Hi all

Im riding through romania in a months time and was wondering where to go. Originally i planned to ride in from Hungary to Cluj and then across to Bucharesti. I have heard that transylvania is a must to see so im thinking of a few detours. I eventually want to get to constanta so i can continue down the coast to Bulgaria.

Any tips on riding through that region would be appreciated?

Hi

I was there last year and came down to Cluj from Satu Mare ( Romanian town without the tourists) in the North. The E81 was a great road, well surfaced with little traffic. I can recommend Sighisoara, Dracula's birth place. Yes the old town gets busy but it still has a certain charm.

There is a great little campsite that looks down on the town. Its called 'Villa Franc' and is about 4k from the town high in the woods.

If you are in Romania you have to ride the Transfagaras Pass ( Road 7C). It crosses the Carpathian mountains and actually lives up to the hype. The road on the northern side is quite well surfaced however once over and you drop down to the valley it does change somewhat . Its easily rideable just dont expect to get a move on as its a bit rough, well it was for my Sprint.

If you are on that road you could then head East and shoot up to Brasov. I cannot comment on Buceresti as I went East to Tulcea and the Danube Delta before going down the coast through Constanta into Bulgaria.

Enjoy your trip
Kev

Hi,

I was also there last year. Cluj is worth a visit and I was also impressed with Iasi, although that's a bit far North if you're heading for Constanta. As Caleyman states, the Carpathian mountains are a bit of a must if you're heading that way. Watch out for suicidal truck and coach drivers!

Thanks for the advice. As im heading east from Budapest i will stop over in Cluj for a day or so. Then ill check out some of these mountain roads you mention. Time is the biggest thing against me really. when you start planning a trip out here and there to see things starts to eat away at time away.

anyway thanks for the advice

Hey,
I met a couple of Rumanian bikers in Norway last Sept/Oct and they told me of the beach Scene in a place called VAMA VICHE (?) WAS AWESOME! Their words. Supposedly thousand of party goers and their tents, pitch up (free) in the summer and party away in July.
The directions were it's 10kms from the Bulgarian border on the coast (obviously!).
Might be worth checking out if that's your thing?

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Geoffshing

'Security is a product of one's own imagination, it does not exist in nature as a rule, life is either a daring adventure or nothing.'

Hi Guys, I did a short 10 days tour through Romania (basically Transylvania) in May this year. It is a great country to ride and Transylvania is a must see . I have uploaded some photos from my trip on www.trzasku.shutterfly.com (the subtitles are in Polish - sorry - but you can get the names of the places easily). If you are interested in any more detailed information regarding the route, prices, accommodation etc, please do write me on trzasku@wp.pl

Cheers and good luck
Aleksandra

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Aleksandra

www.worldonbikes.pl

also if you need a very cheap very warm welcome to romania look no further than Pensiunea ghiocelul what a lovely place and it was in easy reach of the transylvanian foothills overlooked by the fagaras mountains. We got there and the manager welcomed us with home made schnaps (I kept me eyesight..), and a very cheap ten euro clean room, there is food on site and they even catered for me being a freak vegetarian!! the ride up to vlads castle was a delight from there on, took couple of hours I guess constant rising up the mountains to get to the mountain pass..... sweet!!

Make sure you get a good map though (I'm not for GPS personally). as some of the smaller roads marked are nothing more than greasy mud pits and the roads in the bigger cities are akin to off road too.... enjoy! simon

I can also recommend Sighisoara, , me and my partner were there a few months ago, and it's absolutely delightful, and there is plenty of cheap accomodation both in the citadel and at least 2 hotels and 3 hostels right next to the train station. If you want to take your bike into the citadel there is a tiny car park at the top. Access is via a well-surfaced cobbled steep hill with a toll gate. The cobbles in the square at the top are broken, and the streets very rough, but it's all so tiny you can just walk everywhere. You pay for the whole day, and if I remember correctly it was really expensive, between £3-£5. Otherwise just lock your bike up outside your digs and walk up, there are several sets of steps.

I wasn't too impressed with Brasov, it was just a big shopping centre with a few nice buildings, but the day trip to Bran Castle was well worth it.

If you do venture south towards Bulgaria I can highly recommend Sinaia, a ski resort with houses Gomez and Morticia could be proud of! Peles Castle is the most unbelievably spectacularly decorated building you will ever see! And if you like Art Nouveau, Pelisor Castle is a must.

Out of 6 months travelling Romania was our favourite and we would go again tomorrow.

Enjoy your travels!

Roads from Cluj all the way through Transylvania were good, miles better than any in Bulgaria, just watch out for the street dogs, there are thousands of them and some will chase you.

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Does my bum look big on this bike?

I am on a similar route to you, mblack977, so would love to hear how you got on.
Heading up from Novi Sad, Serbia, if I can tear myself away.
Want to get the best out of Translyvania, and the mountains, before heading to the coast, and the end of the Danube.

Ian

Hi,

I agree with all the above. The Transfagarasan highway is incredible! Just be aware that on the southern side route you could actually visit the true Vlad the impaler's (Dracula) castle. Vlad only spent a couple of nights at Bran castle in the dungeons! Anyway the true castle which is now a bit of a ruin is called Poienari Castle However, be aware that it is inaccesible by road and requires a climb of 1500 steps!

Sighisoara is an absolute must. The architecture and history is incredible and the surrounding Saxon villages very interesting.

For wild areas with vast forests over beautiful hills try the Vrancea mountains. The route to take is as follows: Brasov -> Sfintu Gheorghe -> Tirgu Secuiesc -> Ojdula -> then into the Vrancea

Regards, Paul

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Wild Transylvania