How to get to Romania

By | May 3, 2022

Overview

Romania is a country in Europe according to estatelearning. Romania (whose most famous resident was the Count of Dracula) – that means forests, medieval churches, coastal villages and historical sights. Bran Castle, consistently presented to tourists as Dracula’s Castle, is the country’s top tourist attraction, but Romania has much more to offer visitors. The last intact brown bear, wolf and lynx populations in Europe live in the beautiful forests of the Carpathians. The picturesque Black Sea coast offers many resorts with white sandy beaches, especially for families. Medieval churches and monasteries and other UNESCO World Heritage sites can also be found in this often overlooked part of Europe. The unspoiled nature is a reason for hikers and sports enthusiasts in particular to explore Romania, and history buffs are also well-worth a visit, as periods of Roman, Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian rule have left behind a fascinating cultural kaleidoscope. Beautiful architecture can be seen in the capital Bucharest, and the small villages with their typical churches and country houses are also worth seeing. Romania is worth exploring, and history buffs are also well worth a visit as periods of Roman, Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian rule have left a fascinating cultural kaleidoscope. Beautiful architecture can be seen in the capital Bucharest, and the small villages with their typical churches and country houses are also worth seeing.

Getting there

Arriving by plane

Romania’s national airline Tarom (RO) offers direct flights from Frankfurt/M., Munich and Vienna to Bucharest. Tarom (RO) also flies from Stuttgart to Timisoara and Sibiu in the summer. Lufthansa (LH) flies directly from Frankfurt/M. and Munich to Bucharest. Austrian Airlines (OS) offers direct flights to Bucharest from Vienna, Swiss (LX) from Zurich, Ryanair (FR) from Berlin and Eurowings (EW) from Düsseldorf. In addition, Wizz Air (W6) connects Frankfurt/M. (Hahn), Karlsruhe, Memmingen, Vienna, Geneva and Basel with destinations in Romania.

Flight times

Frankfurt – Bucharest: 2 hours 15 minutes; Vienna – Bucharest: 1 hour 30 minutes; Zurich – Bucharest: 2 hours 15 minutes

Arrival by car

The best connection from Western Europe to Romania is through Germany, Austria and Hungary. The Romanian A1 motorway is connected to the EU motorway network via the Hungarian M43 and runs from the Romanian border via Arad, Timisoara and Lugoj to Sibiu, where the E81 joins to Bucharest. You can get to Constanta on the Black Sea from Bucharest on the A2. In the event of a breakdown, the Romanian automobile club Automobil Clubul Roman (ACR) can be reached on +40 (21) 315 55 10. Long-distance buses: Flixbus connects numerous cities in Germany, Austria and Switzerland with Romania; Eurolines runs to Romania from Germany and Switzerland. Toll: Romanian national roads are subject to tolls for cars. A vignette (Rovinieta) is available for 7, 30 or 90 days or as an annual vignette at border crossings and petrol stations (PETROM, ROMPETROL, MOL and OMV). Electronic vignettes should be purchased either upon entry or online in advance. Documents: National Driving Licence, Vehicle Registration Certificate, International Green Insurance Card.

Arrival by train

The main train station in Bucharest is the Gara de Nord. The fastest train connection from Germany is from Munich to Vienna with the EuroCity and connection to Bucharest with the Euronight in about 24 hours. A train ride from Frankfurt/M. to Bucharest takes about 27 hours. The most comfortable way to reach Bucharest from Switzerland is via Vienna. From Vienna there are day and night trains to Bucharest and Constanta. At night, the ÖBB Nightjet (www.nightjet.com) travels to Bucharest in cooperation with the Romanian Railways.

rail passes

The Interrail One Country Pass and the Interrail Global Pass are also valid in Romania. If you only travel by train in Romania, you should check whether single tickets are cheaper than the Interrail One Country Pass due to the cheap train fares in the country.

Arrival by ship

Constanta on the Black Sea is the main passenger port. Cruises to the Black Sea are offered from Passau on the Danube. The steamers dock in Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, Belgrade and Bucharest, among others. The Tourist Office can provide further information (see addresses). Passenger ships head for Sulina, Tulcea, Braila, Drobeta-Turnu Severin and Giurgiu on the European inland waterway route Rotterdam-Constanta, which connects the North Sea with the Black Sea and also runs on the Rhine, Main and Danube.

Cruise ships

Among others, the shipping companies nicko cruises, Phoenix Reisen GmbH and se tours call at destinations in Romania on their Danube cruises.

How to get to Romania