Hello! I am Ionuț Maftei from Bike in Time and I’m in charge of promoting cycling tourism in Romania and I also organize bike-trips in different historical regions of the country.

What can you tell us about the existing infrastructure for cycle tourism in Romania (accommodation, boarding houses, tourist objectives, roads for cyclists, etc.)?

I think we are pretty well as regards accommodation, gastronomy, historical and cultural spots but less in terms of their signage.  Regarding cycling infrastructure, we use what we have already and we are happy, so our tourists.

What reactions did you notice from the people living in the localities you pass by, when they see you and your tourists riding your bicycles in a group?

People are very friendly, especially in the rural areas and they are very happy to see guests.

Which regions of Romania are most often chosen for cycle tourism?

The most appealing regions are Transylvania, Danube Delta, Danube is an attraction well known, Maramureș, Bucovina and of course, Bucharest.

Which countries do foreign tourists spending a holiday on bicycle in Romania come from? How much time do they spend, on average, in our country?

Principally, our tourists come from European countries and United States and a holiday in Romania usually lasts between three and ten days, so the average would be five days.

What was the impression of foreign tourists after visiting Romania by bicycle?

Always the general impression is positive, we really didn’t have any case when somebody left Romania regretting his trip or having an unpleasant experience.

What barriers / challenges have you encountered in your activity? What where the positives aspects?

The challenges, at least the negative ones, have diminished in the last period. I have noticed an improvement in the mentality of car drivers regarding the presence of bikers, the public authorities have tried to have a greater involvement, there are plans that we see closer to reality and where we also have tried to get involved in.

Thank you for the invitation of being a Danube Cycle Ambassador for Romania and I invite you to use the bicycle as long as possible both in your vacations and your daily life. Greetings!

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Photo: Adrian Toma (personal archive)

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