Driving around Romania is a great way to discover its beautiful and varied countryside. You can see some of the less visited places and experience some of the rural beauty of some spectacular landscapes and lost villages.
There are lots of car rental companies in Romania, below are links to some of them. It is a good idea to shop around for the best price and make sure that you check conditions, especially the insurance coverage:
Here are some general rules of the road and advice for driving in Romania. The most important thing is to drive carefully, defensively, and try not loose your temper.
Drive on the right.
Overtake on the left.
Give way to traffic entering a roundabout.
Seat belts required outside of towns.
Your headlights should always be on even during daytime.
Speed limit inside cities is 50 km/hour, National roads 90km/hour, European roads 100km/hour and on the highway 130 km/hour.
Drinking and driving is strictly prohibited.
In case of an accident, call and wait for the police (PoliĊ£ia) and Ambulance (Salvarea) to arrive at the scene of the accident. Even for a small accident, you need to go to a special Police office to make a declaration as the circumstances of the incident.
Police can stop you to check your diving license and the documents related to the car, such as ownership and insurance.
Take special care on country roads and in villages. Aside from the variation in quality of roads and signposting, it is common to come across slow-moving horses and carts. For this reason, avoid driving after dark if possible- carts rarely have lights and accidents are common.
The condition of roads, especially outside big cities, is poor. This situation is improving and money is being invested in improvements of the infrastructure.
Gas/petrol stations can usually be found on the main roads departing/entering a city/town.
If you drive during winter in mountainous area, you need to be very careful. It is highly recommended to have special equipment, such as snow-chains for wheels and a shovel to be clear snow. Try to avoid traveling when heavy snow is forecast.
It is mandatory to have car insurance
Buying a car
If you want to buy a car, there are lots of car dealers; most automobile marques have dealers in Romania. For the latest information about selling and buying cars, address Automobil Club Roman - http://www.acr.ro/.
