The Carpathian Mountains

[barge1914]

Hello. Is there anybody there? Haven’t seen a UK van since we crossed the Rhine a few weeks ago...let alone any with big Ws. Spent a week unexpectedly by the (ex) Bridge at Remagen waiting for a Toilettenkassettemechanismus to be delivered from UK. Since then we’ve pottered our way across Germany, Czeck Republic and Slovakia. Now in cooler air up in the High Tatras Mountains before heading off across Hungary and into Romania. If you’re wandering this way give us a wave.

Anyone crossed the Transfargasian or Transalpina passes recently?..wondering what state the roads are in and about wild spots on the way over?

 

[shaunr68]

I found Romania to be a real gem, a revelation in many ways. The Italian culture, language and heritage is clearly evident, but they're slightly better drivers than the Italians. Only just though! Some of the rural roads can be awful, a bits falling off the van level of woeful. I loved the old Saxon towns in Transylvania, very quiet and civilised with a real Germanic feel to them. We drove a bit of the Transfagarasan Pass but being mid March the higher sections were closed unfortunately, but I do plan on seeing Romania again one day. Have fun, very envious! Write up below and a video I made at our overnight spot outside a monastery high up in the Carpathian mountains in deep snow, one of my favourite spots of the trip.

Romania | The Woolly Wanderers – A Motorhome Adventure

[video=youtube;8llTV4b8fTg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8llTV4b8fTg[/video]

 

[barge1914]

Carpathians

Thanks for that info. The blog gives lots of good pointers. Really looking forward to Romania. I see you ‘enjoyed’ the DN 18 road. We are planning on going that way, entering the country from Hungary near Carei where I think there is somewhere to stop overnight. Then across to Baia Mare, up to Firiza (not sure about that minor road though), then DN18 to Sighetu Marmatiei, and carrying on down via Borsa on DN18 to join DN17, and south towards Bicaz on DN17B/DN15. After that the plans to head west on the DN12C, 13B, 13A before swinging south through Sigisoara towards Transylvania. Did you go that way, any feedback on the roads would be welcome, like what rate of progress you can make along them...pretty slow I guess. Sort of important to me as I can only manage driving max 2 hours in a day owing to chronic pain problems in the back and sitting down department.

Have you any tips on Wildcamping in Romania, and opportunities for filling and emptying?

 

[shaunr68]

Thanks for that info. The blog gives lots of good pointers. Really looking forward to Romania. I see you ‘enjoyed’ the DN 18 road. We are planning on going that way, entering the country from Hungary near Carei where I think there is somewhere to stop overnight. Then across to Baia Mare, up to Firiza (not sure about that minor road though), then DN18 to Sighetu Marmatiei, and carrying on down via Borsa on DN18 to join DN17, and south towards Bicaz on DN17B/DN15. After that the plans to head west on the DN12C, 13B, 13A before swinging south through Sigisoara towards Transylvania. Did you go that way, any feedback on the roads would be welcome, like what rate of progress you can make along them...pretty slow I guess. Sort of important to me as I can only manage driving max 2 hours in a day owing to chronic pain problems in the back and sitting down department.

Have you any tips on Wildcamping in Romania, and opportunities for filling and emptying?

Hi, sorry for the belated response. It was a few years ago so I can't remember specifically which roads but in general the roads are decent quality but some of the minor roads out in the sticks can be real bone-shakers. I remember a stretch in the Carpathians where we drove at little more than walking pace for what must have been an hour. Sigisoara and Sibiu are definitely worth seeing, very pleasant medieval Saxon settlements.

I don't remember having any problems getting water (usually petrol stations) or emptying the cassette, however we did stay at a few campsites including 11 nights at Camping Casa Alba in Bucharest while one of us flew back to the UK to visit family and arrange the Russian visa.

We had no problems wild camping and there are also a few aire type arrangements for example you park overnight on the car parks of some of the monasteries for a small fee, I'm not sure whether it was Neamt or Voronet but one even included EHU.

The following is an extract from my spreadsheeet showing each overnight location while in Romania, along with cost (Euro equivalent) where relevant and GPS co-ordinates.

Good luck!

Date	Location	Notes	Type	Price	GPS
02/03/2015	Bucharest, Romania	Camping Casa Alba Acasa - Complex turistic Casa Alba - restaurant cu terasa, restaurant cu spatiu verde, salon de nunti langa padure	Campsite	18.01	44.51737, 26.09187
03/03/2015	Bucharest, Romania	Camping Casa Alba Acasa - Complex turistic Casa Alba - restaurant cu terasa, restaurant cu spatiu verde, salon de nunti langa padure	Campsite	18.01	44.51737, 26.09187
04/03/2015	Bucharest, Romania	Camping Casa Alba Acasa - Complex turistic Casa Alba - restaurant cu terasa, restaurant cu spatiu verde, salon de nunti langa padure	Campsite	18.01	44.51737, 26.09187
05/03/2015	Bucharest, Romania	Camping Casa Alba Acasa - Complex turistic Casa Alba - restaurant cu terasa, restaurant cu spatiu verde, salon de nunti langa padure	Campsite	18.01	44.51737, 26.09187
06/03/2015	Bucharest, Romania	Camping Casa Alba Acasa - Complex turistic Casa Alba - restaurant cu terasa, restaurant cu spatiu verde, salon de nunti langa padure	Campsite	18.01	44.51737, 26.09187
07/03/2015	Bucharest, Romania	Camping Casa Alba Acasa - Complex turistic Casa Alba - restaurant cu terasa, restaurant cu spatiu verde, salon de nunti langa padure	Campsite	18.01	44.51737, 26.09187
08/03/2015	Bucharest, Romania	Camping Casa Alba Acasa - Complex turistic Casa Alba - restaurant cu terasa, restaurant cu spatiu verde, salon de nunti langa padure	Campsite	18.01	44.51737, 26.09187
09/03/2015	Bucharest, Romania	Camping Casa Alba Acasa - Complex turistic Casa Alba - restaurant cu terasa, restaurant cu spatiu verde, salon de nunti langa padure	Campsite	18.01	44.51737, 26.09187
10/03/2015	Bucharest, Romania	Camping Casa Alba Acasa - Complex turistic Casa Alba - restaurant cu terasa, restaurant cu spatiu verde, salon de nunti langa padure	Campsite	18.01	44.51737, 26.09187
11/03/2015	Bucharest, Romania	Camping Casa Alba Acasa - Complex turistic Casa Alba - restaurant cu terasa, restaurant cu spatiu verde, salon de nunti langa padure	Campsite	18.01	44.51737, 26.09187
12/03/2015	Bucharest, Romania	Camping Casa Alba Acasa - Complex turistic Casa Alba - restaurant cu terasa, restaurant cu spatiu verde, salon de nunti langa padure	Campsite	18.01	44.51737, 26.09187
13/03/2015	Cetatea Poenari, Transylvania, Romania		Wild	0.00	45.34516, 24.63473
14/03/2015	Cetatea Poenari, Transylvania, Romania		Wild	0.00	45.34516, 24.63473
15/03/2015	Sibiu, Transylvania, Romania		Wild-Urban	0.00	45.76065, 24.12671
16/03/2015	Cartisoara, Transylvania, Romania		Wild	0.00	45.67742, 24.57825
17/03/2015	Sighisoara, Transylvania, Romania		o/n Parking	5.63	46.22079, 24.79594
18/03/2015	Sovata, Transylvania, Romania	Camping Vasskert http://www.szovata.hu/	Campsite	6.76	46.59094, 25.07306
19/03/2015	Sovata, Transylvania, Romania	Camping Vasskert http://www.szovata.hu/	Campsite	6.76	46.59094, 25.07306
20/03/2015	Bicaz, Moldavia, Romania	Motel Cristina http://www.complexcristina.ro/	Pay Aire	9.00	46.93788, 26.11266
21/03/2015	Neamt, Romania		o/n Parking	0.00	47.26184, 26.21037
22/03/2015	Voronet, Romania	Bucovina parking	o/n Parking	4.50	47.52075, 25.86546
23/03/2015	Prislop, Munteii Rodnei Nat Pk		Wild	0.00	47.60912, 24.85592
24/03/2015	Viseu de Sus, Maramures, Romania	Terminus of Carpathian Forestry Railway http://www.cffviseu.ro/	Pay Aire	9.00	47.71480, 24.44390
25/03/2015	Viseu de Sus, Maramures, Romania	Terminus of Carpathian Forestry Railway http://www.cffviseu.ro/	Pay Aire	9.00	47.71480, 24.44390
26/03/2015	Certeze, Romania		Wild	0.00	47.96253, 23.51322

 

[barge1914]

Romania

Thanks, that’s really helpful stuff. Only three more days and we’ll be there. Going to be surprisingly warm though, they are forecasting 30C for the next week until we get up into the Marmures...a bit of a contrast from your spring trip!