Castles of Transylvania: Private Day Trip from Bucharest

Posted By : H6617SZalexandraw
Very nice and committed tour guide, unfortunately it was not clear from the description that the tours take place without a tour guide. That's why it was only very good instead of excellent.
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Posted On : 2024-03-17 11:24:50

Posted By : Relax45384738465
Firstly, a big thank you to Cristian who looked after us very well. He commenced commentary from the get go, pointing out different buildings and lots of story telling on the way. He gave us plenty of time to explore Bran castle, called ahead to find out how busy places were so he could do the sights in reverse. Well done, we skipped the crowds. Next stop Brasov for lunch, again plenty of time then on to Peles castle. We’re weren’t sure about visiting the castle, but we trusted his judgement and so glad we did. All stops 100% worth it, I will be recommending to my friends.
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Posted On : 2023-11-11 03:54:31

Posted By : A7055EXsarahw
Didn’t get off to a good start, picked up a message the evening before we were due ti leave, that the trip would start at 10.30 (rather than 7.30 am) due to a road closure. Who knows if this was true? Bearing in mind this was supposed to be a 12 hour tour, travelling 3 1/2 hours to the first destination, my husband and I were worried that the 3 visits on the itinerary would be rushed, considering sunset around 6.30 pm. Our guide messaged to say that it wouldn’t affect our itinerary. We ended up doing the tour ‘back to front’, which wasn’t a problem, it’s just he didn’t mention this until we had nearly arrived at the first destination. We did feel a bit rushed (although he kept saying we could take all the time we needed), but we knew we needed to get around quickly to fit in the other two visits whilst it was light. There were big road queues when we left Peles castle, which obviously was not our guides fault, but made us later to Bran castle. In Peles, we only had a ticket for the ground floor, we hadn’t been offered the opportunity to visit the other 2 floors, but there wouldn’t have been time anyway. We again felt the need to rush our tour because of the time/light. Both castles were amazing, but we had expected a tour guide as we had paid for a private tour, not just a driver, but we were left largely to our own devices to self guide ourselves inside the castle. Our next stop was Brasov, again beautiful, but arrived very late in the afternoon. Our driver was just going to drop us off and arrange to meet us later, when I reminded him that our itinerary included a walking tour. He willingly spent 20 mins or so with us and had some great knowledge on the town to share and then arranged to meet us 30 mins later. Our drive back to Bucharest was something of a white knuckle ride to say the least, it was beyond scary. Too fast on non highway roads in residential areas, whilst our drives was talking on his mobile phone frequently, one call lasted about 20 mins. Not sure what the laws are in Romania about using mobiles whilst driving (that aren’t hands free), but it’s not safe and a distraction. At one point in Brasov, the driver was taking a photo on his mobile, whilst driving, when my husband shouted look out… which stopped us rear ending the car in front. Ironically he told us he was driving his kids to the coast the next day, which he could reach in a couple of hours, but would drive more slowly than he usually does as he would have his kids in the car. He was a nice guy, but more a driver (fast) than a tour guide. When you’re spending this kind of money on a private tour, with entrance fees on top, you would expect more. We had a small group (7) tour the next day, the Transfagarasan road to see wild bears, the guide was knowledgable, safe driver, kept us informed of everything, quite a contrast
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Posted On : 2023-10-22 08:31:02

Posted By : T5518FHtimothyw
Although we found Bran Castle a relative disappointment, we did enjoy getting out of Bucharest and seeing some countryside. Pele Castle was much more interesting than Bran Castle. Our driver, Claudio, was accommodating and took us on an alternate route back, visiting the site of the Ceaucescu’s execution. We appreciated the alternate site visit. Claudio is a skilled driver, if a bit fast and fearless. Our taxi ride from the airport was similar, so perhaps that’s driving in Romania.
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Posted On : 2023-10-14 02:18:18

Posted By : courtneysW340EZ
Christian was a great driver! We had a wonderful time on this tour. If you are in Bucharest and looking for an excursion out of the city, we definitely recommend this one!
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Posted On : 2023-09-20 12:44:51

Posted By : Joseph_R
Both castles are beautiful….it was also great to hear the history of these two iconic castles. Our guide was friendly and knowledgeable
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Posted On : 2023-09-11 14:45:38

Posted By : Beth_B
Peles Castle is amazing! Truly the most beautiful castle we have ever seen with such beautiful wood work, artwork and furnishings- all original on the standard tour. Bran Castle pales in comparison, but it’s structure and history are interesting to explore. The mountains of Transylvania and the villages of Romania are beautiful to see. I only wishes we had more time there! Our tour guide, Adrian, did a great job. His English is fluent and easy to understand, he is extremely knowledgeable about the area and the sites and, best of all, very open to questions about his experience of life in Romania and Bucharest. We learned a lot and had a really fun day.
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Posted On : 2023-08-09 06:34:41

Posted By : Christos_A
Horrible experience. Guide never showed up. We called him when he was 20 minutes late. He claimed. he was on his way, not to worry, would be there any minute. We waited another hour. He never showed up, and never answered the phone again. Ruined our whole day. Unbelievably unprofessional.
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Posted On : 2023-07-30 02:27:22

Posted By : Linda C
Very disappointing day! Claudio was not a guide. He was a driver. He told me virtually nothing at the three places we visited. He dropped me off. I was on my own. His driving was terrifying. At one point going over 150km/96 mph on single lane roads weaving in and out of traffic. He spent much of the drive talking on the phone on social calls. When he did talk to me it was to brag about what a great driver he is and who he has driven. The car was not clean. I was the only person on the trip. Maybe if there had been others he might have been better and more engaged. He says he has been doing this for 23 years. He was truly unengaged
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Posted On : 2023-05-17 02:29:10

Posted By : William_A
Claudiu was an excellent guide! He was very knowledgeable about Romanian history and the breathtaking castles we visited. He gave us tips that many guides would not, and helped create an amazing day for all of us. It was definitely our highlight of our trip to Romania. Thank you Claudiu!
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Posted On : 2023-05-07 04:08:00