Transylvania Travel Guide – Tourism in Romania

I was in high school when I learned that Transylvania was a real place- not simply a fictional land existing only in vampire literature. As soon as I found out that Transylvania was a real place I knew that I wanted to go. Why? I love exploring parts of the world that are a little bit obscure and a little bit off the beaten path so Transylvania was a perfect destination for my travel style.

And let’s be honest, I loved the reaction when I announced to friends and family that I was “going to spend a month in Transylvania.” (More than one friend admitted after the fact that they’d later googled whether it was an actual place!)

In 2019, I spent late August through Early October wandering Transylvania as a slow-traveling digital nomad, and here’s my guide based on my own research and extensive travel around the region.

How to get to Transylvania

Transylvania is easily accessed via Budapest, Hungary or Bucharest Romania- both major cities with easily accessed airports and train stations.

To get to any of the cities within Transylvania (including Timosoara, Cluj Napoca, Alba Iulia, Sibiu, etc) from Bucharest or Budapest, you can take a train, taxi, or rental car. There are pros and cons to each method of travel in Transylvania, but I’m an outlier in that I prefer trains- even in Eastern Europe. You can read more about tips on riding trains in Eastern Europe. But here’s a simple rundown:

Getting to Transylvania by Train

Romanian trains are notoriously slow but traveling in Romania by train is by far the most inexpensive option. Even though rail travel in Romania is slow, it will generally get you to your destination with some great views along the way. Train travel on these slow-moving trains is, to me, an invitation to be present to the journey in a different way- it offers an opportunity to notice the world pass slowly by instead of focusing on the next destination and missing the present moment.

Getting to Transylvania by Taxi

Not advisable from Budapest, getting to Transylvania by taxi from Bucharest, Romania is surprisingly affordable. In Romania, an hour taxi ride in Romania can cost as little as $35, although rates vary by region, passengers, car type, and service.

Renting a Car in Transylvania

Renting a car in Romania may be worth it depending on your travel style. Like most things in Transylvania, the cost of renting a car is affordable relative to US exchange rates. However, many of the cities that you’ll want to visit in Transylvania are medieval cities with narrow roads, and having a car to park may prove more of a hassle than a help.

You should, however, rent a car if you plan on driving the Transfagarasan highway in the Carpathian mountains- a popular tourist spot in Transylvania not far from Bran Castle and Fagaras Castle.

Need a visual list of my recommendations?

Check out my Transylvania-Romania Pinterest Board

Travel Safety in Transylvania

Crime rates in Transylvania are in line with other regions of Eastern Europe – and in some cities much safer. According to stats available through the UN at the time of this publication, the murder rate in Romania was half, per capita, than the USA;  and violent crimes were as much as 6x less common. Like traveling anywhere in the world, you should use common sense and exercise basic solo-travel safety when traveling in Transylvania.

Because of the ease of transportation, and general safety, Romania is an excellent destination for solo travel. When I visited Transylvania as a solo traveler in 2019, I traveled throughout the Transylvania region of Romania for over a month. Visiting over a dozen cities, I never found myself in an area where I felt unsafe to be a female solo traveler.

How much does it cost to visit Romania?

When I spent a month in Romania in 2019, I spent most of my time in Transylvania. I’ve done a full report in another post on what it cost to visit Transylvania, but the short version is that traveling with mid-range expenditures, I spent an average of about $35 USD a day on food, transportation, and incidentals (not including the cost of hotels and lodging). Romania is a much more adorable destination than many popular European spots.

How to visit Transylvania

Transylvania is best traveled slowly, with lots of good meals and an open-handed approach to your travel itinerary. Trains run slow, restaurants are open late, and co-working and coffee spaces abound. Transylvania is an excellent destination for slow travel.

In a similar way to the United States, tourist destinations in Romania are a little more spread out – making it a hard region to visit and thoroughly enjoy if you only have a few days or a week. Instead, dedicating a larger chunk of time to traveling slowly through Romania, and enjoying the culture while, for example, remote working is an excellent way to enjoy the region at a pace that feels more sustainable.

How to Visit Transylvania

The Best time to visit Transylvania

Like much of Europe, the Transylvanian climate, at lower elevations, doesn’t generally have dramatic or harsh seasonal weather. This means that almost any time of year is a good time to visit. With summer heatwaves becoming more pronounced, however, the best time to visit Transylvania may be in the spring or early fall.

My visit in 2019 was in July, August, and September. Watching the landscape turn from green to gold, and journeying through rural Transylvania during harvest was a part of my trip that feels particularly memorable.

If you’d like to learn more about specific destinations within Transylvania and in the surrounding regions within Romania, check out my list of things to do in Romania. This list includes tourist destinations just outside of the Transylvanian region – including the Steam Trains in the Maramures Forest in the north and the Danube Delta in Northeast Romania, on the coast of the Black Sea.