Quick Guide to 4 Days in Romania – Halloween Edition

Quick Guide to 4 Days in Romania – Halloween Edition

Romania had never crossed my mind until a colleague mentioned that she wanted to do Romania for Halloween. She said that there was a costume party at Dracula’s castle. I did my research and sure enough, there is a costume party at the castle. I told my travel buddy that we are doing it this year! We packed our bags and jammed our last-minute costumes in our luggage. Let’s see how spooky this country can be on the scariest night of the year.

Getting Around:

Romania is not the easiest country to get around, especially to Bran Castle, where the Halloween Party is located. Bucharest is the capital and largest city in Romania. This is often the epicenter for international flights and transit into the country. Public transit is very cheap in Bucharest. About 1.5 LEI or about 0.30 cents per transfer. Day passes and weekly passes are also available for an affordable price. This is the best option while traveling within Bucharest. However, there is a lot of congestion in this metropolis city. If taking public transit does not entice you, most of the main attractions can be reached by walking. Do note that public transportation is not always reliable, especially for distance traveling.

One of the travelers that I met along the way said that it took her 6.5 hours to get from Bucharest to Brasov. A route that takes about 2.5 hours via private transit. Obviously, the long travel time is not normal but we have heard on several occasions that we should not rely on public transportation to get us to a nearby city quickly.

Since my stay was short, I opted for quicker options. From Otopeni Henri Coanda Airport to Old Town Bucharest, I hired an Uber driver. That is correct. They have Uber in Bucharest (but not in all of Romania). Other ride-sharing options include Bolt and Clever. For my 36-minute ride from the airport to Old Town, it costs me 42 RON or $9.71 USD.

To do distant traveling in Romania, I recommend hiring a driver. Several companies will arrange transfers for you. I found my driver through “DayTrip“. To travel from Bucharest to Brasov (2.5 hrs or 183.3 km), I paid $111 for my entire party. DayTrip also allows you to book additional excursions on your way to your final destination for extra costs. There are cheaper options of course. That same traveler that I met paid $25 on a return from Brasov to Bucharest but she had to work around the driver’s time. Sadly, I do not have that driver’s information.

Need to Know:

One of the major surprises in Romania is the bathrooms. The bathrooms in public areas are co-ed. While that was an adjustment for me, most of the bathrooms that I encountered had doors that did not lock. The bathrooms are filthy with “water” all over the floors. Make sure your feet are covered and hold on to that handle ladies!

What To Eat:

Romanians love their meat and cabbage. The majority of the main dishes feature pork and sausage paired with polenta and pickled cabbage.

Currency:

Romania has its own currency called LEI. It is sometimes written as RON.

  • $1 = LEI 4.32
  • €1 = LEI 4.76
  • £1 = LEI 5.52
  • ¥1 = LEI 0.04

Hotels:

You can find affordable accommodations anywhere in Romania. We spent under $300 for 4 nights staying in rooms located in the center of all of the main attractions. We stayed in 2 different AirBnBs and 1 hotel. All rooms were booked the night before or the day of.


Itinerary:

Day Date Location To Stay To See/To Do To Eat
1 Oct. 31, 2019 Bucharest

AirBnB

Cost: $105 (2 nights)

1. OTP International Airport to Old Town Bucharest Hotel

Cost: $9.71

2. Ghost and Vampire Tour

Cost: $56.46

Dinner: Caru Cu Bere

Strada Stavropoleos 5, București 030081, Romania

Famous beer house that serves traditional Romanian food and drinks. One of the oldest restaurants in Bucharest dating back to 1879. 

  • Ordered: Traditional Romanian dish ($27.50)
2 Nov. 1, 2019 Bulgaria  

1. Bulgaria Tour

Cost: $254.02

  • Basarbovo Monastery
  • Tsarevets Fortress
  • Konstantsalieva House

2. Bar Hopping

  • Gilda Music Lounge
    • → Strada Lipscani 53, București 030167, Romania
  • Bound Club & Bar
    • → Strada Smârdan 30, București 030167, Romania
  • Times Cocktail Bar
    • → Intrarea Nicolae Șelari 1, București 030167, Romania

Breakfast in Bucharest: Gustav Pastries

→ Bulevardul Nicolae Bălcescu nr 7, București 030167, Romania

  • Ordered: Pasteries ($0.45 – $0.93 each)

Lunch in Bulgaria:

Restaurant Ivan Asen

  • Ordered:  tagliatelle with chicken and bacon, Greek salad, garlic bread, mix veggies plate ($41)

Dinner in Bucharest:

Latin Pizza 

Bulevardul Ion C. Brătianu 34, București 030167, Romania

  • Ordered: Pizza slices ($6.48)

Dristor Kebap

→ Șoseaua Olteniței 210, București, Romania

  • Ordered: Chicken Kebab ($4.63)
3 Nov. 2, 2019 Brasov

AirBnB

Cost: $81.56

1. Drive from Bucharest to Brasov 

Hired a private driver ($111)

2. Salina Veche Salt Mine

→ Strada Salinei 1, Slănic 106200, Romania

Pit stop fee: $36

Cost: $13.88 | LEI 60

Oldest Salt Mine in Europe. A place where locals go to workout indoors. Great for Repritory. Family Friendly but pretty boring. 

3. Bran Castle Night Tour

→ Strada General Traian Moșoiu 24, Bran 507025, Romania

Cost: $293.08 (including transportation and Halloween party)

4. Halloween Party at Bran Castle (Dracula’s Castle)

Lunch: Cucinino Pasta Bar

→ Strada Diaconu Coresi 6, Brașov 500025, Romania

  • Ordered: Pasta ($7)

Dinner: Galaria Bran

  • Ordered: Bolognese Spaghetti, Margharita Pizza, wine ($20)
4 Nov. 3, 2019 Bucharest

Hilton Garden Inn Bucharest Old Town

Cost: $92

1. Explore Brasov

2. Brasov to Bucharest 

hired a private driver ($111)

Lunch in Brasov: Cucinino Pasta Bar 

→ Strada Diaconu Coresi 6, Brașov 500025, Romania

  • Ordered: tomato base pasta, spaghetti rolled in roulade cheese ($15.78)

Dinner in Bucharest:

Finikia Lebanese Cuisine 

→ Strada Franceză 13 Centrul Istoric Sector 3, Bucharest 030102 Romania

  • Ordered: Meat skewers, tabbouleh ($26.13)

Click on dates for the full itinerary.

 

Expenses for 4 Days:

Type Cost (USD) Total
Transportation from/to OTP airport $21.28  
Hotel $278.56
Food $149.82
Other Transporation $258.00
Tours $617.44
Drinks $60.00
  $1,385.10
  Per Person 692.55