Romania – What You Need to Know Before You Go

On January 23, 2017August 30, 2017 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Travel Tips9 Comments

Our trip to Romania was definitely an interesting one and as we returned, it became clear that there were a few things that we wish we had known before travelling to this country. This isn’t at all a suggestion that you shouldn’t visit Romania, far from it, there is plenty to see and experience, but there are a few things that you should know before you travel.

- There is information out there that taxi drivers will try to defraud you and over-charge you. It is not an exaggeration. On our first night in Bucharest, we ordered a taxi from our hotel, a place we were told we could trust, and the taxi took us to a location no where near our destination and demanded ten-times the expected price for the ride. We were outraged, but paid, mostly because we didn’t know what else to do. We then found a restaurant nearby and asked for a taxi to take us to our intended destination. After a few minutes, it was clear that the driver did not know where he was going, so we asked him to take us back to our hotel. Upon arrival, the driver asked for twice the price that was displayed on the meter. When going inside to get assistance from the hotel, the driver panicked and forced the other one of us out of the vehicle. Do not trust taxi drivers, know how much it should cost before you get in, and understand that their reputation is duly deserved.
  Brasov, Romania
- Visiting Bucharest is like stepping back in time to the 1950’s. Unlike most of the European cities that we have visited, this city was bleak, sterile, and not-particularly welcoming. There isn’t much to see and when we did visit the old town area, where normally you see the most interesting historical architecture, we were surprised to see a variety of sex shops, strip clubs, and massage parlors amongst the various restaurants. It certainly was a different experience from other old towns that we have had the pleasure to see.
  Old Town Bucharest
- Train travel is not as convenient as other places. We have become quite accustomed to being able to take trains to all of the important destinations, but this is not necessarily true in Romania. You can get from one large city to another, but that is all and you must purchase your tickets in person at the train station. Also, we purchased first class tickets, which wasn’t really necessary as there was relatively little difference between first and second class. It is still a convenient way to travel, but clearly not as nice as transportation in other countries. We ended up taking a shuttle back from Brasov to the Bucharest airport just because it was not only not convenient, but also meant that we didn’t have to deal with the taxi drivers of Bucharest once again, so for the same price and time, it was an easy decision.

- The country is in EU probationary status, which means that you are required to go through customs, even when travelling from within the EU. This is not a big deal, but it was surprising since we had gotten used to just showing our passport at the airport gate versus having to spend time going through customs.

- Romania does not use Euros. Once again, this isn’t necessarily a surprise, there are other countries where this is true, but be aware that your bank might flag any transactions as fraudulent. We had obviously let all of our banks know that we were travelling to Romania, so we were surprised when we weren’t able to make a withdrawal from our account. When we contacted our bank, we were told that it didn’t have to do with our travel notification, it is simply that they didn’t trust any transaction emanating from Romania, so withdrawals were disallowed. Obviously this is always the best way to get local currency, so it was frustrating and a surprise, but we were able to work our way around it, but at a higher cost.

Communism did not Change the Beautiful Churches

Driving can be quite challenging. We were warned not to rent a car while we were in Romania, which we didn’t, and it was probably for the best. Driver’s are quite aggressive and don’t respect lanes, turn signals, or pedestrians. Basically, it is as simple as driver beware. You need to be defensive, whether walking or driving, and assume that the driver next to you is going to do something erratic and ignore your safety.
Bran Castle

As we mentioned, this isn’t meant to deter anyone from visiting Romania, especially since we would recommend that people do visit. We have been to many different countries, some of which were considered to be dangerous or risky. We wouldn’t put Romania in exactly the same category, but it was an eye-opening destination, one which will definitely leave an impression upon us. We enjoyed our time there, but there were definitely some things that we wish we had known before we had travelled, so hopefully this will help you if you should desire to visit Romania.

Christmas Markets and Traveling in Germany

On November 21, 2016 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Germany, Travel Tips18 Comments

We had heard a lot about how wonderful the Christmas markets would be before we ever left the United States to spend some time here in Germany. Even though the markets are just now being put together in Frankfurt and will be opening this Wednesday, we have already been to several Christmas markets as we have travelled the past couple of weeks. Obviously we will share posts on all of the food, wine, Glühwein, and various souvenirs, but we thought that we would share some things that we have observed that we were not told about and were not prepared for.

The markets seem to be around all of the major attractions in the various cities and towns. While this can be awfully convenient in some respects, it does detract from the ability to truly absorb the sight that you are trying to see and photograph. Having all of the stalls in front of a cathedral or palace doesn’t make for ideal picture taking and sometimes one of the giant Christmas trees blocks the view completely. Add to it the extra crowds that come to the market on top of those visiting the attraction and it can feel quite claustrophobic.
Market outside of the Dom in Cologne
There can be multiple Christmas markets all going on at the same time in various parts of the city. It probably isn’t true of some of the smaller villages, but in the larger cities there can be many different Christmas markets. At this point, we have seen up to eight markets in one city, Köln (Cologne) and are not sure how many we will have in Frankfurt, but we have walked past two getting set up just in the old town area. In theory, it should keep down the crowds because they have multiple to choose from, but as far as we can tell, people go from one market to the next, so it doesn’t keep down the number of people you have to traverse through.
Setting up the Market in Old Town, Frankfurt
The items sold are not often unique, hand-made, items, but tend to be the same items sold at each of the various markets. Obviously the markets are commercial, so it isn’t too surprising, but if you are hoping to find that perfect gift that can’t be found anyplace else, you will have to do some searching. It isn’t that there aren’t some truly special items that you can’t find anyplace else, but you will just have to take some time to figure out what is from a local artist and what is mass-produced.
Market outside Cathedral in Vienna
Not all Glühwein is the same. You have to be careful, some places will add rum or other liquor to the delicious, warming treat, making it even more likely to take you to a happy place. Often you can ask to have something added, but other times it is just added for you. Be careful, it can sneak up on you if you have a couple of glasses, but it will definitely put you in the holiday spirit.
Glühwein Mugs
People don’t pay any attention to where they are walking. We see the same effect in airports and train stations, where people walk without looking where they are going, but they are especially bad in the markets. Perhaps it is all of the shiny lights making them look anywhere but in front of them, so don’t be surprised to have several people walk right into you as you make your way through the crowds. Don’t get us started about the parents with strollers who fall into this category, it is as though they use their children as battering rams to move through the crowds.
View from inside Alten Limpurg

As we mentioned, we have already enjoyed some wonderful markets and are definitely looking forward to ones that are about to start here in Frankfurt. We will likely avoid them on the weekends, when the crowds will be even worse, and we wouldn’t be surprised if by the time Christmas actually gets here, we are a little tired of having to walk through the markets to get to some of the places we like to go. Unfortunately, the market in the town square is directly outside of our favorite watering hole, Alten Limpurg, and you can no longer even see the fountain and buildings from within restaurant.

Five Must Pack Items for Travel Abroad

On August 5, 2016 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Travel Tips1 Comment

Obviously there are some things that you simply cannot travel without such as your passport, camera, and cell phone. We’d like to talk about a few items that we have found to be just as important, but perhaps aren’t talked about quite as often. Certainly it is possible to purchase some of these items while you’re on the road, but if you plan ahead and bring them with you, you will be happier in the long run.

An Electrical Converter Kit – Having a high quality converter kit is an absolute must. We have bought some less expensive converters that were specific for our destination, only to find out once we arrived that they didn’t work very well. Since then, we’ve found a high quality converter that can convert to multiple wattage and it has never failed us. In some countries the outlets can vary from hotel to hotel, so knowing that we have whatever converter we need provides a huge piece of mind.
Power Converter
Charging Chords and Cables – This one is pretty obvious, but it is important to remember chargers for every device that might need one, not just your cell phone and computer or tablet. Perhaps you have a fitness tracker that needs to be charged or you have a camera with rechargeable batteries. Think of the frustration you would feel if those devices stopped working and you couldn’t take photos or impress your friends by telling them how many steps you took on you trip. Kidding aside, there are many common devices these days that need to be charged. We also recommend taking extra cables if you have them. Charging cables seem to be one of the most common items to get left in a hotel room when travelling from place to place.
Chords and Cables
A List of All Medications and Vaccinations – This is one of those things that you hope that you won’t need to use, but if for some reason you need to seek medical attention when you are travelling, having a complete list of every medication that you are taking will be important information. You should also have your doctor fill out your official vaccination form. Even if you are not travelling to a country that requires it, having the form with you can be handy if you take a spontaneous trip to some place that does require it. The medication list can also be useful should you encounter an overly suspicious customs agent that scrutinizes a bottle of pills in your carry-on bag.
Vaccination Forms
A Multi-Port USB Device – Having a multi-port USB device can be convenient for a couple of reasons. First of all, it will allow you to charge multiple devices while plugged into a single outlet (using a single power converter ☺). It also allows you to connect several devices together in order to share data across those devices, which is quite useful when trying to copy photos from a camera or phone onto a tablet so that you can share them with the world.
USB Device
A First-Aid Kit – Once again, you hope that you never need it, but having a small kit with band-aids, gauze, aspirin, and medicinal wipes is always a good idea. It can be as simple as tossing a few necessary items into a plastic bag to go into your suitcase. Depending on where you are travelling to, it might be a good idea to toss in a small bottle of aloe as well, just in case you get sunburned.

These are just a few things that we’ve found to be useful during our various travels. Perhaps there are some things that you’ve found to be useful when you travel, we’d love to hear what they are.