Traveling around and outside of Romania: Transport Information

Wise

16.03.22 (updated more than 1 year ago)

Read time 7 minutes

Romania has opened its borders to those fleeing the war in Ukraine. The main entry points from Ukraine into Romania are:

Halmeu/ Dyakovo,
Sighetu Marmației/ Solotvino
Siret/ Porubne
Isaccea/ Orlivka (by ferry)

The real-time traffic and wait times at the borders can be found at the Border Patrol website.

It is understood that many refugees will also be coming through the border point at Giurgiulesti, Moldova to enter Romania. In all cases, refugees should present:

A Passport
Identifying documents, or
a birth certificate (primarily in the case of children).

Even if you do not have documentation, you will be allowed into the country. But it is advisable to carry whatever identity documents you have with you. Unaccompanied children are allowed to cross into Romania, and individuals with pets can bring them into the country, and will need to complete a pet form at the border.

The Romanian government has also opened up refugee camps at the following locations:

Maramures
Suceava
Botosani
Tulcea
Iasi
Galati
Satu Mare
Vaslui

Once in Romania, the camps will be able to provide temporary accommodation, food, and medical services.¹

Ukrainian citizens with Ukrainian biometric passports can enter Romania and stay for up to 90 days. Those with non-biometric passports, a visa for EU member states, or a Ukrainian residence permit can also stay for up to 90 days. Individuals without any documents will be assessed at the border point. All can request temporary protected status to remain in Romania.

Temporary protected status in Romania allows for:

Ability to stay in Romania
Access to healthcare
Right to work
Access to education

Third-country nationals who have previously lived in Ukraine but don’t have a residence permit or Ukrainian passport, will be provided with free health services upon entering Romania. They will then be helped to return to their home countries. Those who can not be repatriated home safely can request temporary protected status.

If you don’t have a passport, you can also be allowed entry into Romania with a government-issued ID or birth certificate. But a biometric Ukrainian passport will make it easier for individuals crossing into Romania to access services.²

For medical services, Ukrainian citizens have access to medical assistance similar to that of Romanian citizens. The medical services can be in the form of:

Primary care and treatment
Emergency hospital care
COVID vaccination
Medical care and treatment

The Romanian government is making special arrangements, especially for access and rights to education. Ukrainian children are entitled to:

Free accommodation
Food allowance
School supplies
Clothing and footwear
Textbooks
Free public transport
Basic food to all primary and secondary school children

The Ministry of Education has announced that Ukrainian university students can seek enrollment in Romanian universities.

Further, refugees can request asylum status in Romania. This is a separate process that includes submitting documents if possible, fingerprinting, and photos. It requires remaining in Romania until the asylum application is granted, and the application process can take 1-2 months.³

The Romanian government is setting up resources for Ukrainian refugees once in Romania. The government has also set up hotlines and a website in order to provide additional and up to date information:⁴

Service	Contact
Romanian Border Police	(+4) 021.9590
General Inspectorate for Immigration	(+4) 021.410.75.13
Emergency Service	112
Emergencies related to children, including those without families	119
Romanian government website for Ukraine- together we help more	Online

Here are additional community-created websites and local news for resources and information:

The European Union is allowing Ukrainian citizens the right to stay in EU member nations for up to 1 year. This provision allows for aid in accommodation, education, health care, and stay. The stay can be extended to up to another 2 years, so 3 years total if the conflict has not reached an end in the first 12 months.

This does not extend to third-country nationals in Europe. These individuals will be supported in returning to their home countries with expatriation flights.⁵

How to move around Romania?

Upon entering the country, there are multiple options to continue to move towards a specific destination in Romania, the country’s larger cities, or to other parts of Europe.

If you are heading to the capital from the border, the time it takes to travel to Bucharest can take anywhere from 2-10 hours depending on your entry point.

Bus

The transportation company Romfour is providing 2 nonstop buses and 2 mini buses for Ukrainian refugees entering at Vama Siret. These buses will take you for free to:⁶

Train stations
Bus stations
Suceava airport

Romfour is also providing accommodations to those that need it. To help facilitate departures, Romfour has provided a dispatch number with a Ukrainian speaker:

Romfour Ukrainian dispatch number: 0756 427 384

Tabita Tours is providing Ukrainian refugees with free transport to train stations, bus stations, and the Suceava airport. Tabita is currently present at Siret and will soon be expanding to other border crossings.⁷

Tabita Tours helpline: +40 756 333 898

Tarsin is also making buses available at the border with Ukraine to take refugees to the airport, bus stations, or train stations.

Tarsin helpline: +40 230 560 555

Both Romfour and Tabita are also providing support to Ukrainians heading to other parts of Europe; see the next section for more information.

In general, there are over 2,000 bus companies in Romania that travel between the cities, towns, and small villages. One of the best options to identify the correct bus to take for where you want to go, is to use the website Autogari.

Autogari can provide information on the bus operators going to your destination, timetable, ticket prices, and contact details for the bus line.

It is advisable to arrive at the bus stop 20-30 minutes before the bus is to depart.

Train

Romania has the 4th largest railway network in Europe, which means most villages and small towns are accessible by train. The major rail network is CFR (Caile Ferate Romane), which has both regular and high-speed trains.

Ukrainian citizens and refugees from Ukraine can ride the CFR network for free within Romania. Once you have entered the country, you can get a “Help Ukraine Ticket” valid for 2nd class Regio and Interregio trains. There are 3 ways to get a CFR ticket:

At the railway station
Train staff, upon showing valid ID documents confirming your entry into Romania
CFR Călători travel agencies

You will need to show your free travel ticket and identity documents on the train. Minors are not required to show an identity document as long as they are with an adult.

You must use the free train ticket for the date and train listed on the ticket. It can not be postponed. One can take 1st class travel or a ‘sleeper train’ if they pay the difference between the 2nd class free ticket and the desired seat. ⁸

There are also daily trains on CFR that run from Bucharest Nort to Henri Coandă International Airport and back. It takes about 20-25 minutes of travel time and makes stops at Parc Mogoșoaia and Patinoar PO. ⁹

Taxi

Romania has both app-based taxi services, like Uber and Bolt, as well as local taxi operators. Depending on where you are, and where you would like to go, you can call one of the following services. Although, it is often recommended to use one of the app-based services for clear and straightforward pricing upfront.

Bolt and Uber are both present in Romania and can be used in these cities:

Alba Iulia (Bolt)
Arad
Bacau
Baia Mare
Brăila (Bolt)
Brasov
Bucharest
Buzau
Cluj-Napoca (Bolt)
Constanța
Craiova
Galati
Iasi
Oradea
Piatra Neamț (Bolt)
Pitesti
Ploiesti
Râmnicu Vâlcea (Bolt)
Sibiu (Bolt)
Suceava
Targu Mures
Timisoara
Valea Prahovei (Bolt)

There are no current discounts or rides to Ukrainian refugees in Romania,but Uber is providing free rides between the border towns in Ukraine and Poland. Bolt has also been donating to local charities. ¹⁰

In the larger cities, including Bucharest, you can find officially licensed taxis to call and book. Both Star Taxi and Meridian Taxi are options.

How to go from Romania to a neighbouring country

If you are looking to move further into Europe or to a specific destination outside of Romania, there are multiple ways to traveland many companies are offering support to Ukrainian refugees.

Flixbus is offering all nationalities fleeing the conflict in Ukraine free travel on buses leaving from Bucharest. Route maps and stops across Europe can be found on the Flixbus website. ¹¹

To get a ticket on Flixbus, you can send an email or book via the website chat feature. The chat feature is easiest and faster. Here is how to do either:

By email:

Send an email to service@flixbus.com.ua with the following required information:

Subject line: UKRAINE
Departing from - in this case, Bucharest
Destination
Date and time of requested departure
Ful name of all passengers
Phone number
Email address for tickets

For chat:

Access the English or Ukrainian language Help page
Find the chat box at the bottom right of page
Enter your full name and email
Select “voucher” under category
Select a “subcategory”
A Flixbus representative will help in booking the tickets

For local bus lines, Romfour, Tabita, and Tarsin are offering transport to surrounding European countries.

Romfour is providing 10 free tickets every Friday for Ukrainian refugees for transportation to Italy. They are also providing discounted tickets to:

Germany
France
Belgium
Netherlands
Luxembourg
Switzerland
Denmark
Austria
Slovakia
Czech Republic

Romfour can be reached at the number 0756 427 384.¹²

Tabita Tour is offering buses to Spain, Italy, and France for free for children and at a discounted price for adults. Tabita Tours can be contacted at: +40 756 333 898¹³

For trains, CFR Călători is connected to the Interrail and Eurail system. From Romania, you can take a CFR Călători train to Hungary, Germany, and Austria to then connect further on into Europe. Train tickets are free for Ukrainian refugees travelling to the border of Romania, upon which you will then be provided a free ticket, if applicable, by the next country’s railway system.

Major countries providing free rail travel for Ukrainian refugees:¹⁴

German Rail (DB)
Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB)
Belgian National Railways (SNCB)
Netherlands Railways (NS)
Eurostar
Poland Railways (PKP)
Slovakia Railways (ZSSK)
Czech Railways (ČD)

Lastly, WizzAir is offering free one-way flights for Ukrainian refugees from several countries, including Romania. To get a free ticket, you are required to have your Ukrainian passport when purchasing the ticket and checking in. There are 100,000 free tickets and the offer is currently for March 2022. All flights fly out of Henri Coandă International Airport.¹⁵

Main methods of travel

Here are the main stations and transportation points across Romania.

Main train stations¹⁶

Romania has one of the most extensive railway systems in Europe. Here is a list of major train stations in Romania, and you can find the full list of train stations and their services here.

International airports ¹⁷

There are 12 international airports in Romania, with the main hub being Henri Coandă International Airport in Bucharest. Here is a list of the airports:

Main bus stations ¹⁸

Romania has bus connectivity across the country. Here are a few of the major bus stations, but the full list can be found on Autogari. Bucharest has numerous bus stops for different bus companies so ensure you find the right bus stop for your bus line.

Sources:

Romania Insider

Romanian gov statement

Education for students

Info for Ukrainian citizens in Romania

Tabita tours interntional

Autogari

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