Bucharest to Sibiu by car

The recommended drive from Bucharest to Sibiu has three parts:

1. The A1 motorway to Curtea de Argeș. Leave Bucharest on the A1 towards Pitești. After Pitești the motorway carries on to Curtea de Argeș, so the first 160 km or so are almost all motorway.
2. The DN73C and the DN7 through the Olt Valley. From Curtea de Argeș take the DN73C to Râmnicu Vâlcea, then the DN7, which follows the Olt Valley through Călimănești, Căciulata and Câineni to Boița. The motorway between Curtea de Argeș and Boița is still being built, so this part of the drive is on national roads.
3. The A1 from Boița to Sibiu. At Boița you join the motorway again for the last part of the drive.

Alternative: you can leave the A1 at Pitești and take the DN7 to Râmnicu Vâlcea. The total distance is similar, but the route via Curtea de Argeș keeps you on the motorway for longer.

Some navigation apps suggest a shortcut on county roads through the mountain villages between Curtea de Argeș and the Olt Valley. We recommend staying on the DN73C and the DN7 national roads.

Works in 2026:

• Until 19 December 2026, according to CNAIR, the A1 is closed between the Boița and Cisnădie junctions while lot 2 of the Sibiu–Pitești motorway is built. Traffic in both directions is diverted along the DN7 (Boița – Tălmaciu – Veștem) and the DN1 (Veștem – Cisnădie). Check before you set off whether the A1 has reopened.
• On the DN7 through the Olt Valley there are roadworks and traffic restrictions. Follow the temporary signs.

Distances are measured on the map from the pick-up point in Bucharest. From Henri Coandă Airport (Otopeni) to Sibiu it is about 300 km, and from central Bucharest (Piața Unirii) about 290 km.

There are no separate road tolls on the A1 or the national roads along the way: you only need the Romanian road vignette (rovinietă). Whether it is included in the rental price, and what remains yours to pay (fuel, parking, any fines), is set by the Rental Conditions of the company that hands you the car; you will find them summarised below, under “What the rental company’s conditions say”.

• Allow about 5 hours or more, without long stops. The DN7 runs through towns and past roadworks, and until 19 December 2026 the detour through Tălmaciu and Veștem adds time.
• At weekends, on public holidays and when holidaymakers head home, the Romanian Police report congestion on the DN7 between Pitești and Sibiu, in both directions. On those days, allow more time.
• Before you set off: check the Romanian Police's Infotrafic alerts and CNAIR's dispatch platform, which lists closed and restricted roads (both in Romanian). CNAIR's dispatch centre also answers on 021 9360 (Romanian number).

Keep to the speed limits: 50 km/h in built-up areas; outside them, 130 km/h on motorways, 100 km/h on European national roads and 90 km/h on other roads, unless signs show another limit. If you have held your licence for less than a year, drive 20 km/h below these limits outside built-up areas. Dipped headlights (or daytime running lights) must be on during the day as well, on all roads (OUG 195/2002, art. 44, 49 and 50).

• Curtea de Argeș (about 160 km from Bucharest, almost all on the motorway). The 16th-century Curtea de Argeș Monastery is the burial place of Romania's kings. Curtea de Argeș is also where the Transfăgărășan (DN7C) starts, heading north past the Vidraru dam.
• Râmnicu Vâlcea, the seat of Vâlcea County, on the DN73C and the DN7. It is also one of the return cities the booking form offers for pick-ups in Bucharest.
• Cozia Monastery, at Călimănești on the banks of the Olt, right by the DN7 (about 215 km from Bucharest). It was founded by Mircea the Elder (Mircea cel Bătrân), who is buried there. From Cozia it is about 80 km to Sibiu.

With both stops the drive is about 305 km. If you want to visit both monasteries, set off early in the morning, especially if you are returning the car in Sibiu the same day.

Between Călimănești and Boița, the DN7 follows the Olt Valley through the mountains. In winter, conditions here can differ from those in Bucharest.

• Winter tyres. On roads covered with snow, ice or frost, winter tyres are compulsory. OUG 195/2002 ties the obligation to the state of the road, not to a calendar period (art. 102).
• The car's equipment. The rental company's conditions do not say whether the cars have winter tyres. If you travel in the cold season, ask before your trip; you can ask through the assistance form on the Support page or, once you have booked, on the rental company's number in your voucher. Snow chains appear as an option in the booking form, as “Snow chains”, when they are offered for the car you choose; how they are rented and paid for is below.
• Freezing rain can close roads for a while, the motorway included. Check road conditions on CNAIR's dispatch platform before you leave.
• Roadside assistance. What roadside assistance you have for a mechanical breakdown, and what it does not include, is below, under “What the rental company’s conditions say”. In an emergency, call 112.

In summer, while CNAIR keeps the road open, you can also drive to Sibiu over the Făgăraș Mountains on the Transfăgărășan (DN7C). From Curtea de Argeș you climb past the Vidraru dam to Bâlea Lac, then descend to Cârțișoara and continue on the DN1 to Sibiu. The route is about 325 km and takes a full day with stops.

• Warm season only. The high section of the road closes every cold season. CNAIR announces the closure and the reopening depending on the weather, and even when the road is open, traffic may be allowed only at set hours and stopped for a while in bad weather. Check CNAIR's press releases (in Romanian) before you go.
• Do not drive onto closed sections. The rental company's conditions forbid driving on roads closed to public traffic and on unpaved roads; what you pay if you break the rule is in the conditions summary below.
• Bears are often seen near the road. Do not approach or feed them: feeding them is forbidden.

If you are not driving back to Bucharest, you can end your rental in Sibiu, one of the return cities the booking form offers for pick-ups in Bucharest, at Henri Coandă Airport (Otopeni) and at Băneasa Airport.

1. In the booking form, choose your pick-up location (“Bucharest”, “Bucharest – Otopeni Airport (OTP)” or “Bucharest – Baneasa Airport (BBU)”), click “Different return location” and choose “Sibiu” under “Return location”.
2. The search results show whether a one-way rental to Sibiu works for your dates. Any one-way fee appears in the price details, as “One-way fee”, before you send the booking.
3. In your booking confirmation, under “Where to collect and return the car”, you will find the return location and, when the rental company provides them, the address and instructions. You can reopen the confirmation at any time on the Check reservation page.

The return place, date and time you book are written into the contract. A few practical points for a Bucharest–Sibiu rental:

• The handover and return hours, and returns outside them, are set by the rental company; you will find them below, under “What the rental company’s conditions say”. If you reach Sibiu in the evening, plan around the hours and the driving time.
• Mind the rental company's mileage limit (below). A one-way drive from Bucharest to Sibiu is about 290 km, and a round trip about 580–590 km, so choose the length of your rental with the route in mind.
• Check below which fuel level the rental company requires at return, and fill up in good time.
• If you want to change the return location after pick-up, tell the rental company in writing or by phone: the change needs its consent. The rental company's number is in your rental voucher and in the booking confirmation e-mail, and you can reopen your booking at any time on the Check reservation page.

Picking up at the Bucharest office rather than the airport is covered on the car rental in Bucharest page. The rental company's main rules are summarised below, with clause references; the full text is in the Rental Conditions.