Romania by campervan
Romanian law asks where your vehicle may stand, not whether you are asleep inside it. Camping is the separate question, and on a protected natural area outside a specially arranged place it is a contravention at 3,000 to 6,000 lei. Everything else before the border: the leu rather than the euro, the rovinietă that every national road needs, two mountain roads that close at night, and the largest brown bear population in the European Union.
Published 18 September 2026Last checked 19 September 2026
Currency
Romanian leu
RON, not the euro. 5.2644 lei to €1 on 18 September 2026
Language
Romanian
A Romance language in the Latin alphabet
Driving
Right
Motorway 130 km/h, 90 km/h from 3.5 to 7.5 tonnes
Power
230V, type F
The round two-pin Schuko socket
Road toll
Rovinietă
9.50 euro for 30 days in a car, September 2026
Emergency
112
Mountain rescue, Salvamont, on 0725 826 668
Basics
Basics
Romania uses the leu, drives on the right, and has had no land border checks since 1 January 2025. Control at the internal land borders with and between Bulgaria and Romania was lifted then, after the rest of the Schengen rules had already applied from 31 March 2024. A van arriving from Hungary or Bulgaria in 2026 crosses without a check on the Schengen side.
Three names for one town
- Cluj-Napoca / Kolozsvár / Klausenburg. The biggest city in Transylvania and the one you will see signed all three ways.
- Sibiu / Nagyszeben / Hermannstadt. The old Saxon capital, and the best base in the region.
Power, water and getting online
- 230V, 50Hz, type F sockets. A German Schuko plug and a standard European two-pin plug both fit. UK and Irish plugs need an adapter.
- Mains water in towns and cities is treated to drinking standard, and plenty of Romanians still drink bottled. Take the lead from where you are, and treat a village well as a well.
Romania on the UNESCO World Heritage list
| Site | Where it is | Why it is worth the detour |
|---|---|---|
| Villages with Fortified Churches | Transylvania | Saxon villages built around a walled church yard |
| Historic Centre of Sighișoara | Transylvania | A walled hill town that is still lived in |
| Wooden Churches of Maramureș | The far north | Tall shingled spires, built without nails |
| Churches of Moldavia | Bucovina | The painted monasteries, frescoed outside as well as in |
| Dacian Fortresses of the Orăștie Mountains | The southern Carpathians | Pre-Roman hill forts in deep forest |
Romania is in the Schengen area for land travel as well as air and sea. Internal land border control with and between Bulgaria and Romania was lifted on 1 January 2025, and the rest of the Schengen rules had applied since 31 March 2024. The borders with Serbia, Ukraine and Moldova are external Schengen borders and are checked as such, so the eastern and southwestern crossings still take time.
Common questions about Romania by campervan
Can you sleep in a campervan in Romania?
Yes, where the vehicle may legally stand. The Romanian road code defines stopping, standing and parking, and never mentions sleeping, so the question is whether the vehicle may be where it is rather than whether anyone is asleep inside it. Camping is regulated separately, and on a protected natural area outside a specially arranged place it is a contravention.
Is wild camping legal in Romania?
Inside a protected natural area it is not. The law on protected natural areas makes camping outside a specially arranged place a contravention at 3,000 to 6,000 lei for an individual, and each national park adds its own Regulament on top. Outside protected areas the published sources reachable for this page do not settle the question either way, so it is not claimed here. All land has an owner whose consent you need.
What is the fine for camping in a protected area in Romania?
3,000 to 6,000 lei for an individual and 25,000 to 50,000 lei for a company, under the law on protected natural areas. Driving a motor vehicle onto a protected area off public roads is 5,000 to 10,000 lei for an individual. An offender can pay half the statutory minimum on the spot or within 48 hours, so a first camping contravention settles at 1,500 lei.
Do I need a rovinieta to drive in Romania, and what does it cost in 2026?
Yes. The rovinieta is an electronic road toll tied to the number plate and needed on the national road network. On the CNAIR tariff table in September 2026 a car in category A paid 3.50 euro for a day, 6.00 for ten days, 9.50 for 30 days, 15.00 for 60 days and 50.00 for a year, billed in lei at a rate CNAIR resets periodically. A goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes falls into category B and pays 21.50 euro for 30 days instead, so check which category your registration document puts you in.