President Franklin Roosevelt famously said "The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself." Yet fear can, in fact, be fun, especially if you follow in the Transylvanian footsteps of Count Dracula this fall. And for the land-only price that will make your hair stand on end, just $775.
That's the cost set by Quest Tours & Adventures, which specializes in Romania and Bulgaria, for their "Meet the Count" Halloween Special, departing on October 25 and returning on November 1st. This six-night package allows you to celebrate All Hallows Eve in Transylvania, home to Vlad Dracul, the real-life count who trolled around these parts and became a hero in the locals' fight against Turkish invaders. You will tour the Carpathian Alps and visit "the land beyond the forest," as locals call the spookier part of the area.
You will visit the Dracula Castle, Vlad's Grave, Bucharest, the Poienari Fortress, Sighisoara, Transylvania, Bistritza (where you enjoy a bonfire), Borgo Pass, and Brasov. The tour culminates with a Halloween costume party, and includes lodging in tourist class hotels, breakfast and dinner throughout the itinerary, deluxe coach transport, service of an English-speaking tour director, entrance fees and at least one festive dinner. The price is per person based on double occupancy. Single supplement is only $115.
There is also a nine-day tour of Romania ("The Romanian Experience") for just $1,150 per person (again land-only), with a single supplement of $70. The price includes the same items as mentioned above, and you visit the Dracula Castle, Sinaia, the Royal Summer residence, Brasov, Sibiu, Sighisoara, Transylvania, the famous painted monasteries, Maramures, the Merry Cemetery, Cluj and Bucharest. Departures every Tuesday.
More expensive is their "Land of Legend" tour, closing soon, which departs September 17 and returns October 1, 2002. This is a 14-day tour of Bulgaria and Romania, visiting many of the sites mentioned above plus additional stops in Bulgaria, Sofia, the Rila Monastery, Koprivshtica, Plovdiv, the fabulous Valley of the Roses and Veliko Tarnovo. The cost is $1,495 per person (land-only), single supplement $350.
If you find it odd that Dracula is a hero in Romania, consider neighboring Hungary, where many parents proudly name their sons Attila, whom we in the West never mention without adding "the Hun" to his moniker. That's a great part of the fun of travel, in seeing history, people and cultures from a different point of view.
For details, contact Quest at 800/621-8686, e-mail them at tour@romtour.com or go online to www.romtour.com. Note that if you get together 6 or more passengers, you get a 15% discount on the prices mentioned. And while these are land-only specials, Quest can also make arrangements for air travel.
Some of your best bets for arranging your own airfare include Austrian Airlines (800/843-0002, www.aua.com), British Airways (800/247-9297, www.britishairways.com or Tarom Romanian Airways (212/560-0840, tarom.digiro.net).