Romania may not be at the top of the list of best places around the world for digital nomads. Some prefer to go to Thailand or Costa Rica to chill out for a few months whilst running their online business from the laptop. In Europe, Romania is perfect for digital nomads with its relatively cheap cost of living, unbelievably fast internet connection and friendly locals. In fact, after spending a few months there myself, I can recommend it as one of the hottest spots in Europe. This article describes five reasons why Romania is an awesome place to be a digital nomad.
1# The Wi-Fi is Super-Fast:
It may be hard to imagine that Romania has some of the fastest internet connection speeds in the world. The quality is superior to what you’d expect and it’s on par with the likes of Japan and South Korea. There’s free access to Wi-Fi in most places ranging from cafes and bars to the shopping malls. Every digital nomad knows the importance of having a reliable and stable connection to make sure they reach deadlines.
Romania is able to consistently provide that service.
If that’s not enough, you can subscribe to a relatively cheap and generous Internet package with an Orange SIM Card. This gives you access to a strong connection on the go and there’s no chance of being late for a deadline!
2# You Get More Value for Your Money:
$1 USD is just under 4 Romania Lei as of August 2017. 4 Romanian Lei usually bought me a glass of beer on tap or a strong coffee whereas 20 Lei often paid for the meal.
This is one of the best things about Romania.
The cost of living is relatively low and your dollars will last longer. It’s quite easy to live very comfortably in Romania on less than $50 per day. If you find the right accommodation, this drops even more. On average, we spent between $15 and $25 per day on daily expenses and eating out. Our Airbnb was around $25 per night.
Just imagine how much you can save if you’re making $2000 USD each month?
3# Easy to Make Friends:
One of the best parts about visiting a new country or city is having the opportunity to meet and interact with the locals. The younger generation can speak English with many being quite fluent. In some cities, such as Iasi (pronounced Yash), everyone speaks English and is happy to talk to you.
We became good friends with our Airbnb host who gave us traditional food and Romanian wine. And we even made friends with another passenger from BlaBlaCar, which we ended up hanging out with.
Life as a digital nomad can sometimes be lonely. But, in Romania, you’re never far from making a new friend.
4# Most People Can Stay 90 Days in Romania:
Romania isn’t part of Schengen (as of 2017) and most people can stay for 90-days in 180 with a visa on arrival at the border. This includes American, Australian, and Canadian citizens. Other Europeans, who are part of the EU, can stay in Romania indefinitely as a right of the freedom of movement.
Any digital nomad in Europe will probably be aware of the complications of traveling with a Schengen visa. You get 90 days in 180.
This means that you can stay in Schengen countries for 90 days and then need to leave for 90 days in every 180 day period, which is also true with the Romania visa.
Why not spend 90 days in Romania and then head back to a Schengen country for 90 days and repeat the cycle?
5# Romania has Lots of Places to Visit:
One of the best things about traveling to Romania is the diversity. There are so many different places with different vibes to spend your time.
The main region is the historical Transylvania where you can visit a number of medieval towns, castles, fortified churches and cities that are dotted around the landscape. Our favorite places are Sibiu and Brasov, though you can also go to Cluj-Napoca, Turda, Sighisoara, and Timisoara.
All of these destinations have a medieval core and a beautiful old town that rivals any in Western Europe. You can see the old merchant houses that line the small cobblestone streets along with several historical churches and monuments. And as a digital nomad, you have the flexibility of moving from one town to the next. We spent a week or more in each before moving on to the next medieval town.
And that’s not all.
The Moldavian part of Romania in the northeast part of the country is awesome. Iasi (pronounced Yash) is the major University center in Romania and is a perfect place to be international. Almost everyone speaks English and the atmosphere is laid-back and open. From experience, it’s very easy to make friends in Iasi. And from here, you can easily visit Romania’s most iconic attractions: The Painted Monasteries.
And there’s even more.
Digital nomads can go to the short coastline along the Black Sea and spend a few days at the beach in Constanta or visit the capital city Bucharest.
In short, you have the choice of visiting around 30 or more awesome places in Romania. This means that you’re not confined to one place and can hop around from place to place over the course of a few months like we did.
The Bottom Line:
Romania is a great place to be a digital nomad for a number of reasons. The best part for me is the diversity and opportunities to travel combined with super-fast internet and a low cost of living. Anyone who plans to spend an extended period of time in Romania will almost certainly make friends with the locals and come away with a rewarding experience. So, why not try it out and see how good Romania is for yourself?
About the Author: Sam is a digital nomad who, along with his wife, has well and truly caught the travel bug. They support themselves by freelance writing and providing SEO services as they enjoy their epic adventure around the world. You can read and learn more about their view of the world along with essential travel tips on their blog: Itching For Travel.