Four types of trains are available:Personal, Accelerat, Rapid and Intercity. The last three types provide reasonable conditions but Personal trains are best avoided.
Personal (P)
These are very slow trains, stopping in absolutely every station (including some in the middle of nowhere). Prices are dirt cheap, but they provide extremely basic service and are sometimes uncomfortable (no seat reservation, no ventilation to speak of, sometimes crowded, no working toilets in some trains, poor lighting).
They usually have 1970s single-suburban or double-decker cars, with 4 seats per row. Most will not offer 1st class (but if they do it's highly recommended to get a 1st class ticket, it will be less crowded and miserable than 2nd class).
Western Desiro and French Z-type DMUs have been introduced on some routes, including Suceava-Cacica, Craiova-Sibiu, Sibiu-Brasov, Cluj-Teius-Brasov, Cluj-Bistrita, Brasov-Sfantu Gheorghe. Z-type cars provide a more comfortable seating arrangement but a bouncier ride, which is diametrically opposed to Desiro's improvement. As these newer trains are designed for short-distance travel expect to be uncomfortable if traveling for a long period of time.
Most of the trains operated by private companies are also ranked as Personal. They are usually cleaner than CFR's Personal, but they rarely run on the same routes.
Time and price example: By Personal train Timisoara-Drobeta Turnu Severin (210 km) costs ~26 lei in 2nd class, takes app. 5 hours, has 29 stops
Accelerat (A)
Semi-slow trains, often cross-country routes, stopping in all towns, but not villages. They are cheap (though nearly twice as expensive as Personal) and offer the same conditions as P in most cases (but with working lights and toilets).
Newly-renovated cars have been introduced on several routes including Bucuresti- Targu Jiu and Bucuresti-Brasov. However, many consider these cars as uncomfortable, if not more so, than older cars, with just an improved visual element. There is little baggage room and little leg-room compared to 1980's carriages.
A refurbished 2nd class train coach.
Ex.:Timisoara-Drobeta Turnu Severin (210 km), 42 lei in 2nd class, approx 3 hours 40 minutes, four stops
Rapid (R)
Although not much faster than Accelerat, they are substantially more comfortable (larger seats and 1st class is air-conditioned). They are mainly used on trunk routes from Bucharest, with few interregional services.
Because of restrictions on InterCity transportation on several routes, Rapid trains to Constanta and Brasov have an IC-level service.
Some Rapid trains should be avoided because of bad rolling stock (the Bucharest-Belgrade train, Mangalia - Oradea and Mangalia - Baia Mare, using Accelerat-type stock).
Ex.:Timisoara-Drobeta Turnu Severin (210 km), 52 lei in 2nd class, approx 3 hours 35 minutes, four stops
Intercity (IC)
The best of CFR's network. They are nearly as comfortable as Western European trains, while remaining cheap by Western standards. All IC trains offer air conditioning, individual reading lights, dining cars, and some will offer power plugs (both in first and second class). WiFi is provided in some dining cars and in business class (where available). They're slightly faster than Rapid or Accelerat and very clean most of the time. They are only marginally more expensive than Rapid trains (usually only a few euro cents more expensive).
Some Intercity trains also have Business Class ( Standard and Exclusive) cars, roomier than regular 1st class. Standard has plush armchairs while Exclusive has leather armchairs and built-in LCD screens for each seat; both have WiFi.
Travelers with large backpacks should note that baggage storage racks on intercity trains are small, hence they are likely to find Intercity trains less convenient than Rapid or Accelerat. However, experiences seem to vary depending on the particular train, as in some trains this is true only for non-compartmented cars, so it might be worth trying to get a seat in a compartment.
If presented with a choice of Intercity trains (classic cars or "Săgeata Albastră" - Blue Arrow DMUs) it is advisable to choose classic cars, as these are faster, more comfortable trains. Săgeata Albastră are small 3-car diesel trains with slower service (120 km/h top speed in regards to 160km/h).
Ex:Timisoara-Drobeta Turnu Severin (210 km), 58 lei in 2nd class, approx 3 hours 25 minutes, three stops
Night trains
Most Accelerat and Rapid trains traveling by night have couchettes (with six or four beds) and sleeping cars (with three, two or one bed). Conditions are relatively good.
Ex.: Bucuresti-Sighetu Marmatiei (606 km), 105 lei bed/six beds couchette/Accelerat train, 14 1/4 hours
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Romania
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Romania - updated Apr 2024
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Romania Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
