Where to stay in Romania: best areas and types of hotel

Stay in Brașov for the mountains and Bran, Râșnov and Peleș day trips, Sibiu for the Saxon villages and the Transfăgărășan, and Bucharest for two nights at the start or end of the trip. Cluj-Napoca replaces Sibiu if you are flying in from the west or want festivals and the Apuseni.

In every city, the old town or the street one block outside it gives you walkable dinners at lower prices than the main square. Village guesthouses in Maramureș, Bucovina and the Saxon villages are the one category where you should book early and confirm the address, since some sit 2–5 km from the nearest shop.

Brașov: the pedestrian old town around Piața Sfatului puts restaurants, the Black Church and the cable car within a 10-minute walk. Streets just outside the old walls (toward the train station or Tâmpa's foot) cost less and stay quiet. If you want a mountain base rather than a city one, Poiana Brașov is 12 km up the road and mostly resort hotels.

Sibiu: the Large and Small Squares are the postcard address, and the streets between them and the train station are cheaper and still walkable. Sibiu is the better base if your priority is Viscri, Biertan and the Transfăgărășan road.

Bucharest: the Old Town (Lipscani) is the nightlife and hostel zone, noisy on weekends. Calea Victoriei and the streets around Piața Romană or Piața Universității suit a quieter city break with metro access. Avoid basing yourself near Gara de Nord unless you leave early.

Cluj-Napoca: the old centre around Piața Unirii is compact; the student districts to the south are cheaper. Timișoara, Iași and Oradea all reward a night or two in the centre, and their old towns are small enough that any central hotel works.

Villages: in Maramureș, Bucovina and the Saxon villages, guesthouses are family-run, often cash-only, and sometimes reached by a dirt road. Confirm the exact address, whether dinner is included and whether a car is needed before booking.

Romania's range runs from hostel dorms and rented apartments to boutique hotels in restored Saxon houses and family guesthouses (pensiune) in villages. Apartments are common in Bucharest, Brașov and Cluj-Napoca and often undercut hotels for two or more people, but check the exact address and whether the host meets you or uses a lockbox.

Prices below are 2026 estimates for a double room in high season, in lei. City hotels and hostels take cards; village guesthouses and small pensions often prefer cash, so keep lei on hand. Breakfast is included at many pensions and at most mid-range hotels.

Book 4–8 weeks ahead for May–September and the December holidays in Brașov, Sibiu, Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca. Sighișoara's citadel has few beds, so July–August and the medieval festival need 2–3 months. The same applies to Saxon-village guesthouses, Maramureș and Bucovina, where a handful of rooms sell out for summer weekends and the painted-monastery season.

Outside peak season you can often book a few days ahead and still find good city rooms, and walk-in rates in April and October can beat online prices. Danube Delta stays are the exception: boats and guides are tied to specific guesthouses, so arrange those weeks ahead through the operator. If you travel by train, add a night rather than a tight connection, and pick accommodation within walking distance of the station or old town.

Romania uses the leu (RON, lei), about 5 lei to €1 — 2026 estimate, check. Cards work in city hotels, restaurants and supermarkets; village guesthouses, small pensions and some taxis want cash, so withdraw lei in towns before heading to the countryside. Tipping is about 10% in restaurants, in cash.

Plugs are types C and F at 230 V, so most European and UK travellers need only an adapter. Mobile coverage is good in cities and along main roads but patchy in the mountains and the Delta; a local or eSIM data plan helps for maps and booking messages. Emergency number is 112 for police, ambulance, fire and mountain rescue.

For village stays and mountain guesthouses, ask about heating in shoulder season, whether dinner is served, and whether the road is passable for a normal car. If you are arriving late, tell the host: many pensions are family-run and reception is not staffed around the clock. Travel insurance that covers medical care and trip interruption is worth having for hiking and driving trips.