Romania

This is a ROADPOL country driving guide to help drivers visiting Romania.

Visitor Information: 

• Romania's land borders are Hungary, Ukraine, Bulgaria and Serbia.
• The capital of Romania is Bucharest, once called the Paris of the East.
• There is a total road distance of 210,000 km in Romania, of which 709 km are motorways, 16,486 km are national roads, 67,777 country roads and 125,000 streets.
• Irish author Bram Stroker based his horror novel Dracula, on the fifteenth century prince Vlad Dracul. The castle still lies in Romania and forms a tourist attraction. Vlad was called the Impaler because he would punish people by impaling them!
• The international vehicle ID code is RO

Collision & Breakdown Information: 

• If your car breaks down, you must park it the safest way you can. Put on your reflective vest and put the car sign at least 30 m before your car and visible at least from a distance of 100 metres away. Place yourself in a safe position far away from the road and the traffic. Call for assistance. The national emergency number is 112.
• If you are involved in a collision see if there are any injured people, place yourself in a safe position far away from the road and the traffic. Call for immediate assistance. The national emergency number is 112. If you are involved in a car accident while driving and someone is hurt, you must stop and wait for the traffic police. Driving away from the scene is considered hit-and-run. In most of the cases, after an accident like this it is mandatory to take a blood test to establish if the drivers had consumed alcohol. Refusal to undergo this test is almost certainly to land you in jail.

Useful Phrase 1 - English: 

Call the Police!

Useful Phrase 1 - Destination: 

Chemati politia!

Useful Phrase 2 - English: 

Do you speak English?

Useful Phrase 2 - Destination: 

Vorbiti engleza?

Useful Phrase 3 - English: 

I want to rent a car.

Useful Phrase 3 - Destination: 

As dori sa închiriez o masina.

Useful Phrase 4 - English: 

Petrol station.

Useful Phrase 4 - Destination: 

- Statie de benzina.

Useful Phrase 5 - English: 

I am lost!

Useful Phrase 5 - Destination: 

M-am ratacit!

Useful Phrase 6 - English: 

Thank you very much!

Useful Phrase 6 - Destination: 

Multumesc mult!

Road Traffic Policing: 

• Watch out for other driver's suddenly braking to avoid stray dogs, particularly in rural areas. Also, be alert for horse-drawn carts and livestock on the road, especially at night.
• Bucharest has a very dense and crowded city centre, with narrow, twisting roads not built for cars and buses. However, around one million cars every day are on these streets and it can take a very long time to cover relatively short distances.

Road Traffic Enforcement: 

• If you drive your own car into Romania, you must purchase a national road tax vignette (known as a 'Rovinieta') either from the border or from the nearest fuel station. Driving without one will incur a severe fine.
• If your vehicle is damaged in Romania, you must obtain a report so that you have no problems when leaving.

Individual limits and specific driving requirements: 

• For more information about driving in Romania please see the European Commission Road Safety Link - 'Going Abroad':

http://ec.europa.eu/transport/road_safety/going_abroad/romania/index_en.htm