 Welcome to Romania |
Local time
Summertime: 1 hour ahead of GMT (last Sunday of March to 1ast Sunday of September). Rest of the year: 2 hours ahead of GMT.
Public and National holidays
January 1st & 2nd; Easter Holiday; May 1st; December 1st (the national holiday); December 25th & 26th.
Currency
The national currency is the leu (plural lei). Coins come with denominations of 50 and 100 lei. Notes in denominations of 500, 1 000, 5 000, 10 000, 50 000 and 100.000 lei.
Foreign currency can only be exchanged at banks and authorised exchange offices. As rates can vary from one place to another it is wise to shop around. Keep the exchange vouchers as they may be required when you pay for things in lei.
Credit cards
Dollar bills are the most readily negociated currency in Romania and it is a good idea to take some with you, preferably in small denominations.
American Express, Dinner Club, JCB International, Euro Master Card and VISA are accepted in most hotels and rent a car companies and in some restaurants. It is however advisable to check in advance.
Banking houre
9 - 12 a.m. from Monday till Friday.
Postal and communications services
Post offices are open daily, including Saturday morning, in most areas and provide local and external services.
Most long distance telephone calls are made through the operator but increasingly direct dial national and international services are available. Use 100 lei coins for trunk calls (as indicated in public telephones) or phone-cards.
For special services numbers of 3 figures are used: 971-international calls, 991-internal calls, 931-Directory Enquiries, 955-police, 953-taxis, 951-information, 961-ambulance/emergencies, 981-fire, 958-time, 952-train times.
On direct dial telephones dial 0 then the city area code for internal calls or 00, then the country and city code for international calls. For long distance calls to Romania: for Bucharest dial 40 then 1 and the phone number; for other localities dial 40, the prefix of the respective locality and the phone number.
Auto
If you come by car to Romania, bring your driving licence, car papers and green card. The Romanian Automobile Club -ACR and insurance companies are at your disposal for technical and any other assistance for your car.
All roads are marked in accordance with international regulations.
Speed limits
| Vehicle category |
Built up areas (km/h) |
Other (km/h) |
Autostrada (km/h) |
| Under 1,100 c.cm. |
50 |
80 |
120 |
| Between 1,100 and 1,800 c.cm |
50 |
80 |
100 |
| Over 1,800 c.cm |
50 |
90 |
90 |
| DJeeps (gasoline) |
50 |
70 |
90 |
| Jeeps (diesel) |
50 |
50 |
90 |
| Buses, motorcycles |
40 |
60 |
90 |
Laundry, dry cleaning
Available in hotels; also laundries called "Nufarul".
Medica1 services
Available in state and private health units through the country (hospitals and dispensaries), according to the medical agreements established between Romania and other countries.
Foreign newspapers and magazines
Foreign newspapers and magazines are usually available at the reception desks of leading hotels. Likewise news broadcasts from various European countries are featured on Romanian television.
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