4 Wheels, 1 Camper, Entire Romania Self-drive tour (28 days)

If you are travelling with more than just one motorhome, you can share a single motorhome to visit Cluj, the biggest city in Transylvania, as well as visit the Turda salt mine.
Local visits in Cluj: St. Michael Church, Orthodox Cathedral, sightseeing in the city center.
After a visit of Cluj head to Turda. Visit the salt mine, known for many centuries as an important center for salt exploitation. Interesting fact: never in the history of the mine were there any slaves working in the mine, always just paid staff.

Included: stationing in camping in Gilau (water, showers, toilets, electricity)

Depart towards Central Transylvania taking the highway from Gilau to Turda.Visit the village Remetea and catch the European road in Aiud. Make a stop in Alba Iulia to visit the spectacular Vauban fortress, which has been recently entirely renovated. Afterwards, continue towards Saliste crossing the region that has been colonized by Saxons in the 13th century. You’ll have the possibility to make a quick stop on your way, in Calnic, to visit the ruins of its fortress.

Included: dinner and stationing at a guesthouse in Saliste (water, showers, toilets, electricity)

If you are travelling with more than just one motorhome, you can share a single motorhome for the program scheduled for this day.
Depart to Sibiel and visit the Museum of glass painted icons. Some of these have been crafted by amateur peasant painters. It’s truly a collection that presents the religious faith of Romanians.
After this visit, discover the city of Sibiu, which held the title of European Capital of Culture in 2007. Among the main sights are: the Grand Sqare, the Small Sqare, the Evangelical Cathedral, ASTRA Museum (the outdoor section) that holds plenty of traditional houses as well as archaic objects all over Romania (fruit/grain presses, mills, utensils for the process of distillation, and many others)

Included: breakfast, dinner and stationing at a guesthouse in Saliste (water, showers, toilets, electricity)

Drive to the fortified city of Sighisoara part of the UNESCO Heritage. On your way to Sighisoara, visit the medieval town of Medias (the town’s center and the St. Margaret Church which are masterpieces of Saxon architecture) as well as the fortified church in Valea Viilor and Biertan, which has been for many centuries the bishopric of Transylvania.

Included: breakfast at a guesthouse in Saliste, stationing in camping in Sighisoara

Take your time to further explore the fortress of Sighisoara. You will uncover centuries of Saxon history.

Included: stationing in camping in Sighisoara

Visits on your way to Bran: you can stop and visit the fascinating fortified church in Visicri (take into consideration that a few kilometers of road, leading from the European Road to the village, are in a bad shape) and the beautiful fortress in Rupea, entirely restored.
If you’ll arrive in Rasnov before closing hours (5 pm), you can take advantage and visit the fortress up the hill that dominates the Land of Barsa.

Included: stationing in camping in Bran

Go for a walk in the village of Bran and visit the famous Bran Castle also known as Dracula’s castle. Even if the Prince Vlad the Impaler has never set foot here, the castle is very interesting from an architectural point of view. Don’t miss the chance to purchase artisanal dairy and meat products from the local producers that sell them in the parking lot in front of the castle.

Included: stationing in camping in Bran

This day is dedicated to discovering the city of Brasov, also know as Hermanstadt, name given by its Saxon founders. The Black Church is one of the strong assets of the city center, being the biggest cathedral between Vienna and Istanbul.
Later during the day, you can drive a few kilometers outside of Brasov and uncover the village of Prejmer, hosting a fortified peasant church in a very unique style compared to the others in the region. Its uniqueness consists of every family in the village having a room inside the wall of the fortification, where they could have retreated in in case of siege (that could last for months in a row).

Included: stationing in camping in Bran

On your way to Bucharest, stop and visit the Peles Castle in Sinaia, royal summer residence. The first king of Romania, Charles the 1st, has initiated the construction of this castle.

Included: stationing in camping in Bucharest

Well-deserved free day. If you would like to, you have the option of going to the city center by bus or taxi for the day to discover the capital city at your own pace.
Should you want, you can do some shopping at Carrefour (near the camping).

Included: stationing in camping in Bucharest

This day you will leave the motorhomes in the camping and take a taxi from the camping to the start of the touristic bus line and hop on and off to visit the most emblematic buildings and sights of the capital city.

Surnamed "little Paris of the 30s", the capital of Romania will impress you with the variety of its architecture. Visit the Stavropoleous church, the merchant's street Lipscani, the University and the Revolution squares. Visit (if available for visits) the Parliament House (the castle of Ceausescu), the second building in the world after the Pentagon according to its size.

Included: stationing in camping in Bucharest

Depart towards the Black Sea taking the highway A2. Upon arrival at the Cernavoda Bridge, you will need to pay a road tax of approximately 3 EUR (payable only in LEI). When arriving in Constanta, take the road heading north, direction Mamaia.

Once you’ve arrived in the camping, you can park the motorhome in whichever place you’ll find available, as there are no marked areas.

Included: stationing in camping in Mamaia

Included: stationing in camping in Mamaia

Note:
If you do not want to rest on the beach or if the weather is not suitable for sunbathing, you can visit other resorts at the seaside, south of Constanta: Eforie, Costinesti, Jupiter, Saturn and Neptun (the dictator Ceausescu had there a small summer mansion) or visit the city of Constanta.
Another possible activity is a boat ride on lake Siutghiol.

Included: stationing in camping in Mamaia

Note:
If you do not want to rest on the beach or if the weather is not suitable for sunbathing, you can visit other resorts at the seaside, south of Constanta: Eforie, Costinesti, Jupiter, Saturn and Neptun (the dictator Ceausescu had there a small summer mansion) or visit the city of Constanta.
Another possible activity is a boat ride on lake Siutghiol.

Take the road to Murighiol. On your way, make a stop to visit the ancient ruins of the greatest antique city at the shores of the Black Sea: Histria.
Histria (Istria) was the biggest fortress constructed by the Greeks that have colonized the Black Sea (Pontus Euxinus) 2000 years ago. To visit the ruins, ask for the museographer that works there. He can give you valuable insights into the history of the site.

Continue towards Murighiol along the banks of Lake Razim (or Razlem). The ancient fortress of Enisala, which you’ll pass by on your way to Murighiol, is worth a visit. In the evening, you’ll have dinner (fresh seafood!) at the pension you’ll also station the motorhome at.

Included: dinner and parking in the yard of the pension in Murighiol (water, toilets, vidange, electricity)

Incursion in the Delta - cruise by motorboats. The Danube Delta is one of the main highlights of tourism in Romania. The motorboats will take us across narrow channels, where you will discover "the paradise of birds": Dalmatian and White Pelicans, Egrets, Ducks, Swans, Avocets, Lapwings and many more… The species are varying according to the season.

The discreet human intervention allowed the flora to develop over 1000 different species. White and yellow water lilies decorate the lakes; oak forests covered by lianas are giving them the aspect of a tropical forest, alternating with sand dunes’ specific vegetation.

Back to the guesthouse for dinner and overnight.
Included: picnic lunch, dinner, motorboat tour (6 hours), accommodation at the guesthouse

Incursion in the Delta - cruise by motorboats. You will discover the daily activities of the locals that make their way on the narrow channels on boats in order to catch the best fish. You’ll notice them using different methods from fishnets to setting traps.

Included: picnic lunch, dinner, motorboat tour (6 hours), accommodation at the guesthouse

A long day on the road passing through the northern part of Baragan Plains.

Included: dinner and stationing at a guesthouse in Berca (water, toilets, vidange, electricity)

Note:
Due to the fact that are many times in which crossing the Danube is problematic (long waiting time, traffic, narrow access gates, etc.) we advise you to take the road that crosses the Danube at Giurgeni - Vadu Oii.

NOTE PAN TRAVEL
Puisque il y a eu des problèmes pour la traversée du Danube sur le ferry (temps d'attente, embouteillages, passerelle d'accès bien étroite etc.) nous avons décidé de vous faire suivre la route en traversant le pont sur le Danube à VADU OII.

Before departing towards Darmanesti, you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the breakfast offered by the guesthouse and visit the Muddy Volcanoes in the vicinity of Berca. If you are travelling with more than just one motorhome, you can share a single motorhome to visit the Muddy Volcanoes, a very peculiar phenomenon in which cold liquid mud erupts from the earth, pushed by big gas bubbles making a funny sound right when they hit the surface.
After returning to Berca, continue your way towards Central Moldavia.

Included: breakfast at the guesthouse, stationing in camping in Darmanesti

This is a day free of scheduled activities of which you can take advantage to do laundry or visit the surrounding areas.
You can also visit the salt mine in Targu Ocna (SALINA TARGU OCNA)

Included: stationing in camping in Darmanesti

Depart towards Bucovina and make a stop to visit the nuns at Agapia Monastery. The ensemble of interior frescoes was painted by one of the most important Romanian painter of the 19th century – Nicolae Grigorescu, when he was 20 years of age.
He had as models people living in the villages close to Agapia. Interesting fact: he has even represented himself on the iconostasis (the wall full of icons in an orthodox church); the icon of the prophet Daniel is a self-portrait of Nicolae Grigorescu at 20 years. You can also visit another nun monastery: Varatec, which is only a few kilometers away from Agapia.

Included: dinner and stationing in camping in Sucevita (water, toilets, vidange, electricity)

Discover sweet Bucovina: the painted monasteries of Humor, Voronet, Moldovita.
Visit an Easter eggs decorator and the black pottery center in the village of Marginea.

Included: breakfast, dinner and stationing in camping in Sucevita (water, toilets, vidange, electricity)

Note: if you’re traveling in a group and have more than one motorhome, you can group and make these visits with only one of the motorhomes in order to have less trouble with the parking.

Depart towards Maramures. You’ll pass through the village of Ciocanesti. Most of the houses here have the exterior walls decorated with geometric and floral motifs, which you’ll also notice on the traditional costumes the people wear in this area.
Given the fact that the road over Prislop Pass is quite bad, we suggest you take the route Vatra Dornei – Bistrita.

Included: breakfast in Sucevita, stationing in Viseu de Sus (water, toilets, electricity)

A small steam train will take you on a magnificent valley in the Natural Parc “Maramuresului Mountains”. Along the Vaser Valley a narrow gauge line of about 60 km, plunges into the depths of the forest close to the Ukrainian border. Besides the transportation of wood, the small trains assure the transport of foresters that work upstream and the transport of visitors. It’s a unique experience. Return around 3 pm. Discover the rural life of the villagers from Maramures.

Included: train tickets, dinner and stationing at a guesthouse in Botiza (water, showers, toilets, electricity)

This day is reserved for uncovering the history of Maramures: visit the monastery ensemble of Barsana, a very well know pilgrimage destination. All the buildings within the ensemble are made out of wood, using the local architectural and building styles, blending perfectly with the landscape.
Continue on your way to Sapanta to visit the Merry Cemetery, unique in the world. On each cross, manually sculpted and painted in blue, there are a few words describing the life of the deceased person.
Return to Sighetu Marmatiei (know in the region as “Sighet”) to visit the Memorial of the Anticommunist resistance. Sighet is also the place of birth of Elie Wiesel, one of the Nobel Prize winners.

Included: breakfast, dinner and stationing at a guesthouse in Botiza (water, showers, toilets, electricity)

Note: before departing on Saturday morning, take a quick look at the local village market. You will most likely find it quite interesting.

In the morning, everybody in the village is heading to the local church for the Sunday service. It’s impressive to see small groups, often elderly people, dressed in traditional clothes. You can enter the church to better feel the faith that permeates both the church and the people attending the religious service.
After the service, the locals head back home in the same small groups (it’s the best moment to observe the beauty of this tradition).
In the afternoon you can visit an artisan that knits the famous traditional carpets of Maramures. The wool is painted with vegetal colors and the imprinted carpet models depict all sorts of elements from nature (trees, flowers, animals) as well as traditional practices such as the traditional dance, the “hora”.
The evening is reserved for a special dinner with traditional folk musicians named “ceterasi”, who have taken the gift of playing their instruments from their fathers and grandparents.

Included: breakfast, festive dinner with folk musicians, stationing at a guesthouse in Botiza (water, showers, toilets, electricity)

Depart towards Hungary.

Included: breakfast in Botiza