Car Hire in Romania

Travel through Romania guarantees a kaleidoscope of experiences. Large, bustling cities often neighbor ancient ruins from Austro-Hungarian Empire times. The country features high-altitude mountain villages, castles, and complexes in unique mixed styles that emphasize rich history and cultural diversity. Car rental in Romania enables exploration of numerous attractions during short vacation periods.

Advantages of Car Rental through Localrent

Clients value Localrent for security and quality support during rental periods. We work exclusively with verified rental companies and offer:

1. Fixed service costs. Final rental prices appear in vehicle cards and remain unchanged after booking.
2. Flexible deposits. Specify comfortable deposit amounts in filter settings, and the service displays only suitable options.
3. Extensive vehicle selection. Localrent features the best rental company offers. Choose vehicles for any preferences and budget: from compact economy models to SUVs or luxury vehicles.
4. Convenient filters. Filter offers by vehicle brand, power, drivetrain and fuel type, payment method, or insurance type.
5. Small advance payment. Vehicle booking requires 15-20% advance payment, with remaining amounts paid during rental contract signing.

Requirements for Car Rental in Romania

Romanian rental companies may have individual age and driving experience requirements. Specify your age and driving experience in filter settings for the service to display available rental vehicles.

Contract signing with rental companies requires:

• Identity document
• Valid driver's license permitting vehicle operation in Romania

First office visits also require voucher presentation. Documents with rental company contacts arrive via email after order payment.

Traffic Navigation in Romania: Essential Driving Insights

Romania operates right-hand traffic with clear international symbols and designations on road signs.

Intersection navigation: Right-of-way rules apply unless otherwise indicated by signs.

Essential lighting requirements: Low beam headlights are mandatory on all public roads day and night.

Safety enforcement: The country carefully monitors road safety – movement begins only after drivers and passengers fasten seatbelts.

Child transportation regulations:

• Children under 3 can ride in front seats using rear-facing car seats with disabled airbags
• Children over 3 and under 150 cm height cannot ride in front seats
• Children under 135 cm height must use restraint devices in rear seats

Speed limit navigation: Understanding speed regulations ensures compliance:

• Residential areas: 20 km/h
• Urban areas: 50 km/h
• Outside urban areas: 90 km/h
• Highways: 100 km/h
• Motorways: 130 km/h

Mobile phone regulations: Handheld phone use while driving is prohibited. Use hands-free systems or speaker phone instead.

Local driving behavior insights: Romanian drivers can be temperamental. Cities often feature aggressive, dynamic driving with rapid lane changes and loud honking in traffic jams. However, rural roads and highways see most drivers following rules and exercising caution.

Traffic Navigation in Major Romanian Cities: Essential Insights

Understanding peak traffic hours is crucial for smooth city navigation. In Bucharest, typical congestion periods include:

• Morning rush: 7:30 am to 9:30 am
• Evening peak: 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm

Key recommendations for optimal travel:

• Avoid major intersections during peak hours, particularly around government buildings and commercial centers
• Plan routes through alternative side streets when possible
• Consider flexible travel timing during known congestion periods
• Use navigation apps like Waze or Google Maps for real-time traffic updates

Driving tips for urban areas:

• Maintain calm and patient driving approach despite aggressive local behaviors
• Stay aware of rapid lane changes and be prepared for sudden maneuvers
• Allow extra travel time during peak periods and tourist seasons
• Be prepared for loud honking in traffic – it's culturally normal
• Exercise patience in historic city centers with narrow streets

Fuel Stations: Strategic Refueling

Romania offers numerous fuel stations, especially in cities and near major highways. Rural areas have fewer stations, requiring tank refilling whenever possible.

Quality considerations: Fuel quality is superior at major network stations like OMV, Petrom, or Lukoil. Bank cards and cash (Romanian lei) are accepted.

Refueling strategy recommendations:

• Plan fuel stops in advance for rural travel
• Use major network stations for better fuel quality
• Carry Romanian lei for remote locations
• Check fuel levels before mountain routes

Parking Navigation Strategy

Romanian parking zones are marked with "P" letters. Free parking spaces use white markings, while commercial zones use blue markings. Paid zone entrances display additional signs with rates, time restrictions, and payment methods.

Urban parking insights: Finding free parking in city centers or high-traffic streets proves challenging. Suburban areas offer easier free parking options.

Parking strategy recommendations:

• Plan arrival times for better space availability in city centers
• Budget for parking costs in tourist and commercial areas
• Look for suburban parking when visiting city centers
• Always verify parking regulations and time limits

Step-by-Step Car Booking in Romania

Localrent's convenient website interface simplifies booking. Follow instructions to place orders:

1. Specify rental dates and pickup/return cities
2. Configure search filters to view vehicles meeting your requirements. Select your vehicle
3. Click photos to study vehicle characteristics and add additional services like child seats or free cancellation options
4. Click "Continue," complete driver information, specify vehicle handover time and location, pay advance
5. Receive voucher sent to your email with rental company contacts after advance payment
   

Must-Visit Destinations with Your Rental Car

Road trips through Romania offer opportunities to visit scenic locations away from major cities and popular tourist routes. We've compiled our ranking of places worth visiting with rental vehicles:

1. Sturdza Castle (Castelul Sturdza): Built in neo-Gothic style between 1880-1904 by order of the Moldovan princely Sturdza family in small Miclăușeni village. Long serving as the region's cultural center, it now hosts festivals, exhibitions, concerts, and historical reenactments. Attracts tourists with both architecture and nature. The castle is surrounded by parks with century-old trees, alleys, and ponds. Excellent location for walks and photo sessions.
2. Bicaz Dam (Bicaz Dam): Located on Romania's largest artificial lake. Captivating views year-round. Summer swimming in Bicaz Lake, winter admiration of snow-covered hills. Dam surroundings ideal for trekking and wild mountain nature observation. Hiking trails from the dam lead to scenic Bicaz Gorge.
3. Red Lake (Lacu Roșu): Natural red lake formed by 1837 landslide. Wild nature corner shrouded in mystical legends. Lake surrounded by high cliffs, mountains, coniferous forests, and silence.
4. Zetea Lake (Barajul Zetea): Beautiful large lake surrounded by majestic mountains. The road offers scenic, deserted routes. Drive slowly – wild bears often stroll peacefully along the way.
5. Viscri Fortified Church or Deutsch-Weißkirch Church (Viscri): Built in the 13th century by Saxon settlers and fortified in the 15th century. Listed among Transylvanian fortified churches recognized as UNESCO World Heritage sites. Viscri village itself, with cobblestone streets, colorful houses, and pastoral landscapes, remarkably preserves the grand duchy spirit.

Route planning considerations: Add more interesting locations to routes using only paved roads. Insurance doesn't cover unpaved road travel.

Popular Rental Locations in Romania

Rental company offices typically locate near major aviation or railway transport hubs. Many tourists prefer renting vehicles at Henri Coandă International Airport Bucharest for quick, comfortable travel to accommodations. Railway travelers seek rental options near Gara de Nord, Obor, or Băneasa stations.

View all available vehicle handover locations and filter only needed options on the general pickup page location specification field.

Travel Comfort Tips for Romania Car Rental

Study local driving characteristics and select vehicles suitable for your routes before travel.

Vehicle inspection protocol: Inspect vehicles externally and internally before signing rental contracts. Document all defects and fuel quantities in inspection reports. Take photos or videos of vehicles from all angles when possible.

Route-appropriate vehicle selection: Travelers note poor rural road surface quality and numerous mountain roads. If planning routes beyond major Romanian cities into provincial areas, choose powerful vehicles with high ground clearance.

Navigation backup strategy: Mountain areas often have poor cellular connectivity, causing navigation failures. To avoid route confusion and time loss, keep road atlases in glove compartments or download needed map areas to phones. Google Maps, for example, enables offline navigation.

Mountain driving considerations:

• Download offline maps before traveling to remote areas
• Carry emergency supplies and extra water
• Inform others of your travel plans
• Check weather conditions before mountain routes
• Allow extra time for challenging terrain navigation
  

Frequently Asked Questions