I accidentally booked a flight to Bucharest when I wanted to go to Budapest and the change fee is $250. I'm wondering if I should just suck it up and spend my holiday in Bucharest. I figure I could visit Dracula's castle or visit some gypsy camps. Or is it worth the change fee to go to Budapest? What do you guys think? Which is the Budcabest?

Depends what you like doing. Bucharest itself isn't really a tourist city (not that there aren't things to see - the monstrous Casa Poporului for starters) but as you suggest, heading up into Transylvania a great option. It's very easy to get the train from Bucharest up to Brasov (a very pretty little city in its own right) and from there visit Bran Castle, Sibiu, Sighisoara and the surrounding countryside.

You can also head down to the coast - to Constanta, the Black Sea and the Danube Delta.

It can be hard going at times: the infrastructure isn't always as developed as in the rest of the EU, but it's a very rewarding country to dive into.

Budapest is a much more obvious tourist destination, with a grand spot on the Danube, and a great contrast between the ancient castle and the wide, Parisian-style boulevards on each side of the river. Some great museums, too, and don't miss the baths! It's a small city, but you can do some excursions to places like Gyor, Eger and the Danube Bend very easily.

I agree with Stut about Bucharest. 1 whole day/night is fine for the city itself for sightseeing. Transylvania is where it's at. I recommend the busses over the trains. Romania is so under rated as a place to go.

I've never been to Budapest.

I would keep the ticket and go to Romania.
It's an opportunity for you to see a country you probably wouldn't have considered otherwise.
You can go to Budapest next holiday.
I like Bucharest and have been there twice. I find it to be a very interesting city.
And I'm actually in Sibiu at the moment and enjoying myself.

Okay you guys convinced me! I'll head up to Transylvania after some time in Bucharest and look into going down to the coast. Thanks guys!

I was in Bucharest last December and I was really not impressed. It's an ugly city, poor architecture, not much greenery, not very walkable etc. Now, I'm sure part of that was that the weather was miserable, but it was a very forgettable city while Budapest is a wonderful one I'd be glad to go back to.

Agree with all of the above. I went to Romania last fall, never considered going there but my boyfriend wanted to go. I was so glad we did! Bucharest was not my thing at all and I was happy to move on after one night. But the rest of the country was gorgeous, especially Transylvania and Sibiu, and everyone we met was lovely. I can't wait to go back.

Yes, Bucharest is no Budapest or Barcelona. Yes, many parts of the city are grey and uninspiring ti put it mildly, and even I wouldn't recommend visiting in winter.

BUT:

- From Spring til late Autumn, the city transforms immensely. With a great outdoor life in the many parks and open air cafes! The ugly concrete buildings look less gray. And actually the city centre is much greener than most other European capitals! (Take a walk in Cismigiu park, or go to Herastrau and visit the outdoor village museum).

- Brings me to the next point: the museums of Bucharest are all highly rated (don't take my word, every guidebook will say the same) and are among the best you can find. Be it art, history, or traditional Romanian culture.

- Yes, the city has ugly parts thanks to communism. But there are lovely parts which resembles the best of Budapest and Paris. Just unfortunately, they are mixed with a lot of ugly buildings in between, and some beautiful parts can be tricky to find. It's a city where you need to prepare a bit to get the best out of it. It's not a place where all comes automatically by walking one central street.

- The food/drinking options are great. A lot of creative bars, a lot of open air pubs, great traditional restaurants (like Caru cu Bere) or innovative modern ones (The Artist). Just a small note: many tourists only stick to the old town, while actually the area around it has the nicer places! It pays off to research and explore. Anyway, prices are cheap, so why complain for 2 euro a pint and 10 euro for a good 3-course dinner?

I know perfectly well the place isn't - and probably never will be - among Europe's top capitals. Still, when preparing a bit and going the extra mile it's a surprisingly lively, cultural and interesting city! (Although I fully agree the best of Romania is in Transylvania, Maramures and the mountains and Danube delta)

I'd prefer Budapest over Bucharest, but if you're booked to the latter, go for it. Use a few days to explore it and after that use it as a base for exporing furher afield.

Transsylvania (Erd�ly, Ardaul) is a destination in itself, easy to spend a week or more there...

Bucharest is not a tourist destination, however if you're up for exploring, it's not a big mistake. Constanta is a city on the Black Sea and the road that connects with Bucharest is probably the best in the country. You might also check out Sighisoara which is one of the oldest functioning citadels in the world.

You'll probably need to rent a car to get around Romania so keep in mind that the traffic laws are very unforgiving even though it might seem like there is no law on the roads based on how people are driving. The police can take your license away from you for moving violations and there's nothing you can do about it.