Trying to plan ahead so any know if card payments are common at hostels in Romania or cash is king?
Romania is surprisingly easy for card payments, especially in cities like Bucharest, Cluj, and Timisoara. I stayed at Podstel Bucharest Hostel and they swiped my card no problem. Smaller rural hostels might lean cash, but in the main cities it’s very card-friendly.
Booked Podstel in Bucharest and paid with card, no drama. But a friend stayed in Sighișoara and got caught out-had to walk 15 minutes to the nearest Banca Transilvania ATM. Hostels in bigger cities are more card-friendly, but rural spots or older buildings? Definitely cash territory. Better safe than sorry.
The hostel I stayed at in Brașov (Centrum House) let me book online with card, but asked for full payment in cash at check-in. They said it was “easier” that way. My Revolut card worked fine at a nearby ING ATM, but honestly it felt outdated. Better to ask ahead-each place makes up its own rules.
Stayed at Sleep Inn in Bucharest and yep-they had a card machine, but it only worked with Romanian cards. My foreign Mastercard got declined three times, and the receptionist just pointed to the ATM outside. BRD machine worked fine, but man, I wasn’t expecting that. Bring cash, even if the website says “card accepted.”