Guide to Driving the Transfăgărășan

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post, I paid for this trip myself. All recommendations and opinions are my own.

We visited the Transfăgărășan DN7C highway as part of our amazing self-drive holiday around Transylvania, Romania. The Transfăgărășan stretches roughly 130kms, connecting the historic regions of Transylvania and Wallachia. The road was built between 1970 and 1974 to enable quick military access across the mountains in case of a Soviet invasion. In 2009 the Transfăgărășan was launched into the limelight after it appeared on the BBC TV Show Top Gear, where they touted it as “The Best Road in the World”.

If you are planning to drive the Transfăgărășan, then it’s important that you carefully plan your trip, as due to weather conditions it’s only open from the end of June to the end of October. Because the exact opening dates each year are dependant on the weather conditions, make sure you refer to this Transfăgărășan website for up to date information about road closures (you can set the language using the drop down menu on the top right header, or, by using the Google translate function which comes up on the right of your browser). The road becomes extremely busy during the summer peak tourist time, but if you stay nearby overnight and start out early the following morning, you can beat the crowds and have a much more peaceful and pleasant drive.

Some people warn about needing ‘excellent driving’ skills in order to drive this road, but to be honest, if you drive it during the summer months it really isn’t that bad. The road is windy, but it is well maintained and very driveable. There are lots of areas to pull over and enjoy the scenery (although they do get a bit crowded at the busy peak of the day), people tend to drive quite slowly, and all of the bends reduce the gradient. We had hired a very cheap, average car, but it drove this just fine. Seriously, there are way worse roads in the UK for example. However, during the cooler months, the roads can become more dangerous due to fog, snow and ice. Hence, the government usually closes it at this point.

When planning your route, you have two options. The first option is the most popular – you can approach the Transfăgărășan from the north and then turnaround at the highest point by the cable car and then drive back again. This is easily done in a day, but I think it’s a shame to only drive this far, as the road beyond this point is equally stunning. Instead, we took the second option and put aside two days and approached it from the south, from Bran, and then continued north on to the historic city of Sibiu (or you could do this in reverse of course). The Transylvanian countryside is so beautiful, that I would thoroughly recommend you follow the same journey that we did.

If you don’t want to hire a car, then don’t worry, you can still visit by joining a Transfăgărășan day tour from Bucharest, Brașov or Sibiu. There is also a small bus that goes from Sibiu up to the cable car.

Day 1

We had just spent four marvellous days in Măgura, nestled in the magnificent Carpathian Mountains. So from here, we headed towards the Transfăgărășan by driving to Bran (the home of the famous Dracula’s castle) and then south down the DN73 (European E574), onto the DN73 and then turning north onto the DN7C.

The roads were sealed and well maintained, and surprisingly not that busy, as most tourists don’t actually drive this way. But it was incredibly rewarding, as the entire drive was filled with breathtaking views of mountains and meadows. Travelling around the Transylvanian countryside is like stepping back in time. We saw many families travelling along the road on horse drawn carts.

As we were there at the end of summer, all of the locals were out and about helping each other to gather their hay for the winter. We watched them cut the grass by hand using scythes, and then rake it up into big piles which they loaded onto horse drawn wagons. The dried grass was then placed onto traditional hay stacks, which consist of a wooden structure that the hay is piled up around, creating a tall beehive like mound.

We drove until we reached the Vidraru dam where we had planned to stay for the night at Hotel Posada Vidraru. We spent the afternoon walking around the dam and admiring the magnificent engineering. Vidraru dam is one of the largest hydroelectric plants in Europe and provides beautiful views of the Vidraru Lake. It can store up to 465 million cubic metres of water. If it was damaged, it would flood a lot of cities, so apparently they have dynamite stored in the mountains and if something happens to the dam and it breaks, they would detonate the dynamite and make a natural dam out of the rocks in the mountains to hold the water back. I personally loved the statue of Prometheus holding a lightning bolt above his head. You can get a closer look at him by climbing up the staircase on the side of the road.

Accommodation Options Near the Transfăgărășan

Search available accommodation in Transfăgărășan

Budget

• Pensiunea Drumul Voievozilor
• Casa Eden
• Pensiunea Nopti de Vara

Moderate

• Hotel Posada Vidraru
• Heaven Guesthouse
• Livada cu Meri

Luxury

• There are no luxury hotels in this area

Day 2

The next morning we got up early to drive the remainder of the Transfăgărășan. This is the most famous and popular part of the road and it gets very busy, so getting up early is well worth it. We were one of the few cars on the road when we started out, so got to enjoy most of it without the usual tourist hustle and bustle. We even met some friendly donkeys that were hanging out waiting on the side of the road for the tourists to feed them!

The road from the dam took us along the edge of Vidraru lake and then up a sharp ascent towards the Balea Tunnel, the longest road tunnel in Romania at 884m (2,900ft). As we came out of the tunnel, we arrived at the beautiful Balea Lake. This is the best place for views of the Transfăgărășan, as it is where it becomes the squiggliest, and is the section usually shown in. Whilst we were there, a classic car rally, which was part of the Sibiu Rally Championship, had commenced alongside all of the tourists on the road.

Here we found the cable car and also a couple of hotels and restaurants with a number of road side stalls selling local food, including cheese and honey, as well as souvenirs. Parking on the side of the road is free, but there is also a car park that charges a small fee. By the time we arrived here, it was already bustling as this is the main point that people drive to when approaching it from the other side, and where they stop to enjoy the views before turning back around and heading down again.

If you have time, then there are some walking trails to explore in this beautiful area. It really gave us time to escape the crowds and appreciate the amazing views. As we left the Transfăgărășan we headed onto the historic town of Sibiu, which you can read about in my Sibiu post.

This drive really is truly amazing, and you will be overwhelmed with stunning views, gushing waterfalls, natural gorges, staggering cliffs, and serene lakes. Yes, the road does look a bit scary, but don’t let that put your off, it drives very well and is an amazing experience you won’t forget anytime soon.

Driving Around Transylvania

Depending on what country you come from, driving around Transylvania can be a hair raising experience. Romanians drive on the right side of the road and pass on the left. Take caution on roads as many people still get around using horse and cart. The road conditions are usually good on major highways, but can get very rough on local unsealed roads. Romania received a significant amount of funding from the EU to improve their roads, so they are steadily improving.

Unfortunately passing lanes seem to be quite rare even though there are many major roads in Romania that are only single lane. This results in drivers creating their own “third lane” directly down the centre of the road. You will frequently find yourself heading towards a line of cars driving down the middle of the road in an attempt to pass as much traffic as they possibly can before pulling back into their lane at what seems the very last minute. If you have ever heard of the driving game ‘Chicken’, then this is it.

As most drivers in Romania are very impatient, don’t expect people to politely give way when you’re trying to pull out of a car park (so try reversing into your park as it makes for an easier escape) or let you in when you’re trying to get onto a busy road. They just expect you to push your way out, so don’t expect them to wait on you, you need to drive quite assertively.

Expect lots of roundabouts in Romania. If you haven’t driven through these before, then you need to give way to your left and indicate as you exit the roundabout. You may also notice that many people in Romania drive over the speed limit. This is obviously illegal and I did see a lot of traffic police pulling people over for this, so don’t assume that you will get away with it.

If you are planning to hire a car, then you will find most cars are manual. If you prefer an automatic, be aware that they generally cost more to hire. Also, they don’t tend to have as many, so book early to ensure you get one.

Don’t let this advice put you off hiring a car and driving around Transylvania. Here are some top tips to help you navigate with ease:

• Use Google’s free Offline Maps which allows you to access free maps for navigating that can be used offline i.e. you don’t need WIFI, data, or roaming to be able to use them. Follow this detailed guide on how to use Googles Offline Maps. Even if you have a data plan in Romania, don’t rely it incase you have trouble accessing the mobile networks.
• Using your phone as a GPS will drain your battery quickly, so use a [amazon_textlink asin=’B071KSBGNS’ text=’portable external battery charger’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’howbeautifullifeis-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’a604176d-c7ea-11e7-b658-afce30e8cfa4′] which you can use to charge your phone and any other USB chargeable devices.
• If you are driving, then make sure that you travel with a USB car phone charger, allowing you to plug in your USB phone charger into the power socket of your car. I like the [amazon_textlink asin=’B00ISGCAJM’ text=’Maxboost Smart Port Car Charger’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’howbeautifullifeis-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’7221e43e-d4f1-11e7-b46e-6d3a744568c4′] because it has two USB ports so other passengers can charge their device at the same time.
• If you prefer a paper map, then purchase a [amazon_textlink asin=’9633529735′ text=’Transylvanian road map’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’howbeautifullifeis-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’b8d6bdfd-e809-11e7-8f1f-f5a6c6b9ca30′] before you go. At least it’s reliable and won’t run out of battery or malfunction like the electronic options!

Practical Tips for Visiting Transylvania

• Tours to the Transfăgărășan: If you don’t want to hire a car, then don’t worry, you can still visit by joining a Transfăgărășan day tour from Bucharest, Brașov or Sibiu. There is also a small bus that goes from Sibiu up to the cable car.
• Wildflower season: Visit Transylvania in the spring to see the spectacular wildflower season.
• Language: Romanian. Although most people we came across spoke English in the tourist areas. However, do try your hand at a few Romanian words:
  • Yes = Da (da)
  • No = Nu (noo)
  • Please = Vă rog (vuh ROHG)
  • Thank you = Mulţumesc (Mool-tsoo-mesk)
  • Hello = Bună ziua (Boo-nuh zee-wa)
• Currency: Leu, plural lei (pronounced lay), which is abbreviated as RON
• Tipping: Not required, but people usually round up.
• Electricity: The electrical current is 230 volts AC. Wall outlets generally take the European two round prong plugs. However, you are better off purchasing a worldwide adaptor that can be used in Romania as well other countries. At least then you can potentially get some further use out of it on future vacations. If you’re taking a number of electronics with you, then I would recommend purchasing a couple of these adaptors.
• Navigating: Use Google’s free Offline Maps which allows you to access free maps for navigating that can be used offline i.e. you don’t need WIFI, data, or roaming to be able to use them. Follow this detailed guide on how to use Googles Offline Maps. Even if you have a data plan in Romania, don’t rely it in case you have trouble accessing the mobile networks.
  • Using your phone as a GPS will drain your battery quickly, so use a portable battery charger which you can use to charge your phone and any other USB chargeable devices.
  • If you prefer a paper map, then purchase a Romanian road map before you go. At least it’s reliable and won’t run out of battery or malfunction like the electronic options!
• Read more Essential Travel Tips and Information for Transylvania.

Want to See More?

This video takes you through the Transfăgărășan the same direction that we drove. Enjoy!