About Romanian Friend

Salut!

That’s Romanian for ‘hi’ :)

Welcome to Romanian Friend! I’m Marius, the guy who started this company in 2017 and still runs the show.

Before that I used to work as an international corporate lawyer in London and Dubai. And you know what everyone asked me when they found out I was from Romania?

"Oh, Dracula! What else is there to see?"

And I'd spend the next 15 minutes telling them Romania is one of the most beautiful, surprising and undiscovered destinations in Europe — but most people found it hard to believe!

One evening at a networking event I had 3 of these conversations. So I looked for a website I could send people to. A travel agency with reliable tours. A place with honest travel info, and someone friendly behind it.

Couldn't find one.

So I quit law - wasn't happy anyway! - and built it myself.

(me hiking in Romania, September 2017)

Imagine you had a friend from Romania...

So you're thinking of visiting Romania. You've seen photos of Transylvania, maybe read about Bucharest, definitely googled "Dracula Castle." But you have questions.

Where should I go?
How much will it cost?
Where can I experience authentic Romania?

Now imagine you had a Romanian friend.

Someone who knows the country inside out, who'd tell you where to eat, which places are worth seeing, and which people to contact. Someone who'd plan your trip like they were planning it for a close friend.

That was my idea and what we do at Romanian Friend.

What Romanian Friend actually is

We're a Romania-focused travel booking platform and blog made by locals.

Since 2017, we built a strong, handpicked network of over 50 guides, guesthouses and logistics partners all over the country that we trust and value for their skills, quality of service and friendliness.

We're not open to anyone like Viator and other travel booking platforms. We choose who we work with and have high standards for them.

With the help of our network, we developed close to 100 curated tours and experiences all over the country you can book through our website. From thematic Bucharest walks to wildlife trips in the Carpathians, from immersive trips in Transylvania to Danube Delta adventures.

Every tour is led by a local guide we personally know, trust and believe will create a memorable holiday for you.

We also publish in-depth travel guides and blogs written by people who love being tourists in their own country.

So if you need help planning your trip you'll get honest, personal recommendations.

Why?

Because I know the best marketing is word-of-mouth.

So I want you to have an amazing, memorable holiday, so you can tell your family and friends about it. Because Romania is still not a popular tourist destination - and I know the economic and social power tourism can have on our country.

Why people book with us

One place for everything. Tours, travel guides, trip planning advice, personal support. You don't need ten tabs open. You need one Romanian friend.

Curated selection. Every tour on our platform is carefully created. We know the guides personally. We've done the experiences ourselves. We don't list everything — we list what's actually good.

Fair, transparent pricing. We know what things cost in Romania. Our tour prices are reviewed to be fair — for you and for our guides. Quality services and memorable experiences come with a price. So up to you what kind of memories you want to have from your time in Romania.

Local knowledge you can't Google. Would you rather trust a travel blogger (or chatGPT?) who's been to a destination on a city break -- or hear from locals who actually live here?

Tourism that gives back. We work with independent guides and small business owners who include local communities in their tours. When you book with us, your money goes to real people doing real work.

The team behind it

Romanian Friend started as a one-person, self-funded project.

Today there's a small, dedicated team that keeps everything running:

• the one answering your emails at midnight: me
• the website is coded by the team at go further.digital
• the long articles are written by me and Georgiana (who loves to travel silently), Anca (always looking for good food), Elena (who can't survive without traveling every month) and Carmen (who, as a tour guide, likes to be guided by others' curiosities)
• precious marketing help from Mihai
• creative social media from Monica
• videos by a travel blogger who actually visited Romania Annemarie

We grew together, then COVID happened...

We survived that, and then Russia invaded Ukraine...

We're still here though. Independently run and self-funded, thanks to you.

Since 2017 we welcomed over 10,000 tourists and you can read their reviews going all the way back.

So that's what Romanian Friend is ‘about.’

I invite you to explore our website, get inspired and just write to us saying "I'm coming to Romania — help me figure it out!" - that's literally what we're here for! :)

We hope to welcome you soon!

Marius