bu67

My wife and I contemplating a return trip to Romania in the fall. Tentatively, we would fly to Cluj and rent a car there. Some of the places in Transylvania that we are considering seeing are:
Timisoara
Brasov
Targu Mures
Sighisoara
Sibiu
Transfagarasan Highway

Since we don't want to be changing hotels every night, maybe there is a central location/hotel and we can do day trips. Before we leave Cluj to return to the US, we also want to visit friends in Bistrita.
Do any of you have experience with both renting a car and driving when we have very limited with the Romanian language? Do you have car rental recommendations? Thank you for your advice and help.

Michael

We drove through Romania and had no problems with road signs which are in the Roman alphabet.

kja

I had no trouble driving in Romania and I can't read Romanian. As Michael noted, there are road signs that use the Roman alphabet. That said, I found driving in Cluj itself to be a nightmare -- worse than anywhere else in the country. I would encourage you to limit your driving there insofar as possible, and certainly, don't try to drive within a day of crossing multiple time zones: Driving with jet lag is much more dangerous than most people realize.

I always rent cars through gemut.com and heartily recommend them.

You've chosen some lovely places to see -- enjoy!

bu67

If we rent a car in Cluj - at the airport or in town, will we be able to rent one with an automatic transmission? How about air conditioning? Thanks!

kja

I can't imagine that A/C would be a problem -- assuming the car you reserve is designated as having A/C and assuming you make your arrangements with a reputable company. As for an automatic, well, that's always a bit precarious. If you confirm a reservation for an automatic, then as I understand it, they are technically obligated to provide it. But if none are available (e.g., if cars with automatic transmission aren't returned in time or were in accidents), they you can either accept a manual or wait until such time as an automatic becomes available. Here's a recent thread on the issue:
Back up plan for St. Remy/Luberon transport if rental car falls through?

Again, I urge you to check with gemut.com -- lot's of useful info on the website and some very helpful people.

bu67

My earlier question about rental cars in Romania was answered but I need some help with an itinerary. See what I posted earlier:

My wife and I contemplating a return trip to Romania in the fall. Tentatively, we would fly to Cluj and rent a car there. Some of the places in Transylvania that we are considering seeing are:
Timisoara
Brasov
Targu Mures
Sighisoara
Sibiu
Transfagarasan Highway

Since we don't want to be changing hotels every night, maybe there is a central location/hotel and we can do day trips. Before we leave Cluj to return to the US, we also want to visit friends in Bistrita.
Is it possible to see/visit most of these place without changing hotels. We would have a rental car. Where would you suggest being our "home base?" Thanks for the itinerary help!

bu67

There doesn't appear to be much tourist activity in Romania other than starting in Bucharest. I've not found any tour agency/group on TripAdvisor or other sites that have strong, positive recommendations. If I have to rent a car, I want to choose a "home base" to do day trips from. Thanks for any suggestions.

kja

The places you want to see are all easy to visit on one's own -- but not necessarily from a single base. Use google maps to determine approximate travel times. Decide how far you are willing to go for a day trip. Decide which locations to skip or decide to use multiple bases. I'm sure you realize that none of us can make those decisions for you.

bu67

Thank you kja for your suggestions! After considering your last reply, I think we will fly into Cluj, rent a car, and then visit 2 bases to see/travel from. This question is for anyone with additional ideas. Which 2 cities would you suggest for us to visit and spend a few days?

Timisoara
Brasov
Targu Mures
Sighisoara
Sibiu

After that, we will drive to Bistrita to spend a few days visiting with friends and doing some more maternal grandparent genealogy.
Again, thank you for your advice and help!

Jeff