Good news for anyone driving in Romania: road charges are among the lowest in Europe. A car can legally use every national road and motorway for a whole year for about 255 lei — under 55 euros. The part that catches people out: without the vignette the cameras see you anyway, and the fine arrives automatically.
There are in fact two different charges that many people confuse: the road vignette and the bridge toll. Let us clear up both, with 2026 prices, so there are no surprises.
What the road vignette is
The vignette ("rovinieta") is the charge that gives you the right to use Romania’s national roads and motorways for a set period. It is electronic — tied to the number plate — so nothing goes on the windscreen. It applies the same way to Romanian and foreign drivers.
For a car (category A, under 3.5 tonnes), 2026 rates are in the order of:
- ~18–22 lei for 1 day
- ~30 lei for 10 days
- ~49 lei for 30 days
- ~78 lei for 60 days
- ~260 lei for 12 months
From July 2026 the price varies slightly with the car’s emissions class (EURO), but for an ordinary car the order of magnitude is unchanged. Rates are set in euros and paid in lei, at the day’s exchange rate.
A practical tip: for a short trip, buy the 10-day vignette (~30 lei) rather than a one-day one for each direction. The cost per day drops several times over and you are covered anyway if you drive around some more.
The bridge toll: a separate charge
Here is the classic trap. Even with a valid vignette, the bridge toll is paid separately, on every crossing. The one almost every visitor meets is the Fetești–Cernavodă bridge on the A2 (the Sun Motorway) — the route to the coast and to the Delta.
For a car it costs 19 lei per crossing (38 lei return). You pay by SMS to 7577, online at erovinieta.ro or at a petrol station, by midnight the day after the crossing at the latest. ANPR cameras read the plate automatically, so "I forgot" does not hold.
There are other tolled bridges — over the Danube at Giurgeni–Vadu Oii, for instance, or the Giurgiu bridge into Bulgaria at the border — each with its own rate. But for ordinary touring routes, the vignette plus the Cernavodă bridge covers everything you will meet.
How to pay and what you risk if you do not
The vignette is easiest to buy online at erovinieta.ro (the official CNAIR portal), through apps such as eTarife or Pago, by SMS, or at petrol stations. Buy it before you set off.
Driving without a valid vignette carries a fine starting at 500 lei for a car (halved if you pay within 15 days, but still more expensive than the annual vignette). The cameras run around the clock on motorways, national roads and bridges, so it is not worth the risk.
If you have a rental car
This part is simple: on a rental car the vignette is already on the vehicle — you do not have to buy it. At driveXplore it is included from the start, like full insurance. The only thing left to you is the bridge toll, if you cross the Danube towards the coast or the Delta — and that takes one SMS. For longer periods, a long-term rental covers the annual vignette the same way, without you handling the renewal.
In short
- The vignette = the right to use national roads and motorways; ~255 lei a year for a car.
- For short trips, take the 10-day option (~30 lei) rather than a daily one for each direction.
- The bridge toll is separate: Fetești–Cernavodă costs 19 lei per crossing, payable by SMS to 7577.
- Buy the vignette at erovinieta.ro, through an app or by SMS, before you leave.
- Without a vignette: a fine from 500 lei, with ANPR cameras running around the clock.
- On a rental car, the vignette is included — only the bridge toll is left.
If you would rather not think about any of this, set off in a car that already carries the vignette. See our fleet: vignette and full insurance included, unlimited mileage, a single 50€ deposit.
