Car Hire in Romania

Driving in Romania: Essential Rules

• Side of the road: Romania drives on the right, in line with the rest of mainland Europe, so most visitors adjust quickly.
• Mandatory equipment: every car must carry two ECE R27-approved warning triangles, a first-aid kit meeting the DIN 13164 standard, and a working, in-date fire extinguisher. A reflective vest is only compulsory for vehicles over 3.5 tonnes, though Romanian police advise keeping one within reach for roadside stops, especially at night or in fog. Traffic police can and do check for this equipment, and missing or expired items are treated the same as not carrying them at all.
• Documents to carry: a valid driving licence, photo ID or passport, and the vehicle's registration and insurance documents should be kept in the car at all times. Traffic police carry out routine document checks, particularly on national roads and near border crossings.
• Child seats: children under 150 cm tall and under 12 years old must travel in an appropriate child restraint, and only in the rear seats — a child under 12 cannot be a front-seat passenger under any circumstances.
• Toll roads: most motorways and national roads require a rovinieta, a road tax vignette linked electronically to the vehicle's registration plate rather than displayed on the windscreen. Coverage is time-based rather than distance-based, so the vignette needs to be valid for the full length of your trip. Always confirm with your supplier whether the vignette is arranged as part of your hire or needs to be purchased separately before you set off, as this varies by operator.
• Speed cameras: both fixed and mobile speed cameras operate nationwide, and traffic police carry out frequent roadside checks. Fines for speeding are issued on the spot and scale with how far over the limit the driver was caught, with steeper penalties for excessive speed on motorways.
• Alcohol limit: Romania applies a strict zero-tolerance policy — 0.00 per mille blood alcohol for every category of driver, with no allowance whatsoever. A positive test can result in licence suspension of up to 90 days and a significant fine, and driving under the influence that causes an accident carries the risk of a criminal charge.
• Mobile phones: handheld phone use while driving is prohibited nationwide. A hands-free set is required if you need to take a call on the move, and enforcement is active in both cities and on motorways.
• Daytime running lights: dipped headlights are mandatory at all times on national roads, motorways, and expressways, even in full daylight — driving without them outside built-up areas is an offence.
• Winter driving: winter tyres become mandatory whenever roads are snow-covered, icy, or affected by black ice, regardless of the calendar date. If you are travelling to mountain regions such as Transylvania or the Carpathians outside the summer months, confirm winter-ready tyres are fitted before you collect the car.
• City centre and low-emission zones: Bucharest City Hall is rolling out a low-emission zone across the entire metropolitan area on a phased, multi-year timeline, gradually restricting older and more polluting vehicles by fuel type and age. Romanian law also requires a further twelve major cities, including Brașov, Cluj-Napoca, Constanța, and Timișoara, to establish similar zones over time. Most standard hire cars are unaffected in the near term, but drivers planning extended time in central Bucharest or these cities should check current restrictions before travel, as the rollout is ongoing and evolving.

Romania Car Hire Insurance

Every car hire booked through eCarBookers in Romania includes the supplier's standard collision damage waiver (CDW) in the basic rate. Standard CDW carries an excess — the amount you would be responsible for in the event of damage. Excess amounts vary by supplier and vehicle class, and the exact figure is displayed clearly before you confirm your booking, so there are no surprises at the desk.

If you prefer to drive with no excess at all, fully comprehensive zero-excess cover is available directly from your supplier when you collect the car in Romania. The cover comes from the hire company itself, not from a third-party insurer — so there is no separate policy, no paying the excess upfront, and no reimbursement claim to file once it has been added. Because your booking confirmation shows the standard excess that applies, you arrive knowing exactly what the cover replaces.

It is worth noting that certain situations fall outside standard CDW cover across the car hire industry. Tyres, glass, underbody damage, lost or damaged keys, and a flat battery caused by driver error — such as leaving the lights on while the car is unattended — are typically not covered and may result in a separate charge if they occur. These situations are uncommon in everyday driving, but it is good practice to check your booking confirmation for the specific cover terms applicable to your hire, as scope can vary by supplier.

Romania shares land borders with Bulgaria, Hungary, Serbia, Ukraine, and Moldova, and sits within easy reach of the wider Balkans by road. Cross-border rules — including which neighbouring countries you may legally drive into and whether additional cover or documentation is required — vary by supplier and by destination country, so always confirm permitted routes before crossing a border with your hire car, and keep your booking confirmation and vehicle documents on hand for any checks along the way.

Popular Car Hire Locations

Romania is a growing addition to the eCarBookers network, with car hire available through a wide supplier network across the country. Bucharest, home to Henri Coandă International Airport, is the busiest arrival point and the natural starting point for most visitors, whether the plan is to explore the capital itself or head further afield into Transylvania, the Carpathian mountains, or the Black Sea coast around Constanța. Other major Romanian centres — including Cluj-Napoca in the north-west and Timișoara close to the Serbian and Hungarian borders — are also seeing growing demand for self-drive travel as the country's road network continues to improve. Dedicated city and airport pages for these Romanian locations are planned as the network expands; check back for direct links as those pages go live.