The US Department of State has updated its travel advisories, placing Romania and Eastern Europe as a region in the category of the safest destinations worldwide, Economedia.ro reported. According to the US institution, Romania maintains its “Level 1” status (the category with the lowest risk), which means that tourists only need to take normal precautionary measures.

Other Level 1 countries in Europe are Bulgaria, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Iceland, Norway, Finland, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Switzerland, Austria, Portugal, Ireland, Luxembourg, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, and Malta. 

By comparison, traditional destinations such as France, Germany, Italy, or Spain are placed at Level 2 due to persistent terrorist threats.

According to the American report, densely populated urban centers in Western Europe and iconic tourist sites remain attractive targets for extremist attacks. By contrast, Romania, the Baltic states, and Poland are considered destinations with “minimal additional risks,” where standard vigilance is sufficient.

The only special mention in the region is for Croatia (landmine risks in isolated areas), while in Romania and Bulgaria, the main concerns remain minor crimes, such as pickpocketing.

In addition to security indicators, Romania also scores decisively in terms of costs. Cluj-Napoca ranks an impressive 5th place among the cheapest European destinations for 2026. Bucharest is in 8th place, offering an attractive mix of culture and low prices, in direct competition with Sofia, considered the cheapest capital in the region.

radu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: travel.state.gov)