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Trains in Romania
Trains in Romania service every town and city in this seriously underrated country! The Romanian rail network is the 4th largest and most dense in Europe. Even in villages you're often no further than 10km from a railway station. Comfortable, relaxing and easy to use, trains are the most popular and rewarding way of getting around Romania.
Train types in Romania
You can travel freely throughout Romania on trains operated by the Romanian railway company CFR (Căile Ferate Române). In addition to these domestic services, there are international trains to nearby countries. You can find times for Romanian trains in the Interrail timetable or on the website of CFR.
- Route Map
- Domestic Trains
- International Trains
- Night Trains
![Map with main train connections in Romania](/content/dam/images/interrail/romania.adaptive.767.1626953431914.jpg)
Regional and Intercity trains in Romania
Regio (RE)
Slow trains with frequent stops, connecting smaller towns and villages along commuter routes.
Bicycles permitted on board. You need to buy a bike ticket.
Formerly known as "Personal" trains.
No reservation required.
InterRegio (IR)
Faster trains covering longer distances, stopping at important towns and cities.
Bicycles permitted on board. You need to buy a bike ticket.
Formerly known as "Rapid" and "Accelerat" trains.
Reservations are required on many routes.
Intercity (IC)
Fast trains connecting the main cities in Romania.
They also link to international destinations, mainly Budapest.
Reservations are required.
Special (S)
Vintage tourist trains on scenic routes.
Exceptional conditions apply.
International trains in Romania
InterCity (IC)
- Bucharest – Craiova – Timisoara – Arad – Budapest
- Timisoara – Arad – Budapest
- Brasov – Cluj Napoca – Oradea – Budapest
EuroCity (EC)
- Cluj Napoca – Oradea – Budapest – Vienna
- Baia Mare – Satu Mare – Debrecen – Budapest – Vienna
Other international trains
- Bucharest – Ruse – Sofia (runs June 21st till October 9th)
- Bucharest – Ruse – Varna (runs June 21st till October 9th)
- Bucharest – Ruse (runs all year round)
- Craiova – Vidin (Bulgaria)
Domestic Night trains in Romania
Romania has one of the most extensive night train networks in Europe with trains running to every corner of the country. Plenty of international night train routes exist as well.
Intercity (IC) and InterRegio (IR) night trains
- Couchettes and sleepers added to Intercity and InterRegio trains on overnight routes.
- Reservations are required.
- You can make use of the following domestic night train routes:
- Bucharest – Craiova – Timisoara
- Bucharest – Brasov – Beclean pe somes – Sighetu Marmatiei
- Bucharest – Brasov – Beclean pe somes – Baia Mare
- Bucharest – Brasov – Cluj Napoca – Oradea – Satu mare
- Bucharest – Ploiesti – Buzau – Suceava – Vatra Dornei
- Bucharest – Buzau – Buzau – Iasi
- Timisoara – Arad – Cluj Napoca – Suceava – Iasi
- The following domestic night trains only run on during summer season:
- Mangalia – Constanta – Beclean pe somes – Baia Mare – Satu Mare
- Constanta – Bucharest – Brasov – Cluj Napoca – Oradea
- Mangalia – Constanta – Bucharest – Craiova – Timisoara – Arad
- Constanta – Pascani – Suceava
International Night trains in Romania
- International night train connecting Bucharest with Budapest (Hungary) and Vienna (Austria).
- Reservations are required.
- You can make use of the following domestic night train routes:
- Bucharest – Brasov – Sibiu – Budapest
- Bucharest – Craiova – Timisoara – Budapest (– Vienna)
- Bucharest – Brasov – Sighisoara – Budapest – Vienna
- Cluj Napoca – Oradea – Budapest – Vienna
- Brasov – Miercurea Ciuc – Oradea – Budapest
- Other night trains
- Bucharest – Istanbul Halkali (Summer season only)
Popular connections
- Domestic routes
- International routes
Route | Duration (Regional train) | Reservations (Intercity) |
---|---|---|
Bucharest to Brasov | 2h 30m | Required |
Bucharest to Timisoara | 20h | Required |
Bucharest to Cluj Napoca | 8h 30m | Required |
Bucharest to Constanta | 2h | Required |
Bucharest to Iasi | 6h | Required |
Bucharest to Sibiu | 5h 40m | Required |
Here are some direct train routes linking Romania with popular cities in other European countries:
Route | Which train? | Duration | Reservations |
---|---|---|---|
Brasov to Budapest (Hungary) | Intercity / EuroNight | 13h (overnight) | Required |
Bucharest to Budapest (Hungary) | Intercity / EuroNight | 16h / 15h 30m (overnight) | Required |
Bucharest to Sofia (Bulgaria)* | International Train | 9h 30m | Required |
Bucharest to Vienna (Austria) | EuroNight | 18h 30m (overnight) | Required |
Bucharest to Istanbul (Turkey) | Night Train | 19h 45m (overnight) | Required |
Cluj to Budapest (Hungary) | EuroCity / Night Train | 7h 30m / 8h 30m (overnight) | Required |
*The train from Bucharest to Istanbul ends at Istanbul Halkali station, from here you can take a metro/Marmaray train to the city centre and under the Bosphorus to the Asian side. Make sure to have Turkish Lira notes beforehand, as most metro-ticket machines do not take bank cards.
Reservations
How can I make reservations for trains in Romania?
Interrail reservation self-service system
- Interrail
- Interregio, Euro Night, domestic night trains
Administration costs when booking through Interrail self-service
- € 2,- p.p.per train
- Additional € 9,- per order (for paper tickets)
With railway carriers
- ÖBB (Austrian railways): Some international trains to Hungary and Austria
Locally at the train station in Romania
For more information about train reservation costs on Romanian railways, check our list of domestic train reservation fees.
Get your Pass for Romania
Tips and tricks for Romania
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Go the Last Mile
Found yourself at the end of the line, but not at your destination? When public transportation ends, it's time to take matters into your own hands: rent a car for the last kilometers!
Interrailers get up to a 15% discount on all Avis retail prices.
You can find more information in the Terms & Conditions.
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