Timişoara

Timişoara is a university city and industrial center in western Romania. It is often described as the most cosmopolitan city in Romania.

Understand

Downtown Timisoara

Timisoara is also known as the city of roses and parks, and has a very green face, especially in spring, when tulips abound.

Get in

By plane

The city is served by Romania's third-largest airport, Traian Vuia International Airport [1], located 10 km away from the city center. There are direct flights to 19 international destinations and 3 domestic destinations:

• TAROM [2] has daily flights to Bucharest.
• Lufthansa [3] has daily flights to Munich and Frankfurt.
• Wizz Air [4] has flights (not all daily) to Bari, Barcelona El Prat, Bologna, Brussels Charleroi, Dortmund, Frankfurt Hahn, Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden, London Luton, Madrid, Memmingen (Munich West), Paris Beauvais, Rome Ciampino, Rome Fiumicino, Treviso, Valencia, Venice Marco Polo and Zakynthos.
• HiSky [5] has daily flights to Bucharest.

Connections to and from many European destinations (such as Manchester, UK) can be made by Lufthansa via Munich. Whilst Lufthansa is not a budget airline, their fares (even with a transfer) can match those of budget airlines who fly direct, if booked from the Lufthansa site and as one ticket.

The domestic airfare from Bucuresti (Otopeni/Henri-Coanda)to Timisoara can be cheaper than the first class sleeper train; the train takes at least nine hours with no refreshment facilities. The flight takes less than an hour; a transfer at Bucuresti Airport therefore can be a convenient alternative to flying directly to Timişoara .

A Romanian alternative to Timişoara Airport was the nearby airport in Arad. That airport is (from April 2015) closed for complete reconstruction. Beware of looking at a map to decide that the airports in Targu-Mures, Cluj, and Sibiu seem quite close by! By road or rail travel is likely to take many hours more than in Western Europe. That said, if your local airport only has direct flights to those airports it may be worth staying in a hotel to continue the next day to Timişoara.

In addition there are regular express buses (some luxury) directly from Budapest Airport in Hungary (cost around 130 Lei) which take only three and a half hours. As Timişoara airport now has relatively few international connections, the option to fly from/to Budapest (in Hungary) is one taken by many visitors and Romanians, especially after the drastic reductions of services at Timişoara Airport in 2014. Do not confuse Budapest (in Hungary) with Bucharest the capital of Romania. Tour operators/airlines report that a remarkable number of people do make the mistake when booking! These unfortunates end up not only in the wrong city but in the wrong country!

Note that unless you are booking a hire-car on arrival, Beograd (Belgrade) Airport in Serbia (which appears to be close by) is not convenient. Public Transport between Timişoara is slow and virtually non-existent.

Express Bus line E4 links the airport with central Timisoara and line E4B (E4\) goes to the main train station (fare: 4 RON (one way, August 2023), tickets available at the parking ticket pay desk inside the terminal or you can pay the fare by swiping your card in the bus at the blue machines; the bus stop is located next to the domestic terminal (turn right when leaving the international terminal). Car hire is also available.

Timişoara airport is small and has very few retail outlets (just the one "duty free" shop) and minimal refreshment facilities. There are two small self-service "bars" (after check in and security, one upstairs and one down) but no formal restaurant or bar. There is a smoking "cabin" and the toilets are (as is all the airport) very well kept.

Just outside the airport (on the roundabout) sits a faithful and rather touching reproduction of Traian Vuia's early aircraft - a cross between a bedstead, a bicycle and an insect - with its propellor casually turning in the wind.

Remember to use the taxis included on this site (see below) - use your mobile, in fact Tudo Taxis have a large sign with their number! They (and others below) will not rip you off. Do not respond to offers to the town centre by rogue taxis.

By train

There are direct trains daily from Budapest (a 6 hours trip), Vienna (10 hours) and Munich (16 hours) [6]. Travelling to/from Szeged you have 2 trains daily at 7:50h and 14:48h: going first to Budapest and changing at Bekecsaba, arriving in Szeged at resp. 11:40h and 18:40h. There is no regular bus connecting these cities, the same goes for Belgrade. Train services between Romania and Serbia have been suspended in late 2017.

There are several trains to Bucharest and most major towns in Romania [7].

By car

Belgrade (Serbia) is 150 km away ( a 2 1/2 hour drive).

Budapest (Hungary) is 286 km away ( a 3.5 hour drive).

Another option to travel between Belgrade and Timisoara is to make a reservation with http://geatours.rs/. Online is possible ; by phone is better. You need to give the address where you want to be picked up and where they will drop you to another address ; the time they will offer you will not systematically correspond to what you wished of course, it's not a taxi service, they pick as many people as they can. 25€ one way in a mini-van. It takes 4 to 5 hours to travel between both cities (due to traffic jam especially in Belgrade).

By bus

The bus terminal [8] (Autogara) lies two hundred meters to the south of the North Railway Station (Gara de Nord).

• There was mention here before of buses to Vršac, just over the border with Serbia, but at time of writing (April 2015), no buses were running.
• There are no direct buses to Belgrade. The easiest way to get to Belgrade is to book a shuttle bus with Gea Tours (www.geatours.rs). They generally leave in the morning (9am and 11am). They are a shuttle bus and do door to door pick ups and drop offs. This takes time however depending on how many passengers there are and where they are headed. Fare is 20 euros. It may not be comfortable being squeezed into a van but it is the most hassle free way to travel.

It is also easy to share a taxi in the direction of the border (Cenad), leaving at Calea Sagului.

Rent-a-car

You can find all international car rental companies (Avis, Hertz, Europecar, Ascar, TOP Rent a Car, Maya Rent a Car) at the Timisoara Airport. Some even offer free delivery to the airport. The average price for a day rental is about €15-25 for the cheapest car.

Get around

Public Transport

Probably the best way to see the city is by taking a free tour of the city. Understanding that it's better to bring as many tourists as possible and not to charge them for everything, locals offer free city tours, mostly for English speakers but also for German/Hungarian speakers. A simple search on Google will find such free city tours.

The centre of Timisoara is relatively compact and walking is certainly feasible. The city has an excellent public transport service including trolleybuses, trams and buses. The majority of buses and trolleybuses are new. The trams are old German models, but are comfortable enough. Most of the tram and bus stops have digital panels which list the waiting times.

The price for one ticket is 4 Lei, around 0.8 €, and it is valid for 60 minutes. You can find them at newspaper/cigarette stands around almost every stop. It is also possible to pay on most vehicles by swiping your card at the blue machines. You can buy passes for a day or a month, on one or all lines. Single tickets and certain passes are available from the many kiosks which display the blue STPT (the public transport company) sign. For example on leaving the railway station, turn left: a cigarette/drink kiosk sells the tickets. Remember to put the little paper single tickets in the yellow machine onboard the vehicle - this validates the ticket by stamping it with the date and time. The city has the most "welcoming" public transport system in Romania - tickets and information are easily found. The website is excellent and is written in Romanian and English: http://www.ratt.ro/. Also a complete brief description of the public trasnport, specialy made for tourists can be found here https://timisoaratourism.com/getting-around/public-transport-timisoara/

By taxi

In Timisoara there is no shortage of taxis. You can reach about any point in Timisoara by paying a fee of 10-20 Lei (about 3-6€). Don't negotiate with the driver and insist for the meter to be turned on. If you don't want to overpay avoid private taxis and instead call for a local taxi company (Tudo, Radio, Timisoara, Autogenn, Fan or Prompt). The taxis licensed by the City Hall have a distinctive oval black sticker on the backseat doors, while the pricier, probably scam taxis have a sign on the top of the car which only says 'Taxi' and doesn't mention the name of the taxi company. These taxis are at least twice as expensive, but they are also legal. If you see a taxi driver approaching and asking you for a ride, reject it, and search for a local company taxi.

Currently there's a running trial for an app for iPhone and Android called StarTaxi that allows you to request taxis using the smartphone and Internet connection. You can set it up to English language and as long as you have a clear GPS signal you don't even have to know your current address.

By car

If you want to rent a car there are plenty of car rental companies. They offer good priced services and all types of vehicles. Car rental by Eurocars, Klasswagen, Autonom, VAG24 and several local providers (Maya Rent a car, Api Rent a car, Edi rent a car, CityCar) is available.

If you are trying to navigate to an address a lot of times you have to be careful as street names change. Try to request all former street names or your SatNav might not be able to find them. Sometimes people will give you the old name which is also a problem with online-based navigation software.

As in much of Romania, outside of the cities, public transport is sparse. But it is cheap and although it is slow, it is surprisingly efficient.

By bicycle

Getting around the city is possible by bicycle, which you can rent at velotm, which has several stations in the city. It's for free for 1 hour. You cannot cycle in the city centre, where all these bicycle stations are situated... There are student bike for rent as well. During rush hours with fair weather is far better than getting stuck in heavy traffic. There are also dedicated cycle lanes in some parts of the city. Be cautious when sharing the road with cars, as some drivers tend to utterly disrespect anyone travelling on two wheels (be it a bicycle or a motorcycle).

There is a separate bicycle route leading from Timisoara to Serbian border for 37 km, on Bega canal. It starts in Freidorf neighborhood, passes by Freidorf industrial park, Utvin village, where the route passes over bega canal on a bridge, Sânmihaiul Român, Uivar and Otelec, before the route ends at the Serbian-Romanian border.

By train

From the main railway station (Gara de Nord, reached by trams 1 and 8) there are two local train operators: the national CFR and the private company Regiotrans. The latter operates rather ramshackle (and incredibly slow) trains to small towns and villages. Their timetables (much reduced from April 2015) are here: http://www.regiotrans.ro/mersul-trenurilor-regiotrans-valabil-din-01-mai-2015 (scroll down to Timişoara to see the list of timetables). CFR operate fast/medium/slow trains to a wide array of cities around the country, including Arad (the fastest taking less than a hour - but you pay a lot more for the very fast trains. Still cheap however by Western European standards).

Note that small Romanian stations in the remote countryside may have no platform, shelter, lighting or information. Consult the timetables BEFORE you travel - as there may be only a few trains a day, so you must plan your day! Yahoo maps is one of the few online map websites prominently to display railway lines and stations (use the satellite option to get a feel!). It is surprising to see sizeable numbers of people suddenly emerging from nowhere to a tiny halt in the middle of a field (with no road access) which has only a rusty sign. Quite how those who do not have the Internet know when the train is due to arrive is a mystery, as is where they come from.

Some trains in Romania (fast and slow) seem to depart at the most peculiar times (such as 3am in the morning) - which can be useful for return from late night partying in Arad!

Train discounts: 10% on return trips when the ticket is bought the day before travelling; 5% for tickets bought at least 6 days before travelling; 10% for tickets bought at least 11 days before travelling; children under the age of 5 travel for free if no extra seat is requested; 50% discount for children under 10 years old (including children under 5 if an extra seat is requested), 15% discount for groups of 20-40 people when bought at least 6 days in advance, etc.

By bus

Bus services in Timişoara depart from a number of points. Buses in Romania are generally as or more expensive than the train. They are however much more modern than the train and many are much quicker. Use this site to find routes and destinations: http://www.autogari.ro/ .

For buses there is no saving for buying return (round-trip) ticket and buying two singles clearly allows you some flexibility on the mode of return!

Taxis within the city are cheap, but the rate for out of town long distance is higher at 2.79 Lei (RON)per kilometre. Nevertheless, if three people (for example) are travelling, the taxi fare can reduce to the same price per person as one might pay for the bus or train in other countries. Hotels in Romania are cheap by Western European standards so if you do miss your last train it might be cheaper to book in at a hotel (even a four star) than pay for a taxi.

Talk

Chances are high that anyone under 40 understands at least English. Hungarian and German are also pretty common. You can also hope to make yourself understood in Italian, Spanish, Portuguese or French, as they are part of the Romance languages.

If you are having trouble reading native street names or objectives just remember to think of Romanian as a phonetic language, there are very few pronunciation rules (gi->"gee", ghi->"gi", ț->"tz", ș->"sh", chi->"ki", ci="chi", ...).

See

Piaţa Unirii

• Piaţa Victoriei (Victory Square or Opera Square). It's the symbol of the Romanian revolution. Here you can find The Metropolitan Orthodox Cathedral, The Opera House, The City Hall, The Philharmonic, The Banat Museum and beautiful palaces built at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century.
• Piaţa Unirii (Union Square). With its beautiful palaces and all the coffee houses it is the old city's center. Here you find The Catholic Dome, The Baroque Palace (now a beautiful art gallery), The Serbian Church and other important buildings.
• Piaţa Libertăţii (Liberty Square). Located between Piata Unirii and Piata Victoriei is a small square with old buildings. Here you can find the old City Hall and the beautiful St. Nepomuk's Statue.
• The Bastion. Part of Timisoara's old defensive walls. The Bastion is located near Piata Unirii, it has been recently renovated.
• Parks. Timisoara is known in Romania as the City of Parks. Important parks you can visit are: Botanical Park (near Piata Unirii, it's the most beautiful park in Timisoara), Rose Park (near Piata Victoriei), Central Park (near Piata Victoriei, just behind the Metropolitan Orthodox Cathedral), Children's Park (near the Student Campus) and other.
• Piaţa Traian (Traian Square). This is also a part of the old city, but is more quite like a separated neighborhood, often called Fabric, due to his old factories around that used to run from old times. The buildings are beautiful, but be careful. Try not to visit the area at night and always keep an eye on your valuables. Nearby you can find Timisoreana brewery and the Setup Venue Club.
• The Village Museum. Located near Padurea Verde (The Green Forest). Here you can discover the Romanian tradition.
• The Zoo. Located in the same area as The Village Museum, it's a small zoo, but your children will love it. The Zoo was closed in November 2020 for renovation, and as of August 2023 remains closed.
• The Museum of the Revolution, Popa Sapca nr. 3-5 (Inside the Bastion), [x]. A great museum to visit to better understand what happened in the short seven days during which Romania overthrew its communist dictatorship. Earlier reports said it was free with a donation requested, but as of August 2016 staff ask a fixed entrance fee of 10 lei with no suggestion that this is voluntary. 10 lei.
• Museum of Banat, Strada Martin Luther 4 (Adjacent to the Metropolitan Cathedral), [x]. Museum is currently closed and isn't scheduled to open for years (2016). It will open on a different location and only the staff is located on the current location.
• Museum of the Communist Consumer (Muzeul Consumatorului Comunist), str. Arhitect Laszlo Szekely no. 1 (used to be Zoe) (near Balcescu Square), ☎ +40 724 592 379, [x]. Mo-Fr 10-23, Sat 11-23, Sun 14-23. A unique museum, arranged as a typical Romanian apartment from the "golden era". See, touch, hear and discover the items Romanians could buy in the communist era, from toys to vinyl, TV and radio sets to bicycles, kitchen amenities and much more! The entrance is free. The museum accepts donations. (45.742979,21.2241228)

Do

Enjoy nice coffee products in Piata Unirii (Union Square) or Piata Victoriei (Victory Square). Taste the week-end nightlife by dancing all night long at Club The Note or D'Arc, or their summer locations, River Deck or D'Arc terrace on the shores of Bega Channel. Eat a great pizza or pasta at Da Toni, enjoy a nice beer at Bierhaus (you can find around 50 types of beer there), eat tasty Romanian food at Club XXI, don't miss the cocktails at River Deck or Club The Note. If you like shopping, Iulius Mall is the place to visit. Enjoy a nice walk in the Botanical Park. Timisoara is a very cosmopolitan city and if you ask/look around you can enjoy all kinds of activities, including long and highly impressive opera seasons and other classical music.

• Centre culturel français, Bd Loga, [x]. The French and Francophile communities of Timisoara frequent the local CCF which organizes exhibits, concerts, and various events.
• Rent a Bike in Timisoara (tBike), Circumvalatiunii Street, ☎ 0724282453, [x]. 24. Explore the city of Timisoara with a bike. There are some special bike lanes in Timisoara but they are part of the sidewalk most of the time. Overall biking in Timisoara is not that easy so be prepared to share you bike path with pedestrians and parked cars. Often there is no bike lane and you have to cycle on the main road. You should also choose the bike tours of Timisoara and Revolution from 1989. 25 ron.
• Scartz, str. Arhitect Laszlo Szekely no. 1 (used to be Zoe), ☎ +40751892340, [x]. Scartz is a so called ‘hipster bar’. It’s a café located a bit outside the city centre. It is known among students and young adults as a great place to hang out, and that is exactly what the owners seemed to have in mind. With couches, luxurious chairs, hammocks and bunk beds, it truly did became a place perfect for ‘hanging out’. While the inside is decorated to look warm and hip, the outside is more stylish and happening. And the best part of it all: they sell ice cream! For just 2 lei we had a rectangle of chocolate ice cream in our hands. It eats a little weird but then again, what doesn’t eat weird while laying on bed, in a hammock or on a couch?! A place you simply must visit, just for the fun of it.Scartz is also a home for an independent theater group called Aualeu Teatru, another must see. They perform each weekend, between October and May.Limited number of seats, 20 to 40, depending on show, you should call first to book a seat, or just ask the bartender.
• Chocolaterie Carels, Str. Gheorghe Lazar, Nr. 6, Timisoara, Romania, ☎ 40(0)753 609 969, [x]. The only shop of fine Belgian chocolate, Belgian pralines and figurines fresh from fabrication in Gorj. The production site in Crasna (Gorj) always welcome visitors on their way to Brancusi or Monasteries.

Learn

There are four large state universities in the city:

• Universitatea Politehnica Timisoara (Politehnica University Timisoara) offering study programmes in architecture, computers and information technologies, various braches of engineering (automotive, chemical, civil, electrical, electronic, environmental, food, industrial, materials, mechanical, mechatronics and robotics, power, telecommunications, transportation, etc.), public relations, translation and interpreting, etc.
• Universitatea de Vest Timisoara (West University of Timisoara) offering study programmes in arts & design, biology, chemistry, drama, economics, geography, history, law, mathematics, music, physics, philosophy, political sciences, psychology, sociology, sports, theology, etc.
• Universitatea de Stiintele Vietii "Regele Mihai I" din Timisoara (University of Life Sciences "King Michael 1st" of Timisoara) offering study programmes in agronomy, biology, biotechnologies, environmental engineering, food engineering, forestry, geodesy, horticulture, veterinary medicine, zootechnical engineering, etc.
• Universitatea de Medicina si Farmacie "Victor Babes" din Timisoara (University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Victor Babes" of Timisoara) offering study programmes in medicine, nursing, kinetotherapy, nutrition, dentistry, pharmacy, etc.

There are also private universities, including the Tibiscus University which offers 8 specialities and has the only private Design Faculty in Romania.

Buy

In Timişoara you can buy everything, from well known brands to Romanian products. The important shops are located in the city center. If you want an authentic adventure visit Piata Aurora or the Brancoveanu shopping area, but be careful and keep a close eye on your valuables. Police won't help you at all.

• Piaţa Victoriei. The center of the city, with many shops.
• Iulius Mall, [x]. One of the biggest shopping malls in Eastern Europe. You can find many Romanian and international brands and a Cinema City multiplex there.
• Shopping City Timisoara, [x]. Second largest mall in the city.
• Bega Shopping Center, (near Hotel Continental). The first important shopping mall in Timisoara.

Vintage

Every weekend there are two flea markets taking place at:

• Piața Aurora-Flavia.
• Piaţa Mehala. Also the city's biggest market for second hand cars and bicycles

The markets are also open during the weekdays but with a much weaker participation. If your gear gets stolen while staying here, chances are it might turn up in one of these markets.

Convenience Shops and Supermarkets

There are several large/medium supermarkets including Kaufland, Lidl, Carrefour, Auchan, Mega Image and Profi. As of 1st June of 2015 the VAT (TVA) tax on most foodstuffs reduced from 24% to 9%, making a reduction of 12.1% on most products. This makes Romanian food prices (already low by Western European standrds) even cheaper!

There are also several small corner shops, some of them claiming to be open 24/7 ("Non-Stop", although few actually are. Cigarettes (at the official fixed price) are sold by most hotels and restaurants. NB: Perhaps due to its proximity to Hungary and other countries, Timişoara is one of the few places in Romania to sell rolling tobacco and papers to roll your own cigarettes - but even then you must search out such material.

Before big holidays (Christmas, Easter) some supermarkets are opened during the night as well. During the holidays you can still find small corner shops open, usually the ones running 24/7 and petrol stations.

Eat

If you want to eat in Timişoara, you can find places for every budget. Because Timişoara is a very cosmopolitan city, the local cuisine is influenced by Italian, Serbian, Hungarian, German, Turkish and Arabic cuisine.

Smoking is not allowed in Romanian cafes and restaurants by law (2016), only outside will people still be smoking.

Budget

• Pan Rusovan, (near Piata Victoriei, piata 700, iosefin, complex). Well known chain for its sandwiches, burgers and pleascavita, but not the best quality.

• Pinguin, (Piata Libertatii). non-stop. Lebanese fast food serving shaorma, kebab, pleascavita. inside oriental restaurant.

• Da Toni Pizza, (on Strada Daliei in the university district). Italian cuisine in a down to earth environment. The price for a pizza ranges from 5 to 10 €. Friendly home delivery service is also available.

• Godfather Pizzeria, (near Piata Victoriei). Renown for its signature dish, the fold your own Calzone.

• Napoleon, (in the Student Campus). A good place to eat a pizza or a hamburger.

• Timisoreana, (near the beer factory). Known for its barbecue meals and cold local beer.

• Restaurant Dorna, (Strada Martir Ioan Stanciu, near Piata Giroc). Very cheap, fresh cooked food, a good value if you want to eat fast. No time for chatting, only a few tables which change guests every 15 minutes or so as it's usually full. Eating time is usually between 11 and 15. You stand in line at the cashiers to get the food tray and return it when you are done.

• Restaurant La Dama, (Inside Piata Giroc, Strada Martir Nicoară Elena). Slightly higher prices than Dorna, similar food quality, more seating places, table serving and also has a separate smoking area. (45.733525,21.238863)

• Biofresh Vegetarian Food, Strada Francesco Griselini (near the Street Strada Proclamația de la Timișoara), ☎ +40 724 637 374, [x]. Good place to get vegetarian and vegan food. Around 30 lei. (45.756096,21.230933)

You can find street stalls selling sandwiches, kebabs, shawarma, french fries or similar fast foods scattered throughout the city, usually with very low prices.

Mid-range

• D.A.F. Junior, Str. Gloriei, Nr. 5 (in the Eastern suburbs), ☎ 0256/395998, [x]. Romania meets Las Vegas! This surreal complex that includes bowling, bars and tennis also has a very good value restaurant with outside terrace. The dishes are enormous and lots of fusion Romanian cuisine on offer at very good prices.
• Club XXI, (in Piata Victoriei). Well known for the Romanian cuisine.
• Pasta e Basta, (near Piata Unirii). Well known for very good Italian food, but is more expensive than Da Toni.
• Tinecz, (in Calea Aradului). Very popular restaurant in Timisoara.
• Sabres, (near). Sea food restaurant.

Splurge

• Aquarium, Piata 700, City Business Center (Go into the ground floor of the City Business Center and take lift to 6th floor.), ☎ 0356/170380, 0728444618, 0770422716 (fax: 0356/170380). Arguably the chicest place in the city to eat; dine with a very international business crowd whilst relaxing on an outdoor terrace with views overlooking the entire city. The steak dishes are especially recommended! A main dish and a glass of wine cost on average 12-20 €
• Casa cu Flori, (near Piata Libertatii). International cuisine.
• Marele Restaurant Chinezesc - Chinese Restaurant, (near Piata Badea Cartan, on Simion Barnutiu Street). Best Asian restaurant in Timisoara. A meal will usually cost you around 10-15 €.

Drink

You will find many outside venues in the city centre. In the summertime the best place to hang out is on the banks of the river Bega on the southern side of town: the many bars and restaurants provide shade and drinks. On the other side of the University buildings you can find for example Vineri 15 and La Căpiţe, where program includes live music.

Clubs

• D'Arc Club, Piata Unirii, [x]. A well known club located at the basement of an old building, is notorious for the Thursday Night Party and for being overcrowded. No entrance fee.

• Club The Note, [x]. Probably the second best club in Timisoara. Well known for it's cocktails, weekend parties and concerts with famous guests. For a reservation you need to call days in advance. Entrance fee around 3€.

• River Deck, [x]. This is Club The Note's summer location, on the bank of the Bega Channel. It's notorious for the weekend parties, but also for the excellent cocktails and the fusion cuisine. If you want to reserve a table for the weekend do it a week in advance, because this is one of the trendiest places in Timisoara. Entrance fee around 3€.

• Taine, Str. George Cosbuc nr.1, [x]. Alternative Music and Rock can be found here.

• Night Club Shark House, Str. Mures nr. 48, ☎ 0734088075, [x]. Girls.

• Taproom Micro-Brewery, Piața Traian 6, [x]. Best selection fo craft beers in Timisoara. Really nice staff and good vibe.

• Setup Venue, Str. Pestalozzi nr. 22, [x]. A cross between a concert / music venue and a club, this transformed industrial warehouse space hosts weekly alternative music events from urban electronic and hip hop to alternative, hardcore rock and rockabilly. Popular Dubstep & Drum'n'Bass artists and djs are often guests here.

• Papillion Cafe, Piata Unirii, [x]. 24/7.

Sleep

• Cazare TM, Str. Cozia nr. 37, ☎ +40743008655, [x].

Budget

• Hostel Costel, Str. Petru Sfetca nr.1 (former Vidra), ☎ +40 / 356. 262.487 ([email protected]), [x]. A house and huge garden with lots of common places, a really big and nice equipped kitchen. Free Wi-Fi, lockers in every room and friendly hosts who can help with every question. 9€ and 10€ (shared) or 15€ (private).

• Freeborn Hostel, Str. Patriarh Miron Cristea Nr. 3 Ap.1 (formerly Asanesti), ☎ +40743438534 ([email protected]), [x]. Clean, cozy hostel in the centre. One minute walk from main attractions, cafes, restaurants, clubs and parks. Free WiFi, internet, Wii console, fully equipped kitchen, hair dryer, large lockers in the room.

• Hotel Arizona, str Musicescu no 168, ☎ +40256439410 ([email protected]), [x]. Low-budget choice, free WiFi. 20€/double room.

• Casa Leone, B-dul Eroilor (Southeast of University), ☎ +40(0)256-292621, [x]. Free WiFi, garden, they speak good English, German, Hungarian, French, German, Italian. Double room 30€ euros. single room form 20 euros.

• Directia Taberelor, str. Mihai Eminescu nr. 3, ☎ +40(0)256-490469. Youth budget accommodation, very central. 50 RON/night.

• Pensiunea Andronic, str. Ioan Slavici, Timișoara 300523, Romania, ☎ +40 256 218 063 ([email protected]), [x]. checkin: starting with 14:00. Restaurant-Bar, Garden, Terrace, Heating, Air conditioning, Internet, Secured guest parking 110Ron/night.

Mid-range

• Hotel 2000. It has a swimming pool, but there's no water in it.

• NH Timisoara, Strada Pestalozzi 1/a, ☎ +40 256 407 440, [x]. Modern hotel has 80 well-furnished rooms, a relaxation center and state-of-the-art meeting rooms. Rooms from 65€.

• Hotel Strelitia Timisoara, Blvd. Simion Barnutiu 44, ☎ +40 256 247 067 ([email protected], fax: +40 256 247 066), [x]. checkin: 12; checkout: 12. 74 rooms, restaurant, conference/events room from 30€.

• Boutique Pension Park, Adresse: Strada Remus 17, ☎ +40 356 264 039 ([email protected], fax: +40 356 264 035), [x]. A cozy Boutique Pension in the heart of Timisoara with a beautiful garden. from 45€.

Splurge

• Hotel Continental. The best known hotel in Timisoara.

• Hotel La Residenza, str.Independentei 14, ☎ +40256401080, [x]. Shakira stayed here for her concert.

• Vila Americana, Str. Avram Imbroane 74 (Green Forest), ☎ +40733550844, [x]. checkin: 14:00; checkout: 12:00. Four-star villa close to the Green Forest with apartments and pool, visited by diplomats and officials. 50. (45°46'31.19N,21°15'47.44E)

Stay safe

General precautions apply as with any European country. Timișoara is a safe city, and Romania as a whole has much less street crime and burglary than (say) the UK.

Attacks from packs of stray dogs are now practically unheard of after a 'cull' some years ago. If you have taken your dog on holiday (by means of a Pet Passport) do not let it roam about in the street on its own and make sure to clean up after them. Taking a dog on a lead to the city centre is rarely done, and you can be refused entry to establishments or receive a cool reception for bringing in a pet.

As in all cities, keep valuables in your sight at all times or in a safety deposit box. Do not leave any visible objects hinting to valuables inside your car: backpacks, trolleys, jackets, purses, navigation devices, mobile phones, cash. There is a chance (as in any other country) that the car will be broken into.

Don't start fights and don't join fights. Be smart and leave. Don't let anyone harass you or allow strangers to take you to unknown places. Do not accept shady deals or gambling games done in the street or behind buildings. If a big fight breaks out in a club, leave immediately - the tactical police forces might be coming soon and they might 'pacify' everyone.

Beware of people posing as policemen, though that's usually rare. If you get stopped and it's somewhere dark, request that you go to a populated area to check the ids or inside the hotel or somewhere within range of surveillance cameras. Have only copies of your important papers on yourself and keep the originals at the hotel.

Watch out: Don't stay in HOTEL VALENTINA, situated in Str. Mehadia 5. This place is known that prostitutes catch the (preferred male single) guests of from Timișoara North Station and ask you to "assist" their guests to get there. Once arrived in the hotel, they ask to stay the night together and pay 50 € (or 200 RON) at least. If you refuse and/or ask them to leave you alone, they'll take your key and force you to pay for the taxi "home", as the hotel is far from the city centre. If you can't speak Romanian or only a little, the hotel staff will be non co-operative and refuse even to call the police claiming that "they also can't help you".

Contact

To dial fixed phone numbers while roaming, use international prefix +40 followed by 256 for city prefix.

Taxi numbers (prefix with +40256 if unsure):

• Radio 940
• Euro 941
• Pro 942
• Fan 944
• Tudo 945
• Timisoara 946
• Grup 207207
• AutoGenn 988

City Hall Internet Page: http://www.primariatm.ro/index.php?lg=en

Embassies and consulates (might not be up to date):

• Germany General Consulate
• Italy General Consulate
• Serbia & Montenegro General Consulate

• Austria Honorary Consulate
• Holland Honorary Consulate
• India Honorary Consulate
• France Honorary Consulate
• Sweden Honorary Consulate
• Tunisia Honorary Consulate
• Hungary Honorary Consulate
• Czech Honorary Consulate
• Moldova Honorary Consulate
• Bulgaria Honorary Consulate

Get out

• Cross the border to Belgrade in Serbia. (Feb 2016) Trains (w/ restrooms) are available twice daily (0748 and 1648) from the northern train station (Gara du Nord) for 42 lei. Immigration officials will take your passport while you remain on the train and return with it stamped at both the last stop out of Romania and at the first stop into Serbia in Vršac, where you will also need to change trains. Arrival at Beograd Dunav station. Total trip time is about 5 hours. Be sure to exchange all lei into Euros before crossing into Serbia to avoid frustration. (Sep 2021) No cross border trains are running at the moment but you can take a train to Moravița, hitchhike to the border, walk over the border, and hitchhike to Vršac on the other side. It was very easy to find a ride. Get dropped off at the bus station at the entrance to Vršac, from there frequent buses leave to Belgrade (bring a 10 Euro bill to exchange with one of the passengers waiting there or get some dinars beforehand, as there is no ATM or exchange office at this bus station).
• Head south-east to Reşiţa, getaway to Semenic-Caraș Gorge National Park and Nera Gorge-Beușnița National Park.

This article is an outline and needs more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. Please plunge forward and help it grow!

WikiPedia:Timişoara World66:europe/romania/timisoara wts:Category:Timisoara