In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Romania
Cluj-Napoca
Give Cluj 2 nights: one for the old town squares, one for Turda Salt Mine or the Apuseni hills. Base yourself within 10 minutes' walk of Piața Unirii.
Cluj-Napoca is Transylvania's biggest city and its student capital, about 320,000 people, with a compact old town of squares, churches and museums and a large park on the river. Two nights covers the centre well; a third night buys you Turda Salt Mine or a day in the Apuseni mountains. It is the priciest city in Romania for hotels and food, but still well below Western Europe.
- Country
- Romania
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (cold, grey)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- RON
- Money
- Currency is the Romanian leu (RON, plural lei); Romania does not use the euro. About 5 lei to €1 in 2026 — check the live rate.
- Daily spend
- Budget 150–250 lei excl. bed · Mid 250–450 lei excl. bed · High 450 lei+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Orange, Vodafone and Digi sell prepaid SIMs in their shops and at the airport; Digi is the cheapest. Passport ID is required to register a SIM — check.
- Emergency
- Police, ambulance, fire, mountain rescue 112
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Standard European round two-pin; Schuko (F) sockets take C plugs.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: About 10%, left in cash even when paying by card.; Café or bar: Round up or leave a few lei.; Taxi or Bolt: Round up; app tips optional.; Guesthouse host or driver-guide: RON 20–50 per day for good service.; Hotel porter: RON 5–10 per bag.
- Water
- Tap water in cities is treated and generally safe; many locals prefer bottled mineral water (apă plată = still, apă minerală = sparkling). Avoid untreated wells in villages.
- Toilets
- Use cafés, malls, museums and fuel stations; some stations and parks charge RON 1–3. Village and monastery toilets can be basic — carry tissues.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee in a centre café | 8–15 lei |
| Lunch menu (fel de mâncare) at a local restaurant | 25–45 lei |
| Dinner main course | 35–70 lei |
| Beer: draught in a bar / can from a shop | 10–18 lei / 4–7 lei |
| Taxi, 5 km (3.1 mi) in the cityTaxi, 3.1 mi (5 km) in the city | 12–18 lei |
| Museum entry | 10–30 lei |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | 30–60 lei |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CLJ · Avram Iancu Cluj International
- About 9 km (5.6 mi) east of the centre; bus 5/8 or the A1E express to the centre, or a taxi/Bolt.About 5.6 mi (9 km) east of the centre; bus 5/8 or the A1E express to the centre, or a taxi/Bolt.
Typical fares
- Airport (CLJ) → centre, bus 5/8
- about 3 lei, 30–40 min (check)
- Airport (CLJ) → centre, A1E express
- about 6 lei, card only on board (check)
- Taxi, centre → airport
- about 40–60 lei, 20–25 min (check)
- Train Cluj → Bucharest
- about 100–160 lei, 8–10 h (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The old town is walkable end to end in about 20 minutes. Trams, buses and trolleybuses (RATUC) cover the rest; buy a card or a two-trip ticket before boarding, since you cannot pay the driver. Taxis and Bolt/Uber are cheap for short hops.
See and do
Known for
- Piața Unirii and St. Michael's Church
- Matthias Corvinus statue and birthplace
- National Art Museum
- Turda Salt Mine day trip
- Festivals and student nightlife
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Turda Salt Mine | Bus or train to Turda, then local transport or a taxi to the mine | About 1.5 h |
| Apuseni Mountains (caves and gorges) | Car, or a guided day tour from the city | 2–3 h |
| Huedin and the Crișul Repede valley | Train or bus west from Cluj | About 1 h |
| Sighișoara | InterCity train | 3–4 h |
Sleep
- Piața Unirii and the old town
- Walk to everything; quietest at night, priciest rooms.
- Eroilor and Piața Avram Iancu
- Between the two squares; cafés, museums and the Orthodox cathedral on the doorstep.
- Around the train station (Piața Gării)
- Cheapest beds and best for early trains; 20–25 min walk to Piața Unirii.
- Mănăștur and the west side
- Student flats and budget rooms; tram to the centre in about 15 min.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bună ziuaBOO-nuh ZEE-wah |
| Thank you | Mulțumescmool-tsoo-MESK |
| How much is it? | Cât costă?kuht KOS-tuh |
| The bill, please | Nota, vă rogNO-tah vuh rog |
| Can I pay by card? | Pot plăti cu cardul?pot pluh-TEE koo KAR-dool |
| Where is the toilet? | Unde este toaleta?OON-deh YES-teh twa-LEH-tah |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and eye contact; 'bună ziua' by day, 'bună seara' in the evening; avoid: First names with older people before they offer them
- Visiting a home: Take shoes off at the door; bring flowers (an odd number), chocolate or wine; avoid: Even numbers of flowers — they are for funerals
- Churches: Cover shoulders and knees; women may cover their hair in monasteries; stand quietly at the back during services; avoid: Crossing in front of the altar area or photographing people praying
- Conversation: Food, football, travel in Romania and family are safe topics; avoid: Dracula as the country's identity, calling Romanians Slavs, and careless talk about Roma or Hungarians
- Hospitality: Accept at least a taste of what you are offered; thank the host by name; avoid: Refusing all food and drink outright
- Queues and transport: Give seats to older people and parents with children; avoid: Loud phone calls in train compartments
Scams and watch-outs
- Buy public transport tickets before boarding — drivers do not sell them, and inspectors fine on the spot.
- At the airport and train station, use app taxis or a named company; unmarked 'TAXI' cars overcharge.
- Card payment is common in the centre but carry some lei in cash for markets, small cafés and taxis.
- Summer weekends with a festival (Untold, Electric Castle) sell out hotels months ahead — book early or avoid those dates.
Cluj is one of Romania's safer cities; the real risks are overcharging taxis at the airport and station, pickpockets in crowds, and winter ice on pavements.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Cluj-Napoca yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Piața Unirii and St. Michael's Church
- Matthias Corvinus statue and birthplace
- National Art Museum
- Turda Salt Mine day trip
- Festivals and student nightlife
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Cluj-Napoca City Hall: primariaclujnapoca.ro/
- Wikivoyage: Cluj-Napoca, revision 5300816 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5300816
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Cluj-Napoca
La această adresă, vă rog
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, ambulance, fire, mountain rescue112
Romania's emergency number is 112. Most embassies and consulates are in Bucharest; check your country's list before you travel.
Tipping: about 10% in restaurants, in cash.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/cluj-napoca). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.