🛡️ Essentials
Safety in Craiova
A safe city by European standards. The real risks are ordinary — pickpockets in a crowded market, unlicensed taxis — plus one that is specific to the plain: the summer heat.
The general picture
Craiova is a safe city. Violent crime against visitors is rare, the centre is busy and lit until late, and walking back from a restaurant at eleven is unremarkable. Treat it the way you would any European city of a quarter of a million people.
Where to pay attention
Crowds. The Christmas market between 13 November and 3 January is the one place and time where a pickpocket has somewhere to work. Front pockets, bag closed and in front of you on a Saturday evening.
Taxis. Use a licensed taxi from a rank or a ride-hailing app, which shows the price before you accept. Avoid anyone offering a ride outside the station or the airport.
Card machines. When a terminal offers to charge you in euros or your own currency, decline and pay in lei — see money and payments.
The one that is specific to here
The summer heat is the real hazard. July and August average a daily high of 30 °C in a city with almost no shade. Visitors underestimate it because 30 °C does not sound dangerous; standing in it on open asphalt at two in the afternoon is a different matter. Carry water, plan the middle of the day indoors, and read the summer heat.
In winter, the risk is fog rather than cold — on the roads out into Oltenia more than in the city. See winter fog.
Emergencies
112 for police, ambulance and fire, free from any phone, answered in Romanian and English. More in emergencies and health.
