Transportation Options from Bulgaria to Romania

Posted by dougalleng on 10/11/25 02:11 AM

I am flying into Sofia and out of Bucharest, and exploring options on crossing the border. I'll spend most of my trip in Bulgaria and the last few days in Romania. I'm renting a car in Sofia. My plan was to travel roughly east and see a few Black Sea beaches, and then cross into Romania. My options seem limited and involve quite a bit of compromise.

I cannot find good options to return the car anywhere close to the border and cross over. I do not want to rent from a local rental company because of the stories I hear of hidden fees and bad experiences, so I'm limited to large international companies.

I can return the car to Sofia and take train/bus/plane to Bucharest (major loss of total travel time)
Drop off the car in Varna (very expensive) and fly to Bucharest

Getting from Bulgaria to Romania must be common, so what are the other options?

Thank you.

Posted by Mardee

Minnesota🌲

10/11/25 07:16 AM

10339 posts

It sounds like you’ve covered your options. And that is one of the reasons why I decided not to tack Bulgaria onto my Romania trip. The logistics were just too difficult.

One other thing you didn’t mention is that if you pick up your car in Bulgaria and then drop it off in Romania, it will probably be even more expensive than dropping it off on the other side of Bulgaria. Changing countries can really tack on an expensive fee.

I think if it were me, I would just bite the bullet, return the car to Sophia and then fly from Sofia to Bucharest. And enjoy your time there. I really liked Bucharest. It has real charm and a nice atmosphere. When you’re there, don’t miss the Dimitrie Gustri National Village Museum, which is an open air museum with reconstructions of early village buildings in Romania. It was beautiful.

Posted by Mr Ê 🇺🇸 🇺🇦

Republic of Texas / U.S.A. / Magyarország / Budapest

10/11/25 07:53 AM

24054 posts

Put together your best do-it-yourself plan with a rental car and/or flights. Then contact this lady and ask her how much it would cost if she took care of your transportation. Pavlina Docheva, Easy Bulgaria Travel, +359 87 895 6414, www.easybulgariatravel.com, [email protected]

Posted by acraven

Washington DC

10/11/25 12:42 PM

29511 posts

I visited both those countries in 2015, crossing the border on a train. Rail service was very slow and infrequent then, and that may still be the case. If you haven't checked into these options, I recommend doing so:

Could you drop the car in Ruse (supposedly an attractive city, but I didn't hop off the train there, so I have no personal knowledge), cross the border by taking a taxi to Giurgiu and then pick up a Romanian bus or train to Bucharest?
Do AutoEurope, Kemwel, or Gemut have any drop-off possibilities near the border? Those are all consolidators working with multiple rental companies. AutoEurope seems the most heavily used by American tourists; it's an American company that has been recommended in guidebooks literally for decades. There have been quite a few positive comments on the forum about AutoEurope, which has a reputation for being of assistance to its customers if a problem comes up at the rental counter. Its rates are reported sometimes to be lower than what you run into with a direct rental.

Mr. E's suggestion should also be considered. Romania and Bulgaria are comparatively low-cost countries. Use of a private driver for at least part of your itinerary could be possible at a reasonable price.