Public Transportation & Intercity Travel
From the airport to the city, around town, and between cities — with real operators and practical tips.
1Airport to City Center (Bucharest)
- Direct rail link from Henri Coandă Airport (OTP) to Gara de Nord — about 20–25 min, the cheapest option.
- Express bus line 780/783 — about 40–60 min depending on traffic.
- Taxi/Uber/Bolt from the airport — roughly €10–20 to the center; use only the official taxi booth inside the terminal to avoid unofficial/overpriced rides.
2City Public Transit
- Bucharest: the only city with a metro (Metrorex, 5 lines) plus bus/tram/trolleybus (STB).
- Other major cities have their own local operator (e.g. CTP Cluj, STPT in Timișoara, RATBV in Brașov) — tickets are usually bought via the operator's app or an on-board machine.
- Students with a valid student card typically get 50% or more off monthly passes; check the exact figure with your university or the local operator.
3Intercity Train
- National rail operator CFR Călători (cfrcalatori.ro) connects nearly all major cities; tickets can be bought online or at the station counter.
- InterCity (IC) trains are faster and pricier than InterRegio (IR) trains; seat reservation is recommended for IC.
- Private operators also run on some routes and can be cheaper than CFR — worth comparing before booking.
4Intercity & International Coach
- FlixBus and BlaBlaCar Bus run extensive routes between Romanian cities and neighboring countries (Hungary, Bulgaria, Serbia, Moldova); tickets are booked online.
- Each city also has one or more local "autogara" (intercity coach terminals) used by smaller regional operators — the exact name and address for each city is listed on that city's guide page.
- Departure times and fares change frequently; always check the operator's official site before travel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Romania have one nationwide transit card?
No; each city has its own operator and ticket card/app. Intercity rail tickets (CFR) are separate and unrelated to any city transit card.
Which is cheaper for travel between nearby cities, train or bus?
For shorter routes, private coaches are often cheaper and sometimes faster than InterRegio trains; for longer routes between major cities, InterCity trains are usually more comfortable and reliable.
As a foreigner, can I buy a car in Romania and register it in my own name?
Yes. The legal test is residence, not citizenship. Under Emergency Ordinance 195/2002 (the road traffic law, Article 9), persons with domiciliu or reședință in Romania register vehicles with the driving licence and vehicle registration authority (DRPCIV). Legal deadline: 90 days. Under Article 11(4) of the same ordinance, the new owner must file for transfer of ownership within 90 days of acquiring the vehicle. Steps after purchase: the standard vehicle sale-purchase contract (official Ministry of Interior form); the seller's fiscal clearance certificate from the local council, plus registering the vehicle for local tax in your own name at your local council; valid RCA insurance; valid ITP technical inspection; then filing with DRPCIV. A practical note: the old drpciv.ro domain now redirects to dgpci.mai.gov.ro; older guides still cite the previous address. Caveat: official document lists mention only "the applicant's identity document", and we found no official text explicitly stating that a CNP (personal numeric code) is required to register a vehicle. In practice a residence card carries a CNP and local tax registration requires one, but since we found no explicit official source, we have not stated it as a certainty.
Is car insurance mandatory in Romania, and how much does it cost?
Yes. Motor third-party liability insurance (RCA) is mandatory under Law 132/2017 and supervised by the Financial Supervisory Authority (ASF). It covers damage to third parties only; damage to your own vehicle requires separate, optional CASCO cover. What the price depends on: engine power (kW), driver age, county of registration (Bucharest–Ilfov is typically more expensive than the rest of the country), and driving history (the bonus-malus system). About the numbers — please read this: ASF publishes a table of "reference tariffs" (the most recent we saw was May 2026), showing for example roughly 3,974 RON for a driver under 30 with a low-power car in Bucharest–Ilfov versus 2,361 RON elsewhere — but ASF itself explicitly states that these are reference tariffs and not the final price you pay, as actual market quotes come in both above and below them, so treat these figures strictly as a sense of scale and not a price. Why prices have risen: Romania's RCA market has been destabilised twice in recent years — City Insurance, then the largest RCA insurer, lost its licence in September 2021, and Euroins România, the subsequent market leader, had its authorisation withdrawn by ASF in March 2023 and was declared bankrupt in June 2023; its policies remained valid only until December 2023, forcing around 800,000 customers to re-insure. Both events pushed prices up. Practical lesson: check an insurer's licence status on the ASF site before buying.
How often is the technical inspection required?
For a passenger car (up to 8 seats besides the driver): if the car was new at its first registration in Romania, the first ITP falls at 3 years; after that every 2 years; and annually for vehicles at least 12 years old. Driving with an expired ITP is prohibited and, besides a fine, can lead to suspension of the registration and withdrawal of the vehicle registration certificate until the inspection is done. Note: We have not given a fine amount because we could not confirm a current figure from an official source.
What road toll do I need to drive in Romania?
To use Romania's national road and motorway network, a passenger car needs a "rovinietă". This is separate from bridge tolls such as Fetești–Cernavodă and the Giurgiu–Ruse bridge, which are charged additionally. Important warning: the official purchase channel is the national roads company's own system at erovinieta.ro. Many of the top search results for "rovinieta" belong to commercial resellers who sell the same product above the official price. Before paying, make sure you are on the official address. We have deliberately not quoted prices — get the official tariff from the calculator on the official site itself.
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This guide is part of the "Essentials & Settlement" collection.
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