CAR RENTAL IN CLUJ-NAPOCA
Car Rental in Cluj-Napoca: Cluj Airport or Office Pickup
meet & greet at the airport, office about 1.6 km from the terminal
Pick-up and return
Pick-up points
- Cluj-Napoca Office
- Cluj-Napoca – Airport (CLJ) Meet & greet
Opening hours
- Sun–Sat 08:00–20:00
Book your rental car
In Cluj-Napoca there are two pickup points: Avram Iancu Cluj International Airport (CLJ), where the handover is meet & greet, and the rental company's office in Cluj-Napoca. Both sit on the east side of the city, close to the airport; the office is not in the old town.
You pay nothing when you book here. You pay for the rental when you collect the car, directly to the company that hands it over, and you need a credit card for the deposit.
Cluj Airport car rental or the office?
- Flying in: choose the airport; the rental company's representative meets you right there.
- Already in town (you came by train or coach, or only want a car for part of your stay): both pickup points are in Someșeni, out by the airport rather than in the centre, so plan the trip there. CTP Cluj-Napoca buses and trolleybuses link the airport with the city centre; check routes and times on ctpcj.ro.
- Flying out: return the car at the airport; the airport puts the drive from the centre at about 30 minutes.
Picking up at Cluj Airport (CLJ)
The airport is about 9 km east of the city centre, in the Someșeni district, with separate Arrivals and Departures terminals. With meet & greet, a representative of the rental company meets you and hands over the car, following the pickup instructions in your booking details: you will find them in your confirmation and on the Check reservation page.
If your flight is delayed and you will arrive after the agreed pickup time, tell the rental company in good time: without notice, a late arrival can lead to the cancellation of a confirmed booking under the Rental Conditions. The delay from which the rule applies is set out below, under “What the rental company’s conditions say”.
The handover hours are in the “Pick-up and return” panel above. If you land after closing time, an out-of-hours handover can be arranged on request for an extra fee set by the rental company; the booking form flags those times.
Picking up at the office
The office is not in the centre either: it is also in Someșeni, about 1.6 km by road from the airport terminal and roughly 8 km from Piața Unirii, the main square. The exact address is in your booking details. Coming from the old town, plan the ride out there before your pickup time.
Parking in central Cluj
On-street parking in the centre is paid, in two zones: Zone I covers the core, including Piața Unirii, and Zone II the ring around it. You pay with scratch tickets sold in shops, by SMS or in the Tpark app; in car parks with barriers you pay at the machines there. Check the signs for the paid hours: unpaid parking is fined.
Parking and fines during the rental are yours to pay under the rental company's conditions (summarised below).
Parts of the old town are pedestrian-only, and some streets around Piața Unirii close to traffic during big events.
Book your rental car
Choose your pick-up point and dates to see the available cars and prices.
Leaving town: the A3 motorway and the DN1
Heading west on the DN1 through Florești (towards Gilău, Huedin and Oradea), expect heavy traffic at rush hour. You join the A3 Transylvania motorway south of the city, taking the DN1 over Feleacu to Tureni and then the Tureni expressway, or west of the city at Gilău. From the Tureni junction the A3 runs towards Turda and Târgu Mureș and connects with the A10 towards Alba Iulia and Sebeș. For Oradea, you drive the DN1 (E60).
What the rental rate includes, such as the rovinietă (the vignette needed on Romanian national roads), and which road tolls, fuel or parking you pay yourself is set by the conditions of the company that hands you the car; you will find them summarised below.
Day trips from Cluj by car
Distances are by road from Piața Unirii, and times are traffic-free estimates: allow longer at rush hour, through roadworks and on mountain roads in winter.
- Turda Salt Mine (Salina Turda): about 35 km, under an hour, south on the DN1 via Feleacu and Tureni. It has two entrances, A at Aleea Durgăului 7 and B at Strada Salinelor 54B; visitors with reduced mobility use entrance B, from which only the Franz Josef gallery level can be visited. Check opening hours on salinaturda.eu.
- Alba Iulia (Alba Carolina Citadel): about 100 km, around 1½ hours, mostly on the motorway.
- Sibiu: about 180 km, around 2¼ hours, almost all on the motorway (A3, A10, A1).
- Sighișoara: about 155 km, around 2¼ to 2½ hours.
- Oradea: about 150 km, roughly 3 hours on the DN1 (E60).
- Scărișoara Ice Cave (Apuseni Mountains): about 95 km, 2 to 2½ hours on mountain roads.
Mileage and mountain roads
Check the mileage limit before you book: the rental company's conditions can cap the kilometres per day on short rentals, and the exact limit is in the conditions summary below. Sibiu and back is about 360 km and Oradea and back about 300 km, so for long day trips pick your rental length with the limit in mind.
Some roads in the Apuseni Mountains are gravel or dirt. The rental company's conditions do not allow driving on unpaved or non-asphalted roads, and repairs after doing so are charged in full whatever protection you chose, so check your route before you set off.
Rental conditions that matter
The rules of your rental are those in the conditions of the rental company that hands you the car; the full text is in the Rental Conditions (the Romanian version prevails). What to check before you book:
- Documents: your original driving licence, an identity document and a credit card. Some licences also need an International Driving Permit.
- Deposit: you need a credit card for it; the amount depends on the car and the protection you choose and is shown in your booking summary.
- Protection: which protection is included in the rate, which optional protection you can add, and their exceptions, including those linked to the driver's age.
- Going abroad: leaving Romania needs the rental company's written consent, which you ask for before you book.
- Fuel: how much fuel the car must have when you return it.
- Payment: nothing is paid online; you pay the rental company at pickup. Prices are shown in euros; check the accepted payment methods and the currency of the invoice.
- Roadside assistance: what it covers and where.
They are all summarised below, under “What the rental company’s conditions say”, with clause references.
More help
If you are also travelling through Bucharest, see Bucharest Airport car rental and car rental in Bucharest. For Timișoara, see car rental in Timișoara. For general questions about booking, see the FAQ; to look for a car in another city, start a search from the home page.
What the rental company’s conditions say
In short, the rules of the rental company that hands you the car, with the article of its rental conditions. The full text of the conditions prevails.
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Documents: When you sign the contract, you present your original driving licence, an identity document and a credit card valid for at least 3 months after the contract closing date. Rental Conditions, art. 2.1
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International driving licence: It is mandatory for citizens of states that are neither parties to the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic nor members of the European Union, or with which Romania has not concluded a treaty on the mutual recognition of driving licences, for holders of documents issued in countries using a script other than the Latin alphabet, and for licences obtained in right-hand-drive cars (for example the UK, India, Australia, Japan). Rental Conditions, art. 2.1
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Card for the deposit: A credit card is mandatory for the deposit. Pre-paid cards, virtual cards, cards not marked “credit” or not embossed and Diners Club cards are not accepted; fintech cards (Revolut, Monese, N26, etc.) and virtual cards can be used only to pay for services, not for the deposit. Rental Conditions, art. 2.1, 6.3
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Driving experience: A fee of €500 is charged for drivers with 0–1 years of experience and a fee of €200 for those with 1–3 years of experience, per rental, regardless of its duration. Rental Conditions, art. 2.2
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Driver’s age: If a driver named in the contract is between 18 and 21 years old or over 65, a fee of €170 is charged and the liability limit cannot be reduced with SCDW or SCDW+. Rental Conditions, art. 4.3
On Car-Rentals.ro you can book for a driver aged at least 19.
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Late pick-up: If you arrive more than an hour after the agreed pick-up time without giving notice, the confirmed booking may be cancelled. Rental Conditions, art. 2.4
See all conditions (23) Show fewer
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Handover hours: Handover and return take place Monday to Sunday, between 08:00 and 20:00. Outside these hours they are done on request, for a fee of €20 per handover and/or return. Rental Conditions, art. 3.2
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Return outside business hours: For a car returned outside business hours, at night or at the weekend, or when the weather or dirt on the car prevents it from being inspected, your liability for any damage is extended. Rental Conditions, art. 3.7
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Payment: You pay the rental company for the rental, the options chosen and any fees at pick-up, by credit or debit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express) or in cash; pre-paid cards and Diners Club cards are not accepted. Rental Conditions, art. 6.1, 6.3
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Invoice: The rental invoice is issued by the rental company, in lei, at the euro exchange rate of the National Bank of Romania (BNR) plus 2% on the day the invoice is issued. Rental Conditions, art. 6.2
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Included protection: The rate includes CDW damage protection and theft protection (TP), and the car has RCA (third-party liability) insurance. In the event of damage or theft, your liability is limited to the excess set for the car, which you see in the booking summary. Rental Conditions, art. 4.1, 4.2
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SCDW (optional): Reduces your liability in the event of damage or theft to the amount set in the contract, with the exceptions of art. 4.4 and chapter 5. Rental Conditions, art. 4.2.3, ch. 5
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SCDW+ (optional): Removes your liability in the event of an accident or theft, with the exceptions in chapter 5 (for example rims and tyres, the underside of the car, keys and documents, wrong fuel). Rental Conditions, art. 4.2.4, ch. 5
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When the excess is invoiced: With CDW or SCDW, the excess is invoiced in the cases listed in the conditions, for example for damage caused by bad weather and for damage to the glass. Rental Conditions, art. 4.4
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Mileage: For rentals of up to and including 3 days, a limit of 250 km per day applies, and extra kilometres are paid at the cost stated in the contract. For rentals of 4–30 days in Romania, the conditions set no limit; above 30 days, the limit is 2,500 km per month. Rental Conditions, art. 3.16
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Paved roads only: You may not drive on unpaved or unsurfaced roads, on roads closed to public traffic, in flooded areas or on road sections with an increased risk of damaging the car. Otherwise you pay the full cost of the repair, whatever protection you chose, including with SCDW or SCDW+. Rental Conditions, art. 2.6
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Snow chains: Snow chains can be rented on request, together with the car, and are paid for separately. Rental Conditions, art. 3.22
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Fuel: Return the car with the same amount of fuel as at pick-up, as recorded in the handover-return report; otherwise you pay a refuelling fee and the missing fuel. Rental Conditions, art. 3.12
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Road vignette and tolls: The road vignette (rovinietă) for Romania is included in the rate. Other road tolls, Green Card extensions, fuel, fines and costs resulting from actions of the local authorities concerning the car are your responsibility. Rental Conditions, art. 6.4
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Parking and fines: Parking, including at the airport, and fines incurred during the rental are your responsibility. If a fine is paid on your behalf, it is invoiced to you, plus an administration fee of €50 per fine, and the amounts due may be withheld from your card or from the deposit. Rental Conditions, art. 3.10
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Leaving the country: You may leave Romania only with the rental company’s written consent and only for countries of the European Union and the European Economic Area or countries it has expressly approved. The deposit is doubled and the kilometre limit in the contract applies. Rental Conditions, art. 3.17, 3.19, 3.20
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Leaving the country without consent: Without consent, penalties apply, and outside the permitted countries you are liable for the entire value of the car in the event of damage or theft. Rental Conditions, art. 3.18, 3.20
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Roadside assistance: You have 24/7 roadside assistance in Romania in the event of a mechanical breakdown; repairing tyres after a puncture and topping up fluids are not included. Rental Conditions, art. 1.2
Rental conditions published on 9 October 2026 Read the full conditions
Other pick-up locations
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Where can I pick up a rental car in Cluj-Napoca?
At Avram Iancu Cluj International Airport (CLJ) or at the rental company's office in Cluj-Napoca. Both are in the Someșeni district on the east side of the city: the office is about 1.6 km from the airport terminal and roughly 8 km from Piața Unirii, so it is not in the old town. You choose the pickup and return point in the booking form.
How does pickup at Cluj Airport work?
It is meet & greet: a representative of the rental company meets you and hands over the car, following the pickup instructions in your booking details. You will find them in your booking confirmation and on the Check reservation page; keep them at hand when you land.
What happens if my flight is delayed?
Let the rental company know before your pickup time if you will arrive later than agreed. Without prior notice, a late arrival can lead to the cancellation of a confirmed booking under the Rental Conditions; for the delay from which the rule applies, see “What the rental company’s conditions say” on this page.
Can I collect or return the car outside opening hours?
Yes, on request and for an extra fee set by the rental company. The opening hours are in the “Pick-up and return” panel above; outside them a handover or return can be arranged on request, with a fee for each handover and/or return. If you return the car out of hours, at night or at the weekend, also check how long you remain liable for any damage. The fee and the liability rule are set out above, under “What the rental company’s conditions say”.
What documents do I need to rent a car in Cluj?
Your original driving licence, an identity document and a credit card, shown when you sign the rental contract. In which cases you also need an International Driving Permit, and whether drivers with little experience behind the wheel pay a fee per rental, is set by the rental company; see its rules above, under “What the rental company’s conditions say”.
Which card can I use for the deposit?
A credit card, but not every credit card is accepted: which card types the rental company refuses, and which cards can pay for the rental but not hold the deposit, is set out on this page under “What the rental company’s conditions say”. The deposit amount depends on the car and the protection you choose, and it is shown in your booking summary. If you take the car abroad, check the deposit rule for trips outside Romania in the same place.
Is there a mileage limit?
There can be, depending on how long you rent: the rental company's conditions can cap the kilometres per day on short rentals, with extra kilometres charged at the rate in your contract. The limit, the rentals it applies to and the rule for trips outside Romania are in the conditions summary above.
Can I take the car to another country?
Only with the rental company's written consent. Cross-border travel cannot be booked online: when you book, write the country you want to visit in the “Observations” field; the request reaches the rental company with your booking. Which countries you may visit, what changes for the deposit and roadside assistance, and what you risk if you leave without consent or go beyond the permitted countries are listed above, under “What the rental company’s conditions say”.
Can I return the car in a different city?
Not as a one-way drop-off: at the moment the booking form offers no one-way drop-off cities for Cluj-Napoca pickups (they exist only for pickups in Bucharest). Choose the airport or the office in Cluj as your return point; if the form also lists other return points, only the search shows whether such a return works and what it costs.
Can I drive the rental car into the Apuseni Mountains?
Yes, on asphalt roads: the rental company's conditions do not allow driving on unpaved or non-asphalted roads, and repairs after doing so are charged in full, whatever protection you chose. Some roads in the Apuseni Mountains are gravel or dirt, so check your route before you set off. In winter, the law requires winter tyres on roads covered with snow, ice or frost: ask the rental company about winter equipment when you book. The rules on roads and on snow chains are part of the conditions summary above.