Romania - Eastern Europe - page 486

GETTING AROUND
BY PLANE
Tarom, the national carrier, operates a timetable of flights between Bucharest and the
country's smaller airports; the best deals can only be purchased online (www.tarom.
ro). Romania's domestic airports are generally quiet and (with the exception of taxis)
hassle-free; you can usually arrive for check-in within 30 minutes of your flight and
have plenty of time to spare before takeoff.
BY TRAIN
Romania's rail network (CFR) is extensive and quite exhaustive. Trains are relatively
comfortable and generally safe (although there are regular accounts of luggage being
stolen from sleeping or incautious passengers); in many of the newer trains, there is
almost no difference between first and second class. In the majority of cases, you will
be assigned a specific carriage and seat. It's quite possible to plan all rail travel before
leaving home. Go to the online timetable at www.infofer.ro or go to www.cfr.ro; click
on “Train Schedule” to begin searching, bearing in mind that you must enter the
Romanian spelling of your departure and destination cities. CFR's services are catego-
rized by the speed of the journey; the fastest trips are on InterCity (IC) trains; these
are the most expensive. Next down the rung are Rapid (R) trains—slightly more eco-
nomical but not quite as fast. Avoid Personal (P) trains, which stop at practically every
village. While you can book your tickets online, nearly every town and city has a CFR
office located in the center, where you can purchase domestic and international tickets
in advance. Traditionally, tickets bought at the train station have only been made
available 1 hour before the scheduled journey; this bureaucratic tradition seems to be
fading, however, with tickets increasingly available several hours ahead of schedule.
With the exception of very popular routes—such as those linking Bucharest with the
coast during summer—it is relatively easy obtain train tickets even minutes before
departure. The problem is that ticketing lines can be exasperating, with long waits
(many travelers need to make elaborate purchases using state-discounted discounted
schemes that require time-consuming paperwork); you are advised to purchase tickets
in a timely fashion.
In Bucharest, you can make advance train bookings at either the Agentia de Voiaj
SNCFR (Str. Domnita Anastasia 10-14; & 021/313-2643; www.cfr.ro) but only up
to 24 hours before departure, or at Wasteels (Gara du Nord; & 021/317-0369; www.
wasteels.ro/en; Mon-Fri 8am-7pm, Sat 8am-2pm), which is good for domestic as
well as international trains.
BY CAR
You'll need nerves of steel to surrender to Romania's roads and culture of high-speed,
aggressive driving; tarmac in some areas is in an unpredictable state of repair, signage
is less than desirable, and local drivers are in a terrible hurry. Distances between some
destinations, combined with heavy traffic, is another deterrent. You may however
want to hire a car with a driver in order to get to attractions in some areas; to explore
the villages of Maramures and the painted monasteries in Moldavia, for example, this
is a necessity, unless you are with an organized tour. If you have car trouble, contact
the Automobil Clubul Roman (ACR; & 9271 ), Romania's version of the Automo-
bile Association.