A road trip through Romania is surprisingly affordable compared with western Europe, but to avoid a nasty surprise it helps to know what to expect. We laid out the numbers by category, with summer 2026 prices, and built a sample budget for one day.
Fuel
In mid-2026, standard petrol is around 8.65 lei/litre and diesel around 9.45–9.50 lei/litre. A car that uses ~6–7 l/100 km costs you about 55–65 lei per 100 km on petrol. For a day covering 300 km, reckon on 170–200 lei of fuel. It is the main expense of a road trip.
Road charges (fewer than you think)
Here is the pleasant surprise: Romania's motorways are free — you only pay the vignette, which covers everything. For a stay, a 10-day vignette costs around 30 lei, a 30-day one around 48 lei. The only notable one-off charge is the Fetești–Cernavodă bridge toll if you head to the sea on the A2: 19 lei per crossing.
Accommodation
- Guesthouses: ~150–300 lei/night, often with breakfast.
- Mid-range hotels: ~250–450 lei/night, more in Bucharest and on the coast at peak season.
- Hostels and simple rooms: under 150 lei.
Food
You eat well and cheaply. A restaurant meal generally costs 40–70 lei, a coffee 10–15 lei, and if you alternate restaurants with shopping at the store you comfortably stay within 80–150 lei/day per person.
Parking and small extras
In cities, paid parking in the centre is ~5–10 lei/hour (Bucharest the most expensive). Add entry tickets to attractions (castles, monasteries, cable cars) — usually 20–50 lei per person. Contactless card works almost everywhere, but keep some cash for small guesthouses and rural areas.
A typical day, costed out
For a couple driving ~250–300 km, sleeping in a good guesthouse and eating at a restaurant:
- Fuel: ~180 lei
- Accommodation (double room): ~250 lei
- Food (two people): ~200 lei
- Parking + one visit: ~80 lei
- Day total: ~700 lei per couple, about 350 lei per person.
You can easily come in under that with simpler accommodation and meals from the store. As an order of magnitude, 250–350 lei/day per person is a realistic target for a comfortable road trip without luxury.
What we left out: the car itself
The budget above assumes you already have the car. If you rent, add the daily rate — and here the details matter: a company with unlimited mileage spares you the per-kilometre maths, and full insurance means an incident does not blow your budget. With driveXplore you pick up from Otopeni or Bucharest, with unlimited mileage, full insurance included and a single 50€ deposit.