Keys and Clues

Weather
Knowing to its distance from the open sea, Romania has a continental climate. Summers are generally very warm to hot, with average maxima in Bucharest being around 30 °C (86 °F), with temperatures over 40 °C (100 °F) not unknown in the lower-lying areas of the country. Minima in Bucharest and other lower-lying areas are around 20 °C (68 °F), but at higher altitudes both maxima and minima decline considerably.

Winters are quite cold, with average highs even in lower-lying areas being no more than 0 °C (35 °F) and below −20 °C (2.0 °F) in the highest mountains, where some areas of permafrost occur on the highest peaks.
Precipitation is generally modest, averaging over 750 mm (29.5 in) only on the highest western mountains - much of it falling as snow which allows for an extensive skiing industry. In the delta of the Danube, rainfall is very low, averaging only around 370 mm (14.6 in) per year, whilst in the more westerly lowland like Bucharest it is around 530 mm (20.9 in).

Electricity
A.C. 220 volts - 50 cycles. Plugs are of the round 2-pin type.

Public Holidays
January 1st and 2nd - New Year; Monday following Orthodox Easter (April 4th and 5th 2010); May 1st - Labor Day; Rusaliile: - Christian Orthodox Religious Holiday (celebrated 50 days after Easter - May 23th and 24th 2010); August 15th - Saint Mary's Day; December 1st - National Day; December 25-26 - Christmas. All these days are non-working days.

How to get here: By air, by rail, by road or by sea.
By air: you can use regular or charter flights of Romanian airlines (Tarom) and the foreign airlines (Lufthansa, Air France, Delta, Swiss-air, Alitalia) that connect Bucharest with the most important airports in the world. Regular and charter flights of Romanian airlines (namely Tarom) and of the foreign airlines with offices in Bucharest ( Delta, Air France, Lufthansa, Alitalia, Swissair...) connect Bucharest with the world's major airports. We have two airports in Bucharest (Henri Coanda Airport and Baneasa Aurel Vlaicu Airport) and others airports in most major cities (Timisoara - Traian Vuia, Craiova, Cluj-Napoca, Iasi, Arad, Oradea, Satu Mare, Constanta-Mihail Kogalniceanu, Targu Mures, Bacau, Suceava - Stefan Cel Mare, Sibiu, Tulcea, Baia Mare).
By rail: international express trains connect the main central European capitals with Bucharest, the Black Sea coast and the main cities in the country. So if you choose to travel by train you can get anywhere in the country in a easy and very safe way.
By road: you can come into Romania by road from all over the Europe, but it is important to know that the state of the roads here is not the best.  All roads are marked in accordance with international regulations. Cars are driven on the right side of the road and can overtake on the left. If you come to Romania by car, bring your driving license, car papers and green card.
By sea: cruise ships call at the Port of Constanta (on the Black Sea coast), the country's biggest port. Passenger boats also operate on the Danube and the new European river-way Rotterdam-Constanta, includes the Romanian Danube-Black Sea Canal.

Currency Exchange
Our national currency is the "leu" (pl. lei) When coming in Romania you should avoid the black exchange market as this is an illegal operation and subject to punishment according to the law.
Foreign currency can only be exchanged at banks  (BCR, BRD, Banca Transilvania, BancPost, Reiffeisen Bank, Piraeus Bank, OTP Bank, Libra Bank) and authorized exchange offices. As rates can vary from one place to another it is wise to shop around.  Go to the currency converter here..

Vaccinations
In our country there are not required any kind of vaccinations.

Local time
I n summertime (from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in September) we have 3 hours ahead of GMT; during the other months of the year we have 2 hours ahead of GMT.

Tipping
Normally a small tip for good services is appreciated, but is not a mandatory requirement, it is as the customer wishes.

Credit Cards
All tipes of international cards (debit or credit like American Express, Master Card, and VISA) are accepted in most hotels, rent-a-car companies, big stores,  hipermarkets and in some restaurants.