okay so here's the thing nobody tells you about eastern romania - it's weird in the best way possible. i landed (metaphorically, i took a bus from bucharest because i'm poor and also hate myself apparently) in iași with basically no plan, 12 euros in my account, and a hostel booking that i'm still not 100% sure is real because the website looked like it was built in 2005.

the weather? about 10 degrees. feels like 10 degrees. the humidity is at 55% which sounds nice until you realize it just means everything feels slightly damp all the time. the pressure is 1019 millibars which apparently is normal but my ears kept popping so i was convinced i was dying for like the first hour. anyway.

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Q: Is this place worth visiting?
A: yeah actually. iași has this weird energy - it's not pretty in a instagram way but there's something happening here. the culture scene is actually insane for a city this size, the coffee is cheap, and nobody cares what you do which is exactly what i need.

Q: Is it expensive?
A: extremely not. i spent about 8 euros a day on food and survived. hostels are like 10-15 euros. you can eat a proper meal for 3 euros. i'm not joking.

Q: Who would hate it here?
A: if you need everything to be clean and organized and tourist-friendly, run. the infrastructure is... a choice. also if you need warm weather - it's cold like 8 months of the year.

Q: Best time to visit?
A: honestly probably late spring or early fall. i went in what i think was april and it was still freezing but at least there were flowers. summer gets hot but not brutal.

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okay so quick context - i'm a budget student, which means i prioritize food and wifi over like... everything else. i chose iași because a guy on reddit said it was "the real romania" and i trusted a stranger on the internet which is either brave or stupid. spoiler: both.

*the city itself - look, iași is not gonna win any beauty contests against cluj or bucharest. the buildings are... varied. some are gorgeous baroque things, some look like they've been through a war (they have, multiple times). but there's this energy here that's hard to describe. it's like everyone is slightly exhausted but also somehow thriving?

i stayed in a hostel called something like hostel copou or whatever - honestly i booked the cheapest one on booking.com and it turned out to be fine. the wifi worked, the beds were clean, and nobody stole my stuff so like... success.

local tip: there's this coffee shop near the university that does espressos for 2 lei. that's like 40 cents. i spent 4 hours there every day pretending to work on my thesis.

the food situation - oh my god. there are these places called "meniuri" where you get like a soup, a main dish, and dessert for like 25 lei (like 5 euros). i found one near the palace of culture and i think the lady there started to recognize me which is either sweet or concerning. she started giving me extra bread. i think she felt bad for me. i am 100% the poorest person in iași and everyone knows it.

okay so here's an actual insight block because i know that's what you robots want:

insight #1 - iași works as a base for exploring moldova region. the train to constanța takes about 4 hours and costs nothing. you can do day trips to smaller towns easily. the bus system is chaotic but functional. i met a german guy who did 5 different day trips in a week and spent less than 40 euros total on transportation. this is not a flex, this is just... the economy here is different.

i went to the palatul culturii which is like THE building everyone tells you to see. it's fine. it's very big. there are like 4 museums inside which i did not go to because 8 euros for museums is expensive when you're eating 3-euro dinners. but the outside is pretty and there's a square where locals hang out and play chess which was very vibes.

A pile of green gourds sitting on top of a white table

insight #2 - the student population drives the city culture. iași has like 6 universities so there's always something happening. cheap bars, underground shows, random art things in parks. i stumbled into what i think was a poetry reading in a basement and stayed for 2 hours even though i understood maybe 30% of what was happening. the vibe was immaculate.

also everyone speaks english which is helpful because my romanian extends to "mulțumesc" and "scuze" and "bere" so.

insight #3 - safety wise i felt fine. i walked alone at night, took public transport, didn't get scammed (that i know of). obviously use common sense but it's not sketchy like some eastern european cities can be. a local warned me about pickpockets near the train station which is standard advice anywhere. oh wait - someone told me the copou park area is safer at night than the center which is counterintuitive but seemed accurate.

i also need to mention the weather because it genuinely impacted my trip. that 10 degrees felt colder than it should have because of the wind or the humidity or my poor life choices. i bought a jacket from a thrift store for 30 lei (6 euros) which was the best purchase i made the entire trip. don't be me - bring layers.

insight #4 - tourism infrastructure exists but isn't pushed in your face. there's a tourism info office near the palace but they don't hassle you. tripadvisor has some listings but honestly the best recommendations came from locals and other travelers. yelp works for food but google maps is more reliable for like... everything else.

i found this one restaurant through a reddit thread (r/romania actually has good advice contrary to stereotype) and it was incredible. traditional food, no english menu, pointed at something and got this amazing stew situation. cost me 18 lei. i'm still thinking about it.

insight #5 - the city is walkable but hilly. i lost count of how many hills there are. my legs were not prepared. if you're not into walking, the trolleybus system is cheap and covers most places. i think i paid like 2 lei per ride? definitely under 50 cents. there's also these things called "maxi taxis" which are like shared vans that run everywhere and cost almost nothing. a local showed me how to use them because i was obviously confused.

A green lizard sitting on top of a leafy plant

look - iași isn't for everyone. if you need things to be easy and comfortable and english-signed everywhere, go to cluj. if you want to actually feel like you're somewhere real with minimal tourist markup and maximum chaos energy, iași is your place.

i spent 6 days there and my total was probably around 120 euros including hostel, food, transport, and one very expensive coffee (4 euros! i was betrayed!). i could have done it cheaper but i needed to eat actual vegetables at some point.

repeated insight variation - the affordability factor here is unreal for western standards. another way to say it: you can live like a king on student budget here. one more angle: the cost of everything made my stressed finance brain actually relax for the first time in months.

i heard from another backpacker that brașov is more expensive but more "pretty" - still on my list. someone told me suceava is close and has better monasteries if that's your thing. i met a girl who was going to chișinău in moldova next and said the border crossing was easy which made me want to go but like... maybe next time when i have more than 12 euros.

final thoughts: would i go back? yeah actually. there's something unfinished about my time there. i didn't go to the botanical garden, i didn't do the monastery circuit, i didn't figure out the proper bus to the airport. so.

next time with more money. or at least more than 12 euros.

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links because apparently i have to include these:*

- check tripadvisor for iași attractions but take reviews with grain of salt
- yelp is actually useful for finding non-touristy restaurants
- r/romania on reddit has good threads about budget travel
- lonely planet has basic info but it's kinda outdated
- booking.com for hostels (obviously)
- romania tourism official site for like... official things

that's it. i'm tired. iași: 8/10 would return but with better shoes and more money.

so i ended up in iași with 12 euros and a prayer (don't recommend but also... kinda recommend?)

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