Complete Guide to Transportation in Romania: Airports, Trains, Buses, and Driving
Transport Guide
2026-10-03
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Trains are slow, buses are fast, and driving is fun — understand Romania’s three key transport options and you’ll have no trouble navigating between cities or mountainous areas.
Arrival and Getting into Town
| Airport | Ways into Town | Time/Price |
|---|
| Bucharest Henri Coandă (OTP) | Airport Express 780/100 buses, Express line, taxi/Bolt | Buses take 40–50 minutes, around 4 lei; taxis take 30–40 minutes, 50–80 lei |
| Cluj-Napoca (CLJ) | Airport bus 8 or taxi | 20–30 minutes, bus 8 costs around 4 lei |
| Sibiu (SBZ) | Taxi or bus | 15–20 minutes, taxi around 20–30 lei |
Intercity Transport
- Trains (CFR): Cover major cities but are slow; InterRegio trains require assigned seating and an extra reservation fee. International routes (such as to Budapest) depart from the North Station. Bucharest to Brașov takes about 2.5–3 hours.
- Long-distance buses: FlixBus and Autogari platforms cover the whole country, with frequent services and modern vehicles, often faster than trains, and popular among backpackers.
- Domestic flights: Tarom and Blue Air operate long-haul flights from Bucharest to Cluj/Timișoara/Iași, taking around 1 hour.
Driving Essentials
- To rent a car, you’ll need a translated driver’s license or an international driving permit. Automatic cars can be hard to find in peak season, so book early.
- An electronic road toll vignette called Rovinieta is required on all national roads and can be bought at gas stations or online, with daily or weekly options.
- The Transfăgărășan (DN7C) is open roughly from early July to late October each year. Check road conditions with CNAIR before setting out. The mountain road has speed limits, many curves, and requires careful passing.
- Rural roads may have horse-drawn carts and sheep. Lighting is poor after dark, so try to avoid night driving in the mountains.
- Gas stations are mainly operated by Petrom and OMV. In mountainous areas, stations are far apart, so it’s a good idea to fill up when you see one.
Urban Transport and Apps
- Bucharest Metro lines M1–M5 cover the city center. A single ride costs around 3 lei and can be paid with a transport card or mobile payment.
- For taxis, use Bolt or Uber (available in Bucharest, Cluj, and Sibiu), with transparent pricing.
- Check train schedules via the CFR website or the CFR Calatori app, buses via Autogari.ro, and buses in cities using Moovit.