Getting around Romania: trains, buses, driving and domestic flights

Romania is in the EU and Schengen, so most US, UK, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and Irish passport holders enter visa-free for short stays — confirm the current limit on the Romania visa page before booking. That matters for getting around only in one way: no border checks slow you down between Bucharest, Brașov, Sibiu and Cluj.

Which month you travel changes the transport menu more than your passport does. Summer adds Constanța and Danube Delta boats; winter removes the high mountain roads and thins village buses. Fares below are 2026 estimates in lei.

Decide the shape of the trip first. A first visit of a week works without a car: Bucharest, then Brașov and Sibiu by train and bus. Add a car only when the plan includes places trains and buses reach badly — the Saxon villages around Sibiu and Sighișoara, Maramureș, Bucovina's painted monasteries, or the mountain passes.

For trains, buy on the CFR Călători site or app and check the platform board at Gara de Nord, where departures are split and signage is thin. InterRegio is the fast tier; Regio stops everywhere. Private operators such as Astra Trans Carpatic, Softrans and Transferoviar cover some Transylvanian links, and their tickets are not valid on CFR trains, or the reverse. The Mersul Trenurilor or Trenul Meu apps show all operators in one timetable.

For buses, remember that departures are scattered across private autogări rather than one station. Check the exact station on autogari.ro before you set off, and arrive early — minibuses leave when full. Between Brașov, Sibiu, Cluj-Napoca, Târgu Mureș and Oradea, buses are frequently quicker than the train.

In cities, Bolt and Uber work in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Brașov, Sibiu, Iași and Timișoara. From Bucharest's OTP airport to the centre it is 30–60 minutes and RON 50–120; confirm the plate before getting in, and expect surge pricing at rush hour and in rain.

For a hire car, book ahead in summer, carry your licence and IDP if your licence is not in Latin script, and buy the rovinieta vignette if it is not included. Romania has few motorways, slow trucks, aggressive overtaking and one of the EU's highest road death rates: avoid night driving, watch for horse carts on rural roads, and note that high mountain roads close from about November to June.

Domestic flights on TAROM and low-cost carriers link Bucharest to Cluj, Iași, Timișoara, Suceava and Satu Mare in about an hour. They are worth it for the north and west, where the train takes all day or all night. Departures are few, so book ahead and check which terminal at OTP.

In the Danube Delta, boats from Tulcea to Sulina take 1 h 30 fast or up to 4 h slow, RON 40–100. Public boats plus a local guide in a small craft is the standard combination; timetables thin sharply outside April–October and the last boat back fills early.

Tipping is not part of transport except with drivers: round up a taxi or Bolt fare, and RON 20–50 a day for a driver-guide. Restaurant tipping is separate — see the money and tipping page.

Tap water in cities is treated and generally safe, but many locals drink bottled; apă plată is still, apă minerală is sparkling. Toilets are easiest at cafés, malls, museums and fuel stations, some of which charge RON 1–3. Village and monastery toilets can be basic, so carry tissues.

Museums often close on Monday, and some also Tuesday; village shops shut early on Saturday and all Sunday, which affects buying bus tickets or snacks on the road. High mountain roads close from about November to June.

Travel insurance is worth checking for what it covers on mountain roads and boat trips, and for medical care away from the big cities.