5 Unmissable Road Trip Routes Around Bucharest

Bucharest sits within two hours’ drive of some of Romania’s most rewarding sights — a lake with a monastery on its own island, fortresses tied to Vlad the Impaler, former princely courts, and a nature reserve with its own miniature delta. With a car and a free day, or a full weekend, you can reach any of these five destinations on your own schedule, without waiting on trains or minibuses.

We picked five routes that cover the full range — from a 45-minute outing to a full day trip there and back — and for each one you’ll find the real driving distance from Bucharest, what’s actually worth seeing, the best season to go, and a driving tip that can save you an hour stuck in traffic or hunting for a parking spot. If you haven’t booked a car yet, you can browse every option in our fleet of cars and fill out the booking form in a few minutes, with the price shown instantly.

1. Snagov Lake and Monastery — 40 minutes, an afternoon trip

Snagov is roughly 40 kilometers north of Bucharest on the DN1, a drive that normally takes 35-45 minutes from the northern part of the city (Pipera, Băneasa) and a bit longer if you’re starting from downtown during rush hour. Lake Snagov stretches over 15 kilometers and holds, on a small island, a monastery built in the 16th century — best known for the legend that Vlad the Impaler is buried there. Historians disagree on the claim, but the empty tomb inside the church remains one of the most photographed details in the area.

Beyond the monastery, which you reach by a short boat ride from the nearby pier for a small fee, the lakeshore is lined with restaurants with decks over the water, rowing clubs, and short walking trails through the surrounding oak forest. In summer you can rent a paddleboard or a pedal boat; in winter, when the edges of the lake freeze over, it’s a quiet spot for a short walk.

The best season for water activities runs from May to September, though the monastery and the forest are pleasant to visit the rest of the year too, when there are fewer crowds.

Driving tip: the DN1 toward Snagov gets busy on Saturday and especially Sunday afternoons on the way back into Bucharest, so leave early in the morning if you can. Parking near the pier is free but limited on weekends — if it’s full, there are a few unpaved pull-offs along the road to the monastery. Since this is a short trip, any Economy-class car, like a Dacia Logan or Dacia Sandero, handles it easily and keeps fuel costs down.

2. Peleș Castle, Sinaia, and the Prahova Valley — 1h30, a full-day trip

Sinaia is about 120 kilometers from Bucharest on the DN1 through Ploiești and Comarnic, a drive that normally takes an hour and a half but can stretch to two hours in summer or on busy weekends, when the Prahova Valley becomes one of the most congested road corridors in the country.

Peleș Castle, built in the late 19th century as King Carol I’s summer residence, is considered one of the best-preserved castles in Eastern Europe — plan at least 90 minutes for the interior tour, plus time for the gardens and for Pelișor, the smaller castle nearby. In the same area you can visit Sinaia Monastery, the oldest building in the resort town, dating to 1695, or take the cable car up to Cota 1400 and Cota 2000 for views over the Bucegi mountains.

The best season is June through September, when every section of the castle is open to visitors and the mountain trails nearby are walkable. Peleș stays open in winter too, but on a reduced schedule, and the mountain roads can have patches of snow and ice.

Driving tip: winter tires are legally required on the Prahova Valley between November 1 and March 31, and our fleet cars are fitted with them automatically for that period. Parking in central Sinaia is tight on weekends — the simplest option is the official paid lot right by the Peleș entrance, which almost always has space. On the winding roads in this area, a hybrid like the Toyota Corolla Hybrid performs very well and keeps fuel consumption low over the distance, while a Nissan Qashqai in the Family SUV class gives you more trunk space if you’re traveling with family and luggage — see the full comparison in SUV or sedan: how to choose the right car.

3. Curtea de Argeș and Poenari Fortress — 2 hours, a full-day trip

Curtea de Argeș is about 180 kilometers from Bucharest, most often reached via the A1 motorway to Pitești and then the DN73C, a route that takes roughly two hours under normal traffic.

In town, Curtea de Argeș Monastery — Romania’s royal necropolis, where Kings Carol I and Ferdinand are buried — stands out for its exterior ornamentation in a Byzantine-Oriental style unlike anything else in Romanian church architecture. About 25 minutes further on, on the shore of Lake Vidraru, sits Poenari Fortress — the actual stronghold tied to Vlad the Impaler, and historically far more authentic than Bran Castle. Getting up means climbing 1,480 concrete steps, a 20-30 minute effort, but the view over the Argeș Valley from the top makes it worthwhile.

The best season runs from May to October — the steps up to Poenari get slippery and dangerous in rain or snow, and access is closed temporarily in bad weather.

Driving tip: a rovinietă (road vignette) is required by law on Romanian motorways and national roads alike, not just as a toll like in some other countries — our fleet cars already include it, so there’s nothing extra to buy. Parking at the base of Poenari Fortress is small and unpaved; arrive early on weekend mornings or you’ll end up parking along the road. Since this is a round trip of over 350 kilometers, mileage policy matters: most of our fleet cars have unlimited mileage, and on return you’re only asked to bring the fuel level back to what it was at pickup, nothing more. For a long drive like this, a comfortable Business-class sedan like the Skoda Octavia, or a Dacia Duster in the Compact SUV class for the mountain stretch, are both solid picks — and if you want to weigh a deposit versus a deposit-free booking before you set off, the guide on deposit vs. no-deposit car rental lays out the trade-offs.

4. Târgoviște, the Former Princely Capital — 1h15, a half-day trip

Târgoviște is roughly 85 kilometers northwest of Bucharest on the DN7 or DN71, about an hour and 15 minutes under normal conditions, a bit more if there’s roadwork on the DN7 — worth a quick check before you leave, since sections of that route are frequently under repair.

The Princely Court in Târgoviște served as the seat of Wallachia’s rulers for more than three centuries, including Vlad the Impaler and Michael the Brave. The site’s landmark is Chindia Tower, a 15th-century watchtower rebuilt in the 19th century, which gives you a good view over the whole complex. Right next to it, the History Museum and the Gheorghe Petrașcu House-Studio round out a two-to-three-hour visit.

The best season is really year-round, though spring and autumn are the most pleasant for walking through the open court; midday in summer can get uncomfortably hot, since the pathways don’t offer much shade.

Driving tip: the route is straightforward, with no mountain sections, so it suits any car class — a Skoda Fabia in the Compact class or even an Economy-class car handles it without issue and keeps the cost per kilometer low. Parking near Chindia Park is free and usually has open spots, even on weekends.

5. Comana Natural Park — 45 minutes, a short family trip

Comana is about 45 kilometers south of Bucharest, reached via the DN5 and then a county road, roughly 45 minutes from the southern part of the city.

This is the largest protected area near the capital — a floodplain forest and wetland reserve, sometimes called Bucharest’s mini delta, covering more than 3,000 hectares. You can take a boat ride along the canals, watch for birds (more than 130 species, including herons and gulls), and near the entrance you’ll find Comana Monastery, founded in the 16th century with its own historical ties to Vlad the Impaler.

The best season is April through June and September, when the vegetation is at its fullest and birdwatching gives the best results; avoid the days right after heavy rain, when the dirt access roads become hard to drive.

Driving tip: the last stretch to the reserve is a county road, not always perfectly paved, so we’d recommend a car with a bit more ground clearance — a Dacia Duster, or for families traveling with kids and luggage, a Dacia Jogger in the Minivan/7-seater class, are both good fits. Being a short outing, it won’t affect your mileage allowance, but it’s still worth booking ahead on weekends, since the parking spots near the monastery fill up quickly after 10 a.m.

Quick checklist before you leave

Whichever route you pick, a few quick checks keep the day free of surprises:

• ✓ Check the documents required to rent a car in Romania ahead of time — ID, driving licence, and, if you choose the deposit option, a card the deposit can be held on.
• ✓ The minimum rental age is 21, with the licence held for at least one year — confirm this before you pick a car.
• ✓ For mountain routes like Sinaia or Curtea de Argeș, aim for May through October if you want full access to every sight.
• ✓ The rovinietă is already included on our fleet cars, so there’s nothing extra to buy for national roads or motorways.
• ✓ For short trips like Snagov or Comana, an Economy-class car keeps the cost per kilometer down; for mountain routes or longer distances, a hybrid or an SUV gives you more comfort.
• ✓ Most fleet cars come with unlimited mileage — useful especially on the Curtea de Argeș route, which runs over 350 kilometers round trip.
• ✓ Book ahead on weekends and especially in summer, when demand for cars picks up noticeably across all three pickup locations.

Whichever route you pick, the booking process stays the same: choose the car, the rental period, and the pickup point, see the price instantly in both variants — with deposit or without — and fill out the form online in a few minutes; once you submit it, our team calls to confirm the details. You can pick up the car in central Bucharest, at Henri Coandă Airport in Otopeni, or in the Băneasa area, whichever suits your route best. If you’d like to know more about who we are and how we work, the about us page has the short version; and if you want to see every available car before settling on a route, the full fleet is one click away.