Do and don't in Romania

Hi there

I am romanian but I live in UK. Let me know if I can help.

regards
romani in uk

-Like Bulgarians, Romanian taxi drivers may also try to earn as much money as they can. Pay attention to the pricing labels
-don't take all your money with you. you never know
-pay attention to your bag/backpack while being in crowd
-be careful at homeless dogs. most of them are not dangerous, but this is a safety tip.
...to be continued

Very happy to see that a foreigner knows something about their country. Tell them buna ziua (good day) and you'll put a smile on their face.
Try to learn a few words and usual expressions or tell them you know about Dracula or Hagi. Check out the internet (wikipedia, wikitravel or google around), check out the on-line web-cams etc. Romanian people don't tolerate ignorance.

If you plan to go to Romania longer than a few weeks do get long term travel Insurance. State Insurance is good if you are eligible but you still must have plenty of cash for bribes. Someone mentioned $100 but that is really for minor problems. When nurses and Dr's know your life is at risk the bribes go up. For example the going rate even among the the lower middle class is $700 bribe for the DR to assure you a safe delivery of your baby even when you have full coverage insurance. A nurse will cost about 5 euro a day or a one time bribe for a favor will be 10-15 euro . You do not need to bribe at private clinics only at Hospitals and Dr's that accept Government insurance.   I would never go without a $1000 reserved strictly for emergency bribery. Make it a point to have nurses and Dr's as friends there connections go a long way there in an emergency.

aroundtheworld wrote:

...For example the going rate even among the the lower middle class is $700 bribe for the DR to assure you a safe delivery of your baby even when you have full coverage insurance...

I'm not sure about one actually traveling to a foreign country when 9 months pregnant... you have to be out of your mind. You aren't even allowed to go on a plane if you are 7 or more months pregnant.

Anyway, although a general rule, it doesn't have to be always that way (you know, the devil is not that dark, as we say around here). The doctor that helped my wife give birth didn't ask for anything. We did give her a present, because she was so nice, but she is one of the best doctors in town, and people know she doesn't ask for "allowance".

If you need medical care, go to a private clinic. You don't have to pay any bribe, but you will have to pay for the services, and the doctors and nurses will actually care.

Some of the private clinics now also cover for international medical insurance cards (for example in Sibiu, the Astra clinic covers for MediCare).

Keep safe.

Hi,
i am romanian. I don't know why.
Here are the facts:

- romanians are enjoyable people, very warm and funny.
- romanians are, generally speaking, educated people, but they are also racist. it's a fact, it's not a judgment.
- don't tell them about Dracula, Nadia, Hagi or Ceausescu. They are so bored whit this. Instead,try really listening to them. It's the only way to find out about each other since the beginning of time.
- Romania is quite large. It holds 22 mil people in 7 (or 8) historic regions. Tip: go see Bucovina, Maramures and the seaside.
- actually, there are 2 romanian states: Romania and Moldavia. Moldavia was heaving heavy social unrest lately in what was called the first twitter revolution (apr 2009).
- yes, there are thieves and street dogs in Romania, but don't believe anything you see on TV.
- romanians are quite linked to their traditions. Many romanians are reluctant to changes and new experience. I don't see a direct link on those two facts....but this are the facts!
- romanians are europeans, recovering from a strange XX century disease called extremism (both fascism and communism).
- romanian artists hold the front line of the european avantgarde between the 2 wwars. Maybe you've heard about Tristan Tzara, Brancusi, Victor Brauner. Check them on the net. Really nice fellows.
- there's a very nice&expanding underground culture (arts&living&social thinking) in Romania. Especially in Bucharest, but also in Iasi, Cluj, Sibiu (cultural capital of Europe in 2007), Timisoara.
- Romania is cheap.
- romanian girls are very beautiful indeed.
- Romania has the lowest average wage per capita in Europe and the highest corruption level in Europe.
- the Danube Delta is one of the most beautiful places on earth...but it is full of mosquitos.
- the romanian national car - Dacia - is the ugliest in the world. That's also a fact.

For further reading buzz me. Good luck!
http://santeustacio.wordpress.com/http://nospacenoinvaders.blogspot.com/

EuropeWord wrote:

-Like Bulgarians, Romanian taxi drivers may also try to earn as much money as they can. Pay attention to the pricing labels
-don't take all your money with you. you never know
-pay attention to your bag/backpack while being in crowd
-be careful at homeless dogs. most of them are not dangerous, but this is a safety tip.
...to be continued

AAAAUUUUUUUUU,   I don t agree too much!
Everywhere in the world there are this problems, but this is not especially in Romania!
You present Romania like a country full of thieves, and dangers, and it is not correct!
Romanian and Romanians are well-known for their hospitality, not for stealing foreigners!

I've been in Romania for 5 years and I almost never have a problem with the taxi drivers (in terms of price - a lot of them are rude and drive like idiots, but that's a different matter!) I've only been cheated on two occasions, and in that time I've taken a hell of a lot of taxis, so that represents a very small proportion.

One useful thing to know is that the taxis who wait outside Gara de Nord are always really expensive (around 3.50 lei/km). They will often wait with their doors open so you can't see the price on the door, or they'll have one guy waiting there with a normally-priced taxi (around 1.50 lei/km) and when you try to get in he'll tell you to use his friend's cab in front (which is one of the over-priced ones).

Best thing to do is to ignore the guys right in front of the station entrances and walk 50m down the road, where you'll find the regular taxis who'll charge the standard price.

At the airport (Otopeni/Henri Coanda) you don't really have a lot of choice. Fly Taxi have a monopoly there and you don't have much choice other than to use them or to take the bus. However, if you are adventurous and really want to save a load of money, go downstairs to the departure longe and exit there. More often than not a taxi will appear within a couple of minutes to drop someone off, and this cab will most likely be a regular one with a reasonable price. Just wave him down and he'll be really happy to take you into town, after all, he has to go back anyway and he'll not allowed to pick people up usually so he's expecting to go back empty. You'll save yourself a bucket of cash that way.

"not for stealing foreigners!"

I think stealing the entire foreigner would be a little ambitious!

To be fair, though, there is a lot of petty theft and pickpocketing in Romania, and foreigners are as common a target as anyone. Be especially careful on public transport and never leave your coat hanging over a chair if you are in a cafe or bar (unless you take out your phone/wallet first, obviously).

Incidents of violent crime against strangers are pretty rare (although there seems to be a lot of alcohol-fueled domestic violence) compared to other European cities. In and around the main tourist areas the chances of being beaten  or mugged are very small.

Hey, enough about stealing. While visiting, always give away flowers in odd numbers. Never bring flowers in even numbers. This is a thing Romanians do only when they pay their respects to a dead guy.
(moderated)

What I read here is lot of BS I am astonished to read comments from people who say they are Romanian. I have been living in Bucharest for 3 years now and I find this city to be one of the safest places to live in Europe and believe me I have been around!Corruption? Bulgaria is the number one country within the EU for corruption even the EU commission has already warned the Bulgarian government.Bribes? which country in the world can say they are Bribe free? Romanian government created a organization called DNA to fight corruption which has already been quite successful in arresting several people. Don't be afraid come and enjoy Romania ''LAND OF CHOICE''

DNA sucks big time, just as the Romanian authorities. Say one big name, a senator or a minister thrown in jail for corruption and I will eat my hat ljpro.
Regarding the safety in Bucharest, well... it is not as it used to be once... but still, be careful around glue sniffers and the Gypsies.

Do: - drink the Romanian beer. It's better than German beer(tried them both)
Don't: - say to a Romanian his/her people are related to the Russians or Bulgarians or any other Balkan peoples.

Which Romanian beer is better? All the ones I've tried (regular supermarket brands mostly: Ciuc, Timis, Ursus, Stejar, etc) were pretty tasteless and just gave me a headache. I normally end up sticking to Stella. Are there some good ones out there which I've missed?

come on, foreigners, don't get scared of all the thieves and street dogs in here!
pick-pocketers are everywhere in the world, and they always target foreigners. its common practice. and the dogs are nice, as long as you live them be.
and yes, bucharest is one of the safest cities in europe. i ve been livig here for 6 years now, and never had any incident, although i use to walk alone in teh streets at night, when coming back back form some party.
the taxi-drivers are just being taxi-drivers. they will try and scam everybody, again, they re not racist. i've recently read that NY taxi drivers had few million dollars in over-pricing...if you pay attention to the tax when u get into it, you're safe. and yes, stay away from taxis in gara de nord and in piata romana sometimes.
piata romana is the place for foreigners, dont know why, but you'll meet a lot of them if you hang around there. also, a lot of young ppl hang around in the piata universitatii.
there are few meet-up groups (on meetup.com) for foreigners too, who are very active and have weekly meetings.
and everyone who has to come here, just try to be open to new things. just because it's different that what you know, it doesn't necessarily make it bad!
bine ati venit!

I lived here for ten years so do and dont
Dont ask for directions you will get sent somwhere but it probably wont be shere you want to go, Romanians hate losing face
Dont get excited about Romanian cuisine unless your very keen on pig fat, or horrible little sausages.
Do drink tuica it is a cure for all things, and it helps with the pain.
Dont start a business here unless you have friends in high places or the corruption and the taxs will kill you.
Do enjoy the countryside its stuning in many places.
Dont get ill some of the hospitals are truely awful though the doctors and nurses can be helpful.
Do blame the gipseys everything however unlikely is there fault.
I think that will do for now

To Maykal, regarding the beer sortiments:
I live in Romania and I drink beer regullary. I think all beers produced in Romania ( local beers or under license) are ok at the beginning but after they become known on the market the producers change the recipe and use cheaper ingredients( it's also the case of Stella)

You should try Ursus at the 0,33l glass bottle or more exepensive imported foreign beers if you want no headache:)

Hi RT,

I agree, Ursus is the best local beer by far in my opinion, out of the bottle, naturally. I quite liked Stejar when it first came out, but as you say, within a year the quality dropped considerably.

Now I mostly just brew my own ales at home.

Maykal wrote:

Which Romanian beer is better? All the ones I've tried (regular supermarket brands mostly: Ciuc, Timis, Ursus, Stejar, etc) were pretty tasteless and just gave me a headache. I normally end up sticking to Stella. Are there some good ones out there which I've missed?

Stella always gives me a headache, it was the most poplular drink back home in England, bit now i am married and sensible i stay clear of it, i find Ursus and Timisoara (not spelt right) to be very fine beers, especially Ursus. I did notice last week in Billa that they are now selling Grolsh, i used to like that in my youth, but not so sure now.

Anyway, back on topic.

I have been living in Bucharest since February this year, and in general i have had no problems, the language barrier is sometimes hard for me, my Romanian is not very good yet, but 9 times out of 10 its easy to get away with it because so many people do speak some English here, and if you come accross someone who does not speak Engish you just need to do the normal English thing and raise your voice and point at what you want, this works well for me

I have not witnessed any crime at all while i have been here, the street on which we live is very quiete, we are lucky enough to live in our own house and not one of the huge block of flats like so many people in Romania live in, our street also has a few gypsy families on it too, and i have never seen any problems with them either.

With regards to bribery and corruption, well it is a fact that there is that kind of thing going on, as an Englishman its unusual for it to be so open and widespread, ofcourse there are bribes and corruption in every country, its just alot more in the public gaze here than it is in the west. I have had to bribe a Policeman for a silly driving offence i commited, 300 ron for the guy not to take my licence away and send it back to England, but to be fair not stopping at a zebra crossing would have cost me 60 quid in england anyway, and thats basicly the cost of the bribe i gave, indeed i was happy enough it went that way, it was a lot cheaper than going back to england to get my licence back after 3 months ban.

The Romanian people are really good, most are freindly, and they seem like a fun loving people too, they enjoy there music and being in groups of family and Friends, its a different culture to the one i am used to as an Englishman, but its a refreshing change not to be so uptight.

Some shop assistants and restuarant people can be a little rude sometimes, but its best just to shrug it off. I never use taxis so i cant comment on them, the only time i have used them is when we spent a long weekend away in Siniai, my wife haggled a good price without the guys meter running, and he waited for us while we took a tour at Bran castle (dracula's Castle). Indeed, if you are with a Romanian native its best to let them haggle and deal with the taxi people.

Its a slower pace of life in general, and i find that a little frustrating when we are waiting for somthing to be fixed, we had a problem with our telephone, it took them 6 weeks to fix said problem. We are now waiting for a new digital tv service to be installed by rcs, no idea when they will be round to do that but we signed the paperwork two weeks ago, this is just the way it is though and its not the end of the world (as long as the football is on by the start of the new season).

The stray dog situation shocked me when i first arrived in Bucharest, i could hardly believe how many there were, i knew it was a problem here as i did my research on things to look out for, but seeing how many there were was still a shock, however, i have never personally had any bother from any stray dog, they tend to stay away from you, or they are too busy sleeping in the shade to bother anyone, i have heard of a few attacks on people, but these are very few and far between, most of them are docile and dont bother anyone.

I would have no worrys about suggesting Romania to any of my family or friends as a holiday destination, in general its a great place to be, its cheap, and the people are in general excellant, i have no real bad things to say about Romania and its people.

I think some of the comments are pretty mean and alot of BS really, stop generalising people or talking non sence about your own country! I am living abroad for many years now, I been travelling to alot of countries the last few years and trust me no country is as 'top notch' as some people may think it is. I love romania and I can't wait to relocate in here soon, is better in many many ways than loads others :-) Nice weather, nice people, nice food lovely sights to visit and hot guys hahahha :DDD

Has anyone realised as yet that Ursus is actually South African? Tastes a lot like our Castle ;-)
Romania is just as good or bad as anywhere. The only problems I have are... The pavements.Too many cars and too poorly lit for heels and the lack of good vodka!

One more thing, if you need to get anything official done, be prepared to go to the 'offices' a few times before your paperwork is ready.

mygreatadventureweb.wordpress.com/2016/08/08/5-things-i-have-noticed-since-moving-to-bucharest-romania/

5 Things I have noticed since moving to Bucharest, Romania…

As you can imagine living in Ireland, we are some what way out of the distance of central Europe. As once described by Roddy Doyle in “The Commitments” the Irish are “the blacks of Europe”🙂 Every country you go visit or live in has its differences, Ireland like many other countries is no exception. The way we talk, act,carry on and so forth. As a people we are hard-working when we need to be and very laid back also, never short of a joke or a good story. All work and no play makes for a very dull day. We like to have “the craic” where ever and how ever we can. Today I was thinking about some of the difference that I have seen since I came to live in Romania. Just little things, but I’m sure a few Romanians might agree with what I write about here today. The local bus

Everyday Mon/Friday I get up to go to work, I get the 355,or 330 to where I work. It takes maybe 25/30 mins at most to get there. In this time, I have noticed that no matter how hot it is outside; and no matter how hot it is inside? The windows for the most part are always closed, very rarely do I see a window open, no matter how many people are in the bus. If you are brave enough to open a window, then be ready for someone to close it just as quick. For some reason, I don’t know why. But the older generation of Romanians in particular, think the cold will hurt them in someway or that they will get sick. Sometimes its like a tin of sardines on the bus, there are so many people packed into it. If you’re a claustrophobic person, please take the metro!! If not, for sure you will have a panic attack on the bus and die during rush hour🙂 (don’t say I didn’t warn you)

The local bus conductors,

For sure it you are a foreigner they will see it and they will approach you looking for your card, to see did you pay before getting on or if the card is valid. I’ve had one or two run ins with these guys. If it was legal to hit them by all means I would love too, as would many other Romanians. Quite simply put, there assholes. Maybe not all of them but the ones I had dealings with. They took me off the bus one day and tried to scam me out of 50 Lei, I payed my card before getting on the bus. They came and checked it. For sure they switched the card and then said, no money off, off. So I got off, they threatened me with the police. Then wanted me to pay 50 lei fine, I called their bluff and said ring them. When they seen they weren’t getting anywhere, they gave me back my card and told me to go in a not so polite way. So I obliged and got the next bus.

Old women in the supermarket,

The first time I ever went to the supermarket it was an eye opener. In Ireland we are very relaxed when we go grocery shopping, in Romania however it’s a different story altogether. Think of it like, formula one driving meets destruction derby!!! The old women and gentlemen think it’s a race, they are very fast and eager to get their shopping done, so much so that when you are weighing your fruit or vegetables, personal space goes out the window. They will be almost be humping you from behind to get in next to weigh their groceries. Space can also be another issue if there coming down your aisle, be sure to get out of their way or use your trolley like a shield and attack their trolley till you can push your way through. I’ve had a few stair downs with some old ladies but I stood my ground. Luckily enough I have a bit of fight in me. As for the trolley, it never fully recovered and had to be put down… dame you old lady!!!

(Ps…. I have nothing  against old people)

Men going around with their T-shirts above there belly’s like tank tops,

Not to sure what to say about this, but yes its true? Its seems like its fashionable here, Men of all shapes and sizes, young and old. On a hot day for some reason lift their t-shirts above there belly’s and let it all hang out, as the air works its wonders around said area. I’m not criticizing, its just an observation. Each to their own as they say. If you did this in Ireland, a few eyebrows would be raised.The traffic and crazy driving,

I’ve read a few articles about Romanians driving, as in any big city people are always in a rush. My father is from Dublin so when visiting relatives in Dublin I got a good feel for this their also. Bucharest is no exception!!! The traffic lights can go from red to orange and for 0.5seconds later when it turns green you better be driving off or you will hear the beeps from the cars behind you. It’s good my Romanian is not so good, I can’t understand if there swearing at me and my fiancée or not? I just smile and wave goodbye. But for sure if your driving here, it wont be long till you learn how to swear in Romanian🙂 While also becoming an unqualified rally car driver.

This article is just a little look at some of the things I noticed here, please rest assured no trolleys or old ladies died in the production of this article…

If you like what you see here please feel free tofollow me on Mygreatadventureweb.wordpress.com, comment or like the article. Any feedback is always welcome.

Anthony

antohjr wrote:

https://mygreatadventureweb.wordpress.com/2016/08/08/5-things-i-have-noticed-since-moving-to-bucharest-romania/

If you haven't already, you might register your blog in the directory.

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Romaniac
Expat.com Experts Team

Hi, can anybody explain this statement from Ditzah ?

"Some of the private clinics now also cover for international medical insurance cards (for example in Sibiu, the Astra clinic covers for Medicare)".

I did not know Medicare in US covered anything outside the USA ? If it does that is tremendous good news to me. Is that something new ?

Thank you.

Ditzah wrote:

aroundtheworld wrote:

...For example the going rate even among the the lower middle class is $700 bribe for the DR to assure you a safe delivery of your baby even when you have full coverage insurance...

I'm not sure about one actually traveling to a foreign country when 9 months pregnant... you have to be out of your mind. You aren't even allowed to go on a plane if you are 7 or more months pregnant.

Anyway, although a general rule, it doesn't have to be always that way (you know, the devil is not that dark, as we say around here). The doctor that helped my wife give birth didn't ask for anything. We did give her a present, because she was so nice, but she is one of the best doctors in town, and people know she doesn't ask for "allowance".

If you need medical care, go to a private clinic. You don't have to pay any bribe, but you will have to pay for the services, and the doctors and nurses will actually care.

Some of the private clinics now also cover for international medical insurance cards (for example in Sibiu, the Astra clinic covers for MediCare).

Keep safe.

Is that correct that Medicare is accepted and will cover you overseas ? Read last paragraph in above post. I have always been told it will not cover anything outside the US but it would be welcome news to me if it does.

Thank you

You will be required to take out a local health insurance policy to get your Permis de Sedere. They would not accept the document from Blue Cross/Blue Shield that assured full worldwide coverage.
I bought a minimum policy to get the card and will decide later whether to keep BC/BS for the long haul.
BC/BS does require that I pay in advance and get creceipts in dollars that they'll reimburse.

Hi Johnny,

OK, I understand that I need insurance for immigration; I got that but does Medicare cover you outside the US ? I have always heard it is only covering you in the US ?????

Thank You

I would not expect Medicare to cover you overseas. However we are with United Healthcare as our secondary. Since they administer the Medicare program in the US they may be different from other carriers. During our first year on Medicare our international coverage for immergencies was lost. However for the past 3 years it has been included as part of our secondary coverage. We have had medical issues and the standard emergency coverage is only for the first three months. You pay your hospital bill and submit the receipts for reimbursement. I must say we had been in Europe 8 months when the emergency started, resulting in 5 hospital days. The full bill was extremely affordable compared to the US and the insurance company never ask us to prove how long we had been out of the country. They paid very promptly. One clue that you might have this coverage is if you have been told not to use your Medicare card but to use a card from your secondary. Ours has info on the Medicare pharmacy plan on the front. I would confirm that with your carrier.

I will soon have some BC/BS experience to add to this. I had to take the minimum local coverage to get my residence card, but kept my federal pension coverage for the short term as I settle in in Romania because once I give it up I won't be able to get it back should I decide to return to the States.
Chest x-ray cost $23. EKG cost $14. I have blood tests coming up and perhaps a further heart test. I haven't called the States to get their reimbursement requirements. I'll let you know.

Any thoughts on best way to travel around the country? Rent a car? Bus? Train? Does Lyft or Uber exist in Romania?

Uber exists. There is also blablacar, a car sharing app which could be handy for getting around the country. If you want to visit some of the out-of-the-way places, then I'd say you definitely need to rent a car, but for travelling between cities, you can use the trains (slow, bit stuffy, not that cheap anymore) or coaches (bit cheaper, but I guess less comfortable).

Thank you Maykal! I'm arriving soon and looking forward to spending a lot of time here, and maybe moving here once I know more. Very exciting, and really feels much nicer having this site to get me started!

I assure U.S. medicare is NOT valid anywhere outside the U.S. I have confirmed that with the SSA without any doubt there are no waivers no exceptions the best thing you can do is submit your medicare cancellation form and stop paying for it

You are able to re-enroll in medicare upon return to the U.S. even after you cancel it, you have to do it during open enrollment I believe it’s October-November (not positive about that detail) and you may have to pay a penalty based on the amount of time you stayed off medicare but I assure you that you have a right to re- enroll that is if you are talking about medicare as your pension insurance