- Romania Solo Tours
- Transylvania and Bucharest for Solo Travellers
Magical, mythical Transylvania, 'the last truly medieval landscape in Europe', takes you back in time to a world of Saxon villages and hilltop citadels. Discover the birthplace of Vlad the Impaler, delve into the legend of Dracula at Bran Castle, and delight in the fairytale landscape of dark forests surrounding colourful towns and fortified church steeples poking through the treetops. Conclude with a visit to the Romanian capital of Bucharest, taking in the historic yet dynamic Old Town.
Dinner
Depart on your scheduled flight to Bucharest. On arrival transfer to your hotel in the ski resort of Poiana Brasov. Relax with a welcome dinner.
Breakfast
After breakfast head for nearby Brasov for a morning walking tour around the wonderfully well-preserved medieval and baroque old town. Start at its heart, in the venerable main square (Piata Sfatului) - also known as German Square - where modern cafe life buzzes against a background of stunning Saxon architecture. You can't miss Brasov's most prominent landmark, the 'Black Church', so called after being charred in a great fire in 1689. Travel back in time at the First Romanian School Museum, then marvel at the adjacent Gothic spires of the 16th century St Nicholas Cathedral. In the afternoon enjoy an excursion to the 14th century Bran Castle, built as a clifftop defensive fortress and cloaked in Dracula legend. Under the direction of Queen Marie in the 1920s, it was transformed into a modern summer residence fit for royalty
Breakfast
This morning it's off to UNESCO-listed Sighisoara for a walk around the cobbled streets of one of Europe's oldest citadels. The first thing to hit you is the riot of colour, with buildings painted in bright oranges, yellows, blues and pinks creating a dazzling canvas. It has a colourful history too, being the birthplace of Vlad the Impaler. The 14th century Clock Tower offers a spectacular panorama from the top and a covered stairway leads to the 'Church on the Hill', a fine example of Gothic architecture. Move on to the Saxon village of Biertan, home to the finest and largest fortified church in Transylvania.
Breakfast
Today we head for Bucharest, stopping first to see the impressive UNESCO-listed Saxon citadel of Prejmer. With walls 40 ft high and 15 ft thick, plus bastions, drawbridges it's perhaps no surprise that in 500 years it was besieged 50 times but only captured once. Then on to Sinaia, first to marvel at the unashamedly opulent neo-Renaissance masterpiece that is Peles Castle, commissioned by King Carol I in 1873 as a summer residence. Then visit Sinaia Monastery, with a history dating back 300 years and a dual function as a shelter for the needy and a strategic lookout over the Prahova River valley below.
Breakfast & Dinner
Romania's capital city has seen some turbulent times but has re-emerged as a dynamic, vibrant and welcoming city. Today's walking tour will give you a fascinating glimpse into its historic old town, the Lipscani District, an area that was neglected by the communist regime because of its bourgeois merchant roots and has been slowly regenerating since 1989. Besides the main arteries of Lipscani Street and Covaci Street, a warren of side streets reveal antique stores, fashionable boutiques and hidden courtyards. You'll also see the beautiful 18th-century Stavropoleos Monastery, with stunning ceiling frescoes in the Brancovenesc style. In the evening a farewell dinner can be enjoyed at a local restaurant.
Breakfast
After breakfast the morning is yours to explore Bucharest at your own pace. In the afternoon transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK.
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Dan was the best guide we’ve ever had on an escorted holiday. Besides being knowledgeable, he also planned every visit and comfort stop to perfection. He always gave clear information on departures, meeting points, and directions to places of interest for our free time. He was very kind and considerate to all age groups.
Samuel Mitchell
18 MayThis holiday was always going to be different and interesting but it was made excellent by the guides and drivers that we had who went out of their way to make it special. The extension was really good and the hotel was lovely - never seen so much food at breakfast in any hotel in the world!
Andrew Earwaker
23 SeptemberThe order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions or for operational purposes. The schedules of the domestic airlines in country are subject to frequent changes. For this reason, we have indicated approximate times only. Your local guide will inform you of any schedule changes as they are informed of them. The driving times listed are point to point and do not include the duration of excursions or stops en route. Some road construction and/or weather conditions may lengthen the driving times. Our intention is to adhere to the day-to-day itinerary as printed; however, order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions.
If booking more than 12 weeks before departure a deposit of £295.00pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 12 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 12 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.
A visa is not required for your trip to Romania. Further advice should be sought from the applicable tourist authority for other nationalities and for general queries. We strongly advise you check your destinations' Tourist Board or Embassy for the most up-to-date guidelines regarding passport validity.
It is your responsibility to check your passport validity. To enter Romania (and all Schengen countries) your passport must: have a ‘date of issue’ less than 10 years before the date you arrive and have an ‘expiry date’ at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave. Sources of information include; https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice
Please note your final documentation will be sent to you approximately 21 days before departure. Check in baggage is included with your flight. Weight restrictions will be finalised on your final documentation. Should you wish to take additional luggage you will need to pay extra at check-in. Check-in should be at least 3 hours before departure. If you wish to arrange Airport car parking or accommodation at preferential rates, we recommend you book this in advance with Holiday Extras on 0333 188 0407, quoting HX313.
IMPORTANT: A printed E-ticket is no longer required at check-in, all you need to do is present your passport to the staff at the desk and your boarding pass will be given to you. Please note that you should carry your invoice with flight details on it as you will need to show this at the airport.
We strongly recommend that you and all members of your party are suitably insured as soon as you book your holiday. It is a condition of booking that you must have suitable travel insurance. It is important that you purchase travel insurance that suitably covers your participation in whatever activities you may undertake at the time that you make your booking. To assist you with this, we have arranged travel insurance in partnership with Holiday Extras, including up to a 20% discount, which is given to all Mercury Holidays customers. To arrange your insurance with Holiday Extras, please visit https://www.mercuryholidays.co.uk/info/insurance for more details. Please ensure you provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number and their 24 hour emergency contact number as soon as possible. Mercury Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred by you due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking.
It is your responsibility to check any health and vaccination requirements applicable to your booked arrangements. We can only provide general information about this. Health and hygiene facilities and disease risks vary from country to country. You should take health advice about your own needs as early as possible and in good time before your departure. Sources of information include; www.fco.gov.uk, www.travelhealthpro.org.uk, www.hpa.org.uk, your General Practitioner or a specialist clinic.
This tour is accessible to most people with a good level of fitness and normal mobility. It involves climbing of steep stairs and getting on and off coaches. This tour is not suitable for anyone with walking difficulties.
The currency in Romania is the Romanian Leu. We recommend that you exchange your currency before you leave the UK. It is important that you budget carefully and ensure you have the right form of currency before you arrive in the country. Cash machines will also be available throughout the tour to withdraw money in your local currency. It is important that you budget carefully and ensure you have the right form of currency before you arrive in the country
As normal practice you may be asked for your credit card details on check-in at the hotel in order to cover any extras incurred during your stay. If you do not have a credit card, you may be asked for a cash deposit. MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in hotels as well as American Express.
You will need to take money with you to cover any personal purchases such as souvenirs, laundry, any meals not included in the itinerary as well as drinks and any additional snacks; Approximately £200- £300 per person will be sufficient for the duration of the tour.
Tipping
It is customary to tip both your driver and guide approximately 2 euros per person per day in total. Tips will be collected at the end of your tour. We recommend budgeting 10% for a tip service on top of your bill at local restaurants.
The minimum number of travellers in your group will be 10 and the maximum will be 35. If in the unlikely event there are less than 10 people booked on your tour date, we will endeavour to reduce any disruption to your holiday and try to operate your tour with lower passenger numbers. If we are not able to operate your departure date then you may be asked to change to a different date and a full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.
This is a fully escorted tour meaning that you will be met by a local guide in each of the cities that you visit, ensuring that you have first-hand knowledge at all times.
Private Tour: If you have booked a private tour then you will be accompanied by a Driver Guide or a Driver and Local Guides. These will be available to you during all scheduled sightseeing. Private Tours can depart on any day of the week depending on flight and train schedules and the opening days of the attractions. They will follow the itinerary as described in the brochure unless you have been advised otherwise and you will still have all of the same meals, sightseeing and local excursions included.
Your accommodation is selected for convenience, location, comfort or character, and can range from business hotels to leisure hotels. Hotel accommodation is generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but please note there is no international classification system for hotels, and differences in facilities and quality do exist compared to what you might expect in the UK. All group tours hotels have private bathroom facilities and air-conditioning, where needed. Rest assured that all accommodation used by Mercury Holidays is regularly inspected by our staff and partners to ensure that standards meet your needs.
Breakfast is always local or international cuisine and served in the hotel each morning. Dinner (when included) will be taken in local restaurants or at the hotel. A variety of restaurants are visited giving you the chance to experience a range of dishes and flavours. It is not recommended to drink the tap water, even in developed countries water may contain unfamiliar elements that can cause upset stomachs. In less developed countries water is not filtered in the same way.
Please contact Customer Experience for questions about other dietary requirements or allergy information
On your arrival in Romania you will be met by a representative from our local agent, Dertour, holding a sign displaying: “Mercury Holidays”. The Mercury Holidays/ Dertour representative will show you to your transfer vehicle. Your national guide will be on hand 24 hours a day should you have any queries.
If you need to contact your representative during your stay the details are:
Dertour: Telephone Number: 0040 724 320 926 or 0040 21 314 3002
Emergency contact information: Please find below the emergency contact details for Dertour24 hour: 0040 724 320 926
