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0845 3000 247 +44 (0)1539 531258 |
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HIGHLIGHTS |
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Black Sea Beaches Constanta Archaeological Museum Roman Mosaic Marina Histria Danube Delta Murfatlar Vineyards Balchik (Bulgaria) |
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TRAVEL |
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British Airways daily schedule: Heathrow 09:35; Bucharest 14:50 Bucharest 15:35; Heathrow 17:00 Tarom Romania daily schedule: Heathrow12:30; Bucharest 17:45 Bucharest10:00;Heathrow 11:30 Several daily connecting daily flights to Bucharest incl. KLM, Czech, Malev, Lufthansa, Austrian, Alitalia Many UK regional departures There are no domestic flights from Bucharest to Constanta though Carpatair offer a business commuter flight from Timisoara We can organise trains from Bucharest - direct inter-city services are presently only running in the morning and evening and taking over 4 hours due to major trackworks over 2008;
Road transfers can be booked in advance from Bucharest Airport or Constanta to your Hotel: Please refer to our Black Sea Accommodation Page for further details and prices We can also organise flights to Varna (Bulgaria) with a 2-3 hour road transfer Contact us also for a wide range of sightseeing tours from the Black Sea Resorts or for add-ons in other parts of Romania |
Romania's Black Sea Riviera
where we offer a special selection of quality hotels, pensions and villas
Please refer to STOP PRESS regarding hotel prices and services
< CONTACT US+44 (0)1539 531258
* * * STOP PRESS * * *
WARNING
BLACK SEA HOTEL PRICES
UPDATED 02.07.2008
Hotels on the Black Sea have increased their prices on several occasions recently.
Our opinion is that they are now overpriced and offer very poor value for money, especially when compared to
hotels in alternative destinations, many of them with a better local infrastructure and far better services
. e.g. Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, Croatia
Expect to pay 4-star+ prices for basic 3-star accommodation.
Local food and drink prices may also be inflated.
Some of the prices are laughable - for example Hotel Rex in Mamaia is now charging Euro 400 - 500 per suite per night.
(Claims to be 5*, but not by Western standards)
Of course it is not only the hotel that has lost all sense of reality but clearly its lientele of Romanian
businessmen or politicians have more money than sense.
Other reasons given include greed on the part of proprietors, and also a bizarre desire to focus on weekend breaks.
In other words, hotels which already have a short season are trying to cover costs over just a few weekends!
The situation is unlikely to change while there are Romanians still willing to pay these prices
(it is worth noting that the average monthly wage in Romania is less than half the rate quoted
for one night at the Hotel Rex)
We have also received reports of poor service (imagine your waitress stopping half way through pouring a
drink to answer her mobile phone) and of dirty beaches (especially cigarette ends) .
We recommend you consider alternative destinations for a beach holiday;
Bulgaria and Croatia offer excellent value for high quality accommodation and facilities.
Alterantively try the fabulous wilderness of the Danube Delta.
However, we would like to stress that this is not always the case and if you
would like to experience the Romanian Black Sea Coast we will do everything possible to secure the best
hotels, price and arrangements for you.
The Romanian Black Sea coast, is well-known for its fine, soft sand and safe, gently sloping beaches, with a virtual absence of tides and currents. Its location in south-eastern Europe is favourable to a dry climate. The main resorts that we use are those that have seen considerable investment in their infrastructure in recent years. They include Mamaia, Eforie-Nord, Neptun, Venus and Mangalia. In addition to the beach resorts, the lakes at Techirghiol and Agigea have a special curative value, and have resulted in the creation of several spa resorts and facilities.
We can combine the best hotels with scheduled flights, and transfers onwards to your resort. Our colleagues in Constanta are available if you requie assistance or wish to book excursions; for example to the ruins of Histria, the Murfatlar Vineyards for wine-tasting, Balcik in Bulgaria, or to the Danube Delta.
We can combine the best hotels with scheduled flights, and transfers onwards to your resort. Our colleagues in Constanta are available if you requie assistance or wish to book excursions; for example to the ruins of Histria, the Murfatlar Vineyards for wine-tasting, Balcik in Bulgaria, or to the Danube Delta.
According to legend, the gods created Mamaia to reunite a princess, kidnapped during the time of the Ottoman Empire, with her daughter who was trapped on the shore crying Mamaia! It is the oldest of the Black Sea resorts; first developed in 1906, on a narrow spit of land between Siutghiol Lake and the Black Sea, 5km north of Constanta. The resort blossomed after 1919, with the establishment of a casino and opulent villas, and it became a summer residence of King Ferdinand.
We offer you a select range of quality hotels including the recently refurbished Hotel Riviera. All rooms are air-conditioned, with ensuite bathrooms and in many cases with balconies. It should be noted that Mamaia can be a very busy resort during the peak summer weekends. The stretch of beach north of the Casino is generally less crowded and several of the hotels here have their own private beaches which are well maintained. All of our properties are located in this part of the resort.
The southern part, below the Casino is dominated by high-rise hotels, restaurants and discotheques and is also popular with daytrippers from adjoining Constanta. Here you will find the majority of the more basic 2-star hotels, fine for those on a budgetwho are looking for sun and nightlife, and are less discerning with regards to quality of accommodation and never-ending music!
CONSTANTA
The largest port on the Black Sea, Constanta was documented as early as the VIth century B.C. as the
ancient Greek city of Tomis. Legend has it that Tomis was founded by survivors of a battle with the Argonauts
after the capture of the Golden Fleece. Apart from the ruins of Tomis, Constantas attractions include
the turn of the century Casino, the Aquarium, Dolphinarium, and Planetarium. The statue of the great Roman
poet Ovid commemorates his period of exile here. Of special interest are the Archaeological and
Natural History Museums containing a fascinating collection of statues including the unique Glykon,
a Roman Mosaic, the Romanian Navy Museum, the Ethnographic Museum, the Genoese Lighthouse
and the Art Museum. Religious monuments include the Orthodox Cathedral (1898),>Catholic Church (1908)
and the Mahmudiye Mosque (1910). We offer a selection of stylish business hotels for visitors preferring
the town to the beach, including the 3* Dali with views over the sea,
and the new Continental Hotel opening in 2005.
Constanta is served by charter flights from Germany and Scandinavia which arrive at
"Mihail Kogalniceanu" airport, 28km north of the city. However, there are no scheduled flights at the moment.
Transfers from Bucharest take about 3 hours so it is hoped that flights to Constanta will resume.
Painting of old Constanta
The well-established spa resort of Eforie Nord offers a wide variety of specialised treatments using mineral-rich water taken from Techirghiol lake; extensive facilities are offered by hotels such as the Meduza and Britannia which comprise the Steaua de Mare complex. The cliffs extend for some distance above the shore, rising to 35 m. in height at Eforie Sud, a resort called 'Carmen Silva' during the inter-war period after Queen Elisabeta of Romania's poetic pen -name. Techirghiol lake gained its reputation thanks to the specialcurative qualities of its black, sapropelic mud, recommended for the treatment of rheumatism and dermatological disorders.
There have been many changes in recent years culminating in several, new or refurbished hotels. Our favourite is the 4-star Hotel Europa, a stylish hotel with large, comfortable rooms, and first class facilities including special features for disabled guests. It also has a conference centre, spa treatment centre and a private beach. Alternatives include the elegant 4-star Astoria, a comfortable, 3-star pension - Phoenix.
Often regarded as the most elegant of the coastal resorts, Neptun is situated in the Comorova forest, which provides an attractive lush setting with artificial lakes and ozone-rich air. It was also favoured as a summer retreat by the late dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, who had his own extravagant and private jetty here. Part of the villa is now a restaurant. A wide range of entertainment, restaurants and water- sports facilities are available. We only offer the 3-star Albert, or Doina which offers Gerovital and other spa treatments.
Although, it is smaller than Neptun and has fewer facilities, it is situated within easy reach of Neptun and Mangalia. Most hotels are clustered around a central lake, all within easy reach of the sea. Venus offers opportunities for watersports in addition to the usual facilities, restaurants and bazaar. We ecommend the contemporary 4-star Hotel Carmen which boasts its own private made-up beach and lagoon, and indoor pool. Our other choice is the 3-star Dana. The rooms are relatively simple, but the main attraction is the tranquil setting amidst lush, well-tended gardens and a very nice outdoor pool.
An interesting alternative is the Hotel President in nearby MANGALIA, built over the preserved ruins of the former Greek city of Callatis! This town has a nice beach and is also in reach of the beaches at 2 Mai and Vama Veche.
The Danube Delta, the 2nd biggest delta in Europe (after the Volga) grows annually by 40 metres as 40 million tonnes of alluvium are dumped as the river flows out into the Black Sea. The Biosphere Reserve, which is one of the most important bird and eildlife sanctuaries in the world. covers a surface area of 5,800 sq. m., comprising the Delta itself, the Razim-Sinoe Lagoon and Danube basin up to the Cotul Pisicii.
It should be noted that permits are required to visit this reserve.We recommend the Cormoran Complex at Uzlina (accessible only by boat from Murighiol or Tulcea) or the Egreta at Dunavatu where it is possible to hire a wide range of boats to explore some of the better parts of the Delta. New developments include small resorts along the main arms of the DElta such as Sfantu Gheorghe or Sulina. See separate pages
Sea and Pear Trees at Mamaia / Mamaia Beach (Hotel Riviera) / Constanta
1 Atkinson Court, Fell Foot, Newby Bridge, Cumbria, United Kingdom LA12 8NW - Tel. +44 (0)1539 531258; Email. [email protected]
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