Travelling time in Romania
 

I'm after some advice from those who've ridden / live in Romania.

Next year I'm quite pressed for travelling time during my summer break. I live in the UK and am basically riding a large-ish circle to Romania and back via southern Germany and northern Italy. My plan is to take 20 days in total. I'm considering riding from Cluj-Napoca to Bran in a day (via Transalpina?) and then Bran to Deva the next day, before heading on towards Italy. I appreciate that this isn't a great deal of time there, but there's quite a lot I want t do in the short time I have.

In your opinion, are these two days manageable mile wise? Although the country looks very beautiful, I've heard from some that some of the road surfaces making longer days a challenge.

Thanks in advance.

Google maps shows Cluj-Napoca to Bran, via Transalpina as a 9 hour, 290mile trip. Add in a few stops for food and water and the inevitable convoys of lorries on some of the roads, and you will add a few more hours to that.
It would be doable, but not very enjoyable.

I don't know how Google calculates the routes, but from Cluj to Bran via the Transfagarash is only about 425 kms, which is quite doable, esp. on a bike which makes it easier to overtake any slower vehicles.

The question is which bike you're riding. If you take the main roads even a street bike is ok, but there is much traffic. Taking the secondary roads is preferable, but they are usually in a bad condition. Here a normal street bike wouldn't be my choice :thumbdown:

Thanks to both. I'll be on an Africa Twin. When I had a look at Google maps, it suggested 4h30 or there abouts. I agree that with stops (food, scenery!) it would be more like 6-7 hours. I was concerned with potential road surfaces. Sounds like main roads might be easier for the time frame, and possibly add another day if I can to enjoy it a little more!

Edit - I've been having another look, and I think I'll probably spend a day riding a few miles to and beyond the Transalpina, and then spend most of that day riding / enjoying the scenery ON the Transalpina! What's an extra day? Work can wait a little longer!

Yea, I thought I could do Arad to Brasov one year, before they built the motorway. The old road (A7?) was a sh#t road. Just a normal two lane A road with villages every couple of miles or so. Lorries nose to tail heading to and from the border. Add in the obligatory mental car drivers and....you get the picture.
We made it as far as Sibiu that first night.
I now treat Eastern European miles a little different to Western miles.

I spent a week riding in Romania earlier this summer on my ST 1100 (not a small or lightweight bike), and had no problems at all with the roads.

This is the 4th time in the past 10 years I have been riding in Romania. Every year, the roads get considerably better - likely this is the result of a lot of investment by the other European Community countries.

My two cents: The primary and secondary roads in Romania are as good as you will find just about anywhere outside of Germany & Switzerland. No need to allocate extra time for travel on account of road conditions.

Michael

We're just back from Romania on an XR650L and a F650GS.
Perfectly doable and the road state is very good.

Forget the Transalpina. It's a hype in my opinion. Rode it, didn't like it.
It's boring riding wise and landscape wise.The 7A is SO much better.

The Transfagarasan on the other hand is a dream.

Avoid Bran, it's a friggin' Disneyland. We did the castle...doh

Here's my suggestion for a two day ride.

https://www.google.de/maps/dir/Cluj-...16!2m1!1b1!3e0

Did Cluj-Turda-Transalpina-Steierdorf in a day in a Skoda Rapid last September. The roads are bad in places, but mostly quite okay.

Make sure you go to the Turda Salt Mine on the way.

Just got back from Romania 4 weeks ago and saw most of the country in a 3 1/2 week tour in a 4x4. If you are running a rally you can do what you suggested. However, it will not be fun and you will have no time to stop and look around.
If you want an enjoyable trip, you need to at least add 50%, if not double your time calculation. Romania is great, safe and you will enjoy it.
I did both the Transalpina and Faragas and found them both great. The asphalt is very decent. There are a lot of nice things to see in Romania. Fuel is abundantly available as are groceries.
I saw lot's of cute little bed and breakfast places to stay and they usually wanted about Euro 20-30/night.
I slept in my Land Rover in bivouacs off the mountain tracks so I did not check out the B&Bs, but they looked great.

Land Rover parking in Istanbul
 

Hello Photoby
We drove LNd to Hong Kong in our LR in 2013
Doing it again but different route and ending in Beijing . May I ask you please the bivouacs you speak of, are they your own or for the public to use?
Thank you . Jill