Transfaragasan (Romania)
 

Hello to everyone,

did anybody ride the Transfaragasan (Route 7C) in Romania in early May with a bike?
How are the road conditions? Are there any Motels or Campsites availible?

Any Info would be great.

Thanks

Steven

In Early may, there is a big chance of old snow, and closed road.

Ni3ous is right.
In 2010, the first day the entire road was open/ plowed was Sun, 13 June.

There's at least one motel/ hotel on the south side of the pass, part of a restaurant facility that used to be one of former dictator Ceauşescu's private hunting lodges. Didn't stay there, but it was reasonably cheap.

Google, guide books, whatever, will get you lots of detail (spelled "Transfăgărăşan").

Thank You for the quick reply.
I will have a look on the road conditions in late April again. Maybe we have an early spring this year. Otherwise I'll look for an other route trough the mountains. My trip lasts at least three to four Months and I have a lot of other highlights to see. I enclosed the link of my roundtrip and it's kind of test for a RTW maybe next year.

RTN 2011-1 - Google Maps

Drive save
Regards
Steven

Fantastic camp site in Carta a couple of miles from the start of the Transfagarassan road. We saw some wild camping along the side of the 7C, but as has already been mentioned the road may not be open. Last year in July still some snow at the top but thankfully the roads were clear.
Enjoy your trip, wish we were planning to ride in Europe but have to stay in the UK this year.

It`s impossible to go there on maj, you must test it in jun - july:mchappy:

hallo friends,
the Transfagarasan mountain pass is close in the winter special for travelers. For locals is not, depending of the snow and temperature local situation. In early spring, from time to time avalanches. In the area are a lot of accommodation facilities starting from camping up to 3 stars hotel.
The asphalt quality is variable along the road, in the southern area is not very good, but in the northern area is better. The road can be pass with any kind of automobile, and also with sport/speed motorbike. In the northern side you can find also a "telecabine", a cable transport facilities, up to 25 person if I'm remember well. They can carry also bicycle and skiing gears.
The road was build in socialist time with a huge effort by Romanian army engineers and was designed to be a short link for the army between two Romanian provinces just in case. The highes poit is about 2000 m (a little bit more) and in the top is a tunnel, long aprox 1 km, below the mountain peak. This tunnel have two metallic doors at the ends to be closed in bad meteo condition or bad militar situation.
Interesting is also another former strategic military road, from last year is (unfortunately) 95% asphalted called "Transalpina" (DN 67C). At the beginning was also a military road, build in the first world war for Romanian troops to go fast in Transilvania (temporary occupied by austro-ungarian troops) from Bucharest or southern regions.
These 2 roads (Trasnfagarasan and Transalpina) can be included in a very nice " mountain loop" for all kind of motorcycle, starting with sport/speed bikes up to adventure type or more, offroad and cross. depending what road you choose and how far from the road you want to go.
In our Romanian Motorcyclists Association (AMR) we have a Long distance Motorcycle Travellers (Expeditionary Corp) created special for this kind of journeys. I am in charge with this department, with a similar experience (expedition to Magadan myself, colleques was to Mongolia, etc.
Please feel free to contact us at sediu@amoro.ro for informations or help in travel organisation. We can help all aspects of a motorcycle travel, solitary or group, including for evacuate with vans, offroad and trailers, but I swear to not be the case. Skype and YM "danmth"
If ypu want we will find a Romanian motorcyclists to come with you.
all the best
Dan

Yeah Transalpina (DN 67C) is a must if one is in that area. I drove Transalpina in october 2010. Almost half a year ago. Cold as hell on the top. Parts of the road was not done yet. Still some 20 kilometer mud/gravel/dirt. But they say that the entire road will be finished soon. Most likely already during this upcoming spring/summer. Transalpina is around 100 km long in total and is as breathtaking as Transfagarasan. Not nearly as much trafic tho. Yet. ;) That will probably change when the road is all done and paved. I met one motorcycle and very few cars while going over the mountain. Lots of lorries tho since they did construction work on the road. Some pics....

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._4223757_n.jpg

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._2603677_n.jpg

Sincerely//Jan

I did in August 2010
 

As above road conditions were variable at best, that though was offset by the stunning scenery. I stayed in hotels all the way, found plenty of them and all were happy to haggle.
Thoroughly enjoyed Romania & the locals were welcoming as well.
I'll be going back for road number two...perhaps this year!

If you happy to play the accommodation game by ear you won't have any problems at all.

Happy riding!!

JC

I did in August 2010
 

As above road conditions were variable at best, that though was offset by the stunning scenery. I stayed in hotels all the way, found plenty of them and all were happy to haggle.
Thoroughly enjoyed Romania & the locals were welcoming as well.
I'll be going back for road number two...perhaps this year!

If you happy to play the accommodation game by ear you won't have any problems at all.

Happy riding!!

JC

What time of the year is the best to visit Transfaragasan?

I have heard that some of the Alpine passes are open a month early this year due to warm weather.

Warm weather? It snowed two weeks ago. Maybe in early June it will be open. This year the weather was very cold, this was the first week end with sun and not raining in the last month.

It should be fine from now on...
Best of luck, and good rides
Adrian

Transfaragasan (Romania) update. The road is still closed.
 

Hello to you all,

A friend of mine tried this week end (29th of May 2011) to ride the Transfagarasan. It is still closed.
He reckons that it will be another one or two weeks before its open (best case) due to massive snow and rocks on the road.

Safe travel,
Adrian

I'll be travelling from Sofia to Bucharest 23/24/25 July so will detour to take in the Transalpina (South to North) and Transfargarasan (North to South). Be good to meet up if anyone's around at that time.

PM sent.

Just did it.
 

Chaps I just rode the Transfaragasan a couple of weeks ago, perhaps the 16th June or something like that. There was still snow at the top, but the roads were clear apart from some gravel wash. At the top the tunnel was closed (gasp, shock, horror, thoughts of having to ride 76km back down the bloody mountain to go around) but actually the tunnel is open for pedestrians...

Which means, on our advanced forms of transport, if we take off the luggage we can squeeze the bike through the door, reload the luggage, drive 200m, unload the luggage, squeeze through another door, reload the luggage, and zoom off down the other side.

It's a pain in the ass but a hell of a lot better than a 76km backtrack.

It must also be said that the road on the Northern side is top notch... but the Southern side is demoralisingly awful. I'm on a ZZR (not known for it's off-road capabilities) which struggled painfully and had to give up for the night at Pension Nadine (recommended as a sweet place, although Nadine's husband is more welcoming than her!).

Hope this helps someone. Supposedly, the tunnel opens late June, but as I've said, it's not an issue.

Gotta agree, was there last year and the North side was like a racetrack, but the South side was just potholes for hours.

trafic
 

During the nice weather weekends of the summer the trafic is bad ,especially at noon. At the top, you can find a column of stationary cars, a couple of kilometers long, and no parking, but with a bike you can squeeze through.
On the south side the road is not good, but its worth seeing Vidraru dam, with its 156m height.

Hello guys,

I am now in Kiev and planning the rest of my trip back to switzerland.

Would like to ride the transfagarasan, can you give me some advices. I plan to visit a few cities in Transilvania, like Brasov and all the usual suspects..

In which way is it better to do the pass. I suppose, after Kiev, I will go to Lviv. According to my opensourcemaps, cross the border with Romania (Chemivtsi-Suceava) folowwing the DN2 and then the DN11 to Brasov.

So then from Brasov take the DN73 to Campulung, and then the DN7C in the direction of Sibiu.

What do you think about that? Some advices? Is it good in this way or it's better the other way round?

Thanks in advance

David

Hello,
I did the Transfagarasan this way ( from Curtea de Arges to Sibiu) in august very easy road when the weather is good, some traffic but not so much for this period of the year. But the best road is the Transalpina 67 C from Sebes to Rinca , now asphalted all the way ,no traffic and much more scenic. From Rinca I went Back and took the road to Petrosani nice too .
Enjoy

just came back from my balkan trip...the transfagarasan road coming from Cartisoara is well done and in a very good condition!

when you are on the top direction Curtea de Arges the roadconditions are not really good! the road is bad and full of potholes and other stuff....with the bike it was not easy to drive around the pottholes:oops2:

did the TF last week :funmeteryes: