Transylvania

[Paul64]

Have you heard of anyone organising tours within Transyvania by Landrover?

I have seen this company that does so

http://www.beyondtheforest.com/Pages/RR1.html

I think this will be a great area to exploit as Romania will soon be joining the EU. There is a lot of British interest in property and holidays over there. Soon the flights will be down in price too.

The huge forests have the highest population of bears in Europe and they still have a healthy wolf population too. It really is wild country with large areas to explore.

I bought some land in Transylvania a few years ago with my wife in anticipation of this. However, not yet put the theory into practice. It will take a brave plunge into the unknown, which frightens me a bit with kids to bring up. A lot of people do take the plunge, but as I get older I find myself becoming more risk adverse.

[GBMUD]

I bought some land in Transylvania a few years ago with my wife in anticipation of this. However, not yet put the theory into practice. It will take a brave plunge into the unknown, which frightens me a bit with kids to bring up. A lot of people do take the plunge, but as I get older I find myself becoming more risk adverse.

It is better to try and fail than to spend your life regretting the missed opportunities. I am a fine example of this as I have missed more chances than I care to remember. I am also too sensible and plan to wait until the small person leaves home before jumping into the unknown (and doing something similar to your plan if I get a chance).

I say go for it, especially if the kids are young. Being bi-lingiual will not hurt their career paths either, especially after Romania joins the EU. Know anyone else who speaks Romanian?

Chris

[Paul64]

It is better to try and fail than to spend your life regretting the missed opportunities. I am a fine example of this as I have missed more chances than I care to remember. I am also too sensible and plan to wait until the small person leaves home before jumping into the unknown (and doing something similar to your plan if I get a chance).

I say go for it, especially if the kids are young. Being bi-lingiual will not hurt their career paths either, especially after Romania joins the EU. Know anyone else who speaks Romanian?

Chris

Thanks Chris,

Bizarly the area where my wife comes from is 90% Hungarian, due to previous border changes. You can get by with little to no Romanian. I worked there for more than one year, with little to no Hungarian too. Most people speak English which was lucky for me.

My wife has even agreed to live in the UK with the kids and work, while I commute between the two countries. I even have her family to live with whilst I am over there. I wanted to build a garage and worshop on our land with a flat above it. I have costed it at between £15 to 20K. I have the land rover and the land plus the savings. What the hell is stopping me? I have been in Nursing for 22 years, and it is just a bit too comfortable. Hard work, but it is what I know, if that makes sense. I can't say I am happy in my career anymore though, and I know I will live with many regrets if I don't pull my finger out.

[GBMUD]

Thanks Chris,

Bizarly the area where my wife comes from is 90% Hungarian, due to previous border changes. You can get by with little to no Romanian. I worked there for more than one year, with little to no Hungarian too. Most people speak English which was lucky for me.

My wife has even agreed to live in the UK with the kids and work, while I commute between the two countries. I even have her family to live with whilst I am over there. I wanted to build a garage and worshop on our land with a flat above it. I have costed it at between £15 to 20K. I have the land rover and the land plus the savings. What the hell is stopping me? I have been in Nursing for 22 years, and it is just a bit too comfortable. Hard work, but it is what I know, if that makes sense. I can't say I am happy in my career anymore though, and I know I will live with many regrets if I don't pull my finger out.

I think that working away from family will just serve to spoil the dream and make you miserable. All or nothing - IMHO. Is it a long time to wait till the kids are grown... can you bear nursing until then? Mine is 13, as soon as she goes to university we are going to sell/let the house and buy a boat to live on. When she leaves uni and settles down we will sell up and move abroad.

Chris

[Andy]

I say go for it, especially if the kids are young. Being bi-lingiual will not hurt their career paths either, especially after Romania joins the EU. Know anyone else who speaks Romanian?

[trekkie mode]

i cant even speak romulan & ive seen a lot more films with them in

[/trekkie mode]

seriously go for it if you can, if nothing else it'll be an adventure. if i ever pluck up the balls id like to do something out of the ordinary with my life too.

[Paul64]

I think that working away from family will just serve to spoil the dream and make you miserable. All or nothing - IMHO. Is it a long time to wait till the kids are grown... can you bear nursing until then? Mine is 13, as soon as she goes to university we are going to sell/let the house and buy a boat to live on. When she leaves uni and settles down we will sell up and move abroad.

Chris

They are aged 9 and 7 years. However, my wife has just got her degree and she has no interest in returning to Transylvania. She wants to start a career in teaching back in the UK. She grew up with communism in Romania, and has no romantic ideals about the place at all.

I think it will take several years before the west take seriously the qualifications available in Romania. In fact I am amazed that they has been accepted into the EU so soon. The infrastructure is very poor, and they have many years of rebuilding to do. A bit like Spain when they joined which cost countries like the UK billions over the years.

I was thinking more on the lines of 3 weeks on, 3 weeks off. My wife would be happy doing what she wants to do and vice versa. We shall see. A friend of mine is interested in looking at the idea, and a Dr colleague of mine is a bit of an expert in designing web sites. There are two further big hurdles, where to register the business, UK or Romania ( would need a lawyer for that one) and the fact I am no mechanic. The good thing about LR's is that they are pretty easy to maintain and parts are readily available. At a push as where I will be is very remote, I am sure I could find someone there that specialises in keeping anything going with home fabricated parts. A bit of a speciality from the communist days where initiative was evrything on the QT of course.

I know what you mean about selling up and moving abroad. The only down side to that when your daughter settles down herself (if in the UK), you don't get the same exposure to Grandchildren etc. Some people would think that is a good thing, but not me. I suppose if my wife stays in the UK I always have a reason to go back. But you are right, distance does not always make the heart grow fonder!

[Paul64]

[trekkie mode]

i cant even speak romulan & ive seen a lot more films with them in

[/trekkie mode]

seriously go for it if you can, if nothing else it'll be an adventure. if i ever pluck up the balls id like to do something out of the ordinary with my life too.

I think a lot of it depends on your age and what responsibilities you have back home. When I was young free and single, I felt a bit more invincible, and thought nothing of charging around the world even during conflicts. I spent some time in Ethiopia in the 80's during the war. I was further south but the conflict touched everyone. I still have fond memories of the place, especially days off charging around the bush in either a Daihatsu 4 track or a Toyota LandCruiser. I think that is where my desires started for a LR. Took me all the years to get round to it. Amazingly now I have got it, it has rekindled my spirit for that past life of adventure also.

Bizarre!

[Paul64]

I have been looking at some of the sat navs available. Several specify european cover, but not which countries exactly. I am sure most of them only cover western europe rather than countries like Romania?

I have been looking at the Garmin 276c. Why the hell is it so expensive, or am I looking at the wrong sites? £489 inc VAT is the cheapest I have found. Are they that good?

Paul

[Paul64]

Basic design of what I plan to build

[leeds]

I have been looking at some of the sat navs available. Several specify european cover, but not which countries exactly. I am sure most of them only cover western europe rather than countries like Romania?

I have been looking at the Garmin 276c. Why the hell is it so expensive, or am I looking at the wrong sites? £489 inc VAT is the cheapest I have found. Are they that good?

Paul

Hi Paul, I have used both the Garmin 276C (paid more then £489 for it LOL) and the Tom Tom 910.

They both have their advantages and disadvantages.

The Garmin mapping quality is poor in comparison to the Tom Tom but it has good back tracking capabalities. The Tom Tom 910 certainly has good mapping from Hungary back towards the UK at street level. It does not have the back tracking capabilities.

Have not found one GPS which will cover all my needs yet.

It really depends on what you want from a GPS

Regards

Leeds

[Paul64]

Hi Paul, I have used both the Garmin 276C (paid more then £489 for it LOL) and the Tom Tom 910.

They both have their advantages and disadvantages.

The Garmin mapping quality is poor in comparison to the Tom Tom but it has good back tracking capabalities. The Tom Tom 910 certainly has good mapping from Hungary back towards the UK at street level. It does not have the back tracking capabilities.

Have not found one GPS which will cover all my needs yet.

It really depends on what you want from a GPS

Regards

Leeds

I'm not sure what to do really. None of the Eastern European mapping covers Romania at all well, so might take previous advice given and simply buy an £80 unit. I know if I buy that someone else will say "You didn't really want to do that, because it doesn't do this or that." Bl**dy confusing business just getting from A to B. I just want something that will talk me there. I also want the grid reference codes to work on it as well. But that will be another story.

Thanks Leeds, but as you have pointed out well, there doesn't seem to be any one unit that does it all well.

[leeds]

Have you heard of anyone organising tours within Transyvania by Landrover?

I have seen this company that does so

http://www.beyondtheforest.com/Pages/RR1.html

I think this will be a great area to exploit as Romania will soon be joining the EU. There is a lot of British interest in property and holidays over there. Soon the flights will be down in price too.

The huge forests have the highest population of bears in Europe and they still have a healthy wolf population too. It really is wild country with large areas to explore.

Hi Paul, if you want to explore Romania, there is no need to do it as part of an organised group. I was there this summer at the end of a long trip through Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. When I was in Romania I wa travelling solo in a solo vehicle as my partner could only join me for part of the trip. Romania is a great place.

See the Romania thread I have started

Regards

Leeds

PS Back to Sat/Nav, can you borrow various units and try some of them out side by side??

[Paul64]

Hi Paul, if you want to explore Romania, there is no need to do it as part of an organised group. I was there this summer at the end of a long trip through Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. When I was in Romania I wa travelling solo in a solo vehicle as my partner could only join me for part of the trip. Romania is a great place.

See the Romania thread I have started

Regards

Leeds

PS Back to Sat/Nav, can you borrow various units and try some of them out side by side??

I have tried a Navman and liked it a lot. However, why pay a large amount of money for something like that if all technology relies on s**t mapping available for Romania?

Thanks, Paul

[Mo Murphy]

Good luck in Romania Paul, you should have the place to yourself after they join the EU

Mo

[Paul64]

Good luck in Romania Paul, you should have the place to yourself after they join the EU

Mo

When they have had a couple of months in the UK, they will soon go back!

The Hungarians in Transylvania had the option to move to Hungary after 1989 where the conditions materialy were better. Most sensible ones stayed. The grass is not always greener on the other side.

I think the UK government should be more concerned about the organised criminal element that most certainly will mobilise from Romania.

Paul

[GBMUD]

Sorry, been away.

Sounds like you have it all planned. If you can get away with it and you think you will like it, three weeks on and three weeks off sounds ideal subject to the cost of travel not being prohibitive. I guess that if Easyjet and the likes get in on it then costs should be reasonable. Will you be able to leave LAndrovers and equipment out there securely for weeks at a time - I am assuming that your property is remote but that is no guarantee - in the UK at least!

Re moving away from the UK and from family and stuff, I had not considered the possibility of missing seeing grandchildren... I am only 33 and such things seem a long way off - I hope!

I would love to travel to far away and exotic places such as Romania and other such destinations, I just seem to lack opportunities. Perhaps I should start to make some...

Chris

[Paul64]

Sorry, been away.

Sounds like you have it all planned. If you can get away with it and you think you will like it, three weeks on and three weeks off sounds ideal subject to the cost of travel not being prohibitive. I guess that if Easyjet and the likes get in on it then costs should be reasonable. Will you be able to leave LAndrovers and equipment out there securely for weeks at a time - I am assuming that your property is remote but that is no guarantee - in the UK at least!

Re moving away from the UK and from family and stuff, I had not considered the possibility of missing seeing grandchildren... I am only 33 and such things seem a long way off - I hope!

I would love to travel to far away and exotic places such as Romania and other such destinations, I just seem to lack opportunities. Perhaps I should start to make some...

Chris

Hi Chris,

The double garage will be a secure lock up. My next door neighbours will be my brother-in-law and his wife. They run a shop right next to my land, which is manned for about 14 hours a day. Crime rate is very low anyway.

My wife came up with a good idea this week. Rent first for a few months to see if busininess works out before committing to the building work. Good idea as rents very low.

Flight cost will plummet when ROM joins EU as they did in Hungary when they joined.

The village where I have the land is not too remote. A village with about 2000 inhabitants, but close to the mountains. I just love it there. When I worked there I had the best time of my life. It is just getting the family balance right.

I am 42, so I am going to have to act soon. Not just because of age, but when ROM join the EU, prices and competition will rocket. I do have an advantage there though, as I know lots of people, own land and can rely on relatives.

Cheers, Paul.

[Mark90]

If the business takes off the 3 weeks on / 3 weeks off won't be ideal for business continuity, or asset utilisation. What you'll need is someone else working the opposite weeks to you

I just need to wait till voluntary redundancy is offered again at work, should be next year as it's normally every two years

[Paul64]

If the business takes off the 3 weeks on / 3 weeks off won't be ideal for business continuity, or asset utilisation. What you'll need is someone else working the opposite weeks to you

That's the plan. I have a UK friend very interested, and a local friend interested in the guide side. The only problem is none of us are that great with the spanners (yet).

[GBMUD]

Mark and I are both good at spanners - just not keen!

Chris

[Paul64]

Mark and I are both good at spanners - just not keen!

Chris

I'm keen, very keen! Every opportunity I am out in the garage working on the LR. I have learnt a lot from the Haynes, and from my youth keeping old bangers on the road. However, I have learnt loads from you guys. When I'm in deepest darkest Transylvania it is a reassuring thought that people like you chaps are at hand to give advice on line within minutes! Modern IT technology is so amazing these days, when you can communicate like this from most parts of the world.

Cheers, Paul.

[Paul64]

Just a big thanks to all those that have helped me out so far with LR, website and contacts for business venture in Transylvania 2007. I have been given some great contacts including staff at the British Embassy in Bucharest.

The website is far from great and a long way off completion, but it is a start. Again thanks for all your advice and tips.

The registration of the business is another matter. I am still not sure whether to register in the UK or Romania. RO join the EU on Jan 1st 2007, and I am not sure if this would be the best time to register it there when all the news rules come out. This is bound to cause a lot of confusion.

Loads of advice on kitting the LR and GPS systems. All of which has been useful, and greatly appreciated.

Cheers, Paul.

[Paul64]

Well I have eventually got my base sorted out. I didn't have to build after all. I found this place in a village not too far from where I have my land. In fact the plot was bigger (1000 square metres) and the spec of the building is similar to what I posted in November. Garage big enough to hold two land Rovers and an annexe with two rooms and a store room. There is a ladder that leads to a loft also. The small building in front is a log cabin for friends.