a huge building of 1,100 rooms and 12 stories tall and costing over $10bn to build. It's construction was never finished and much of the interior remains empty after the regime change of 1989.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheB5m1Mn_VpkcEJY-iUQd6130jA8j_S5oriXGw5vQaiHHaPywvaoj_z-oQ4wpiIm_3giXwdWxhxtSQbwTQQvOWk7VC17WnTDng4hCl8hlREZTsZcAwa8wrhG3hqIdaDjZksBJ-ZCs62cg/s1600/Bucharest+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheB5m1Mn_VpkcEJY-iUQd6130jA8j_S5oriXGw5vQaiHHaPywvaoj_z-oQ4wpiIm_3giXwdWxhxtSQbwTQQvOWk7VC17WnTDng4hCl8hlREZTsZcAwa8wrhG3hqIdaDjZksBJ-ZCs62cg/s200/Bucharest+4.JPG" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuylc9v3BYOd4yjZlQmdznzbTX99yfKWW-4WmYIjD3bcxO_JOASn4q687E2WbGe4gQVNt4BouN0SRGGnP5vXu1HCbmvuD-_-mVoQiFWstwepYogpwnzn8VVoeeMzxy_8A_wL2Sp9XepnI/s1600/Bucharest+7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuylc9v3BYOd4yjZlQmdznzbTX99yfKWW-4WmYIjD3bcxO_JOASn4q687E2WbGe4gQVNt4BouN0SRGGnP5vXu1HCbmvuD-_-mVoQiFWstwepYogpwnzn8VVoeeMzxy_8A_wL2Sp9XepnI/s200/Bucharest+7.JPG" width="200" /></a>While we were stood admiring the Palace when we were passed by an open topped Sightseeing Bus. Definitely not our usual method of seeing a capital, we usually rack up at least 5 miles on foot but we decided to hop on and see where it took us. The fee was modest (£5 each) compared to some tours and we did a lap and a half around the sights. I'd love to get into the thick of Bucharest one day but I think we're a little tired of big cities and this trip has defined that we are very much country / outdoors people - if we didn't know that already.<br />
<br />
We spotted a Hard Rock Cafe and, having never visited one anywhere, stopped off for some tea - a Legendary Burger and a Rack of Ribs for Sophie.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigZsvZR92lPmxVa-Mmgn4YVA8UTj5MW3GnyxgTZbN_OlFoRUBT9JweCVlVMVTldgY5_X9Rv5ollRD5F-8OldGmqc3l1WLsKtV6fNmt7WGwRKTrambxOBlSSsb5ojWlzkEyk4wzuunu-Nw/s1600/Bucharest+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigZsvZR92lPmxVa-Mmgn4YVA8UTj5MW3GnyxgTZbN_OlFoRUBT9JweCVlVMVTldgY5_X9Rv5ollRD5F-8OldGmqc3l1WLsKtV6fNmt7WGwRKTrambxOBlSSsb5ojWlzkEyk4wzuunu-Nw/s320/Bucharest+8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaNgUE55QOhHdkF05yhN79dLxuCtx-1AYxSPpRHOezwRk04m8TOSt3C56JLZVPLpBg7Z0Up59zmCgGjVbeX6uKu04QrBTBKOYl0c7_2gFr4neoYLfobWGjnU7o6OAE3JfcgtXEoK6zc54/s1600/Peles+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaNgUE55QOhHdkF05yhN79dLxuCtx-1AYxSPpRHOezwRk04m8TOSt3C56JLZVPLpBg7Z0Up59zmCgGjVbeX6uKu04QrBTBKOYl0c7_2gFr4neoYLfobWGjnU7o6OAE3JfcgtXEoK6zc54/s200/Peles+1.jpg" width="200" /></a>We also stopped off at Peles Castle in Sinaia on the way down to Bucharest which was built in 1873 and completed in 1914. The sun hasn't stopped shining for the past 2/3 weeks and the day we visited wasn't an exception. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpdRtsqjyjuJQtc_VEZq45pJ-FvjUsHmjuLY-_aZCZKyST76O5MGeNrGNEh5IbA1ncWMxfxZB0d2FEfedTU5Equ6JWlUtvnsRLrUVoD3NQaTrQnNUpqYvQr-8OkxJhxscBlQJmJ7aUqI/s1600/Peles+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpdRtsqjyjuJQtc_VEZq45pJ-FvjUsHmjuLY-_aZCZKyST76O5MGeNrGNEh5IbA1ncWMxfxZB0d2FEfedTU5Equ6JWlUtvnsRLrUVoD3NQaTrQnNUpqYvQr-8OkxJhxscBlQJmJ7aUqI/s200/Peles+3.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizKTlrQIzg01ibnJYsrCxkBTx8VQTuDgA0IE4rHM5-ALA0_ciQsZfeb1YDyukeZENW5D58-ALD940Sdf37IthmGdE-UarUFg2GfxFNSnU3Qjfz94BrzcMBRNWKWL_XvEA6O7FizETE8XE/s1600/Peles+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizKTlrQIzg01ibnJYsrCxkBTx8VQTuDgA0IE4rHM5-ALA0_ciQsZfeb1YDyukeZENW5D58-ALD940Sdf37IthmGdE-UarUFg2GfxFNSnU3Qjfz94BrzcMBRNWKWL_XvEA6O7FizETE8XE/s200/Peles+4.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>

Bucharest

We arrived in Bucharest on the Saturday but didn't fancy visiting the capital until the Monday, which posed the problem of where d...

Transfagarasan Pass & Vidraru Dam

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>UPDATE 6th September: Scroll Down for HD Videos!!</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRM3SGT3Be6qIUXuG7sdm6jv8JIJ3CjhIxzrp3DWLnxXyJh-wIBdnZLpUGX8kYcQ8VVBJpoLJ4qj05WFHBJq7oYyZLaWIfZc_r3cxPcsVRckYGsOn93BbWtcB1bY3Dx9BEXMAGMYh-8zo/s1600/Transfagarsan2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRM3SGT3Be6qIUXuG7sdm6jv8JIJ3CjhIxzrp3DWLnxXyJh-wIBdnZLpUGX8kYcQ8VVBJpoLJ4qj05WFHBJq7oYyZLaWIfZc_r3cxPcsVRckYGsOn93BbWtcB1bY3Dx9BEXMAGMYh-8zo/s320/Transfagarsan2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
A visit to Romania wouldn't be complete without a trip on the Transfagarasan pass, famed by Top Gear as the best driving road in the world we decided that we'd have to have a go for ourselves.</div>
<br />
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY9VeKbMuRlzV_xEbbWoAjpxE-8WlpQdHfsakHx9PS-aLlzhqNTBsD4cUyRu83W9uEma75WJuokdJ_xG-GBKLpxsfOgMNrxlOIIlDM3WBf2N1lL6MXIK1N7DeTkUuKLp7-ZojFb6gCzPk/s1600/Transfagarsan1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY9VeKbMuRlzV_xEbbWoAjpxE-8WlpQdHfsakHx9PS-aLlzhqNTBsD4cUyRu83W9uEma75WJuokdJ_xG-GBKLpxsfOgMNrxlOIIlDM3WBf2N1lL6MXIK1N7DeTkUuKLp7-ZojFb6gCzPk/s200/Transfagarsan1.JPG" width="200" /></a>Probably not the best idea then, with hindsight, to do a big shop and fill our 90L water tank before attempting the assent. Had it not been for our remap I'm not entirely sure we would have made it up at all but as it turned out we gave a few Dacia's a run for their money that's for sure! We've made a video of the best bit - about 6min long and in HD but until we find some decent wifi that'll have to wait I'm afraid!</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQpHIXaJPdmMtjyE-_04pci8qOMBWg0Zo6-LohIakbTQ-PkO0rvhnJWuKXRZiCD4o5yrxMPADeImBUzBINi3bwAcUzLuhhCsg-LWqmqZD9R8lLgw3_E58LRSKsfw0YVyV09Ot-DlIci_o/s1600/Transfagarsan3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQpHIXaJPdmMtjyE-_04pci8qOMBWg0Zo6-LohIakbTQ-PkO0rvhnJWuKXRZiCD4o5yrxMPADeImBUzBINi3bwAcUzLuhhCsg-LWqmqZD9R8lLgw3_E58LRSKsfw0YVyV09Ot-DlIci_o/s200/Transfagarsan3.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAzIMOl_AcYBndT0-_oFcBJlcsyCNT-Nvmm0fzigAICAnBjEkY8XErpjgYEfn8U7wEY8sTF7GyygthB7lLrx9Zrd6-DmWXPAfKIOkaNK4ETNFs4cpOdzvr9PqXEVkxkpHC8pjE8g2tndU/s1600/Transfagarsan4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAzIMOl_AcYBndT0-_oFcBJlcsyCNT-Nvmm0fzigAICAnBjEkY8XErpjgYEfn8U7wEY8sTF7GyygthB7lLrx9Zrd6-DmWXPAfKIOkaNK4ETNFs4cpOdzvr9PqXEVkxkpHC8pjE8g2tndU/s200/Transfagarsan4.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The road itself is in great condition, compared to some of the roads and passes we've driven on, aside from the barriers which are absent in many crucial places. The Romanian's had taken it upon themselves to setup tents in some various risky looking places, should anyone end up coming off I dread to think of the consequences.</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Once you arrive at the top you are greeted by... chaos. Tat sellers and a choice of either pay for parking or do as the locals and abandon it on the road and wander off to look at sheep skins and bread! There was however a large glacial lake called Balea at the top of the pass with a zip wire which ran from one side of the mountain to the other (only for the brave ones!) We pondered over Wild Camping here and probably could have done but we decided to press on and put some further distance in to try and find somewhere to stay for a few days.</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTowvOWaH7PL3ACDIkrv1zr5EyG5eO6s3BeA2JsFLf3QYhjsAajW3mm0SycaghY_GkzoG6wmTUUj4KVp-Ele5ATawy24b-cQneM2clCxJtGT_a30v22jn-Jowe95733f18sN2RjyLehRs/s1600/Untitled_Panorama1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTowvOWaH7PL3ACDIkrv1zr5EyG5eO6s3BeA2JsFLf3QYhjsAajW3mm0SycaghY_GkzoG6wmTUUj4KVp-Ele5ATawy24b-cQneM2clCxJtGT_a30v22jn-Jowe95733f18sN2RjyLehRs/s320/Untitled_Panorama1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
After Transfagarasan the next major landmark is Vidraru Dam also of Top Gear fame. However what Top Gear didn't show you is the road connecting the two which is without a doubt the worst road we have ever driven on, with cars abandoned with flat tyres and sump damage everywhere - except for Dacia's that is! We made a video of this road also and will update once uploaded.</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguh7HOYNISWG8VpTfo4-uyISEB_RJQQ2P2Of1dXAlTEU7loD_UbUVZZTckp_unwZtQCx1tGAH5rA8EKhA5qaefG7Uj8tmhf1Lt3VbJos03d2nY4xWMqR5BmYb7V0uHUbDqX_W8PJZjRWU/s1600/Dam1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguh7HOYNISWG8VpTfo4-uyISEB_RJQQ2P2Of1dXAlTEU7loD_UbUVZZTckp_unwZtQCx1tGAH5rA8EKhA5qaefG7Uj8tmhf1Lt3VbJos03d2nY4xWMqR5BmYb7V0uHUbDqX_W8PJZjRWU/s200/Dam1.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh9UVs3VovTIXKtUfC8uppOYBmVcRgiaDPVK4vZB_M-gW8IbgbET1i4h11FpzpKuRbeGquLKGn0ON7LbK5cCCqTfenSDkLY02VObpRSIf6JqACXBY4437GcP_Sd_1QjvET9Cn8vVpmL-Q/s1600/Transfagarsan6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh9UVs3VovTIXKtUfC8uppOYBmVcRgiaDPVK4vZB_M-gW8IbgbET1i4h11FpzpKuRbeGquLKGn0ON7LbK5cCCqTfenSDkLY02VObpRSIf6JqACXBY4437GcP_Sd_1QjvET9Cn8vVpmL-Q/s200/Transfagarsan6.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgafiU-gcrzpBY-KSqVoM8Ul5tbqmvGMLEdZXTzboblCUXYF7A-ULbcc7kZHuJQe0Z9D2YkcmW_kmGjE4Nf77OSMxPDvhwWbeF237wcX33QrFtCPw9DMDt-DXQUU1VNxgh3TOk4UeqSF8/s1600/Transfagarsan5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgafiU-gcrzpBY-KSqVoM8Ul5tbqmvGMLEdZXTzboblCUXYF7A-ULbcc7kZHuJQe0Z9D2YkcmW_kmGjE4Nf77OSMxPDvhwWbeF237wcX33QrFtCPw9DMDt-DXQUU1VNxgh3TOk4UeqSF8/s200/Transfagarsan5.jpg" width="133" /></a>I would sincerely recommend that, unless this road improves you don't take a motorhome of any value down it or if you do take it very, very steady unlike like the convoy of 4 Spanish vans we saw. If you see a motorhome body on the back of a horse and cart with Spanish plates on it I can tell you where it came from!            The dam itself is impressive although the power ranger statue (Prometheus, a greek titan) was a little odd, but we were getting pretty tied by this point. Just around the corner is a large camping area where we pitched up and were joined by the Spanish vans. 'Tourist Tax' of 5LEI (£1) was paid willingly and we stayed there for two days to recover! </div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GIvmyRGG0wo" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
However, after the Pass the roads deteriorate quite significantly! </div>
</div>
<blockquote>
</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/x-Iah4ZCrA8" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
Cetatea Poenari GPS: (45.34383, 24.63515) - On the way down the pass (south side) there is a small designated camping area next to the river which is £1 per night which goes towards keeping the area clean ie: free rubbish bags etc. </div>
</div>
</div>

Transfagarasan Pass & Vidraru Dam

UPDATE 6th September: Scroll Down for HD Videos!! A visit to Romania wouldn't be complete without a trip on the Transfagarasan pa...

Sighisoara

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeqci_IxLnyJ7b1uZ8eHpDJWZG9MtTVZyPVP-ozTEEpBeHenbI9vafi2eRV8knTMyilL0UdVAIY2Kgp_U7wBFty8RS-YTSSRG2a8cN3DFYehyolJh_dQw02088kUCeDf14bIdqTH_GhqY/s1600/Sighisoara+%252815%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeqci_IxLnyJ7b1uZ8eHpDJWZG9MtTVZyPVP-ozTEEpBeHenbI9vafi2eRV8knTMyilL0UdVAIY2Kgp_U7wBFty8RS-YTSSRG2a8cN3DFYehyolJh_dQw02088kUCeDf14bIdqTH_GhqY/s400/Sighisoara+%252815%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Sighisoara was our first 'proper' Romanian village, having driven through many smaller villages and a few medium sized which held no real interest Lonely Planet lead us to the wonderful village of Sighisoara.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiU__fsVmf5gy6Fmsyo7KwHH_Ti_IDSIT6mgKfrWylvhP0walOVNmOqiVcGaQTaR1AM7ke6fXhD1BPnCDVe933hBtrWr7KNHvi39cxvhUKtCzAMr2U-m_bo_2kzNRgxha2T55c-6Iv5Cc/s1600/Sighisoara+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiU__fsVmf5gy6Fmsyo7KwHH_Ti_IDSIT6mgKfrWylvhP0walOVNmOqiVcGaQTaR1AM7ke6fXhD1BPnCDVe933hBtrWr7KNHvi39cxvhUKtCzAMr2U-m_bo_2kzNRgxha2T55c-6Iv5Cc/s200/Sighisoara+%25283%2529.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjleyWerLm5jzBKwTDfTR2BDUes-MPAGpAtPCnaFDuIsimnRi4srP68iWPj82l0va1ouci81ErUCjODf7oErKxyCZFEJ-CZOME1aZKKUMCMo1s0tqjjOlZhS8ARc-bHaL_w7tyFVhJbJEo/s1600/Sighisoara+%25289%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjleyWerLm5jzBKwTDfTR2BDUes-MPAGpAtPCnaFDuIsimnRi4srP68iWPj82l0va1ouci81ErUCjODf7oErKxyCZFEJ-CZOME1aZKKUMCMo1s0tqjjOlZhS8ARc-bHaL_w7tyFVhJbJEo/s200/Sighisoara+%25289%2529.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYCw1DtNid2lyFLBU7ucVh4b8ynbXJDemhVcC1LmZzUhv0StbD8bw_9VxqLleLlBhy4ld77U7C6OUeSywL5xnat2VcjjPXcezWogr_cj1hekChYkihwZc5nUYfRdGK5Mjth0PMI4-4-jg/s1600/Sighisoara+%252810%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYCw1DtNid2lyFLBU7ucVh4b8ynbXJDemhVcC1LmZzUhv0StbD8bw_9VxqLleLlBhy4ld77U7C6OUeSywL5xnat2VcjjPXcezWogr_cj1hekChYkihwZc5nUYfRdGK5Mjth0PMI4-4-jg/s200/Sighisoara+%252810%2529.JPG" width="133" /></a></div>
Sighisoara is a medieval fortified town, during the 12th Century merchants and craftsmen occupied the town and the famous Clock Tower was built in 1280 - it has now been added to the UNESCO World Heritage list. Behind the clock tower there is plate honoring Vlad Dracul which marks the house where "Vlad the Impaler" was allegedly born.<br />
<br />
There is also an old staircase leading up to the Church on top of the hill which was built in 1642 and was used to ease the rush of students heading to what used to be a school on top of the hill.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMhWepow3mwoKAFQGEhAhCk7oJuUliUeMnl4j22KJpTaoj5ghG467VmsQdZ6tvBPxAcJm7zn5jfBq2WBJ92CpkG-ttxFtNXppMUCp3taP_eIQwwO-JwVu_qn3PPHOv7-HvEh4-xJWAJgQ/s1600/Sighisoara+%25288%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMhWepow3mwoKAFQGEhAhCk7oJuUliUeMnl4j22KJpTaoj5ghG467VmsQdZ6tvBPxAcJm7zn5jfBq2WBJ92CpkG-ttxFtNXppMUCp3taP_eIQwwO-JwVu_qn3PPHOv7-HvEh4-xJWAJgQ/s200/Sighisoara+%25288%2529.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkfoYzvBJdEiv7LN3etROqGsOIO0gEOuHVZwPXGPbu8uXyPPO1TwenohG41jzQAwCtCPuZWQZQ6P3srgPteD0zSPRgIbM28xI31m763MK7JA4eYfjYfuETZr8hJa3gvZNAkuPx613hZD8/s1600/Sighisoara.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkfoYzvBJdEiv7LN3etROqGsOIO0gEOuHVZwPXGPbu8uXyPPO1TwenohG41jzQAwCtCPuZWQZQ6P3srgPteD0zSPRgIbM28xI31m763MK7JA4eYfjYfuETZr8hJa3gvZNAkuPx613hZD8/s200/Sighisoara.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_qiSGyN0tDErDYeyHLEsRBsWUPcxyy8mq_aVwOCQ2KQ236v_6T7NE8QMoN4U8_2qiOjfbGogU_mDyHlgt3js_UsmViYhFneiV3hrsF89e9uwetGj028fuVsCSAuddnguQZmZTdD9cnNc/s1600/Sighisoara+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_qiSGyN0tDErDYeyHLEsRBsWUPcxyy8mq_aVwOCQ2KQ236v_6T7NE8QMoN4U8_2qiOjfbGogU_mDyHlgt3js_UsmViYhFneiV3hrsF89e9uwetGj028fuVsCSAuddnguQZmZTdD9cnNc/s200/Sighisoara+%25282%2529.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
The first challenge of the day was parking, we found a good central road side spot but the signs said we needed to pay but we weren't sure how. Eventually we found a guy in a high-vis handing out tickets which looked like lottery scratch cards. Did we want an hour (30p) or a day (£1) - we opted for a day!<br />
<br />
Once again another scorcher of a day - easily topping the 30's today I'd imagine without so much as a breeze. We began to explore Sighisoara, the birthplace of Dracula. It was surprisingly un-touristy and the Citadel old town with it's maze of streets and the clock tower with it's views over the town held our interest for considerably longer then many places we have visited.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Ws9NnuRQr0EDcaeSrVhrujBvFj0bMcVRehIBCzcD5w-vE7Sa_O4PW75i3ryObkJlbbrI_2Pa_ArIXrprj-674EtPi6AD0q9lberNEQ4cyMCyFUdAD1SEGa5CZ-_448qScW26zeZDfdA/s1600/Sighisoara+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Ws9NnuRQr0EDcaeSrVhrujBvFj0bMcVRehIBCzcD5w-vE7Sa_O4PW75i3ryObkJlbbrI_2Pa_ArIXrprj-674EtPi6AD0q9lberNEQ4cyMCyFUdAD1SEGa5CZ-_448qScW26zeZDfdA/s200/Sighisoara+%25284%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLOfwzcsef4Y-rT3caC7bw72Qu-i1nZ7sYQ9F-w-cxrZzC72lTHSHLYYPxE5clEQg067iRFBUXpjxmZcUNH7ApGYDBRq8ygtxFiWCrxESn25FlqA46pXNtAHpxEkp5M6AZk7eqNbITIkk/s1600/Sighisoara+%25285%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLOfwzcsef4Y-rT3caC7bw72Qu-i1nZ7sYQ9F-w-cxrZzC72lTHSHLYYPxE5clEQg067iRFBUXpjxmZcUNH7ApGYDBRq8ygtxFiWCrxESn25FlqA46pXNtAHpxEkp5M6AZk7eqNbITIkk/s200/Sighisoara+%25285%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFtDYM56YG3WE_XgbbpSrS_eJ94mtvKQDF54B8Cgsv0RHTthWwwrwMTsDpUqNV6HkzvCEZA6cD3bmQFCMSRuUwjCbnRh_PR1A_vp2U4-YLDxfKWAjWMsVXSin_yZ8S1ZdFJ3CNqBJwDLk/s1600/Sighisoara+%252812%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFtDYM56YG3WE_XgbbpSrS_eJ94mtvKQDF54B8Cgsv0RHTthWwwrwMTsDpUqNV6HkzvCEZA6cD3bmQFCMSRuUwjCbnRh_PR1A_vp2U4-YLDxfKWAjWMsVXSin_yZ8S1ZdFJ3CNqBJwDLk/s200/Sighisoara+%252812%2529.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhZ350lIv-JJZi3yFy4v6-nWVyjHiVT7EgwNfVcYf1tnA9BcSW382eY_bgIWwF0F2K85it4wd8Wt39fM6p0Uou5SgJYPmVOHEgG16nnuUHyc4XcLrbqQKMzVKuWvzCKzVeGsYAuAomVyg/s1600/Sighisoara+%252811%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhZ350lIv-JJZi3yFy4v6-nWVyjHiVT7EgwNfVcYf1tnA9BcSW382eY_bgIWwF0F2K85it4wd8Wt39fM6p0Uou5SgJYPmVOHEgG16nnuUHyc4XcLrbqQKMzVKuWvzCKzVeGsYAuAomVyg/s200/Sighisoara+%252811%2529.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgiGstdTJZXE6DrPl4e00Z3eN0QqVcGLMHecAvzIJ2Baf_l-Dh5D-AKiLa93wSjEathyphenhyphenZ_gqRSbdkfBO3mO4EbExgyQwt6DBV0f6XDm5aIPt5zS7liywn911gzXHsvNz2eRTs_SiHXkCA/s1600/Sighisoara+%25287%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgiGstdTJZXE6DrPl4e00Z3eN0QqVcGLMHecAvzIJ2Baf_l-Dh5D-AKiLa93wSjEathyphenhyphenZ_gqRSbdkfBO3mO4EbExgyQwt6DBV0f6XDm5aIPt5zS7liywn911gzXHsvNz2eRTs_SiHXkCA/s200/Sighisoara+%25287%2529.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<br />
 We took a gamble on the roads towards Sibiu which paid off and we were treated to villages full of Romanian's, or Roma's, in their traditional red dress. We took a few photographs but owing to the sun and our windscreen caked with flies none of the shots came out too well!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2MTnRA11zni8A3VYO9agPWjPs3O2n_ZDg_OdbDEeZdbkv67DIzcHohEbFRHquXszkjMD-FSAWpgLq4ojF332IZmBQq5zREBz6R9IA8alYi5oK-QrN0Dw3uTVr-HCRrBZyATinCeCeTc/s1600/Sighisoara+%252814%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2MTnRA11zni8A3VYO9agPWjPs3O2n_ZDg_OdbDEeZdbkv67DIzcHohEbFRHquXszkjMD-FSAWpgLq4ojF332IZmBQq5zREBz6R9IA8alYi5oK-QrN0Dw3uTVr-HCRrBZyATinCeCeTc/s200/Sighisoara+%252814%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZL8fx_hQIQaVP5kPbP5hddM7u2b1U4UC0Ygdu-m60yq0QQqedJilyBi5ZVUe62AlkDos8mytybRSDVsquaYXbAKqsiM7ScLbtU9mohxBaaFbcnYJK9MED05cODVIt0SQB7Kss23TEXbw/s1600/Sighisoara+%252813%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZL8fx_hQIQaVP5kPbP5hddM7u2b1U4UC0Ygdu-m60yq0QQqedJilyBi5ZVUe62AlkDos8mytybRSDVsquaYXbAKqsiM7ScLbtU9mohxBaaFbcnYJK9MED05cODVIt0SQB7Kss23TEXbw/s200/Sighisoara+%252813%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
Once back on the main road we spent an hour or so looking for a Wild spot but didn't find anything that took our fancy, so we ended up on a small Dutch run campsite for the night.

Sighisoara

Sighisoara was our first 'proper' Romanian village, having driven through many smaller villages and a few medium sized which h...

Bicaz Gorge and Lacu Rosu

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-l6WE8wykEOINRwYiXYIDnNk4ZjQXtiW_Dzlcqsc6k9VOi_9U_perugEIOhoyIL0ywPRjmEp0MBWNmo94jkE63Ux4wb_slmlgOUszykLLuS_aaXaSf-GRUX4JDlVR2TxeC_JlOuw_C-8/s1600/Bicaz+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-l6WE8wykEOINRwYiXYIDnNk4ZjQXtiW_Dzlcqsc6k9VOi_9U_perugEIOhoyIL0ywPRjmEp0MBWNmo94jkE63Ux4wb_slmlgOUszykLLuS_aaXaSf-GRUX4JDlVR2TxeC_JlOuw_C-8/s320/Bicaz+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
We ended up staying 3 nights at our Wild Camping spot the Voronet Monastery as the weather was (and still is) fantastic here in Romania. When we left we headed towards the Bicaz Gorge first passing over the Bicaz Lake Hydroelectric Dam which gave some dramatic views to the surrounding area.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWi8kuOV_JNcCfjb_BjNp4a97A6GU7xQSkOfCzR2W8Uf5g_3LW-sr3iefuUnEmhgSdocCI9J17UMVY78iMHcaN3fChAXDRdwcK6zgl3Aq_8_zFHslBJXWzNXi4XdsvqYQltg_3tv4l2lM/s1600/Bicaz+Lake+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWi8kuOV_JNcCfjb_BjNp4a97A6GU7xQSkOfCzR2W8Uf5g_3LW-sr3iefuUnEmhgSdocCI9J17UMVY78iMHcaN3fChAXDRdwcK6zgl3Aq_8_zFHslBJXWzNXi4XdsvqYQltg_3tv4l2lM/s200/Bicaz+Lake+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQHpXDS8zO23jA8n0em3I7xbYLr9hxVUCWqUWCO5bJRMKwdxHKLuzUaZbcvGo535w99r0sbdTb8QWmYKHRNFQzqK3L7soxnPRamjB0JXLylTUb_aUamP0RXOCrZOvK_Jd9Q6KrKzvDW2Q/s1600/Bicaz+%25282%2529+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQHpXDS8zO23jA8n0em3I7xbYLr9hxVUCWqUWCO5bJRMKwdxHKLuzUaZbcvGo535w99r0sbdTb8QWmYKHRNFQzqK3L7soxnPRamjB0JXLylTUb_aUamP0RXOCrZOvK_Jd9Q6KrKzvDW2Q/s200/Bicaz+%25282%2529+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
Bicaz Gorge initially felt very similar to Cheddar Gorge back at home, however once we entered it was clear it is on a much grander scale with the windy road and overhanging rocks adding to the effect. There is also much more 'tourist tat' here then had Cheddar but then this is one of the main sights here in Romania so it is to be expected. On request we took a short video, but the sun and our mounting arrangements weren't in our favor - promise we'll try and do better for the Transfăgărășan Highway!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir5Dnr99ggVT9x3vGTfIEoVGjqhGFap4XPOnrXNVUCHrZRvM7HCEsioEWGQzyKRB9TlOr6KJE6J5SQ28qsWaKZpdSX0AF5U493tSBqbKcCMbvKSpDW7w_nGmX83Uds5NxsAJB-LeVdBi0/s1600/B+Gorge+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir5Dnr99ggVT9x3vGTfIEoVGjqhGFap4XPOnrXNVUCHrZRvM7HCEsioEWGQzyKRB9TlOr6KJE6J5SQ28qsWaKZpdSX0AF5U493tSBqbKcCMbvKSpDW7w_nGmX83Uds5NxsAJB-LeVdBi0/s200/B+Gorge+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiawxDdN0IR6hEm4Qh9XA2VYgyJF_S7a0OHhK-cvHpu0tGfLMRm_Hj0lf_llXGqKYDcAOiER2Gk1J3gTOMeMWIfde5ZrF7SlXl9_q8v2Ln3QBq-FjxMx3fjQoYC69CD9M2vHXHxA3UNA_o/s1600/Bicaz+Gorge+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiawxDdN0IR6hEm4Qh9XA2VYgyJF_S7a0OHhK-cvHpu0tGfLMRm_Hj0lf_llXGqKYDcAOiER2Gk1J3gTOMeMWIfde5ZrF7SlXl9_q8v2Ln3QBq-FjxMx3fjQoYC69CD9M2vHXHxA3UNA_o/s200/Bicaz+Gorge+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgViHDDRr84AvndSHF2f83kF61ewZkj_KUVM8HsqU6O-0XEGvNpU8A8arf3D5pD5843y1y9LH5YM2fqg3KdsiKZ7M6HMSfj8jQ43-GnaP161E759VLNlKPNcV91L7c-ZZFrhSO7TKKIwu0/s1600/Gorge+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgViHDDRr84AvndSHF2f83kF61ewZkj_KUVM8HsqU6O-0XEGvNpU8A8arf3D5pD5843y1y9LH5YM2fqg3KdsiKZ7M6HMSfj8jQ43-GnaP161E759VLNlKPNcV91L7c-ZZFrhSO7TKKIwu0/s200/Gorge+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wQgGQWAtgcNQFmpbesBis3vsIrXsTWA7B0JqshZczZNAyHZBaWAvTcExocksqfjrTFh6kHYPyoct7P9ORtt_Ma_8KzwwxbfygfkAoZ0abjv6wEDk9sR-h9G_smqWf8vKlgqb8EjBHfw/s1600/Lacu+Rosu+%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wQgGQWAtgcNQFmpbesBis3vsIrXsTWA7B0JqshZczZNAyHZBaWAvTcExocksqfjrTFh6kHYPyoct7P9ORtt_Ma_8KzwwxbfygfkAoZ0abjv6wEDk9sR-h9G_smqWf8vKlgqb8EjBHfw/s200/Lacu+Rosu+%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
Afterwards we visited Lacu Rosu which means "Red Lake" in Hungarian, was in fact more of a muddy brown colour when we visited. The tree stumps, however, were still clearly visable peaking out of the water. The lake got it's name when a landslide happened causing a natural dam but at the same time crushing a group of pick-nikers who were nearby at the time, or a variation on this theme depending on where you read it.<br />
<br />
Determined to continue with our Wild Camping theme we headed for another dammed lake and found that it was surrounded by fellow campers mostly in tents but there was a couple of VW vans. We pitched up for the night in a location overlooking the water.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnWkZ6a8iKrCuidNUk0-2UHDdyerZJoiWAQE2x5aPs5YF9L8IeTFi85hSI7jpzA1VnYAlbNmjbYRcan1-woY3zHJMoUnCMthQO-AqqYtIfSUsPe-CZMqc53f7Tgf82Mj-9XfXe5IQPLGg/s1600/Campervan+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnWkZ6a8iKrCuidNUk0-2UHDdyerZJoiWAQE2x5aPs5YF9L8IeTFi85hSI7jpzA1VnYAlbNmjbYRcan1-woY3zHJMoUnCMthQO-AqqYtIfSUsPe-CZMqc53f7Tgf82Mj-9XfXe5IQPLGg/s320/Campervan+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Sangeorgiu de
  Padure GPS: (46.41040, 24.88269) - 2
  miles drive up a gravel track to a reservoir - free place to wild camp, lots
  of other tents on both sides of the water. Bad road leading up to it.<span> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Here is the video we took, look out for the home made camper van at 2:25!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/EvqSzuAYFmo" width="560"></iframe>
</div>
</div>

Bicaz Gorge and Lacu Rosu

We ended up staying 3 nights at our Wild Camping spot the Voronet Monastery as the weather was (and still is) fantastic here in Romania....