How to get here

I'd love to see you in Magura - so here are a few hints, tips and suggestions for your travel planning process.

Flights
British Airways, Tarom (Romanian airline), KLM and Wizz all fly to Romania from the UK. I use KLM for preference - you can fly from most UK airports as you go via Amsterdam. Schiphol is very civilised and you fly in and out of area D, so it's usually easy as pie. If you book ahead you can get decent prices: from 3-17 July, for instance, is £162 from Gatwick (I checked prices on 24th March). Bucharest has two airports next door to each other: Otopeni, the main airport, where you'd fly with KLM, Tarom, BA; and Baneasa, where Wizz flies. Wizz is a budget airline - cheapish (£50 one way in July 2010) but not 100% reliable - my cousin was delayed at Luton for 5 hours. NB Choosing days and times: in my experience, the best time to arrive is on Sunday afternoon (9am flight from Liverpool, eg). Traffic is then coming back into Bucharest, so your road out is much clearer; the last time I flew we were back in Magura in 2.5 hours. At other times the same drive can take 4-5 hours.

Car hire
When you Google for prices, make sure the car hire place is at the airport if you're flying in (either Otopeni or Baneasa) and not just in the city centre. If you're taking the train to Brasov, there are plenty of car hire firms there, too. In March when I checked, hiring an economy car went from 22 euros per day. You could also get a 4x4 for 57 euros a day - essential if you're planning some off-road exploring, eg in Apuseni Mountains where roads are challenging.

Train from airport
If you don't want to hire a car, you can get a cab, a bus or now a train from Bucharest Airport to the main train station, and from there to Brasov. I can pick you up there (40 mins from Magura), or you can get the little shuttle train to Zarnesti, which is only 5 miles from the village. Online I found this information from 2010 (check for yourself, please!!).
BUS: Express 783 line connects the airport to downtown Bucharest in aprox. 40 minutes
Schedule: Monday - Friday 5:30 - 20:00 (at every 15 min) 20:00 - 23:00 (at every 30 min)
Saturday, Sunday, Legal Holidays 5:30 - 23:30 (at every 30 min)
TAXI: Available right in front of the ARRIVALS. In theory, the fare is 3,5 RON/km with initial fare of 3.5RON - thus ride to the center of Bucharest should cost between RON 35 and 50 (EUR 9-12). NB WARNING: People say that taxis are either the monopoly Flytaxi OR unofficial cabs, both of which will overcharge. I am going to try to find someone I can trust who will come and pick you up - someone you can email and/or call in advance, who will fix the fare, and will speak English. Watch this space...
TRAIN: Starting with April 2009, there is a train connection from the Bucharest International Airport to the main central station of Bucharest (Bucuresti Nord). Trains run every hour and trip takes 55 mins. Tickets cost 6 RON (info valid as of August 2009) (buy from ticket office in the Arrivals terminal. Tickets for onward train trips in Romania can also be bought here.)
WARNING: The traveller posting this information said: "The ticket seller was unfriendly, couldn't speak English and discouraged customers to use this train connection. However, other customers are friendly enough to help you buy a ticket (or, have 6 RON and ask for a ticket to Bucharest - this will work!) If you have a more complicated travel plan by train, print out a scheme with dates, nr of passangers and trains - check these on www.cfr.ro). The airport train station is reached by a shuttle bus (can also be a minibus) leaving from the exit one level lower than the International Arrivals. Despite these inconveniences, the train ensures access to central Bucharest within 1 hour (bus or taxi takes at least 1.5 hrs due to traffic).

Train from elsewhere: if you have time and fancy the ride, you can get the train from Vienna or Budapest (both easyJet destinations) to Brasov. I think it's about 12 hours from Vienna. Take loo paper and a picnic in case you're on a train that provides neither.

DRIVING from Bucharest to Magura
Coming out of the airport, turn RIGHT on to the main road (1 / E60) heading north signposted to PLOIESTI. [This road will take you much of the way to the village.] Once past Ploiesti (don't turn off) you'll be heading for BRASOV. You'll go through places like Campina, Breaza and Comarnic; from there on the road gets prettier as you head through the hills. Sinaia is a big ski resort and has the Peles Palace (former favourite pad of the royal family). Busteni is overshadowed by the spectacular sheer cliffs of the Bucegi Mountains, notably the peak Caraiman.
When you're through AZUGA, you'll cross from Prahova County to Brasov County (an ugly concrete 'bridge' over the road marks the boundary); you'll pass a Petrom petrol station, and cross the railway line on a long curving bridge at the start of PREDEAL town. Immediately after the bridge, turn LEFT on to the 73A to RASNOV and BRAN. The turning on to the 73A is at the start of a long straight bit of road; if you get into Predeal town itself, you've gone too far.) The 73A (like a British B road) winds through the wooded hills - it's a pass through the Bucegi Mountains and offers some fabulous views and a shortcut. [If you'd rather stick to the main road, just keep going on the 1 /E60 all the way to Brasov - I'll give you directions if you're coming that way.] From Predeal to RASNOV it's about 17km but the wiggles and hairpins make it a slow stretch of road. Well worth it for the landscape, though. I saw a bearcub on the road on one trip. Keep your eyes peeled.
When you reach RASNOV (you'll see a large citadel high on a hill to your right) you'll be driving through tatty traditional houses and avoiding cows and horses loose on the road. You get to a T junction - turn RIGHT for BRASOV (left goes to Bran and Campulung) and then soon afterwards turn LEFT to ZARENSTI - the turning is just after a petrol station (worth filling up here - nearest one to the village). The road to Zarnesti crosses the railway line, and you just the follow the road straight to the town. NB some while after crossing the railway line, and just after the turning to BRAN on your left, the main road (still the 73A) bears to the right (signposted for Sinca Nou, Poiana Marului and Sibiu) and you need to 'turn left' although in effect it's straight on into Zarnesti centre (CENTRU); you'll eventually fetch up in the main piazza, with the BCR bank on the left, the town hall on the right, then a church on the left. Bear to the left (keep to your left, I mean, not furry critter on left) and you'll pass a children's play area / tiny park on the right, then you'll reach a roundabout. Park there (it's okay to park on the pavement by the Fornetti stand - do as the other cars do); I'll meet you there and lead you up to the village.

LOOS
A word to the wise - use the loo at the airport; on the road they are hard to find and not always fragrant. Large petrol stations with cafes attached are usually OK - but I should take some tissues/loo paper with you en route. The internet cafe in Zarnesti is open till 10pm every day (inc Sundays) and has a reasonable loo - it's close to the meeting point, so if you can't wait for another 20 mins, tell me before we head off!