| When I was looking for a guidebook for Romania I | | | | The Rough Guide to Romania worked pretty well for |
| had three options: National Geographic Traveler: | | | | me on my trip this September. I found its |
| Romania, Lonely Planet's Romania & Moldova, | | | | recommendations for museums and points of interest |
| and The Rough Guide to Romania. | | | | very good, and when I did get lost in Bucharest it |
| The National Geographic guide got okay reviews, | | | | was due to the lack of street signs, not the map in |
| people either loved or hated Lonely Planet, and so I | | | | the guidebook. The book's recommendation of taking |
| chose Rough Guide, which got moderate to good | | | | taxis and the expected prices was accurate and |
| reviews, but had a few that mentioned it had a good | | | | extremely helpful, and the tips on getting around and |
| section on Bucharest, which was my travel | | | | what to see were pretty spot-on for my travel |
| destination. I had never purchased a Rough Guide and | | | | style. |
| had never been to Romania, so I had no idea what | | | | The only complaint I did have is that its restaurant |
| to expect or even what to look for, and I | | | | recommendations and hotel information left a lot to |
| desperately needed some sort of direction on what | | | | be researched either beforehand or by wandering |
| to see and do in Bucharest and the surrounding areas. | | | | around. The hostel I stayed at was listed in the book, |
| The other reviews were right when they mentioned | | | | and I found it nice if not charming, but the restaurant |
| that a lot of the focus was on Bucharest. The rest | | | | price ranges were definitely geared to the ultra |
| of Romania was covered very broadly. Most of the | | | | budget traveler. |
| maps in the book are for Bucharest. The maps | | | | There isn't much on the market in terms of |
| themselves are easy to read and made it easy to | | | | guidebooks for Romania. It is still very much a |
| find my way through a very large and complex city. I | | | | country in transition, with a large sprawling city for its |
| had about three days in the capital city, and the | | | | capital. The Rough Guide to Romania worked very |
| book did provide logistics and history. | | | | well for what I wanted, which was some history, |
| I honestly didn't do much with the rest of the book, | | | | good maps, and logistics on how to get around. I |
| though. Because I had a day trip planned out to | | | | think these guides are geared toward backpackers, |
| Poienari Castle (Dracula's real castle), I thumbed | | | | so if you're willing to plan your own sightseeing and |
| through the sections on Transylvania and some of | | | | are looking to be as thrifty as possible this is |
| the other major cities. These sections have a lot of | | | | definitely your best bet. |
| history around the 1989 revolution. | | | | |