A two-week loop from Bucharest: Peleș and Bran castles, the Saxon towns of Brașov, Sighișoara and Sibiu, the wooden villages of Maramureș, then back over the Transfăgărășan, the country's most famous mountain pass road. You drive on two-lane national roads shared with horse-drawn carts and herds and, in the Carpathians, the occasional bear.
| Days | Stop | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1 to 2 | Bucharest | Start |
| Day 3 | Sinaia | 137 km · 1h50 |
| Days 4 to 5 | Brașov | 80 km · 1h35 |
| Day 6 | Sighișoara | 124 km · 2h10 |
| Day 7 | Bistrița | 140 km · 2h45 |
| Days 8 to 9 | Sighetu Marmației (Maramureș) | 138 km · 3h |
| Day 10 | Cluj-Napoca | 181 km · 3h25 |
| Days 11 to 12 | Sibiu | 193 km · 2h55 |
| Day 13 | Curtea de Argeș | 161 km · 3h35 |
| Day 14 | Back to Bucharest | 155 km · 1h50 |
Road route calculated from the stops (OpenStreetMap). Driving times assume no stops and no traffic: add time for photo breaks.
July to September, the only period when the Transfăgărășan is reliably open (officially from 30 June to 1 November). May, June and October suit the rest of the loop; in winter there is snow, winter tyres are compulsory on snow-covered roads, and the Transfăgărășan is closed.
🚗 137 km · 1h50 of driving from Bucharest
A3 motorway to Ploiești, then the DN1 up the Prahova Valley into the Carpathians.
🚗 80 km · 1h35 of driving from Sinaia
DN1 via Bușteni and Predeal, then DN73A towards Râșnov and Bran; back to Brașov on the DN73.
🚗 124 km · 2h10 of driving from Brașov
DN13 north, with a detour along the minor road to Viscri. Horse-drawn carts in the villages, unlit at night.
🚗 140 km · 2h45 of driving from Sighișoara
DN13 via Târgu Mureș, then DN15A via Reghin. Two-lane national roads, through villages at 50 km/h.
🚗 138 km · 3h of driving from Bistrița
DN17C via Năsăud and Săcel, then DJ186 through the Iza Valley: wooden villages, carts and livestock on the road.
🚗 181 km · 3h25 of driving from Sighetu Marmației
DJ109F via Budești and Cavnic, a winding mountain road, then DN18B via Târgu Lăpuș and DN1C via Dej.
🚗 193 km · 2h55 of driving from Cluj-Napoca
DN1 to Turda, A10 motorway via Alba Iulia, then A1 to Sibiu: the fastest day of driving.
🚗 161 km · 3h35 of driving from Sibiu
DN1 towards Cârțișoara, then the Transfăgărășan (DN7C): hairpins up to 2,042 m, an 887 m tunnel, Lake Vidraru. Open from 30 June to 1 November.
🚗 155 km · 1h50 of driving from Curtea de Argeș
Stay in southern Transylvania: Bucharest (1 night), Brașov (2), visiting Peleș and Bran on the way, Sighișoara (1), Sibiu (1), Curtea de Argeș (1) via the Transfăgărășan. Out of season, reach Curtea de Argeș through the Olt Valley.
| Car hire, August (all categories) | ≈ €21 a day |
|---|---|
| Car hire, February | ≈ €10 a day |
| Small car, annual average | ≈ €11 a day (Kayak, Sept. 2026) |
| Vehicle | A small car is enough: the Transfăgărășan is fully tarmacked. |
|---|---|
| Where to pick it up | Henri Coandă Airport (Otopeni), north of Bucharest. It is a loop, so no one-way fee. |
| Rovinieta | Check it is valid for the number plate on erovinieta.ro. If not, buy it: €9.50 for 30 days. |
| Documents | Licence, ID and credit card (Autonom). Additional driver: €15. |
| Age | 18 with the Romanian hire company Autonom; older with some international firms, with young driver fees. |
| Leaving the country | Hire company's consent required; with Autonom, no more than 400 km a day outside Romania. |
⚠️ Without a valid rovinieta, the fine can reach 4,500 lei. Ask the hire company for proof of purchase before leaving the airport.
Valid like any European Union licence, with no International Driving Permit. Other licences: check whether an International Driving Permit is required.
As in mainland Europe. Daytime headlights compulsory on national roads, expressways and motorways.
50 in towns, 90 on other roads, 100 on national roads, 120 on expressways, 130 on motorways. 20 less in your first year of driving.
0.0 g/l for all drivers: after even one drink, your licence is confiscated on the spot.
Electronic vignette linked to the number plate, on all national roads: €3.50 a day, €9.50 for 30 days.
Horse-drawn carts, livestock, stray dogs and cyclists. Avoid driving on minor roads at night.
6,000 to 7,000 bears in the Carpathians, many along the Transfăgărășan. Keep your distance and stay in the car.
Compulsory on board. Winter tyres required when the road is snowy or icy.
Holding a phone while driving is banned. Seat belts compulsory for all passengers.
≈ €1.89 a litre for petrol (9.99 lei), €2.06 for diesel (10.87 lei)
Price recorded in September 2026: it changes every week, sometimes by 10 to 20 cents in a month. Check it before you go.
⛽ 1,309 km at 7 l per 100 km: about €170 at September 2026 prices, to share between passengers.
Prices as of 21 September 2026 (Competition Council, via GlobalPetrolPrices), €1 = 5.28 lei (ECB). Fill up in Sibiu before the Transfăgărășan.
| Rovinieta, car, 30 days | €9.50; 10 days €6, 1 day €3.50 (rates since September 2025) |
|---|---|
| A1, A3 and A10 motorways | No tolls, covered by the rovinieta |
| Peleș Castle | 100 lei (≈ €19) per adult; Pelișor 30 lei |
| Bran Castle | 60 lei (≈ €11) until 27 September, then 40 lei |
| Transfăgărășan, high section | Open from 30 June to 1 November, snow permitting |
|---|---|
| Transfăgărășan at night | Closed from 22:00 to 06:00 during the season |
| Lake Bâlea out of season | Road closed, cable car from Bâlea Cascadă |
| Out-of-season alternative | Olt Valley: A1 and DN7 via Râmnicu Vâlcea |
| Peleș Castle | Closed Monday and Tuesday, and from 2 November to 1 December 2026 |
| Bran Castle | Open on Mondays from 12:00 only |
Allow 12 to 14 days for this loop of 9 stages and 13 nights from Bucharest, about 1,300 km. In 7 days, stick to southern Transylvania: Brașov, Bran, Sighișoara, Sibiu and the Transfăgărășan. Maramureș, in the far north, needs three or four extra days on its own.
Car only, in August: about €275 of car hire over 13 days (€21 a day, Kayak average), €9.50 for a 30-day rovinieta and about €170 of petrol at September 2026 prices (€1.89 a litre), with no motorway tolls. Entry fees: 100 lei for Peleș, 60 lei for Bran in summer. In February, car hire drops to around €10 a day.
Yes: the rovinieta is compulsory on all national roads and motorways outside towns. It is electronic, linked to the number plate, and sold online, at border crossings and at petrol stations. For two weeks, buy the 30-day one (€9.50): the 10-day one is not enough. Without it, the fine can reach 4,500 lei.
Its high section, between Cârțișoara and Lake Vidraru, opens each year from 30 June to 1 November, snow permitting, and is closed at night from 22:00 to 06:00. Out of season, a cable car climbs to Lake Bâlea from Bâlea Cascadă, and Sibiu is linked to Curtea de Argeș through the Olt Valley.
Not with an EU licence, which is valid as it is. Other licences: check whether an International Driving Permit is required. After a 90-day stay, the licence has to be exchanged for a Romanian one. Hire companies also ask for ID and a credit card; the minimum age varies, from 18 with Autonom to older with some international firms.
The network is uneven, with few motorways. The French Foreign Ministry advises against driving on minor roads at night, because of unlit horse-drawn carts and cyclists. Alcohol is banned at the wheel, with zero tolerance. In the Carpathians, especially on the Transfăgărășan, bears come up to cars: stay inside and never feed them.
Driving rules, prices and closures checked in September 2026; hotels checked on OpenStreetMap and then on Booking. Rules change: read the official source before you leave, and check your own government's travel advice for the country. Stop photos: Wikimedia Commons, authors and licences under each image.
Off We Gooo road trip guide · offwegooo.com/en/road-trips/romania · by Pierrick, updated 1 October 2026
