Following a river cruise (Bucharest-Budapest), we struck out on our own road trip (more our travel style) to explore Romania. I reached out to this group prior to leaving as I heard/read more than a fair bit of negative information. Spoiler alert --- most of it was not true, at least when we were there. This was an exploration of countryside (lush & fertile), churches (wooden, painted, fortified) and castles and it did not disappoint.
The intitial hurdle was renting a car; the hurdle was age related. We had planned to rent in Romania, but had no luck, so we rented a car in Hungary (Budapest airport) from Alamo. Yes, we had to pay an additional "senior" fee, $96, but the car was almost brand new and pick up was quick and easy. We opted for full insurance due to all the negative things we had heard to beware of in Romania, but it wasn't very expensive, and worth the peace of mind. There is a fee for the Hungarian toll vignette, but that was required anyway so we were happy it was on the car already. I tried to buy the Romanian one online after we got the car, but they couldn't "find" the license number and refunded my money. That turned out to be a good thing, because it was MUCH cheaper at a gas station after crossing the border. Crossing the border also turned out to be a non-event, and we crossed at two different locations- north south. Except for a border sign we just drove across. Old check stations were growing grass, there were no border guards.
We drove from Budapest to Eger, stopping to explore there a bit. It was fine for a walk about, but nothing too exciting. From there we drove into Romania, and spent the first night in Satu Mare. Our circular route took us through the Marmures & Bucovina regions in the north, then dropping down into Transylvania before heading west again to Hungary. We pre-booked all our hotels and were VERY pleasantly surprised as to how cheap they were. Most included breakfast and free onsight parking.
We heard/read many horror stories about driving/parking in Romania and really the only thing that (luckily ?) was true, was the lack of parking. There were no break-ins or malicious damage, even in the few public lots we parked in when there was no locked parking areas at hotels. I will say the drivers there were pretty crazy. They drive at warp speed, pass in and out constanly, rarely signal their intentions, and sit right on each others bumpers. Country roads are very narrow, have no shoulders, and often have deep drainage ditches on the side, sometimes changing into gravel without warning. You must always be vigilant for animals roaming across the road, horse drawn carts and people standing in the streets talking, or suddenly darting across.
Even in larger cities Romania is not well set up for tourists. Guides and local agents bemoaned this fact, too. It appears wanting to build the tourist trade is a mixed bag with Romania. What this means for travelers now --- 1. many places don't have the horribly high influx of tourists most European countries face today. (That's a plus, so go now if you are thinking about it.)
2. Prices for lodging & food was REALLY cheap overall. Food portions are HUGE (we quickly settled in to sharing a main). If you are vegetarian, good luck, except in major cities & even there it's a challenge. The food is very meat centric & heavy. That being said we had some tasty meals even if they were a bit repetitive. My husband was thrilled about cheap beer prices!
3. If you are a senior, many places offer discounted rates for tickets, which isn't often the case in other countries, unless you are a local.
4. A lot of "typical" tourist infastructure is lacking --- public bathrooms, information in other languages is hit & miss, inconsistent information online and at local sites. . .
We stayed in Szeged, Hungary before returning to Budapest and it was delightful. Lots of gorgeous architecture, a variety of restaurants, vibrant street life & not many tourists.