I did notice however that no where in your blogs you post such information on places where artisans live. 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. However, there are some nations tourists can visit which will not count towards the 90-day rule. 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. I worked and lived and Romanians and Bulgarians in England and Scotland and travelled with. Both countries have UNESCO sites, but if you want to be based in Sofia or Bucharest and see a few, then you have to pick Bulgaria. All in all, I would say that for your daily life, Bulgaria is definitely cheaper than Romania, by maybe around 10% or so. Yes, you can visit the Black Sea in Romania or Bulgaria, but…it’s better in Bulgaria. and what to tip in Bulgaria. I only see airports and shops as places to buy souvenirs, while in Romania you visited actual artisans. In Romania, you have to check out the painted monasteries in Bucovina and Horezu monastery in the southern Carpathian mountains. Pin for later! Don’t have time to read now? While neither Romania or Bulgaria is likely to break the bank, we love that both offer affordable luxury options. In fact, there are so many great beaches in Bulgaria that when we wrote up our favorites we included fifteen of them! Who doesn’t love a pink lake? At the moment, the only currency on the market is leu, euro is not yet used in shops. In addition to this, you can find many original handicrafts in Bulgaria’s villages– practically everywhere. So nice article!!! 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)! A mobile phone belonging to her mother, unemployed since November, is hardly enough for the family of seven -- and besides, "it's an old model", the teen tells AFP. I have been to Bulgaria and have travelled to most places between Sofia and kamchia, and majority of those places in between. I will share my thoughts with you in today’s article – and you will see that making a choice will most likely end up with a coin toss. If you’re a salt tourist like me (yes, it’s a thing) you’ll want to make sure you spend some time in Cluj. , they’re definitely less famous (and less castle-y) than the. Of course, like any Balkan road trip, you’ll want to give yourself extra time in case a political protest or flock of sheep cause a traffic jam. We live in Bulgaria, but from time-to-time, we love to hop up to our neighbor to the north for some amazing vacations. You may also want to check out our overview of Balkan currency, which describes Bulgarian leva (easy – it’s pegged at 2:1 to the euro!) In Romania, some of the top tourist attractionsare… 1. 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 … Automatically, everywhere in this world, lower income results in a poorer standard of living and more violence, usually petty crime. 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! 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. Why not compare Bulgaria and Greece or Romania and Serbia? Romania’s current national currency is the leu.However, being bound by its EU accession agreement, Romania has to replace the leu with the euro, as soon as Romania will fulfil all of the four nominal euro convergence criteria as states in the Treaty of Functioning the European Union in article 140. Check out our guide on how to plan your trip to Bulgaria, which goes over everything from visas to ground transportation to budgeting your trip. While I personally preferred enjoying the outdoor hot tub to being cold, you’ll find the slopes are just as great as the apres ski. Find all the transport options for your trip from Romania to Bulgaria right here. Romanian Superstitions List: From Evil Eye to Broken Glass & More. Here, things are very simple and in my opinion, there are few countries that would deliver a different result. You can witness the whole process of making Rhopode blankets….for example. We do our best to provide this information! Most likely, a foreigner would be treated about the same in both countries. Overall excellent articles but I find this one strange. I had hope for this year, but l think we are pretty booked. 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. Romania's macroeconomic gains have only recently started to spur creation of a middle class and to address Romania's widespread poverty. The union of Bulgaria and Romania (Bulgarian: Съюз на България и Румъния, romanized: Sǎjúz na Bŭlgariya i Rumŭniya; Romanian: Unirea Bulgariei și României) refers to the unsuccessful attempts to unify Bulgaria and Romania into a common state, under either a federation, a personal union or a confederation, made during the 19th and 20th centuries. The two neighboring countries, Romania and Bulgaria, are usually fighting for the last spot in EU’s charts: from minimum and average salary, to corruption and quality of living, it’s becoming a habit to see these two countries at the bottom of the charts. Married & Living with My Mom: We’ll Keep Doing This! This means that I consider both countries, as long as you use common sense and take all the regular precautions, are generally safe. Welcome to Romania & Bulgaria Lonely Planet Romania & Bulgaria is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. ;-) 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 :)). Overall, Bulgaria is the winner with ten UNESCO sites to Romania’s eight. For wine lovers, I prefer Bulgarian wines to Romanian ones, and wine tourism here is booming. This is based on my experience. 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. 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 … 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. While on vacation in Bulgaria, for example, we had absolutely no concerns leaving our valuables unattended on the beach, while we went to take a bath. 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. Get a travel insurance quote for your trip here. For the most part, taxis are cheap and reliable. 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. 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. Romania, having the higher earnings, probably gives locals a bit more in terms of quality of life, but generally this doesn’t apply to foreigners moving here or travelers who don’t really get to experience the local way of living. For those traveling on tight budgets ($35 USD or less), you’ll find ample hostel options, cheap eats, and free activities that will help you have an amazing trip without blowing a hole in your budget. I think you have a nice blog. Thanks! So when it comes to real estate, it’s not that Bulgaria is by default cheaper: just that you have a lot more to choose from compared to Romania. There is no historic Dracula vampire, outside of the legacy of Vlad the Impaler. You may be researching whether to visit Romania or Bulgaria because you’ve run out of days you can spend in the Schengen Zone. All Rights Reserved. My favorite Bulgarian monasteries are Rila Monastery outside of Sofia, Transfiguration monastery outside of Veliko Tarnovo, and Shipka Church (okay, not technically a monastery but simply stunning nonetheless). Looking for an extraordinary interrailing trip? 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 will choose Bulgaria. or Romania and Macedonia. Whether you want to see Bran Castle, visit Bucharest, or walk through Sighisoara, you’re never too far from someone touting about how Dracula (or Vlad) is related to some local spot. If your goal is to come here for a week or two, you can enjoy one or two levels nicer on your accommodations, meals, and tours compared to a similarly priced trip in Western Europe. Hungary is said to name all of her dogs after famous Romanians, and dislikes being grouped with him and Bulgaria in the EU. Here are five reasons you should choose Bulgaria over Romania. If you want to kick the Dracula tourism up to high gear, spend your Halloween in Transylvania. Let’s see why! In the Middle Ages, the principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia were formed and for centuries were under the domination of the Ottoman Empire. Which country has fewer dogs and cats living in the street? I traveled to both countries last year, I like both. Your email address will not be published. You should be proud, you have a beautiful country! Overall, Bulgaria has ten world heritage sites on the list, including the stunning Rila Monastery and Sofia’s medieval Boyana Church. However Bulgaria also offers woodwork, traditional blouses, ceramics, and what not. Weaknesses of Romania and Bulgaria in the fight against corruption Romania and Bulgaria, former members of the Eastern Bloc, have joined the European Union since 2007. Learn how your comment data is processed. Bulgaria’s carpet making has century-old traditions in town such as Chiprovtsi and Kotel. Romania is perfect for those who want to road trip. You can take a bus from Sofia to Bucharest via Ruse in around 7h 30m. Stephanie has been living in and traveling around the Balkans for the past three years. Three incredible eastern European countries, they are full of fascinating historic landmarks, sweeping landscapes, bustling cities and incredible restaurants to enjoy. ROMANIA & BULGARIA BUCHAREST • BRAN • SOFIA • PLOVDIV • VELIKO TARNOVO THE OFFER 20 DAY PACKAGE $3999 PER PERSON TWIN SHARE $3999 20 DAY HIGHLIGHTS PACKAGE. In terms of beauty – or as I like to call it (like many others), eye candy – I would say again that things are pretty much similar. There’s also amazing local Horezu pottery and of course, amazing Dracula-themed gifts to bring home with you. Romanians can be friendly but they are more concerned with money. 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. Now you are making me really excited about visiting Sofia. We publish new information nearly every day! The houses have eyes, the cobblestone streets are jus… She’s written for National Geographic Online, appeared on CNN Arabic and in the New York Times, and ridden more Balkan buses than is good for a person. The saying goes “if you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel” — and we think it’s true! Overall, Romania and Bulgaria are relatively cheap countries to solo travel through and allow easy tourist movement and casual meandering. Here are four great experiences awaiting you no matter which country you choose to visit! Since you enjoyed visiting Bucharest, I am sure you will also enjoy Sofia. It’s a natural health spa! Your email address will not be published. Each country has its major highlights and every city has more or fewer things to offer (depending on their size, mostly). Here’s how to pick your winner in a travel game of Romania vs Bulgaria. Beyond the local cuisine, the restaurants in Sofia are leaps and bounds ahead of the restaurant scene in Bucharest. We’re all tourists when we go abroad, and of course, no one wants to spend their hard earned vacation days somewhere that’s no fun. Romania, which joined the EU on 1 January 2007, began the transition from communism in 1989 with a largely obsolete industrial base and a pattern of output unsuited to the country's needs. You can also check out our Instagram guides to Sibiu, Brasov, and Bucharest – more are on the way. 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. in Bulgaria, or broken into. I really do not understand this obsession with comparing the two countries. But which country to choose? You will be acquainted with the capitals of Bulgaria and Romania (both members of the EU since 2007) – Sofia and Bucharest, each unforgettable and unique, rich in cultural and historical heritage. Between Bran Castle, Corvin Castle, and Raznov Fortress, you really won’t run out of fairy tale-esque places. 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). As well, there are similar stories about various people having similarly unpleasant experiences in Romania: a Romanian family that we met in Sunny Beach this year, for example, said that they have decided against going to the Romanian seaside again after last year the villa they stayed in for holiday was broken into and everything they had was stolen. But they do have an impact over the quality of life and safety. Romania is positioned both in the Northern and Eastern hemispheres of the Earth. 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. 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. Why compare Bulgaria and Romania? Generally eastern Europens are more friendly than western Europeans. And yes, there are great all-inclusive beach resorts to hang out at if you want to relax even more. The idea had great support, especially in Bulgaria, and there were several opportunities to realize it. 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. Treasures of Romania and Bulgaria Tour takes you in just 11 days in two important countries of the Balkans. My experience cycling through eastern Europe on the way to Turkey. Prices in Sofia are similar to those in Bucharest (inflated, in my opinion), but in the “very cheap” range, it appears that you have more lower prices options in Bulgaria than you do in Romania, when looking at smaller towns and cities. Because of that, tourist attractions are at the top of my list whenever I write comparison articles. Explore the complex histories and fascinating cultures of Bulgaria and Romania, two East European countries whose rugged terrain and consequent isolation have helped preserve their heritage.

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