Sofia or Bucharest: Which East Balkan Capital Should You Visit? While neither Romania or Bulgaria is likely to break the bank, we love that both offer affordable luxury options. So nice article!!! The houses have eyes, the cobblestone streets are jus… Between Bran Castle, Corvin Castle, and Raznov Fortress, you really won’t run out of fairy tale-esque places. For wine lovers, I prefer Bulgarian wines to Romanian ones, and wine tourism here is booming. This is based on my experience. Bookmark our pages on Bulgaria, Romania, and the Balkans so that you don’t miss any new information we put out before your trip! Looking for an extraordinary interrailing trip? Nearby is the Salina Turda salt mines, a spectacular underground world where you can explore the mine while taking advantage of the health benefits you’ll get from spending so much time underground breathing in the salty air. We also have overviews on our favorite Bulgarian beaches and the best places to visit in Bulgaria. Why not compare Bulgaria and Greece or Romania and Serbia? Bathing in the salty waters of the pink lake followed by covering yourself in its black healing mud and dipping yourself in the Black Sea is one of the best (free) ways to relax in the Balkans. Fun test: check out the photos in today’s article and try to guess how many are from Bulgaria, and how many from Romania. Check out Sofia or Bucharest: Which East Balkan Capital Should You Visit? However Bulgaria also offers woodwork, traditional blouses, ceramics, and what not. Bulgaria boasts many places where artisans live and work and where you can, namely Oreshak near Troyan for pottery, Etara near Gabrovo for all sorts of artisan work, Zlatograd, Samovodska charsiya in Veliko Tarnovo. While both Romania and Bulgaria are great places to learn about the legacy of Communism in the twentieth century, Bulgaria is the superior place to hone in on the arts and architecture of these regimes. Romania is bordered by 5 European Nations: Ukraine in the north; Moldova in the northeast; Bulgaria in … Both in Romania and Bulgaria, you have tons of things to see and do: from the seaside resorts to the charming mountain towns, from unspoiled nature to extremely modern entertainment venues, you have all options available to you. Married & Living with My Mom: We’ll Keep Doing This! Whether You Choose Bulgaria or Romania, Don’t Forget about Travel Insurance! Beyond the local cuisine, the restaurants in Sofia are leaps and bounds ahead of the restaurant scene in Bucharest. Rome2rio makes travelling from Romania to Bulgaria easy. I have many wonderful Romanian souvenirs. Both Bulgaria and Romania were accepted into the EU at the same time, and there seems to be a “competition” between the two to see who catches up to EU standards of living first. I can honestly say that if you were to be shown different photos from each country, without being told where each picture was taken, it would be impossible for you to guess if it’s Romania or Bulgaria, be it a city or natural beauty. Three incredible eastern European countries, they are full of fascinating historic landmarks, sweeping landscapes, bustling cities and incredible restaurants to enjoy. Overall excellent articles but I find this one strange. We also have other affiliate partners that work in a similar way, but you, as a buyer, will not spend more by making purchases through our links. Where to Live in Romania: Small Town vs. Large City. There are amazing Balkan ski resorts in almost every country, but Bulgaria and Romania are both truly blessed. Find all the transport options for your trip from Romania to Bulgaria right here. You can also check out our Instagram guides to Sibiu, Brasov, and Bucharest – more are on the way. Your email address will not be published. Finally, we did see Vidin in the other corner of the country. Avadanei is among hundreds of thousands at increased risk of social exclusion after the coronavirus pandemic forced schools to close in Romania and Bulgaria, two of Europe's poorest countries. In the end, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder: if you’re looking for insanely modern architecture or, on the contrary, a lot of classical beauty… none of the countries actually offer a ton of either. However, there are stories from fellow Romanians whose cars have been stolen (like the entire vehicle!) I haven’t been to Bulgaria so l can’t say, but having been to Romania, I can say without a doubt that l consider it a beautiful country. But they do have an impact over the quality of life and safety. We love the peace of mind it gives us in case of emergencies, accidents, illnesses, theft, or trip cancellation or disruption. Handicrafts are popular pastimes for many and a lot of wonderful products are produced- I know from experience. The saying goes “if you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel” — and we think it’s true! ;-) Loved that pigeon strutting his stuff in the photo;-) Yeah, that Cyrillic jazz is a real bummer:-( Oh well, Това е, което е.;-) ~Teil (USA), I’m not sure about the castles, Teil… that could be an extra point for Romania indeed :)). While the Balkans are perfectly safe to travel around, there’s always a risk inherent in everyday travel, so it’s better to play it safe. My car’s mirror (and I own a 2006 Dacia) was also stolen once in the city I live in. and our favorite Bulgarian beach resorts, but here are our quick picks for where to stay: Budget: Hostel Mostel / Mid-Range: R34 Boutique Hotel / Luxury: Sense Hotel, Budget: Best Rest Guest House / Mid-Range: Villa Antica or 8 1/2 Art Guesthouse / Luxury: Hotel Residence Hebros, Budget: Hostel Mostel / Mid-Range: Base Camp Guesthouse / Luxury: General Gurko House. personally i think Bulgarians are more friendly, but written language is much difficult to understand, at least Romanian is based on Latin, you can at least guess. In fact, you don’t really know anything about Romania at all until you’ve seen its undiscovered corners like Moldavia and Bucovina, not to mention the Danube Delta. Romania and Bulgaria, part of Eastern Europe, share many similarities but at the same time have their unique traits. It was our choice – for various reasons – when it came to spending the summer holidays, and we visited Albena, Golden Sands and Sunny Beach, which are their summer resorts. I think you have a nice blog. So, as I was saying earlier, if you don’t have some personal reasons to pick one over the other, making your choice will probably end up with a coin toss, as the “fight” between Bulgaria and Romania ends up with no clear winner. in Bulgaria, or broken into. Romanians can be friendly but they are more concerned with money. Ponder the sheer scale of the Palace of Parliament, spot wildlife in the magnificent Danube Delta, or take a spin along the unforgettable Transfagarasan Road; all with your trusted travel companion. Overall, Bulgaria has ten world heritage sites on the list, including the stunning Rila Monastery and Sofia’s medieval Boyana Church. Yup, exactly what you’d expect to see in Romania! Romania is positioned both in the Northern and Eastern hemispheres of the Earth. But what should you do if you have limited time and you have to decide whether to visit Romania or Bulgaria? I always take the numbers there with a pinch of salt, because I checked the data for various cities I’ve been to and I usually found it to be incorrect (usually, the numbers listed there are higher than the reality). These “undiscovered” countries allow for one-of-a-kind experiences not available to more tourist-heavy European countries. These two countries were united in 1859 and obtained the independence in 1878. Romania and Bulgaria – Common history Romanians are the successors of the Ancient Dacian and Roman people. What companies run services between Bulgaria and Romania? There is no historic Dracula vampire, outside of the legacy of Vlad the Impaler. Overall, Bulgaria is the winner with ten UNESCO sites to Romania’s eight. In addition to this, you can find many original handicrafts in Bulgaria’s villages– practically everywhere. I personally believe that Bulgaria and Romania would offer pretty much the same thing to tourists or people interested to move in a cheaper part of the world. Proposals usually came from the Bulgarians, … Journal Reporter Karl Harenbrock on the road in Romania DW-TV's Karl Harenbrock tours Romania and Bulgaria to find out what's changed since the two countries joined the European Union in … The city of Sibiuitself. In fact, there are so many great beaches in Bulgaria that when we wrote up our favorites we included fifteen of them! There are three easily accessible from Sofia, while the UNESCO sites in Romania are not that easy to visit from Bucharest. Thanks! At the moment, the only currency on the market is leu, euro is not yet used in shops. O TRIP A EAL PTY LT 933 Day 1 Australia - Bucharest, Romania Today depart from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide or It’s kind of a well-kept secret abroad, but the Balkans are an awesome place to be in winter! The Peasant’s Market, of Course! Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. As a result, border controls are conducted between the two countries, albeit often jointly (once per crossing). Since you enjoyed visiting Bucharest, I am sure you will also enjoy Sofia. In Sofia, you can visit the Museum of Socialist Art to see the city’s collection of Social Realist propaganda statues, including the giant one of Vladimir Lenin that stood where the Saint Sofia statue stands today. On the contrary: all the problems that these countries go through translate as low prices, low cost of living for foreigners relying on income generated outside the country. Required fields are marked *. I also did some research (the main city I did not visit yet is Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital) but I still believe that overall I have a solid enough knowledge about life in Bulgaria to be allowed to be the jury in this Romania vs. Bulgaria battle for travelers and retirees. Living in Romania as a Foreigner: What Is It Like? Why compare Bulgaria and Romania? Stephanie has been living in and traveling around the Balkans for the past three years. i think i can live in both countries as long as it has decent healthcare. I will choose Bulgaria. We have almost four hundred kilometers of Black Sea coast on the Bulgarian Riviera, and over a third of it is made up of sandy beaches. ), Hi Calin, Very good overview of both countries! Your email address will not be published. And finally, getting to the quality of life part, I would once again say that things should be pretty much similar in both countries. For example, the prices for food and other items in their Black Sea resorts are lower than those in Romania if we’re making an apples to apples comparison. So things like this can happen anywhere but fortunately on very rare occasions. And when the numbers are already low (around 500 Euros), that 100 makes a huge difference! We did not have piles of gold on each sunbed – just phones and very little money hidden in our bags, but still there was absolutely no concern that somebody might be interested in our devices. I get the middle finger sometimes in Romania since I’m a local and people usually are a bit more polite and nice with foreigners and that’s why I probably have more to complain about. I really liked your blog. I will hazard a guess and say that l will like Bulgaria also when l finally get to visit as l have heard good things and one of my friends here is from there. i called my bank next day to wire me some money thru Western Union and mail me new bankcard to my AirBnB host in Poland so I can continue my journey. Bulgaria vs. Romania: Which Country to Choose? (Photo test results: I challenged you at the beginning of the article to try to guess how many of the photos are from Bulgaria and how many from Romania. Hungary is said to name all of her dogs after famous Romanians, and dislikes being grouped with him and Bulgaria in the EU. Just seeing the capital and Transylvania hotspots will not cut it here, so if you only have time to check out two or three cities, stick to Bulgaria, where you can experience a lot by spending time in Sofia, Plovdiv, and the coast. In buchrest I tried to take a tour of the Pariliment building, they ask for my passport, a strange requirement, since i did not have passport with me that day, i could not take a tour. Then how about travelling around Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria! It’s easy to get to Borovets from Sofia, there are great Borovets restaurants to enjoy, and the slopes are famous for being a great budget-friendly way to enjoy a ski vacation without sacrificing quality. All Rights Reserved. Some policymakers in Washington believe CEE countries, including Bulgaria and Romania, are ‘in bed’ with China. European Region of Gastronomy in 2019 2. You may be researching whether to visit Romania or Bulgaria because you’ve run out of days you can spend in the Schengen Zone. We plan to write many more of these such posts as many people have limited vacation time, especially Americans (our primary audience) and often need to pick one place to visit thoroughly. How Much Money Do International Students in Romania Need per Month? However, as of 2020 neither country is part of the Schengen Area. Overall, Romania and Bulgaria are relatively cheap countries to solo travel through and allow easy tourist movement and casual meandering. Learn how your comment data is processed. This was one of the main reasons why I chose it as our summer holiday destination for the past 3 years: it’s not only cheaper, but the quality of service and that of the products is much higher than what you get in Romanian resorts (but more on that later). I have been to Bulgaria and have travelled to most places between Sofia and kamchia, and majority of those places in between. Romania's macroeconomic gains have only recently started to spur creation of a middle class and to address Romania's widespread poverty. Hi Rosi, we wrote this article because several of our readers have asked this exact question. We’d love to welcome a post from you on handicrafts in Bulgaria if you would like to contribute your vast knowledge on the subject to our site and help out readers curious about Bulgarian artists and handicrafts! If you want to kick the Dracula tourism up to high gear, spend your Halloween in Transylvania. The idea had great support, especially in Bulgaria, and there were several opportunities to realize it. I am no one to judge but have found Romanians a lot more warmer and honest. For the most part, taxis are cheap and reliable. Sofia Adventures is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. Don’t have time to read now? Bulgaria and Romania will be among the beneficiaries, according to the study, with each claiming 3% of the 35 GW of new capacity Solarpower Europe … You can also read about the best Romanian castles, the Romanian food you should try on your trip, or how to plan some epic day trips from Bucharest. Automatically, everywhere in this world, lower income results in a poorer standard of living and more violence, usually petty crime. While you won’t leave Romania or Bulgaria empty handed, we do have to admit that we love the craft scene in Romania more. We have almost four hundred kilometers of Black Sea coast on the Bulgarian Riviera, and over a third of it is made up of sandy beaches. Bulgaria does have a bit more to offer in terms of infrastructure (better roads and more miles of highways), but apart from that, I wouldn’t say that the two countries are much different. Here’s how to pick your winner in a travel game of Romania vs Bulgaria. It has epic scenic drives, like the Transfagarasan Pass. You can even visit Clay Castle, the future eco-hotel that looks like it’s been ripped from a Disney cartoon storybook. Better animal welfare? I’m sure you’re aware that travel insurance is a good idea for traveling in either Bulgaria or Romania (or anywhere in the world)! I had hope for this year, but l think we are pretty booked. Romania is a country located in Central-South Eastern Europe. The Perfect One Day in Zagreb Itinerary to Maximize Your Trip, Your Ultimate 3 Days in Dubrovnik Itinerary. Your email address will not be published. But, still be wary especially around tourist populated areas. 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