Romania Taught Me That Not Every Country Is a Backpacking Country

I’ve solo traveled to dozens of countries. I’ve spent years on the road by myself, gone to hundreds of dinners alone, joined dozens of tours by myself, and navigated cities solo with no problem. But certain countries allow for a better solo experience than others, and some places are really difficult to solo travel in, and not in the ways you would expect.

At the end of the day, if there is a will there is a way. I can navigate public transport alone, I can book accommodation alone, I can explore and adventure through a new city without a partner. But the social experience in a country can greatly impact the overall solo experience in that place.

Certain countries and regions of the world are extremely catered toward the trend of solo travel. Latin America and Southeast Asia are incredible places to travel alone. The hostel and backpacking culture there is so strong, and you’ll often find yourself around other solo travelers, long term backpackers, and people actively looking to make friends and join others on adventures.

But some parts of the world, despite being perfectly fine to navigate alone, are not ideal socially. And that can truly make or break an experience in the country.

I recently spent 10 days in Romania. A country I was super excited about. The beautiful Carpathian Mountains, medieval cities, and ghost stories of Transylvania. I had done a quick search before heading there and saw there were a few hostels in each city, and what appeared to be a backpacking culture. At least that’s what I thought.

But I quickly realized Romania was not a backpacking country in the same way as places like Spain, Thailand, Guatemala, or Vietnam.

I had officially gone one full week in Romania without talking to anyone besides ordering my coffee in the morning and my dinner in the evening. 

No socialization. No face to face communication. And yes, I was staying at hostels.

But let me set the scene.

The perfect example of how this country didn’t feel like a backpacking place to me was Sibiu. A beautiful city in Transylvania, surrounded by mountains and filled with medieval buildings with windows shaped like eyes staring down from rooftops. It was a stunning, picture perfect European city. But I was completely on my own.

I was staying at a top rated hostel on Hostelworld, over 9 stars, which is quite high for hostel ratings. I showed up and immediately felt the vibes were off. It felt almost closed. No one around, not even a receptionist to check me in. I waited for some time and eventually an older Romanian man came out and checked me in. It was the most unfriendly and unwelcoming hostel check in I have ever had.

He took my payment, showed me the door code and my room, and after that I never saw him again. He checked me in and literally disappeared.

I walked into my four bed dorm room and found one woman there. She was older, in her 60s, and spoke no English. We didn’t talk. We didn’t communicate. We just shared a room. She checked out early the next morning, and after that I did not see another person in the hostel.

I was alone in my room, but also alone in the entire building. No guests, no staff, and I was incredibly socially isolated.

But maybe that was just unlucky, right?

So I took matters into my own hands. I went into the old town every day, all day. I went to popular squares, sat outside at coffee shops and restaurants, and it became abundantly clear to me that this was not a backpacking place.

I would show up to meals and tell the host I was one person, and I would get these extremely confused looks. They seemed unsure of my presence at a restaurant alone. People would constantly come up to me during dinner and ask if I was okay, or look at me strangely as I sat reading my book or just observing the street during my meal. It was like they had never seen a young woman eat alone.

Strange, I thought. I had never experienced that in all my years of solo travel.

But beyond the awkwardness of eating alone and exploring the city by myself, I almost never came across another young solo traveler in the streets. It was all older European tourists, families, or couples. Every day made it more obvious that solo travel was not very common here.

But what shocked me the most was my inability to book a tour alone.

In Brasov, a beautiful town surrounded by lush green mountains, one of the most popular things to do is visit a nearby bear sanctuary. It’s the largest bear sanctuary in the world, and I was really excited to go.

Everywhere I looked told me to book a tour with a driver, usually through platforms like Viator and GetYourGuide. I spent hours going through every option. Not one single tour allowed me to book as one person. Every listing said a minimum of two people required.

Just like that, I was actually limited in what I could do in Romania as a solo traveler.

I thought maybe I would just go on a hike alone instead. I figured I would meet others along the way. Then I spoke to my barista about it. He strongly advised against it, saying the trails are not well marked or well populated, and with the high presence of bears in the area, it didn’t seem safe.

So I was stuck.

No tours I could book alone. No safe hiking options. I had explored the cities on foot, eaten meals alone, and returned every night to silent and empty hostels.

And that’s when I realized I had not really spoken to anyone.

I had entered a country I was so excited to travel through, yet despite its beauty and history, I was not enjoying myself socially at all. I had never struggled this much socially in another country before.

It was discouraging. It was tough. And it eventually led me to cut my trip short, as I was meant to head to Bulgaria next.

But the idea of three more weeks solo traveling through a country with no backpacking culture, no real way to socialize with other travelers, and no way to join tours or excursions alone felt like too much.

Solo travel is doable anywhere in the world. You can fly to any country alone, stay anywhere alone, and explore any city alone. But having a pleasant experience alone is not always guaranteed.

I don’t typically mind my own company. I actually enjoy solo experiences. But a full week without one real face to face conversation or social interaction was starting to eat away at me. It was something I had truly never experienced before.

I felt so out of place as I moved through Romanian cities alone. I felt like I stood out in crowds as a young woman by myself. I was lonely not just because I was alone, but because I was the only one alone.

Now this is not to say Romania isn’t a beautiful country or not worth visiting. It absolutely is. But it may be better suited for travel with friends, a partner, or family. People you can share the experience with. The odds of meeting other backpackers or solo travelers are very slim.

Backpacking in Europe is easy and accessible, but only in places where tourism is huge. Central and Western Europe is where backpacking really thrives. Romania felt like a place that hadn’t fully developed that backpacking culture yet. It hasn’t been shaped by long term travelers, social hostel environments, or the expectation that you can easily meet others while traveling alone.

I just felt the entire time in Romania that I wasn’t in the right place. It never felt right. I constantly questioned if I should keep going, why I felt so down, and what I had done wrong.

But the reality is I am very comfortable with solo travel, so I booked the trip without hesitation. I’ve always made friends on the road and found myself surrounded by other travelers despite showing up alone. But certain places are not structured like that.

So before you go on a solo trip, do more research into the backpacking culture of the country. A hostel is usually a good start, but make sure it actually has backpacking vibes, not just a cheap accommodation for older travelers or people passing through for a weekend in Europe.

That’s where my mistake was, and it greatly impacted my experience traveling through this country.