Romania By Train

Triumph Arch, Bucharest

Buildings of beauty

Bucharest (Bucureşti) boasts a melange of French architecture, the remains of Medieval places of worship and even its very own Arc de Triomphe (Arcul de Triumf). Don’t miss the Cantacuzino Palace and the historically significant Revolution Square. The stunning Palace of the Savings Bank is just one of the more than 50 buildings in Bucharest designed by architect Paul Gottereanu.

Bran Castle, Transylvania

The Count’s quarters

Transylvania is known for its stunning castles, but none are more famous than Bran Castle. Built in 1377 in Bran, near Brasov, this gothic structure is associated with Vlad (Tepes) Dracul or Vlad the Impaler, a 15th century prince, who was the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula. While in Transylvania, don’t miss the well-preserved medieval towns, like Bistrita and Sighişoara, where the real Vlad Dracul was born (Casa Dracula).

The Danube delta

The international watering hole

The Danube river stretches 1,788 miles (2,877 km) from the Black Forest in Germany, across nine countries to the Black Sea, off the coast of Romania. Just before reaching the Black Sea, it forms Europe’s second largest delta: the Danube Delta. Rivers, lakes, marshes, reed islands, and 3,450 bird and animal species call this wildlife preserve home. Cruises along the river and through the Delta are available, and highly recommended.

Voroneţ Monestery, one of the Painted Monasteries of Bucovina, Romania

The Painted Monasteries

For each of his victorious battles in the 14th and 15th centuries, Stefan the Great built a church or monastery in Moldavia, tucked in near the foothills of the Carpathians. The Painted Monasteries of Bucovina are considered masterpieces of Byzantine art. 7 of them are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Colorful, intricate frescos and murals decorate the inside and outside of these breathtaking structures.

The old casino in Constanta on the Black Sea coast

The ultimate relaxation point

From white sand beaches to indulgent spa and mud treatments to a sparkling nightlife, the Black Sea Resorts have it all. Known throughout time for its healing and rejuvenating powers, the Black Sea also offers supreme resort relaxation for the weary traveler. Enjoy the region’s treasures, like ancient monuments and rolling vineyards, and take advantage of the area’s easy accessibility to the Danube Delta, Bucharest, or the Painted Monasteries.

Rail Network

Romania's railway network has trains servicing every town and city in the country, and the many villages.

The fastest trains in Romania are the Intercity's - IC (running on the route Bucharest – Cluj-Napoca, Bucharest – Timisoara, and Bucharest – Iassy) and ICE (2 pairs of trains running on the route Bucharest – Constantza).

Romania is well connected with the European railway network. There are daily international trains from Bucharest, like Venice, Vienna, Budapest, Prague, Belgrade, Sofia, Varna, Tessaloniki and Istanbul.

Train types

• IC and ICE: fast modern trains between major cities with facilities like on-board restaurants. Reservation is compulsory.

• Rapid (R) and Accelerat (A): both are regional trains, but the Rapid trains are more comfortable.

• Personal (P): slow local trains, that stop in the smallest villages. Not very comfortable, but 'authentic'.

Private railways (Eurail pass is not valid!)

Eurail Passes are not valid on the following routes, served by the private railway operators CF TRANS, Serv Trans, KEOLIS, VIA TERRA Spedition, Regiotrans and FEROTRANS: