Moldova or Romania?
The practical differences, drawn from our own write-ups rather than from a brochure. We are not going to tell you which is better - they are different trips. What follows is what actually changes between them.
Places written up here 10 20
UNESCO listings among them 0 7
Cost level Budget Budget
Busiest month in our write-ups May July
Currency Moldovan leu (MDL) Romanian leu (RON)
Plugs and voltage C, F - 230 V C, F - 230 V
Everyday languages Romanian Romanian
Driving side right hand side right hand side
Region Eastern Europe Southeast Europe
Capital Chișinău Bucharest
Moldova
Reserved at first and relentlessly hospitable after; no visit is complete until the wine comes out.
What we have written up
- Chișinău old town
- Moldovan Cuisine dish
- Moldovan Village Homestays tradition
- Orheiul Vechi monument
- Purcari winery region
- Saharna monument
Worth knowing before you go
- Cash rules outside the capital - marshrutka minibuses and market stalls take lei only
- Cards work fine in Chisinau supermarkets, restaurants and hotels
- Tipping is 5-10% in city restaurants, appreciated rather than demanded
Romania
Old-world hospitality is genuine; rural life continues in ways western Europe has forgotten.
What we have written up
- Bran Castle castle
- Brasov old town
- Cluj-Napoca old town
- Corvin Castle castle
- Horezu Pottery tradition
- Peles Castle castle
Worth knowing before you go
- The leu is the currency; cards work in cities, carry cash in villages
- Tipping is about 10%
- Petrol station coffee is inexplicably good - a national quirk
Counts describe this site, not the countries: "places written up here" means how many pages we have finished, and it keeps growing. Currency, plugs and languages are practical facts and change rarely; check anything visa-related with the relevant official source before you book.