Q: Is it safe to visit Romania ?
A: Some guidebooks make Romania sound like a rather scary place in which to travel,
with references to "Europe's wild west" and a "frontier atmosphere".
On the whole, Romania is no more dangerous than the average European country
provided you exercise common sense.
Many of the safety worries focus on Bucharest. Some travellers report feeling nervous there,
but usually this seems to be based on some sort of vague unease,
or stories that they heard from a guy in a pub about something that
happened his second cousin's best friend, rather than any actual event.
The main train station (Gara de Nord) had a bad reputation a few years ago,
but seems to have been cleaned up quite a bit; in fact it is a reasonably relaxing
place once you are inside the main concourse. You are more likely to have problems
just outside the station and around the ticket offices.
Be wary of anyone who approaches you here, for example offering to "help" you buy a ticket,
or claiming to be the police. Some people suggest that it's best not to take a taxi from right
outside the station - use the metro or walk a short distance before getting a taxi.
