Romania looks......

[Stevie73]

Well worthy of a prolonged tour... Click the link and have a look...

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=19029&id=142699105770909

 

[polecat]

Having been there on several occasions I would certainly recommend it. Magnificent scenery, that road of course, still reasonably cheap. It's getting quite modern in places now but still a good mix of the old world and the new. Go for it

 

[Greg Masters]

.... but appalling driving standards; even main roads are poor quality; trucks everywhere; no motorways and police with radar guns around every corner.

But it is cheap and the scenery is good.

Greg

 

[polecat]

.... but appalling driving standards; even main roads are poor quality; trucks everywhere; no motorways and police with radar guns around every corner.

But it is cheap and the scenery is good.

Greg

How long since you were last there Greg? Appalling driving standards I have to agree but the roads are much improved, there is one motorway (albeit not a very long one) amd as for Police around every corner? I don't think they have that many policemen over there

 

[Greg Masters]

How long since you were last there Greg?

May 2010

Once into Romania, things slowed down considerably. No major motorways and villages with 50kph limits (or lower) that we seemed to ride into after only a minute or so on the open roads. There were Police everywhere - clearly out to inflate the coffers from unwary motorists. General driving standards were pretty appalling. Within an hour we had seen two major smashes. Late in the day we arrived on the scene on an accident that clearly hadn't long occurred. It was hard to see exactly what had happened, but an artic had left the road and ended up across a railway track. Luckily an approaching passenger train had stopped about 100m short of the lorry wreck. Less fortunate was the occupant of a car that may have been hit by the lorry. As I rode past, he was still in the car but very clearly brown bread.

We found a hotel shortly afterwards.

 

[gavinbell]

now now children!! you are both right to a degree

Greg - take it you came in from the north west - hungary border!!
Driving here is really shit! Especially now that Romania has its very own unique species of 'rep' and 'white van man'! The quality of the main roads has really improved but this has raised the ante on accidents!

But at the same time it is actaully not that worse than many other countries and I saw worse behaviour in UK when I was back last time. Too many of the posts on here have centred on riders coming through on DN1 from Hungary to Sibiiu... a bit like driving the A1 on a major business day and the M1 being shut... loads of trucks and idiots. But even this is getting better now the roadworks are finished. Much better routes to enter and cross Romania.

Police - they can no longer collect fines by side of road, so if you are stopped play dumb and they will either give you a ticket or usually let you off as a foreigner. Mostly the traffic police are actually playing by the rules and looking for speeding in villages ( lots of kids, drunken men and animals staggering around - not to mention horses and carts - so fair enough) or overtaking on whitelines that is the cause of lots of accidents ... Though the 25% cut in state salaries might cause a few more problems. I actually miss being able to negoiate my speeding fines.

Get onto the mountain roads and rural lanes... and there is some amazing riding. Stop for coffee at local bars rather than the very slick OMV stations and u will make freinnds. Stay in the villages in loacl guest houses and you will drink and eat excellent home cooking and alcohol...

Dont 'do ' Romania as part of a whistle stop mega multi country tour but settle down and get a feel for it ... gain a little local knowledge... ( always up to help and give advice if wanted... ) and you will have an incredible stay. Stevies suggestion of an extended exploration is the best... but be careful you might never get away!

Things are changing - costs are rising and the towns are getting more westernised... but still affordable and very good value if you get of the beaten track.

Now got to go ... I have the remainder of 10 litres of rather good dry feteasca neagra red wine to work on finishing.

Anyone coming to Ro... pm and we can have a chat on skype ... or take me out for a drink in Brasov and I will share my local knowledge!! available as a guide/planner/fixer at suitable rates too!

La Multi Ani

Gavin

 

[Mr K]

Loved Romania although I had to have a debrief after the 1st day:

Look Chris, they don't hate you, that's how they drive, it's nothing personal....

Most foreign yet friendly place I've been. Radar toting cops simply give it the slow the feck down signal as I barrelled into an 80kmh limit at 80mph...

Lovely food and wine and perfect GS country.

 

[gspod]

Hi Gavin
We are thinking of a trip to Romania this year. It would probably be an 8 day visit (we usually do a 4 day location split). We like rural mountain campsites - what is the campsite situation, when we went to slovakia about 10 years ago there weren't any, however there were loads in Slovenia 2 years ago.
Have you any recommendations of areas. Also, following on from your previous post, recommendations of routes in and out.
Cheers
D

 

[gavinbell]

Hi, - best to talk this through - there are lots of alternatives ..... catch me on skype gavin_bell_ppf or send me a pm for my landline number if you have one of those packages with included mins to eu numbers...

Gavin

 

[E. Buygum]

Well worthy of a prolonged tour... Click the link and have a look...

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=19029&id=142699105770909

Brilliant photographs: I want to go back. I didn't find the driving so awful (June 2010, by the way, ), but I did see countless police/ speed traps. 450 miles Budapest-Brasov isn't a fun day out unless you really like overtaking lorries. Taking your time and avoiding the main transit routes would be a really nice trip. Where the road are good, they are very, very good but elsewhere I was grateful I was on a GS. Friendly people, cheap beer and you seem to be able to get a pizza anywhere at any time.

 

[gspod]

Hi Gavin
Well the choice this year was Romania or Spain and Spain it is for various reasons. Romania is on the list and I will definitely be in touch when we go (not next year though, that will be Oz).
Cheers
D

 

[andyclift]

Loved Romania last year. Great scenery, friendly people and despite what we had been told the main roads were very good. Some of the more minor roads were poor but probably no worse than many roads in Kent these days.

Intended to camp but found good hotels so amazingly cheap we never bothered.