from servia to romania

i am plannin to visit servia and romania...what is the better wsy to get from nis to craiova/bucharest??is there any direct train or bus??can anybody help???

It's called Serbia, not Servia :-)

According to this Romanian bus timetables site http://www.autogari.ro/Transport/Nis-Drobeta_Turnu_Severin/14234-11090.aspx?lang=UK there are some buses from Nis to Drobeta Turnu Severin, a city located some two hours away from Craiova by train (or 5 hours away from Bucharest). There are 15-16 trains daily from Turnu Severin to Craiova and respectively 8-9 to Bucharest, so if you can get to Turnu Severin you'll easily be able to continue to Craiova or Bucharest.
But I'm not really sure the buses mentioned on that site are still working, that particular timetable hasn't been updated since 2006.

Another way to do this trip would be to travel from Nis to Belgrade and catch the only direct night train to Bucharest; it leaves from Belgrade at 3.55PM, passes through Craiova around 3AM and arrives in Bucharest shortly before 6AM.

[ Edit: Edited on Nov 24, 2008, at 5:07 AM by rmm ]

I'm hearing horror stories about conditions in Romania at the present time. In reading Ghost Train to the Eastern Star, Paul Theroux can't get out of the place fast enough!

[ Edit: Edited on Nov 24, 2008, at 10:09 AM by Daawgon ]

Quoting Daawgon

I'm hearing horror stories about conditions in Romania at the present time. In reading Ghost Train to the Eastern Star, Paul Theroux can't get out of the place fast enough!

as

Dear Daawgon,

i have just discovered this site, i am really happy i've did.
But your message made me log in earlier than i expected...
I can assure you, and everybody, as a citizen of this country that conditions are far from being horror stories.
You just have to be informed before you get here. (by the way, if anybody would like some help/advice and i do it with pleasure if i can).
I spent nights in hotels in western european countries, and some times... i was disappointed, but i don't make it general
the big problem in Romania is infrastructure, so unfortunately it would take you quite long to get from one place to another.
but the landscape is beautiful, the people are mostly hospitable and it is quite a safe place. and people like to have fun...

So when you get to Romania from servia, or before that let me know. I would be glad to give you some info, take you out if i am free in that period.

Have a nice trip!
Ioana

Daawgon, please share some of those horror stories about Romania with us - I need a good laugh.

Its a great country, I Love Romania!

Nis to Belgrade and catch the only direct night train to Bucharest; - def the best way but ur missing the best part of RO, Transylvania!

Bucharest is not so great, i was there recently and some guy dropkicked a gypsy in the trainstation! Was midly funny, if not a bit evil.

I'm quoting from Ghost Train to the Eastern Star:

A few businessmen in Bucharest had money, and what foreigners there were making deals knew that Romanians were ripe for exploitation. The sale of orphans and newborn babies is one of the brisker businesses, followed by the traffic in women for the sex trade. When I rolled my eyes at the dereliction here, Romanians said, "It used to be worse" -they meant the nightmare under Ceausescu. It has been seventeen years since he stood to give a speech in the main square and people began to chant, "Rat! Rat! Rat!" -and he looked cornered and crept away before being captured and shot like a rat.

The Third World stink and disorder were strong in Bucharest, it's suburbs looked blighted, it's farms muddy and primitive. Romania was another country people were leaving, all of them headed west. The look of Bucharest was desperate and naked, that look which is without shame or self-consciousness: everyone struggling, everyone dressed as though for a hike on a rainy day or a dirty job.

(page 33 - 34)

[ Edit: Edited on Nov 25, 2008, at 10:34 AM by Daawgon ]

This guy seems to be stuck in the past:

The sale of orphans and newborn babies is one of the brisker businesses..

Yeah, it was, but it ended a few years ago, in 2001, when international adoptions were totally banned.

...followed by the traffic in women for the sex trade

Again, that was years ago.

When I rolled my eyes at the dereliction here...

I suppose he didn't get to see the new commercial and residential districts springing up around the city.

The Third World stink and disorder were strong in Bucharest...

"Third World"

...its farms muddy and primitive.

What farms? There aren't any in Bucharest (it's a city).

Romania was another country people were leaving, all of them headed west.

That was indeed the case until recently (and it's wasn't necessarily a bad thing), but now it's the other way around: they're starting to come back because of the global economic situation.

The look of Bucharest was desperate and naked: that look which is without shame or self-consciousness: everyone struggling, everyone dressed as though for a hike on a rainy day or a dirty job.

That's a hilarious generalization - not all of Bucharest can look the same and not all of its more than 2 million inhabitants can possibly look the same way.

Overall, it's sad to see that a relatively well known writer is so ignorant and narrow minded.

You need to start up a Romanian PR firm, but seriously, why should tourists visit a country like this?

but seriously, why should tourists visit a country like this?

Because it's not like "that" (you might find this hard to believe, but Paul Theroux isn't the holder of absolute truth).