Hi,
Thanks for stopping by. My pen name is Mina. Welcome to my blog.
I’m Romanian by birth and a nomad at heart. I have lived in Europe for a few years, studying and working in the UK, Spain, France, Portugal, and Malta, while travelling to many other countries (50+ worldwide, and still counting).
In 2023, I travelled for 1 year across Central and South America and then settled in my native country, Romania.
My hope with TheNextEpicTrip.com is to become your go-to blog for the best insights on travelling and living in Romania. You can read more about this blog here. Enjoy it, and don’t forget to leave your feedback in the comments box down below.
Did you know that…
You can also join my private Facebook Group, where I share insights about my travels across Romania and answer your questions about my homeland.
Driving in Romania: A Complete Guide for International Travellers
Romanians are fond of their cars
Now, let’s go back to the main topic of this blog post: Driving in Romania: A Complete Guide for International Travellers.
Romanians are fond of their cars. We enjoy driving, and one of the things young people dream about when they start earning a salary is buying their first car. I guess this is something common to most countries and will not come as a surprise to anyone reading this blog post.
Having a car is also linked to the fact that long-distance transport is rather limited in Romania, but I will go into more details about this later in this blog post.
7 Things that will give you a complete overview of what it means to drive in Romania
To have the smoothest driving experience in Romania, you need to understand the local culture.
Romania is a country where many people rely on their personal vehicles to get from A to B. That’s because the railway system is quite old and slow, and the bus network is quite limited. Therefore, your best option for day trips and full flexibility is a car.
Can you, however, visit Romania without a car? Of course you can! You won’t need a car if you travel to big cities like Bucharest, Timisoara, Cluj, etc. It will be slower than by car, though. Public transport inside big cities is also decent. However, if you want to venture into the countryside, your transport options will be limited.
The Motorway System in Romania
The motorway (or highway) system in Romania is underdeveloped compared to other European countries. I won’t go into many details of why this is the way it is, but below is a map with the current road situation. It has to do with the political system and the fact that things move slowly in this country.
Road categories and the speed limit
Romania has 4 road categories
1) Motorways/Highways (Autostrada, in Romanian)-speed limit is 140km/h
2) Express Roads (Drumuri Expres)-speed limit is 130km/h
3) European National Roads (Drumuri nationale Europene)-speed limit is 100km/h
4) Other types of roads (Alte drumuri)-speed limit is 90km/h
Driving through a village or in the city usually limits you to 50km/h or even 30km/h. There will be signs indicating the speed limit.
*One can legally exceed the speed limit up to 9km without getting fined. For example, if you drive in a 50km/h speed limit area, you can increase your speed to 59km/h.
Best navigation apps to use in Romania
Two of the most popular navigation apps in Romania are Google Maps and Waze.
Based on personal experience, people tend to use Waze more than Google Maps; however, both are pretty reliable.
Personally, I think Waze is better at suggesting alternative routes, while Google Maps seems to be better at keeping you on the main roads and not suggesting difficult-to-navigate routes.
Saying this, though, don’t rely 100% on these apps, as there were times when they drove people into an open field (myself included :D).
Bad habits Romanian drivers have
The Romanian drivers are known for being temperamental. They honk quite a lot and lose their patience quite easily. That’s why I would say Romania is not exactly the country to drive in if you are a beginner.
It should not come as a surprise, but like most of Europe, Romanians drive on the left side of the road.
Do you need an international driving licence to drive in Romania?
You won’t need an international driving licence if you fall into the following categories:
a) Your current driving licence was issued by another EU member state
b) Your country has an agreement in place with Romania, which allows you to drive inside the country using your original driving licence
*However, it is always best to double-check this information before deciding to rent a car in Romania
How to make your driving experience in Romania more enjoyable?
Avoid peak hours and weekends when the traffic is heavy
Avoid popular tourist destinations in August because there will be many cars on the road (August is notoriously known as the busiest month in terms of holidays in Romania)
On the contrary, big cities feel quieter in August because everyone is away. Use that to our advantage :).
The costs of hiring a car in Romania
The first and most important cost will be the hiring fee, which differs from company to company. It also depends on the type of car you choose, whether it’s manual or automatic.
It’s quite normal to drive manual cars in Romania, although automatic cars are becoming increasingly popular nowadays.
You will also need to pay for car insurance and the tax road (the Romanian vignette).
In conclusion, driving in Romania can be challenging for inexperienced drivers. However, experienced drivers can find the experience quite interesting. Have you considered driving in Romania? How has your experience been?