Presentation

“Vaduizei” Travel Agency is a tour-operator specialized on incoming. We promote the values of Romania’s natural and cultural heritage by offering you personalized tourist products. We conceive the programmes ourselves and propose them directly to our clients by means of this web site or indirectly through other agencies.
Our public, Romanian or foreign, is fond of nature, people and traditions, of life in the countryside with the raw green of the grass, with glades wrapped in the fragrance of flowers, with dense and cool forests, with quiet places and fresh air…the return to origins, to the Romanian village with old customs and traditions, with authentic and full of colour folklore, with hospitable people, with traditional Romanian dishes, a journey in the grandeur and wisdom of nature.
Our agency offers you booking services in tourist pensions and organizes package holidays and circuits to discover Romania and especially the “Romanian Villages Operation” Tourist Network. The circuits we suggest to you represent a privileged occasion to discover the richness of our traditions kept over centuries and also the warm reception of your hosts.
Our philosophy. The agency helps you discover an exceptional heritage which, for several years on, the Romanian Villages Operation (OVR) sets off to advantage and whose founder members we are. Our motivation, sustained by the idea of the equitable and solidary tourism determines us to look for and to propose to you new formulae of original and great quality circuits and walks. Our programmes are devised in such way as to allow the discovering of the most beautiful regions of Romania. Our holidays and circuits, in groups, offer you the opportunity to encounter other amateurs of art and traditions and to share with them your impressions, ideas and your taste for culture. Regardless of the chosen holiday plan, you will gloat over your trip, with the purpose that your cultural discovery remains first of all a pleasure. We promote cultural tourism and green tourism, away from the urban stress, which permits simultaneously rest and visits, but without forgetting about the contact with people and offers services of quality at a fair price.
The head office of the agency is located in Vadu Izei, in the heart of the most beautiful region of Romania, Maramures. The office is placed in the beautiful “Grandfather’s Traditional House” of wood, completely renovated, and situated in the front of “Ileana and Ioan Borlean Traditional House” from Vadu Izei.

General information about Romania:

General information: Romania
Capital: Bucharest
Surface: 237500 km²
Population: 22 million inhabitants
Language: Romanian
Coin: the leu (plural “lei”)
Time difference: 1 hour in addition as compared with France
Climate: continental temperate
Formalities: Identity Card or valid passport
Health: no vaccination required
Religion: majority Orthodox
Money: change possible in banks and exchange offices; possibility to withdraw money with most of the credit cards
Handicraft: wooden articles, icons on glass, ceramics, pottery, pieces of embroidery, woolen coverlets, painted eggs from Bucovina
Kitchen: varied and delicious. Specialities: mamaliga(polenta), sour soups, stuffed cabbage leaves, cakes, eggplant salad
Drinks: tsuica/palinca, plum brandy
Alcohol tolerance: 0g/litre
Tea is sometimes an infusion of plants.

Practical information

Access:
• by plain
Bucharest is connected with the world's major airports by regular flights of Romanian airlines (notably Tarom, the national airline) or by foreign airlines with offices in Bucharest (KLM, Air France, Lufthansa, Swiss, Turkish Airlines, Malev, Alitalia, British Airways, Australian Airlines...). There are also low cost companies operating in Bucharest, Timisoara, Sibiu, Targu Mures, Cluj Napoca, and charter flights. Romania's international airports are in Bucharest - Henri Coanda and Baneasa, Constanta - Mihail Kogalniceanu, Timisoara, Targu Mures, Cluj-Napoca and Sibiu. Henri Coanda International Airport is located in Otopeni, 18 km from Bucharest city center. Transfers to the city are made by bus (line 783) or by taxi. It would be wise to agree on the price with the taxi driver before the transfer. Check this with your travel agent. Tour operators provide transfers at very competitive rates. Transfers can also be made at your request by the travel agencies.
• by train
International express trains connect the main central European capitals with Bucharest, with the main cities and with the Romanian seaside. For timetables see www.cfr.ro, the Romanian national company, or the Austrian one www.oebb.at, which is in charge with the train timetables in Europe.
• by car
The main access routes to Romania are: Berlin, Warsaw, Budapest-Petea E81; Wien, Prague, Budapest-Bors E60 or Nadlac E64 or Varsand E671; Trieste, Belgrade-Moravita E70 or Portile de Fier E70; Athens, Tirana, Sofia-Giurgiu E85; Istanbul, Sofia-Vama Veche E87; Moscow, Kiev, Chernovitz-Siret E85. All routs are marked in accordance with the international rules. Driving takes place on the right side of the road and overtakings are made on the left.

Weather
During the last years, the usual climate has changed. In summer time, you may expect to temperatures up to 40°C in the South, and up to 30 in the other regions. Sometimes, strong storms hit the country, but not tornadoes. In winter, snow can reach 15-25 cm, but doesn’t last more than two weeks, and temperatures up to 15°C below zero.

Driving
Driving is like in Continental Europe (on the right side of the road and overtaking on the left). When driving on international roads, head lights should be on during day time, too.
• Driving license
An international driving license (IDL) could be useful. If you don't have one, your national license should suffice (all European national driving licenses, the American and Canadian ones are recognized too). The British driving license holders should note that licenses not bearing a photo of the holder have been known to upset traffic police; try to get an IDL before you arrive.
• Speed limits in Romania
- 50 km/h inside localities
- 90 km/h outside localities
- 100 km/h on national roads
- 130 km/h on highways
There are traffic radars (speedometers) inside localities, as well as outside, sometimes placed in cars not belonging to the police, so be careful!
• Road tax
A road tax (ROVINIETA in Romanian) should be bought from petrol stations after crossing the border. It allows you  to drive on national roads. For the moment, there are no highway taxes.
• Alcoholemy 
The accepted alcoholemy is 0 !!!
• Fuel
You may buy all sorts of fuel in all major petrol stations. Some stations also sell GPL.
• Be careful
Be careful especially when driving across villages! You could come across hens, geese, different animals (cows, dogs, sheep etc.), bicyclists, carts etc. Frequently in the afternoon and in the evening, sometimes even at night, the main roads of the villages are quite populated. Driving slow across villages is also a matter of respect to local people...

Languages
Besides Romanian (the official language), most young people speak English, French or Italian. In Transylvania, many people speak Hungarian or German.

Passport/Visas
EU and American citizens don't need any visa to get to Romania. They may use only their ID cards. All those having valid passports recognized by the Romanian State must obtain transit visas from the Romanian diplomatic and consular offices abroad. Applicants must prove they have the means to support themselves financially for the period of their stay in Romania. Complete up-to-date information about visas can be found on the web site of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania

Currency
The national currency is LEU (plural LEI). All major currencies are accepted in exchange offices and banks. US$ notes issued before 1992 are accepted with difficulty. Marked, torn or very worn banknotes are often refused at the exchange offices. Please  make sure that every currency you bring is in good condition. Avoid changing currency in the street!!! You risk being crooked.

Travellers cheques
You may cash them especially in banks (the exchange is usually open till 4pm). For the moment, there are few merchants who accept travellers cheques.

Credit Card                                                                                                 
Visa and Mastercard/Eurocard, are accepted in most hotels, restaurants and some important shops. You usually have to show your passport. It is however advisable to check in advance.

ATM-s (cash distributors)
The ATM network is in extension. Depending on the bank owning the ATM or the bank which issued your card, there could be a daily sum limit (about 3000 LEi - 900 EUR) and a sum limit per transaction (about 500 LEI - 150 EUR).

Medication
Drugstores are well supplied with all medicines and vitamins. You may find in Romania most of medicines for common use. As commercial names differ, please make sure you bring your own medication.

Vaccination
No special vaccination required.

Phone Calls
The international code of the country is 40. National and international calls are available in most places. Use phone cards for public phones. For cell phones, you may buy Prepaid cards (Vodaphone, Orange, Cosmote). VOIP cards (international communication via internet) are available at Post Offices or newspaper kiosks, too. For special services numbers of 3 or 4 characters (only in Bucharest) are used: 931 – information telephone users, 952 - train timetable. The national emergency number (Police, Ambulance, Firebrigade etc.) is 112.

Internet
In most of the towns you may find Internet cafés. Prices are reasonable - about 1 EUR/hour. Some hotels have local internet networks (cable or wireless).

Electicity
220V/ 50 Hz AC, European plugs with grounding (SHUKO).