Where to stay in Romania

Pensiuni

• The pensiune - a family-run guesthouse - is the Romanian standard outside the cities, and is frequently better than a hotel at the same price.
• Half board is common and cheap. In the mountains it is often the only food for miles.
• They are graded in daisies rather than stars, which is charming and means nothing to a foreign booking site.

Where people actually stay

• Brasov is the base for Transylvania and books out in summer and around Christmas.
• Sibiu and Sighisoara are smaller and quieter.
• Bucharest is a business city with the usual weekday pricing, and its old town is loud at weekends.
• The Danube Delta needs planning - accommodation is limited, reached by boat, and booked well ahead.

Practicalities

• You will be asked for your passport at check-in.
• Air conditioning is not universal and Romanian summers are hot; check the listing rather than assuming.
• Heating in winter is generally excellent, sometimes aggressively so.