The Public Transport Timisoara consists of extensive network of trams, trolleybuses, buses, designated cycling paths, taxis and very efficient network of Uber drivers. Most Romanians from Timisoara, especially those in their 20’s and 30’s speak good English and are very helpful. The good thing about Romania is that you don’t feel intimidated or somehow discriminated here just because you speak British or American type of English (like in some other countries). Speaking to the locals is often the only way to get the needed information about public transportation in this city. The public signage is rarely available in other than the Romanian language. Fortunately, this changes as the local authorities started preparing Timisoara to be the European Capital of Culture in 2021.
The company of the Public Transportation Timisoara operates from early morning hours until approx midnight. The tickets however can only be purchased during the day from the selected kiosks and shops which are not easy to find. Here is the photograph of one of the kiosks from which the tickets for public transportation Timisoara can be purchased.
The fares are charged on per journey basis and in April 2017 costs 2 Lei (which is about £0.40)
Since November 2017 Uber is an inexpensive (as for this kind of transportation) and fast way of commuting around the town. The traffic jams in Timisoara are rare or if they form, they cannot be compared to the obnoxious traffic jams of London or other cities in the UK. If you are a foreigner and don’t speak Romanian, you don’t need to worry too much because you will be surprised how many Romanians speak English. All Uber drivers I had a pleasure to be driven by during my stay in Timisoara spoke good English. They not only drove me around the town in professional manner but also advised me about the interesting things to do and see in this lovely city.
By talking highly about the Uber drivers in Timisoara the last think I would like to do is to discourage the readers of this blog post from using the public transportation Timisoara. The most conspicuous form of transportation in Timisoara are the trolleybuses. They are ubiquitous, comfortable, inexpensive and run fairly frequently (as for the size of the town).
The other popular among the locals the means public transportation in Timisoara are the trams. Timisoara has a mix of old and new trams. Both deliver fantastic tourist experience if you decide to ride one of them across the city. Travelling by the tram from one corner of the town to another in itself is a fantastic experience and the way of getting know the city without a professional tourist guide. The tramlines criss-cross the city and offer fantastic views.
Timisoara has a fleet of modern buses reaching the parts of the city were neither trolleybuses nor trams go. Timisoara buses are manufactured by Mercedes-Benz. The company of the Public Transport Timisoara has a Website written in English ( http://www.timisoara-info.ro/en/infoutile/transport/ transportpublic.html )with details about all bus, tram and trolleybus routes and timetables. Another website about public transport Timisoara written in Romanian is RATT(Regia Autonoma de Transport Timisoara).
Cycling around the city of Timisoara might also be a good idea. There are public bicycles for hire scattered around the town and designated for them cycling paths. Both the drivers and pedestrians seem to respect them. Generally speaking about the quality of Timisoaran driving, the local drivers drive safely and respect the rules of the roads (like in most Central European countries)
Walking in the centre of Timisoara can be interesting. The town is safe and the centre is large enough to keep you busy walking all day. On the other hand the centre is small enough that you can quickly learn the layout of all the main street in the centre and soon be able to walk without the map.
Click on this link for the related posts about Romania and the information about removals to Romania. Did you know that the Romanian language belongs to the same linguistic family as Italian, French, Spanish and Portuguese. If you are a speaker of one of those languages you might find communicating with the locals in Timisoara easier.
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