A girls getaway to Romania

After quite a lot of planning, in August I headed out on a girls weekend to Romania. I flew into Bucharest directly from Dubai with FlyDubai. The flight times were good and we arrived mid afternoon. I wish we had pre-booked a car transfer, the taxi system is chaotic and the ticket machine that runs the system didn't work properly. Not many people had much English language so it was difficult to communicate. On the plus side, there was a cafe/bar where we could get refreshed whilst getting organised. The airport was about 25minutes in the car from the city and the journey was pretty trouble free. Unlike being a pedestrian. Even on the zebra crossing, cars appeared to have a right of way. So we had more than a couple of near misses! I advise caution and care crossing the roads.

The city of Bucharest we found to be quite grey and uninteresting whilst walking around so we took the opportunity of the frequent and good value Big Bus tour to see the sights. We had some great restaurant tips and found the food to be largely hearty, meaty dishes washed down with some lovely, and very cheap Romanian wine. Just what the doctor ordered!

After a couple of days in Bucharest we took a train to Brashov. On arrival at the station we were amused by how old the trains were. But ours was spacious and comfortable. I do recommend 1st class which didn't cost too much more. The journey was lovely and we saw some beautiful scenery as we passed through the countryside and mountains.

After finding our lovely hotel and freshening up, we headed out into the old part of the city. It was lovely with a real medieval feel. Fountains, outdoor cafes, street vendors and pretty architecture has our attention. Like Bucharest we found the service a little slow but everyone was friendly and keen to please.

On our second day here we headed to see Dracula's Transylvanian castle. Bran Castle is quite an attraction and the queues were long so we were pleased with our decision to have a guide with Q-jump. The tour is interesting and the grounds of the castle are lovely so it's an easy way to spend a day. And, if you fancy a little shopping for souvenirs, there's also a little market for buying gifts to take home. Perfect!