Coming to Cluj, RomaniaCluj is serviced by an international airport, a train station, and a bus terminal. Here is information you will need to arrange your travel and lodging.
Transportation
If you are coming to Cluj from outside of Romania, you may travel by air, train, or bus. We recommend air travel. Cluj is serviced by several, low-cost airlines with easy connections to airports around Europe.
Airlines
Flights from inside and outside Europe make connections to Cluj via transcontinental airports in Bucharest, Romania and Budapest, Hungary. (See below.)
Direct flights to Cluj arrive from Austria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Moldova, Romania, Spain, and Ukraine.
Cluj International Airport (CLJ)
Check out airline carriers, schedules, and destinations here:
http://www.airportcluj.ro/
Airlines with direct flights to Cluj:
Wizz Air (low-cost company)
Email: ticketing@thsaero.com
http://www.wizzair.com
Blue Air (low-cost/special offers)
Email: info@blue-air.ro
http://www.blueair-web.com
Lufthansa
Email: lufthansa-romania@dlh.de
http://www.lufthansa.com
Carpatair
Email: cluj-napoca@carpatair.ro
http://www.carpatair.ro/
Malev
Email: ticketing@thsaero.com
http://www.malev.com
Tarom
Email: aqcluj@tarom.ro
http://www.tarom.ro/
Major Airports with Connecting Flights to Cluj
Budapest Ferihegy Terminals 1 & 2 (BUD)
http://www.bud.hu/english/
Budapest to Cluj, 416 Km (aprox. 259 mi.)
Bucharest Airports
International Airport Henri Coanda (OTP)
http://otp-airport.ro/
Aurel Vlaicu International Airport (BUH)
http://www.baneasa-airport.ro/
Bucharest to Cluj, 440 Km (aprox. 274 mi.)
Trains
For schedules, arrivals, and departures:
http://www.raileurope.com/
http://www.infofer.ro/
Buses
Atlassib and Eurolines operate from all big cities (and more) in Europe:
http://www.atlassib.ro
http://eurolines.com/
Autogara Beta Cluj has connections from domestic destinations:
http://www.autogari.ro/
Taxi services
The airport in Cluj has listed a number of taxi companies, that you can use:
http://www.airportcluj.ro/
If you choose to take a taxi, please note that the official companies like Diesel, Nova, Pritax, or Terra&Fan will charge you no more than the equivalent of $3 USD / 2.5 €uro in RON from the train station, or the equivalent of $7 USD / 5 €uro in RON from the airport to the city center.
Please avoid any private transport offers at the train station or at the airport; many of them charge more than the regular rates.
The current taxi rates are aproximately:
1.79 RON/Km during day-time and 1.99 RON/Km during night-time,
plus the additional Start up fee: 1.79 RON
You can travel from the airport also by bus number 8, which will take you to the city center.
There are many buses, trolleys, and tramways that serve the public transport in Cluj, and make good connections between the different parts of town.
Lodging in Cluj
Pensiunea MaxAddress: Traian Mosoiu G-ral St. nr. 64, Cluj
Phone: + 40 264 455 443;
Fax: + 40 264 455 413
Room rates:
Single (queen size bed): 140 RON / night (aprox. 34 Euro=$46 USD)
Double (queen size bed): 150 RON / night (aprox. 37 Euro=$49 USD)
Double (2 separate beds): 140 RON / night (aprox. 34 Euro=$46 USD)
Suite (1 room w/ 1 normal bed & 1 room w/ 1 queen size bed): 190 RON / night (aprox. 47 Euro=$62 USD)
We've made reservations for a group in Pensiunea Max, as nice locations in Cluj are booked in July.
You are free to stay where you want, and we have for you some more suggestions (see below).
However, we wanted to make sure that you have a nice place to stay, in a central area, and also together with the group, if you desire it.
Pensiunea Max is a Bed&Breakfast like Villa, with 13 rooms and a small garden. It is situated in a quiet area, five minutes away from the city center, and 10 minutes by car from where we will have the workshop.
We've checked the place and we liked it. The rooms are clean, new and big, and they all have bathrooms with a shower in the room.
You have free wireless internet, TV in your room, a fridge, air conditioning, and free parking.
If you decide to stay in this villa, please let us know, so we can communicate with the owners. You may choose to stay in either one of the rooms mentioned above, as we've booked all of the four possibilities. Just tell us your preference, and we'll manage the arrangements together.
You may receive a discount when you leave, but this was not guaranteed to us.
Here are some pictures online of the villa:
http://www.cazareclujnapoca.ro/en/Panziok/Panzio-Max-28.html
Breakfast is not included, but you can take it there for 15 RON (aprox. 4 Euro=$5 USD). They serve buffet with fresh fruit and vegetables, cheese, meats, cereals, milk, tea, coffee, marmelade. (15 RON is a fair price for a buffet breakfast in Romania.)
If you decide to take a breakfast somewhere else, there are several places in walking distance from where you stay. Just ask us about that, and we will tell you what we know.
City Plaza Hotel
Address: Sindicatelor St., Nr. 9-11, 400029, Cluj, Romania
Phone: +40 264 450 101;
Fax: +40 264 450 152
E-mail: contact@cityhotels.ro
Web: http://www.cityhotels.ro/
Room rates:
Regular single room (quite a small bed): 115 euro
Superior single room (queen size bed): 145 euro
Twin room: 165 euro
Suite: 250 euro
This is a beautiful, four-star hotel, situated in five minutes walking distance from the Central Park, and is also situated in the center of the town.
We've visited the hotel and we would recommend it to you. The room rates include the breakfast served as a buffet (in a nice restaurant), plus the hotel taxes and VAT.
If more of you decide to stay at this hotel, you will receive a discount. Please let us know if you want us to make a reservation in your name. (It doesn't cost you anything, we just need your name.)
To see more information about the hotel, and their facilities, please visit their website at http://www.cityhotels.ro/.
Other possibilites for lodging in Cluj
(We cannot recommend these places to you, as we haven't visited them. We've found these places on the internet, and read the reviews about them.)
PICCOLA ITALIA boarding house
http://www.piccolaitalia.ro/
Their advertisement on the website:
Location:
It is situated on one of the hills from the central part of Cluj, a quiet place at the bottom of Cetatuie hill and at a 10 minute - distance from the railways station.
Address:
20 Emil Racovita Street code 400165
Cluj, 407056
The County of Cluj, ROMANIA
Telephone/Fax: 0264 - 536.110
Email: piccolaitaliacluj@yahoo.com
Check out tripAdvisor for reviews:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/
Vila Cetatuia
http://www.vilacetatuia.ro/
Their advertisement on the website:
Contact
Address: Serpuitoare Str., nr. 1, Cluj
Phone: + 40 364 107 341
Email: receptie@vilacetatuia.ro, vilacetatuia@yahoo.com
Vila Cetatuia offers single and double rooms, plus suites. All rooms have a terrace overlooking the city of Cluj from the top of the (Gruia) hill.
Room rates:
Single: 120 RON /room
Double: 120 RON /room
Suite (for 4 people): 170 RON /room
Maps and Data about Cluj
Map of Cluj:http://www.cluj4all.com/navigator/
(check at bottom of page left: search streets)
Google map of Cluj:
http://maps.google.com/
Route planner:
http://www.viamichelin.com/
More Information and Data about Cluj
Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cluj_Napoca
http://wikitravel.org/en/Cluj-Napoca
Other sites:
http://www.clujonline.com/
http://www.romaniatourism.com/cluj.html
Retro Hostel has a beautiful presentation of the city with pictures:
http://www.retro.ro/
More Pictures with places for sightseeing in Cluj:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/
http://www.ici.ro/romania/en/orase/cluj.html
Extra Information
Time zone in Romania is ETC/GMT+2 (plus the daylight saving time)Currency converter:
http://www.xe.com/ucc/full/
Exchange houses, banks, etc.
In Romania, the rates at the banks are fairly similar to the rates that an exchange house would offer. We recommend you to use the banks for currency exchanges.
If you want to change money at an exchange house, please make sure you know exactly what you will receive for your money. Also, most of exchange houses have 0% comission for the service.
Do not change money with people offering it to do it on the street, as it is not always safe. Of course, you can use your own judgment on that.
Contact Information
Email: joy.clarity@gmail.com
Phone: +40 751 702 135
