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Car Hire

Independence!

Hiring a car is an excellent way to have the freedom to explore the area. It is best to book before arrival to ensure availability. Most of the major western companies have partner operations in Romania.

To hire a car in Romania, you must have a full European driving licence that has been held for 1 year. You will need to provide a deposit when collecting the car. This is best done in cash to avoid a trip to the office with your credit card.

“The Dacia is a Romanian institution; the modern Logan is one of the best small cars on the European market built in conjunction with Renault. It makes an ideal choice for hire, good value and well made. There are two versions a saloon and an estate with a huge amount of luggage space. After a week, you will be wanting to take one home!”

Eurocars is a reliable Romanian company with bases in Brasov and Bucharest. They provide modern well maintained cars at reasonable rates and can deliver and collect at the airport. They also offer a variety of other services including airport transfers.

There are several companies in Sighisoara for local car hire. Saschiz Tourist Information Centre can provide up to date information and help with local bookings.

Driving in Romania

Driving is on the right and overtaking happens on the left. You should always give way to traffic when entering a roundabout.

Caution should be taken when driving on country lanes and in villages as there are a number of horse and carts and in addition livestock can be frequently found on the roads. For the same reason it is also advisable not to drive at night. Romanians tend to drive in the middle of the roads to avoid debris and uneven verges.

Road conditions

The quality of roads varies greatly throughout Romania. A lot of EU investment is being made to raise the standard. While major streets in larger cities and major inter-city roads are in fair to good condition, many other roads are not. They can be being poorly lit, narrow, and often without marked lanes. Many roads, particularly in rural areas, are also used by pedestrians, animals, people on bicycles, drunks and horse drawn carts that are extremely difficult to see, especially at night. Road travel can be particularly dangerous when roads are wet or covered with snow or ice. This is especially the case for mountain roads.

Romanian traffic laws

Traffic laws are very strict. The Traffic Police can confiscate any form of driver’s license or permit for 1-3 months and issue a fine at the time of an infraction. Some examples of infractions are:

  • failure to yield the right of way
  • Speeding
  • overtaking on a solid white line
  • failure to yield to pedestrians at crossroads
  • not stopping at a red light or stop sign

Romanian traffic law allows for the confiscation of licenses and possible imprisonment for 1 to 5 years for driving under the influence (alcohol level over 0.1% limit) or for causing an accident resulting in injury or death. In spite of these strict rules, however, many drivers in Romania often do not follow traffic laws or yield the right of way. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that defensive driving be the rule of thumb while driving throughout Romania.

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