Although Romania is a beautiful country, it somewhat lacking in service and now, with my new British husband, these missing little things are more and more obvious. I grew up here and some things might go unnoticed to me, but for a new person to the country these things are obvious and sometimes shocking. Well today we will talk about taking the InterCity train from Bucharest to one of the most beautiful mountain cities in Romania, Brasov. I want to mention that I am writing about my experiences and some things might not be dated by the time you are reading these. That said, I want you to know that I will try and be as accurate and objective as I can be.
So lets go on with it. When traveling by train in Romania (the InterCity in this case, which is one of the best you get here) you should keep count of the following:
To start with, you need to know that the best way to get from Bucharest to Brasov by train is to take the InterCity train. It's the closest to a decent train you can get and the price difference compared to others is not that big. Make sure to check the hours and ticket price before arriving at the train station, schedules change depending on the season and so the prices sometimes. The best part about traveling in Romania is that you hardly need a translator. Most of the young people know English at some level and will be happy to help you, don't be afraid to ask. You should buy your drinks and food before boarding the train. We don't have speed trains in Romania, not the way you're used to anyways, the rides are long and most of the trains have no service, there is nowhere you can buy something to drink r eat. Some might have a restaurant wagon, but that happens rarely. Except the InterCity train, I don't know any other one that has charging outlets by the seats so make sure your phones are charged at the hotel. Do I have to mention there is no internet connection? No internet hub? I guess not.... There is no entertainment in Romanian trains, no music, no tv's, so if you don't want to get bored, bring your own music/movies/books etc. the difference between first class and second class wagons is almost non-existant so don't bother. The InterCity train has good seats though and it's clean even in the second class wagons. I don't recommend traveling with big pieces of luggage as there is little space for storage above the seats. You're better off if you divide your luggage in 2 pieces, a backpack and a carry-on for example. Traveling from Bucharest to Brasov is a beautiful journey through the mountains despite the long 5 hour ride, make sure you have your camera out, the scenery is amazing.
I hope this will be helpful to you in your travels to this beautiful country, farewell! Labels: travel |
