by aeroplane: to the capital city Bucharest. All major carriers have flights to Bucharest Otopeni airport. The airport was recently upgraded with a new departure terminal. A bus shuttle to the city is available during daytime. From the airport you can ride a cab. A good advice is to negotiate the fare in advance and to show prudence when choosing your driver.
by car: it is convenient to use a car, especially for visitors coming from Europe. Obey international rules of traffic; drive on the right side. If you come by car to Romania, bring your driving licence, car papers and green card. Inside cities and villages maximum speed is 60km/h and outside is 80-90km/h. Gas stations are conveniently located but be sure to have local currency because not many will accept your credit card. Price of gasoline is about 0.6$/liter. Romanian roads are under a process of upgrading so show maximum attention to obstacles on the roads. Also when driving on countryside roads look for animals and tractors.
by train: all cities are linked by railroads. Price of the ticket is cheep but to some destinations there are not more then 2-3 trains a day. Check for the train schedule and plan in advance. Buy tickets from the train station just before departure (up to 2 hours before train's departure) or up to 10 days in advance from SNCFR Travel Agency (ask for "Agentia de Voiaj CFR"). For a journey between two cities choose an "Intercity", "Rapid" or "Accelerat" train which will stop only in major stations. Expect an average speed of 40-80km/h. "Personal" train will stop on every station making them convenient to reach a country side destination.
2 hours ahead of GMT. Summertime 3 hour ahead of GMT
(until last Sunday of September).
Post offices
are open daily, including Saturday morning, in most areas and provide local and international services including registered mail and EMS.
Telephone calls
can be made from any public phone using a prepaid phone card. For special services numbers of 3 figures are used:
Emergency numbers:
955 Police,
961 Ambulance/emergencies,
981 Fire brigade,
Information:
971 International calls,
930 General Inquiries, government, public and private organisations and
companies,
931 Directory Inquiries, individual subscribers ( letters A to L ),
932 Directory Inquiries, individual subscribes ( letters M to Z ),
953 Taxis,
951 Information,
958 Current time,
952 Train schedules.
Making a call from Romania:
Dial 0 then the city area code for internal calls or
Dial 00 then the country and city code for international calls.
Making a long distance call to Romania: dial your international access number, then 40 + area code + phone number.
Note: skip first 0 from area code.
Credit cards:
American Express, Dinner Club, JCB International, Euro Master Card VISA are accepted in most hotels and car hire companies, and in some restaurants. It is however advisable to check in advance.
Electricity:
220 volts and 50 Hz. 2 prong plug (compatible with those in Germany and most other European continental).
Medical Services:
Available in state and private health units through the country ( hospitals and clinics), according to the medical agreements established between Romania and other countries.
Tipping:
Normally a small tip for good services is appreciated but it is at discretion of the client.
Foreign newspapers and magazines:
foreign newspapers and magazines are usually available at the reception desks of leading hotels. Likewise news broadcasts from various European countries are featured on Romanian television.
Public and Nationals holidays:
January 1 & 2; Easter Monday; May 1; December 1 ( the national holiday); December 25 & 26.
Banking house:
9AM to 12AM from Monday till Friday. Recently more banks are open in the afternoon and ATM services are available after banking hours