Romania Travel | Cities, Village Life and the Road Between

I did not fully realize how much Romania had meant to me until I was already leaving it. Sitting on the train out of the country, it finally hit me how much I had actually loved being there. I had spent two weeks, minus a quick day in Moldova, moving through city after city, and somewhere along the way Romania stopped feeling like just another destination and became one of those places that quietly stays with you.

That was part of what made the experience so strong. Romania did not announce itself to me all at once. It grew on me through local encounters, long rides, village-rooted culture, generous hosts, and the feeling that life there still stayed closely tied to the land in a way I found deeply refreshing. By the time I was leaving, I knew it had become one of my favorite countries.

Starting in Bucharest

I started in Bucharest after an awkward and exhausting crossing in from Bulgaria. The beginning was a little rough, with gloomy weather and a long walk, but even then I was welcomed in by my Couchsurfing hosts with homemade pálinka and local food that had come from a village. That was one of the first things that stood out to me about Romania: even in the city, village life still felt very present in the culture.

That contrast stayed with me throughout the trip. Coming from a place where so much feels processed and detached, I appreciated how grounded Romania felt. The capital may have been my starting point, but it was clear early on that the country’s spirit did not begin and end with its cities.

The Black Sea, Iași, and the Road to Cluj

From Bucharest, I used BlaBlaCar for the first time to head to Constanța, something I had wanted to try for years. That first ride turned out to be a great experience and opened up another layer of how I moved through Romania. In Constanța, I stayed with hosts from Spain and France, took in the Black Sea, and let time slow down for a bit while sitting on the beach and taking it all in.

After a quick day in Moldova, I made my way to Iași, where the local connection continued. There I stayed through a referral from my Bucharest hosts, which led to another experience of local hospitality, local wine, and more Romanian food in a home setting. Those moments mattered just as much as the city sights. They gave the country a human depth that kept building with each stop.

My second BlaBlaCar ride, from Iași to Cluj, became one of the most memorable travel days of the route. Passing through the Carpathians with a driver who not only stopped so I could take photos, but later invited me to dinner and drinks with him and his wife, made the journey feel much more personal than a simple transfer. Romania kept doing that to me — turning movement between places into part of the experience itself.

Cluj added another strong stop to the route. Between the city itself and the visit to Salina Turda, it felt like another reminder that Romania could shift easily between urban energy and memorable side trips without losing its identity.

Through Transylvania: Sibiu, Sighișoara, and Brașov

The next stretch took me deeper into the country through places like Sibiu, Sighișoara, and Brașov. Even when Couchsurfing did not always work out as smoothly in this part of the trip, the experience still held together through chance encounters, hostel moments, and the general atmosphere of the route. In Sibiu, even a kitchen party in a hostel became part of what made the stop memorable.

Let me not forget, that Romania is home to the beginning of my world of hitchhiking that has been my mode of travel around the world since.

In Sighișoara, having my own cheap apartment in the middle of town gave me room to stretch out and absorb the place a little differently.

Why Romania Stayed With Me

By the time I reached Timișoara, the trip had already given me plenty, but the final city helped bring it all together. My host there was incredibly warm and hospitable, and the connection I had in those last days only deepened the feeling that Romania was a place I had genuinely fallen for. That was when it really clicked. Romania was no longer just a route. It had become a place I knew I would return to.

Part of that came from the language itself, which struck me as incredibly pleasant to hear. Part of it came from the people, the village-to-city ratio, the food, the openness of hosts, and the way the country felt both rooted and alive. Romania offered a lot to see, but even more to experience, and that is what made it special to me.

Romania ended up being one of those countries that quietly exceeds expectations. It was not one single landmark or one dramatic moment that made it stand out. It was the accumulation of local life, hospitality, landscapes, long rides, and human connection. By the time I was leaving, I knew I was not done with it.

Noroc.

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From Romania, the voyage shifted into Serbia and across the former Yugoslavia