Trip planningBy Clever Tourists · Published
A 12-day trip to Romania costs roughly $420 to $600 per person on the ground on a budget and $900 to $1,680 mid-range, plus the flight. That is about $35 to $50 a day budget and $75 to $140 mid-range, the same bands as our daily travel budget by country. Castle tickets and car hire are the main variable costs; trains and food are cheap. We spent 22 days in Romania from 17 October to 8 November 2022: Oradea, Cluj-Napoca, Deva, Sibiu, Sighisoara, Brasov, Sinaia and Bucharest, so the route below follows ground we covered. Romania is in the EU and Schengen but uses the leu (about 4.77 RON to the dollar in late October 2026), not the euro. The figures are typical 2026 prices from operators and travel-cost sources, not what we spent.
Free toolConvert to your own currency at live rates →Live mid-market rates for all 17 currencies we used, so you can see what a price actually costs.The totals assume 12 days on the ground, per person, with two people splitting a room at mid-range. Daily bands are the same as our daily travel budget by country: $35 to $50 budget and $75 to $140 mid-range.
• Budget: about $420 to $600 on the ground, split roughly as accommodation $150 to $210; food and drink $130 to $180; getting around $60 to $90; sights and activities $50 to $70; extras (SIM, tips, fees) $30 to $50. Dorm beds, regional trains and buses, canteen-style lunches and supermarket dinners.
• Mid-range: about $900 to $1,680 on the ground, split roughly as accommodation $400 to $760; food and drink $220 to $420; getting around $110 to $200; sights and activities $110 to $200; extras (SIM, tips, fees) $50 to $100. Hotels in Brasov, Sibiu and Bucharest, restaurant dinners, castle entries and a rental car for a few days.
• With a return flight from the US ($714 to $916 in our fare snapshot): budget about $1,150 to $1,500, mid-range about $1,600 to $2,600.
The category split is our own approximation of how a daily band divides, not a measured spend. Bucharest dorm beds averaged about $16 a night in the one cost guide behind our calculator, so treat that as rough.
Our site's fare snapshot, taken from travellers' searches around 30 October 2026, shows Romania round trips averaging about $797 from the US (middle half $714 to $916), and in Europe about $157 from the UK, $109 from Italy, $152 from Germany and $142 from France. The snapshot leans low, so treat it as a floor. Bucharest is the main hub; Cluj-Napoca and Sibiu also have flights from Europe. See how far in advance to book international flights.
Romania is among the cheapest Schengen countries on budget comparisons, which makes it a useful anchor for a longer Europe trip; the best time to visit Romania article covers seasons and festivals.
Brasov and Bucharest are the priciest bases; Sibiu, Cluj-Napoca, Sighisoara and Oradea cost less. Guesthouses outside the big towns are usually cheaper than hotels in them; for winter-holiday timing see Christmas in Romania.
Compare rooms in Brasov and Sibiu with Bucharest before you fix the order of your route.
Trains are cheap but slow, and fares have risen several times since late 2023, so check CFR Calatori for today's price. Buses and minibuses fill the gaps; Brasov to Bran by bus takes 45 to 50 minutes and costs about 13 to 15 lei. See Bucharest to Brasov by train or bus.
A rental car makes Transylvania easier but is the main cost swing. Since 1 October 2026 the rovinieta road pass is priced by Euro class: for a Euro 6 car, 22 lei a day or 30 lei for 10 days (Euro 0 to 3 pay 29 and 39 lei). Buy the 10-day pass for any trip of two days or more; see the Romania rovinieta guide.
Food is the saving. Canteens, bakeries and traditional restaurants keep a budget day low; see what to buy at a grocery store in Romania. For tipping rules see tipping in Romania.
Bran Castle costs 100 lei for an adult (roughly €20 (≈ $22)), covering the castle interior and the Royal Park; seniors pay 70 lei, students 60 lei and children 5 to 17 pay 40 lei. A fast-pass Royal Tour is around 170 lei. See the Bran Castle guide. Many of Romania's best sights, such as Sighisoara's old town and Sibiu's squares, cost nothing to walk.
We could not confirm a 2026 official foreign-adult price for Peles Castle or the Bucharest Palace of the Parliament tour, so check their own sites; Parliament tours are timed and need advance planning. Add a small amount for an eSIM and for travel insurance. For other day trips from the capital see day trips from Bucharest.
• Use trains and buses, and rent a car only for the days that need one.
• Buy the 10-day rovinieta, not the day pass.
• Base in Sibiu or Cluj rather than Brasov or Bucharest for cheaper rooms.
• Go in shoulder months. Our route ran from October into November, when many castles and towns are quiet; check opening hours before you go.
• Eat where locals do. See things to know before visiting Romania for money and customs.
To price your own dates, group size and style, try the Romania trip cost calculator.
A week on the ground is roughly $245 to $350 budget at $35 to $50 a day or $525 to $980 mid-range at $75 to $140, before the flight.
Yes by European standards. It is among the cheapest EU and Schengen countries, with castle tickets and car hire as the larger costs.
No. It uses the leu, about 4.77 RON to the US dollar in late October 2026.
100 lei for an adult, 70 lei for seniors, 60 lei for students and 40 lei for children aged 5 to 17. A fast-pass Royal Tour is around 170 lei.
Yes, for a car on Romanian roads. From 1 October 2026 a 10-day pass costs 30 to 39 lei depending on the car's Euro class.
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