Sinaia was an excellent place to stop for a few days on the way to the Black Sea. We arrived by train from Sibiu - and the train service is very efficient and its beautiful as you wind your way through mountain valleys to reach Sinaia. We made the mistake of staying with an old lady the first night - and the rooms were not tidy and a little foosty. We scouted around and found some very nice inexpensive hotels hugging the hills towards the chapel. We went in the summer and took the cable car up the mountains and did some walking up there - absolutely stunning scenery and lovely alpine vegetation. It looked like it would be a great place to ski in winter too. The palace was interesting enough, though watch out for the tour guides sneaking you behind the scenes so you can take photos for which you have to pay for. It is also very touristy. There are some really nice places to eat, though - salads are so tasty and the food tastes very fresh.