Transportation in Romania
A host of elements come together to make Romania a magnet for visitors on the international tourist circuit. Despite being a small country, it has tremendous geographical diversity, offering a variety of holiday activities. There's also the country's priceless heritage of monuments, many of which are well preserved and offer a glimpse into the country's rich history. Finally, there's Romania's traditional folk culture, vibrant and alive.
[read more]Accessibility is easy from most parts of the world, thanks to Romania's location in southeastern Europe. Besides this, Romania also boasts of a reasonably good and varied transport infrastructure - by road, rail, air and ferry.
This Romania Transportation Guide lists details about both getting to and from Romania, as well as getting around Romania once you are there. One excellent option for getting around and exploring Romania is taking a Romania tour. For information about transport within the capital, you can go directly to our Bucharest Transportation Guide. We also have transport information on Transylvania if you're heading to that beautiful region.
Romania Transportation Guide
Getting to Romania
In the recent past, with the fading of the Communist era, immigration rules have eased up considerably. Residents of the USA, European Union, Japan, Canada, Switzerland, Australia and New Zealand require no visa for a 90-day stay.
Turkish citizens are allowed stay up to a maximum of 60 days. Visitors from neighbouring former Communist countries are allowed up to 30 days.
By Land
If you are entering Romania by road, you'll have to prepare for long waits at checkpoints, especially on weekends and public holidays. Keep food and water handy. It's unwise to attempt bribing Romanian officials. Watch out for unauthorised persons who may accost you and insist on charging fake taxes. If you are not confident about someone's authenticity, ask for a receipt. Ideally, you should cross the border at major checkpoints since the staff at smaller border crossings may be unaware of the formalities of processing documents for international visitors.
By Boat
You can cross over by ferry from Vidin, Bulgaria, into Calafat. The older crossing between Ruse, Bulgaria and Giurgiu is no longer operational.
By Air
Currently, Romania is served by 17 domestic airports. Of these, ten airports are used by international airlines.
Visit our partner Air Valid for Airline Reviews and Information about Romania.
Getting Around Romania
By Road
Overseas driving licenses are accepted in Romania. Vehicle insurance is also required. If you haven't purchased this in advance, you can get it at most border crossings. Romania follows right-hand driving, with overtaking on the left.
Watch out for horse-drawn carts and cattle while driving through rural areas! If you're driving through the mountains, keep an eye on the gas and fill up whenever there's an opportunity, as the distance between gas stations in these areas can be very long. Avoid driving at night, as road lighting can be poor or non-existent. Drinking and driving is a no-no; Romania has a zero tolerance policy as far as this offence is concerned. If you are driving, don't drink at all.
In built-up areas, there's a speed limit of 30 kph (19 mph). Within city limits, you can do up to 50 kph (31 mph) and on main roads, 80 kph (50 mph). On multilane highways, the limit is 100 kph (60 mph).
Ideally, get yourself an experienced driver-cum-guide to sit back and enjoy this beautiful land.
By Waterways
In the Danube Delta region of eastern Romania, the best way to move around is by boat. The rides are enjoyable and distances quite short.
By Rail
Romania has an excellent network of intercity trains, highly popular thanks to their reliability, speed and comfort. The A1 category of trains is the most expensive, which means they're also the least crowded. Next come the Rapid and Express trains, not as comfortable (except first class) but satisfactory with regard to speed. The Accelerat and Personal trains are much slower and more crowded, with the second category scoring even lower on these parameters. Romanian Railways (CFR) also has an extensive intercity network, though it fails to impress in terms of comfort and punctuality.
By Air
Romania's domestic airline is Tarom. There are regular flights between Bucharest, the capital and important cities. Constanta Arad, Sibiu, Satu Mare and Timisoara are other cities connected by air to Bucharest. All of them provide shuttle bus services and taxis between the terminal and city centre.
