Romania : Safety by City
Romania is a mystical and gorgeous jewel of a country, resting on the very north of the Balkan peninsula, separated from the famous Balkan countries by two mountain rings: the Carpathian mountains and the old mountains in Dobrogea.
Even though it is situated on the Balkan’s north, where many countries notorious for their crime rates and unfavorable political situation are located, Romania is more than safe to travel to.
There are greater risks in visiting bigger and more prominent capitals in Europe than there are in visiting Romania.
Even the streets of its vintage-touched cities, during the last couple of decades, since the collapse of the Soviet Union when Romania became part of the European Union, have filled with tourists from all over the world, making it a warm and welcoming tourist destination for anyone hungry for hikes along vast forests or just yearning for a bone-chilling adventure along the mysterious Transylvania castles.
Warnings & Dangers in Romania
OVERALL RISK: LOW
For the most part, Romania is a safe country to travel to and considered to be a welcoming traveling destination, ranked among the most-threat free countries on the planet.
TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
Transportation in Romania is mainly safe. As in any other country, cab drivers could take advantage of an unprepared tourist, scamming him into paying the ride way too much. Tourists are advised to use Uber or Black Cab to avoid such events.
PICKPOCKETS RISK: LOW
Even though pickpocketing and small thefts are some of the most common crimes you can encounter in Romania, they are most common in big cities like Bucharest, or other famous tourist destinations in Romania, and even there they are rare compared to other bigger European capitals.
NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: LOW
Some Romanian cities, such as Bucharest, are somewhat vulnerable to earthquake hazards, given the fact that they are located in an active seismic zone. Apart from that, some parts of Romania might become inaccessible due to heavy rains or snowfall during winter.
MUGGING RISK: MEDIUM
Even though crimes against tourists remain a problem in Romania, mugging is not an issue and rarely happens towards tourists.
TERRORISM RISK: LOW
As of 2016, Romania started boosting anti-terrorism laws, even though it was always considered to be one of the most terrorism threat-free countries in the world, so traveling to Romania is considered as safe as can be when it comes to terrorism.
SCAMS RISK: MEDIUM
Scams do happen in Romania, but mostly in the form of overpricing in bars, or by the street vendors. Drink spiking is also an issue in night clubs.
WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW
Even though Romania is as safe as can be for women travelers, they should be aware of the dangers of roaming alone in a strange city. Just like pretty much anywhere, they should avoid walking alone down empty or poorly lit streets, walking past groups of people that behave or look strange or getting into conversations with unknown people that might seem strangely friendly.
So... How Safe Is Romania Really?
Surprisingly to some, the chances of being physically attacked in Romania are far less than being attacked, say, in the US or the Western Europe states.
However, as an inexperienced traveler, you might encounter minor incidents such as pickpocketing, smaller thefts or vendors might try to trick you while selling something.
Like in most countries, you should watch out for scammers, plan everything ahead, negotiate all fees in advance, double-check everything you hear from vendors on the streets and be careful when making friendships with unknown “friendly” locals trying to help you with anything: they might try to steal something from you or charge for their help.
Speaking of scams, here are some of the most common ones:
- Money exchanging scams: always watch out when exchanging money, and try to do it in official exchanges offices, and double-check your money once it’s exchanged.
- Public transportation scams or thefts – be on the lookout for small pick-pocketers roaming around the buses or trains. You might not even notice when they steal your wallet, because they’re very skillful.
- Friendships on the streets – friendly strangers might want to charge for their “services”, “help” etc.
- Vehicle thefts – avoid renting Volkswagen, Opel or Mercedes cars because of the risk of carjacking, and of course avoid leaving anything valuable in plain sight.
Also, pay attention in night clubs or bars for people trying to spike your drink (not common, but has been reported) and in poorly lit streets and areas, or upon seeing strange activities on the streets such as groups of teenagers acting violent or anyone else seeming and acting intoxicated or ready to start up a fight.
It goes without saying that you should avoid parts of Romania known for higher rates of crime.
How Does Romania Compare?
| Country | Safety Index |
|---|---|
| Romania | 80 |
| Morocco | 54 |
| Canada | 88 |
| Estonia | 82 |
| Cyprus | 75 |
| Czech Republic | 88 |
| Latvia | 80 |
| Vietnam | 73 |
| Slovenia | 87 |
Useful Information
Visas
In most cases, Visas are not needed for any stay shorter than 90 days. However, you should make sure that your passport is valid for at least six months from your date of return and if you're not sure whether or not you need a visa, you should check that on www.doyouneedvisa.com. Based on your nationality, it will help you make sure if you need a visa for the country you are visiting.
Currency
Currency in Romania is Romanian Leu. You should avoid exchanging money on the street or any unofficial money exchange offices. You will find the best exchange rate in the official banks. Another option can be withdrawing money from local ATM's using your debit or credit card.
Weather
The climate in Romania is mild, with all four, very distinct seasons. It's colder in the north since the Carpathian Mountains are there, so if you're traveling to Transylvania, be prepared and dress warmly.
Airports
As would be expected, the busiest airports are located in Bucharest. There are two of them, and the most prominent one is located 16.5 km north of Bucharest, called Bucharest Henri Coanda International Airport.
Travel Insurance
We advise travelers to make sure they have travel insurance that would, in case of any emergency, cover all costs of any medical problems, as well as in cases of theft or loss of personal items.
Romania Weather Averages (Temperatures)
Average High/Low Temperature
| Temperature / Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 3 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 23 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 25 | 17 | 9 | 4 |
| Low °C | -4 | -2 | 2 | 7 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 13 | 8 | 2 | -2 |
| High °F | 37 | 43 | 54 | 64 | 73 | 81 | 84 | 86 | 77 | 63 | 48 | 39 |
| Low °F | 25 | 28 | 36 | 45 | 54 | 61 | 64 | 64 | 55 | 46 | 36 | 28 |
Romania - Safety by City
| City | Safety Index |
|---|---|
| Brasov | 80 |
| Bucharest | 72 |
| Cluj-Napoca | 90 |
| Iasi | 73 |
| Timisoara | 87 |
Friendly and Welcoming
Heard lots of horror stories before we arrived but all untrue. Nowhere did we feel unsafe and everyone was friendly and welcoming. The wild dogs we heard about were nowhere to be seen and all were friendly. Note that we didn’t travel to Bucharest and as with all big cities I can see that might be different. There are Bears so take advice if hiking into the mountains. A great country.
A truly unique experience
Hello!
I am glad you have a great opinion about our country, wild dogs are to be seen but not in big cities or cultural places, where I live are a lot of them but none are agressive towards you, some of them are only territorial, in some places i went dogs would gather around you barking very aggresively, not even 1 meter away from you, really scary but those places were very distant and unpopulated.
As in bigger cities, like Bucharest, I sometimes can’t believe i am saying this, but rely on the police, the worse parts are in nobody’s way so you wont stumble upon a bad neighbourhood.
But although police may very rarely get corrupt here they are doing their job, especially the germanders when called for an emergency, they serve well.
I hope you’ll visit us more ofthen, from Timișoara to Constanța, there’s a different world to be seen if you look in the right place! ☺
And all it takes is the normal ammount of precaution and you’ll have the perfect trip!
Great country
Exactly as you say it above,I travel often to Romania and I stay in Bucharest and Timisoara mostly…saying that ,in the public transports I use it I never had an issue,lucky me,I speak the language ,even at that my husband does not but ,I found many many people will make a real effort trying to speak English even as sign language! I know many Irish people (and not only!)that are retired and bought houses on the rural area and love living in Romania ….and I can talk about it for hours… beautiful country and there are some negative issues same like any other country in the world, highly recommend visiting Romania,just make sure you have some idea about culture,money, shopping and places to go and see ,not necessarily on the tourist trails plus trains have good connection to most parts of Romania …. Best wishes to all visiting Romania
Lovely feedback
As an romanian living in U.K., I’m happy to hear good feedback about Romania, very strong point about Romania.I miss my born place ❤️,hope that we come out from pandemic and travel again. Stay safe ☺️
I was born in Romania but my parents had moved to the USA when I was only 2 years old so I don’t remember much about it. I did go when I was 7 to visit family but it is like a blur to me. I am planning on going this year to see the place where I was born and visit with distant relatives.
Roots
My parents were both born in Romania. After the war, they moved to Israel where I was born. Like you, I visited my grandparents in Bucharest when I was 5. That was 50+ years ago so my recollection is vague and mostly remembered through photos. This year, I’m planning to visit the country of my roots!
Visited the Romanian capital city of Bucharest August of 2019 for a metal concert. We were skeptical due to the things we’ve heard about the state of the country due to poverty and other sad situations. We were so wrong. We stayed in Bucharest for 4 days, crossed on foot almost the whole city center(avoided the slums area of course) and we were mesmerized from the city vibes, day and night, as well the beautiful mixed architecture(art nouveau, soviet era, modern-current era). The only times we felt a bit unsafe was the on foot return from the concert(National Arena Stadium) to the centre due to low light and low traffic small roads. The other occasion was on some narrow roads in the center due to a teenager that was following us from a distance for some reason, we arrived in the Unirii boulevard and everything was good from this point on. Use Uber to avoid taxi scams, apply basic sense travel safety measures and you will be alright, trust me. I enjoyed so much the time in Bucharest that i can’t wait to travel there again. Planning to visit other Romanian cities as well.
best country ever
I grew up in Romania, and I’m scared of dogs because of being attacked 3 times, my first visit in Bucharest ended up with one guy having my phone number (god knows how) people asking money from me on the street,etc. I also used to see many strange people touching themselves in the bushes in parks, and I didn’t dare to run in the nature like I do here in Belgium, because a car could quickly stop and pull you in. I grew up seeing accidents and dead bodies on the road, etc.
So, I don’t know what to say, I didn’t feel safe there and that was my personal experience.
I guess each one has to conclude what safe for her/him is.
I guess if you travel, it’s safe, but if you grow up in a place and get to stay a longer time, it’s totally different.
Where the hell did you grow up in Romania and did you see dead people on the side of the street??? if someone had your phone number, it’s because you gave it to them, learn how technology works.
People who ask for money on the street are called beggars and they exist all over the world.
I don’t know what pills you’re on or what drugs you’re taking, but leave them, you’re in another world. Romania has enough problems, but it is much safer than most European countries. Crime in Bucharest and the big cities is very low compared to the big cities in Europe. It is enough to apply common sense rules as in any country you do not know and you will not have problems.
Use banks or ATMs for payments or exchanges. Do not keep a lot of cash on you. You can pay by card in most places.
Public transport is very cheap and even if it is not perfect it is recommended.
Check the prices of the places where you want to eat or drink and don’t start from the idea that it is cheap, you may have surprises. The Internet is very fast and accessible in many locations.
LYLA is from Hungary or Russia so don’t count on her words.
I live there and think it’s great.
I’m moving to Romania soon
It’s such a great country with so many great people and places and things to do. Definitely worth visiting and even moving there permanently as it’s amazing in every single way. Of course it does have some negative things as well but overall weighing the pros and cons I believe pros are well worth it.