Is Romania safe?
Discover RomaniaEvery place on Earth is unique in its way, and every country has its special places that can charm any traveler. In our time's traveling become more accessible than ever, and planning a vacation takes into consideration some safety measures. The perception of a country is a complex mix of stereotypes, marketing, and political strategy. If you wish to travel to Romania, you want to be sure that the destination will make you feel safe and you can enjoy the trip.
Table of content:
4. Roads, public transport and driving in Romania
7. Why should you travel to Romania?
8. Is the Ukrainian war affecting Romania?
Where is Romania?
Romania is situated in the southeastern part of Central Europe, on the north of the Balkanic Peninsula. The neighboring countries are Bulgaria on the south, Serbia on the south-west, Hungary on the west side, Ukraine on the north, and the Moldova Republic on the east side and access on the Black Sea. From 2007 Romania becomes one of the members of the European Union, and in 2020 is the 8th largest county in EU with a surface of 238.397 km2 (92.046 sqm). The Romania territory is very well balanced between mountains (31%), hills and orchards (36%), and plains (33%). The Carpathian Mountains, also known as the Transylvanian Alps, are concentrated in the center like a fortress. The Danube river marks the south border of Romania and ends in the Black Sea. Time in Romania is Eastern European Summer Time (EEST) is 3 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). The time in Romania is the same as in Greece, Finland, Cyprus, Ukraine, or Latvia.
A common mistake is the confusion of Romania with the ex-soviet countries. Even if the Communist Party ruled Romania by almost 50 years wasn't part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). Romania is the only Latin country in Eastern Europe, and the primary language is Romanian that combines influences from Latin, Dacian, Slavic, and less german and Turkish.
Considering the events that have happened around the world in the last period, maybe you now have doubts about how safe to travel is the country that you are thinking of visiting next. If you read this article, it means that you are planning your trip, and you want to be sure that Romania will be your next destination. We understand your concern, and we want to assure you that Romania is safe for tourists! Although it is never too much to consider all the traveling safety tips, Romania has a low overall risk of danger towards tourists and is quite a safe country.
Who does Terrorism affect?
Source: Vision of Humanity.
In the image above, you can find an interactive map of how the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) is calculated for every country and what aspects are taken into consideration. Data figured in this image are from 2018.
GTD (Global Terrorism Database) ranks the countries in the world based on the level of terrorist activity. The GTD is produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), and it is based on data from the Global Terrorism Database.
Romania ranks 138 out of 163 countries and indicates no terrorist attacks. Countries with a higher incoming tourism rate such as France, Spain, Italy, UK, China, and Mexico have a higher terrorism attack risk than Romania. According to the Global Terrorism Index (2018), the most dangerous countries with the highest terrorism impact are countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria, Syria.
After all, is Romania safe to travel?
According to the Global Peace Index, Romania is a peaceful country ranking 22 out of 163 countries. We do not exaggerate when we say that Romania is among the safest countries in Europe, Terrorism in Romania being non-existent.
Source: Vision of Humanity
The Global Peace Index (GPI) measures the relative position of nations' and regions' peacefulness. It is produced by the Institute of Economics and Peace and combines three significant factors:
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Militarisation;
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Society & Security;
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Domestic & Interest Conflict;
As it appears in the Global Peace Index 2020 Report, Romania has reduced rank indicators, which is a good thing. It means there is no travel warning in Romania.
Therefore, despite everything that is going on in the world, Romania remains one of the safest countries in Central and Eastern Europe, with a crime rate below the European average. The level of corruption stays nevertheless high, unfortunately, prompted by the population as well, who looks for quick fixes against bureaucracy. To avoid incidents, you should always request legal justification along with evidence and not encourage those who represent authority to find a solution outside the law. If you travel by car, you must know that finding available parking spots might be a problem, but only in the cities. On the other hand, once you reach the countryside, don't be surprised if you come across carts and animals on the road – just slow down and use your horn to draw their attention.
Roads, public transport and driving in Romania
Traveling to Romania can be done by booking a flight to Bucharest Otopeni or to one of the cities in Romania that you wish to visit first like Cluj Napoca, Iasi, Sibiu, or Timisoara.
If you are planning to start your journey from Bucharest Romania, you have to know that traffic in Bucharest is not light at all, therefore if you plan to drive around the city, just do it with patience, carefulness, and by following the traffic rules. If you plan to go around the city by public transportation, the quickest way is by metro. The metro can take you almost anywhere in Bucharest, and it has quite good links if you change in Piata Unirii. If you choose train travel, Bucharest's train station has connections with all the major cities in Romania; hence, you can consider this as well.
For public transport in Romania, we recommend using buses more than trains. The last ones often have delays and the night trains even if are safety takes with 30%-40% more time.
Traveling around the country is quite safe; however, Romania is lacking when talking about road infrastructure. The road conditions in Romania, if compared with other infrastructural developed countries, are lacking. Most of the main roads that are linking the main cities are quite small, and they pass through lots of little villages; therefore, traffic gems exist sometimes.
If you plan to take a taxi around a city in Romania, you can go on ahead! Taxis in Romania are quite safe and cheap as well. Just be aware of scams. Some taxi drivers can take advantage of naive tourists and set an excessive fee, especially in Bucharest. To avoid these scams risk, just ask the driver what the price for your trip is before departing. You can as well take an Uber or just call for a taxi, which is usually safer.
If you decide to rent a car and drive in Romania, please take into consideration the following advice:
- In Romania, we are driving like in most European countries on the left side;
- Most of the national roads have only on way lane or one and a half, and drivers are exceeding the other cars driving on the opposite lane. Don't panic after a few days; you will get used to it. The highway network is underdeveloped, and the rhythm of new cars was higher than the capacity of building new roads.
- In some villages and close to certain cities, you can meet stray dogs along the roads. If they are crossing the street, suddenly don't try to avoid them unless you don't have the speed or other cars coming from the opposite direction. This is a common accident source.
Another important point for tourists could be water in Romania. Although the tap water is drinkable in Romania, the majority of the people are buying bottled water. The reason is that the water is highly chlorinated and, depending on the city that you travel in, the water system could be quite old. Therefore, if you travel for a couple of days or for a longer period you can buy water from every shop and supermarket to stay safe, as in most of the countries.
While you are in Romania, you probably ask yourself what the risk of being exposed to natural disasters is. Excepting the snowstorm in the winter when the weather can change rapidly, the only natural disasters that affect Romania are some floods in the spring (once at 3-4 years) and earthquakes (the last big one was in 1977).
Covid 19 travel to Romania
The effect of the new Coronavirus was felt by everyone, no matter where one was living, what is their income how old they are. Like all other countries, Romania was affected by the virus spread, but starting with January 2022, the number of Covid cases started to drop, and from March 9th, 2022 Romania does not have any restrictions regarding Covid 19. To enter Romania there is no need for proof of vaccination, immunity, or other Covid-related information.
If you are a solo traveler, and you wish to travel in Romania, but you want to avoid the crowds, public transport, and unexpected fight changes, we recommend you a shared tour of Romania, Rolandia operates these tours with a maximum of 6 people, following the last safety and medical recommendation, with a flexible cancelation policy.
Pickpocketing
Pickpocketing is a general problem when traveling in any country; therefore, you must stay alert at all times. Romania is safe enough for tourists, and Romanian people are quite welcoming towards them. However, to keep safe, especially in crowded places, keep your valuable belongings in a bag always in front of you so that you won't have any trouble.
When talking about women travelers, the overall risk is low, as Romania is a safe country to visit for any genre. At the same time, the mugging risk is non-existing towards tourists. That being said, it is never too much to be aware of your surroundings in any situation.
If you are looking to exchange money we recommend you to use exchange houses or bank offices, do not try to exchange money on the streets. Card payments are accepted in all locations, except public markets.
Why should you travel to Romania?
All this being said, wondering if Romania is safe to travel should be the least of your problems. You should instead think about what you want to do here, either taking Romania by step off the beaten tracks and observe the wildlife, or having a relaxing day at SPA, or maybe taking biking and hiking trip on the highest peaks in Romania.
We have such a range of destinations that it is impossible not to like at least one! You can go sea sight as we have the Black Sea in the Southeast of the country. Combine it with a visit to Delta Dunarii (Danube Delta), and you will have the perfect itinerary.
You can as well start your journey in Romania by visiting Bucharest and heading further north to discover the Carpathian Mountains, Transylvania, or Moldova. Some of the most popular attractions in Romania, such as Bran Castle (Dracula's Castle), Turda Salt Mine, the city of Brasov, the Corvin Castle, and so many other destinations, are all in the itineraries and day tours on our website so make sure to check them out.
Is the Ukrainian war affecting Romania?
Even from day one, the Romanian NGOs together with the authorities offered their help and managed the crisis very efficiently. Currently, there are under 50.000 Ukrainian refugees in Romania. (August 2022)
Romania is a member of NATO, and the possibility of a conflict on our territory is highly unlikely. Visiting Romania is safe, even though we share a land and sea border with Ukraine, and the situation here remains normal.
History
Travel to Romania and discover its surprising history. The country's geographical positioning is one that was much desired by all the great powers of the world, from the Roman and the Russian Empires to the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian Empires. More than once Romania has served as Europe's defense line against invading nations, and this can be observed in its vast number of fortresses, castles and fortified churches.
Poenari Castle
Culture and tradition
But despite its violent history, Romania managed to preserve the culture and tradition that is specific to all of its areas, from Bukovina and Maramures to Transylvania and Wallachia. From traditional crafts and costumes to traditions that can be traced back to hundreds of years ago, Romania's cultural heritage remained untouched in various regions.
Bear dance
Art
If you're an art lover, you should travel to Romania for your next holiday. A trip to the famous painted monasteries of Bukovina will take you back in time to the 15th and 16th centuries. The purpose of the painting is not purely decorative. The religious murals were used to tell the story of the lives of the most important Orthodox saints.
Horezu ceramics
Landscape
Romania is considered a beautiful country by almost all foreign travelers. If you're in search of stunning and unique landscapes, make sure to take your camera with you to capture some amazing shots for your Instagram profile while enjoying the beauties that Romania has to offer. The possibilities are endless — you can hike on top of the highest mountains of Romania and see the world from above the clouds, or retreat to a village forgotten-by-time and break away from the stress.
Bucegi Mountains
Now that you've seen a little bit of what Romania has to offer, we're pretty sure that you can't wait to experience everything in person. So head over to our article with a complete guide about Romania to make sure you know everything there is to know before booking your holiday.
Concluding, Romania is a safe country to travel, posing no threat to personal safety. You can just travel around the country, enjoying the breathtaking sceneries and cultural landmarks.