E-bike option

Cycle Romania

Romania - Trip code CRT Cycling
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283Kg of CO²e
Average carbon footprint per person
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Carbon Footprint
You deserve to know everything about your holiday, from what is included, what to expect and every kilogram of CO2 emitted on average per person along the way.

We've partnered with ecollective to measure the carbon footprint of this tour based on an average group size. Find out more about how we calculate this and why we think it's important here.

 

Cycle through the heart of the Transylvanian Alps and step back in time; exploring beautiful unspoilt countryside, medieval towns, imposing castles and warm hospitality.

Why we love this trip
  • Bran and Peles Castles - Atmospheric medieval and neo-renaissance castles
  • Sighisoara - Discover this beautiful UNESCO listed medieval town
  • Bucharest - Explore Romania's capital city

  • Included meals

    Breakfast: 8

    Dinner: 4

  • Trip staff

    Explore Tour Leader

    Driver(s)

  • Transport

    Bus

    Bicycle

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    Accommodation

    1 nights simple guesthouse

    1 nights comfortable guesthouse

    6 nights comfortable hotel

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    Cycling grade:

    Moderate

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    Group Size:

    Trip maximum 16
    Explore Average 11

Itinerary

Day 1 - Join trip Bucharest

Our trip begins in Bucharest - Romania's largest city and capital since 1832. It has gone through a period of urban renewal and modernisation and is now a bustling city, at the centre of Romanian culture, art and media.

Our Leader plans to meet you in the hotel reception at 6pm and for those that wish, there is the chance to go out for dinner. Due to a number of flights arriving into Bucharest later in the evening, our welcome meeting will take place on the morning of day two.

There are no activities planned today, so you are free to arrive in Bucharest at any time. If you would like an airport transfer today, you will need to arrive into Bucharest Henri Coanda International Airport (OTP), which is a 30-minute drive from the city centre.

If you have free time on arrival then there's plenty to discover in the city's old town or there's a multitude of museums available to choose from including the National Museum of Romanian History, the Military Museum and the Folk Art Museum, to name but a few.

Accommodation:

Hotel Minerva (or similar)

Grade: Comfortable Hotel

Single room available

Meals Provided: None

Day 2 - Explore Bucharest, drive to Bran Castle and on to Moieciu

After breakfast our Tour Leader will conduct an introductory briefing, after which we go on a city tour of Bucharest. A remarkable blend of turn-of-the-century elegance and distinctive Communist architecture can be observed and much of the old city was destroyed in the soviet era. We visit the old quarter of the city to see some of the buildings that earned it the reputation as the Paris of Eastern Europe and see the Palace of Parliament; the magnificent but blatantly excessive palace of ex-President Ceausescu.

Leaving Bucharest we drive (3hrs) to Bran for our included visit to the castle (known as Dracula's Castle). Perched on a crag in a valley between two high mountain ranges, the castle controlled an important trade route, but it is now a rural backwater. After our tour, we make our way the short distance to our guesthouse in Moieciu, located on the eastern side of the Piatra Craiului mountains. Time permitting we plan to do the bike distribution and fitting after check in, with time to get familiar with the bike.

Accommodation:

Casa Zada Guest House (or similar)

Grade: Simple Guesthouse

Single room available

Meals Provided: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 3 - Cycle Piatra Craiului National Park to Bucium

Today is our first full day in the saddle. We start cycling on the edge of Piatra Craiului National Park along a beautiful forest valley. Then we cycle mainly downhill with spectacular views of the Transylvanian Alps to Bucium, we were spend the night. On the way, there is the option to stop at a wooden flourmill and Roman monastery, which gives an insight of how life would have been in days gone by.

Your total cycling distance today is approximately 55 kilometre/34.1 miles, with about 395 metres/1295 feet total ascent and 525 metres/1722 feet descent.

Accommodation:

Casa Moga Bucium (or similar)

Grade: Comfortable Guesthouse

Single room available

Meals Provided: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 4 - Visit the Sambata Monastery, cycle via Arpasu to Cartisoara

Today we continue cycling with great views of the Fagaras Mountains - the longest, highest ridge of the Carpathian Mountain range. Stopping for our picnic, we visit the ancient water barrel whirlpools, traditionally used for felting cloth and washing large fabrics. In the afternoon we plan to visit the Romanian Orthodox Sambata Monastery, dedicated to the Domitian of the Virgin Mary. Continuing by bike along the valley, we pass through Arpasu to our final destination in Cartisoara.

Your total cycling distance today is approximately 53 Kilometre/32.9 miles, with about 340 metres/1115 feet total ascent and 150 metres/492 feet descent.

Accommodation:

Hotel Hanul Patrisiei (or similar)

Grade: Comfortable Hotel

Single room available

Meals Provided: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 5 - Cycle the Olt River Valley to Talmaciu, drive to Sibiu

Departing Albota on our bikes, we cross the plain to join the river and then use gravel tracks to follow the watercourse. Passing villages, dams and herds of water buffalo, we arrive in Avrig to visit the 18th century Orangerie and the park of the summer residence of the former governor of Transylvania. Today's ride ends in Talmaciu, we then drive by bus (30 minutes) to the city of Sibiu for a walking tour that takes in the 15th century city walls and bastion fortifications. Sibiu is known as the red city due to its brick construction and is the most fortified town in the Principality of Transylvania. We then check into our accommodation.

Your total cycling distance today is approximately 55 kilometre/34.1 miles, with about 120 metres/393 feet total ascent and 160 metres/524 feet descent.

Accommodation:

Hotel MyContinental (or similar)

Grade: Comfortable Hotel

Single room available

Meals Provided: Breakfast

Day 6 - Drive to Carta, ride via Agnita to Dealu Frumos

After a short drive this morning, we arrive in Carta, an area in which time seems to have stood still. The farmers here still use traditional methods including scythes and sickles to farm their land and horse drawn wagons to move their hay. We visit the ancient church and ruins of an old Cistercian Abbey. Back on the bikes, we cycle into the Hartibaciu Valley through local villages. Passing Agnita, where the fortified church still hides a few secrets from its shady past, there is a final hill climb to arrive at our accommodation for the night in a rural location some 3 kilometre/1.8 miles outside Agnita.

Your total cycling distance today is approximately 38 kilometre/23.6 miles , with about 385 metres/1263 feet total ascent and 220 metres/721 feet descent.

Accommodation:

Pensiunea Elisabeta (or similar)

Grade: Comfortable Hotel

Single room available

Meals Provided: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 7 - Cycle to UNESCO listed Sighisoara

For our final day on the bikes you have the option to make an early start and cycle (37 kilometre/22.9 miles ) to Biertan. The bus will drive to Biertan with those clients who prefer not to ride this section. There is time for an optional guided visit of the UNESCO-listed 15th century fortified church in Biertan. From here we ride to Sighisoara. Upon arrival we check in to our hotel and the rest of the day is left free to allow exploration of the town on foot. The UNESCO protected castle is thought to be one of the largest lived-in castle in Europe and other sites include the old town fortifications, the Church on the Hill, covered stairs and the clock tower.

Your total cycling distance today is approximately 37 kilometre/22.9 miles , with about 450 metres/1476 feet total ascent and 505 metres/1656 feet descent. A further 37 kilometre/22.9 miles optional cycling is possible.

Accommodation:

Hotel Bulevard (or similar)

Grade: Comfortable Hotel

Single room available

Meals Provided: Breakfast

Day 8 - Visit Peles Castle, drive to Bucharest

Today we drive to Bucharest, a journey of about 6 hours but we will make plenty of stops including the wonderful Peles Castle. Built for the Hohenzollern monarch Carol I, Peles resembles a Bavarian chateau and is richly decorated with stained glass, Persian carpets, Renaissance weapons, ebony and mother of pearl. Our journey ends back in the capital. We spend our last night in Romania here and reflect on a great week of cycling in Transylvania before heading home in the morning.

Accommodation:

Hotel Minerva (or similar)

Grade: Comfortable Hotel

Single room available

Meals Provided: Breakfast

Day 9 - Trip ends Bucharest

There are no activities planned today, so you are free to depart from Bucharest at any time.

If your flight is departing later in the day luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you would like an airport transfer today, you need to depart from Henri Coanda International Airport (OTP), which is 30-minute drive from the hotel.

Meals Provided: Breakfast

Trip information

Climate and country information

Romania

Climate

Romania's climate is continental, temperatures being strongly influenced by the physical features of the Carpathians. Temperatures will fall from highs of 18°C (by day) to lows of 6°C (at night) in October; by January they will hover around freezing during the day and go down to -10°C at night.They will then rise to reach October temperatures again by April. Temperatures will generally be lower in the mountains than in Bucharest. Snowfall may occur at any time.

Time difference to GMT

+2

Plugs

2 Pin Round

Religion

Eastern Orthodox

Language

Romanian

Budgeting and packing

Clothing

We recommend you bring padded cycle shorts and quick drying cycle shirts for the daily cycling. Soaked cotton clothes tend not to dry while cycling. Cycling gloves are strongly recommended as they will protect you from sunburn and may also help protect your hands if you fall. A jumper or fleece is also advisable for the evenings as temperatures can drop sharply. A raincoat is advisable for early spring as there may be sporadic rain showers.

Footwear

If you are not bringing cycle shoes then try to bring stiff-soled shoes as these are better for cycling - transmitting your energy into the pedals more efficiently. This becomes more relevant and recommended the more demanding the grade and distances to cover. SPD cycle shoes are not well suited to trips that combine sightseeing with cycling.
Comfortable shoes, trainers, sandals or flip flops are useful when not on the bike.

Luggage

20kg

Equipment

It is compulsory to wear a cycling helmet on all Explore cycling holidays. As we cannot guarantee the quality or structural integrity of locally hired cycling helmets, it is a requirement that you bring your own helmet with you. Most insurance providers require helmets to be worn whilst cycling, so in the event of an accident, it is likely that any insurance claim will be invalidated if you are not wearing a helmet.

Cycle glasses to protect against dust, pollen and the sun, padded cycle gloves and a water bottle or water delivery system (e.g. camelback or platypus) are also useful. You may choose to bring your own gel seat cover for added comfort. A pannier is not provided so you may like to bring a small rucksack to wear while cycling. Other items to consider bringing are a sunhat and sun cream, torch, earplugs and insect repellent. Please carry some or all of your cycling equipment e.g. helmet as part of your hand luggage.

Tipping

Explore leader
Tipping isn't compulsory, and we work hard to ensure that our leaders all receive a fair wage. You may however, want to recognise a leader that has done a great job or really added to your trip by giving them a tip. We're often asked about the recommended amount. It is a tricky one, and down to personal preference, but we would recommend £20 to £25 per person per week as a guideline.

Local crew
Although voluntary, tipping is a recognised part of life in this region of the world. Some local staff will look to members of the group for personal recognition of particular services provided. Accordingly, you should allow approximately £20 of local c urrency for tipping.

In order to make things easier for you, the Explore Leader may organise a group's tips kitty and if this is the case, they will account for it throughout the trip.


Romania

Food and drink

The costs for meals may vary depending upon location, type of restaurant and number of courses eaten and so the prices given are an average guide. Local restaurants located off the beaten track may be less expensive, whereas an upmarket restaurant located in the centre of a major city may charge more.


Lunch price
£8 -10
Dinner price
£12 -15
Beer price
£2 - 4
Foreign Exchange
Local currency
Romanian Leu.
Recommended Currency For Exchange
Sterling Pounds, US Dollars and Euros cash can all be exchanged for local currency. Old style £10 and £20 notes are not accepted.
Where To Exchange
Please note that the exchange rates at the airport on arrival are particularly low.
ATM Availability
In most towns, your tour leader will advise you.
Credit Card Acceptance
Major stores and restaurants only.
Travellers Cheques
It is not possible to exchange Travellers Cheques on the tour.
Transport, Accommodation, Food & Drink

Transport Information

Bus, Bicycle

Romania

Food and drink

Can you drink the water? 
It is generally possible to drink the local tap water, therefore to reduce the need for single-use plastic bottles we recommend you bring a refillable water bottle with you. Your leader will advise you on refill points each day. 

Essential Information

Government Travel Safety Advice

We strongly recommend that you check your government's travel advisory for up-to-date information and advice about your destination's safety and security, entry requirements, health, local laws and customs. Relevant government website links for UK, US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand citizens are available on our Travel Safety page.

If you'd like some inital information on country-specific entry requirements, such as visas or any health declaration forms, please refer to our Entry Requirements page.  The services and information on this page are provided by a third party, and so we will still recommend that you cross check this against your government website for the latest advice.
 

Under 18 immigration guidance

Please note that some countries require proof of parental consent when travelling overseas with under 18s. Please check requirements with the relevant embassy or consular office well in advance of travel if this applies to your party.

Price Guarantee

Once your booking has been confirmed we guarantee the price will not increase, whatever the circumstances. However, please note that if you voluntarily make any changes to your booking including changing your trip or departure date, any additional costs or charges incurred will not be covered. Before booking please ensure you have read our important tour pricing information.Booking Conditions
 

Visa and Passport Information

Romania: Visas are not required by UK, EU nationalities, Australian, New Zealand, US and Canadian citizens. Other nationalities should consult their local embassy or consular office.


If you do require assistance in obtaining a visa then you may be able to apply through Explore's recommended visa service in the UK, Travcour. See www.travcour.com to download the relevant visa application for your trip, if applicable (UK citizens only), along with details of how to apply for your visa through Travcour. The Team at Travcour will be happy to answer specific questions relating to visa applications, please call them directly on 0208 5431846.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you are in possession of a full passport, with the correct validity for your chosen destination.
 

Booking conditions

Before booking your Explore trip, please ensure that you read both our Essential Information and Booking Conditions.
 

Minimum age restrictions

For our group tours, the minimum age is 16. The minimum age on Family trips varies between 7 and 11 - please check the 'Family information' section of the trip page for more information. 


Your safety and enjoyment on tour

We want everyone to have a safe and enjoyable holiday, so we ask you to confirm when booking this trip that you are fit and able to fully participate in all elements of the itinerary. If you have any concerns about your fitness or ability to complete any of the activities, please get in touch with our Customer Relations team at cr@explore.co.uk as soon as possible. Our tour leaders are trained and experienced in managing differing abilities within a group, but if they have concerns about a group member’s ability to safely participate in any element of the itinerary or believe someone’s presence could affect the safety or enjoyment of the holiday for others, in accordance with our Booking Conditions our tour leaders have the authority to ask an individual to miss an activity or activities. This decision would never be taken lightly, but on the rare occasions our tour leaders ask someone to sit out part of the tour, refunds will not be offered and individuals may be liable for additional costs incurred. 
 

Your Tour Leader

All tours aside from extensions, Galapagos cruises and polar expeditions will be led by one of our experienced Tour Leaders. We believe that our Tour Leaders are the key to the success of our tours; they are local experts who are bursting with first-hand knowledge which they love to share, and their unique insights will bring the destination to life. Your Tour Leader will be on hand throughout your tour to make sure arrangements run smoothly, to organise all the local logistics and to keep you safe. Your Tour Leader should be your first point of contact if you encounter any difficulties or disappointments in country – please raise any concerns, however small, with your Tour Leader as they are best placed to assist you.

Transfers

Find out more about Trip Transfer Terms and Conditions before you book.

Booking a land only package with Explore

Customers who have chosen to book on the ‘Land Only’ arrangements of our tour, please ensure that you have checked your tour specific ‘Joining Instructions’ prior to booking your own travel arrangements. Your joining instructions can be found below in the dates and prices information. 

You may also be eligible for the Free Explore Transfer.


Joining Tour Abroad

Customers booked on the ‘Land Only’ arrangements will receive a Free Transfer, provided you arrive and depart on the tour only itinerary start and end dates. The complimentary transfers will be arranged from the Explore designated airport or train station to your trips joining point, and then back from the ending point to the designated airport or train station. Generally the airport or station that Explore have selected will be the one that is closest to the town or city where the trip starts, or the one nearest to the joining point. It will be either an airport or train station but not both.

The exception to this rule is customers who are booked on a tour where the joining and ending point is at the designated airport or train station.  

Free transfers are not available for Polar customers.

If you are not eligible for the Free Transfer then you will need to make your own way through to the joining and ending point. On a majority of our tours Explore will be able to provide a private transfer at an additional cost. Please ask for a quote at the time of booking.  

For more information regarding the Explore Free Transfer click here

Insurance

It is a condition of booking with Explore that you have adequate valid travel insurance. It is your responsibility to arrange appropriate travel insurance and ensure you have read and understood the full terms and conditions of your travel insurance policy to ensure that you are covered for all activities you intend to undertake whilst on the tour, including all optional activities. Your Insurance Policy must fully cover you for medical expenses and emergency repatriation to your home country. Please ensure your policy includes medical emergency helicopter evacuation in the event of illness or injury and covers the entire duration of your holiday. If you are trekking at altitude please ensure that there is no upper altitude limit which may limit or exclude cover for your trip. The cost of many of our Polar Voyages will exceed the capped amount covered by standard insurance premiums and you will be required to pay an additional premium to cover the full value of your trip. Please ensure that you are covered for the full amount of your holiday cost, as insufficient cover could invalidate a claim under the policy. Medical and repatriation insurance cover is not mandatory for UK residents who are travelling on trips within the United Kingdom.
Read more information about what travel insurance is required.

Flight information

Explore can arrange your flights for you, to make joining and leaving our trips easy. Read more about them here.


Flight Information

You are able to book this tour on a 'land only' basis or as a ‘flight inclusive’ package. Your flight inclusive package will be fully protected by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) ATOL protection scheme.

 

Booking a flight inclusive package with Explore

We have a good selection of flights not only from London but from many regional airports around the UK allowing us to compare fares between scheduled carriers as well as low cost and charter airlines. Our dedicated flights team will match the best flight options to your arrival and departure airport.

On our website we display the price of the tour only. Please call us or select the flight option during the online checkout to receive a quote for a flight inclusive package. To avoid paying supplements or to secure your preferred flight option, we recommend booking as early as possible, especially for peak travel dates.

Romania

Vaccinations

Nothing compulsory, although we recommend vaccination against tetanus, hepatitis A, typhoid and polio. Tick-borne encephalitis is recommended by some medical sources if travelling in certain areas of Eastern Europe, at specific times of the year. The Foreign Office currently recommend considerations of vaccination against rabies if travelling in rural areas of Romania. Please check the latest requirements with your travel clinic or doctor prior to departure. The above is not an exhaustive list. Further information regarding vaccinations and travel health advice can be found by following the NHS and NaTHNaC links at Explore Travel Health and from your local healthcare provider. Visa and vaccination requirements are subject to change and should be confirmed by you before travelling.

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Airport Transfers
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