Romanian roads.

Roger Chatterton · Jul 10, 2008

gavinbell said:
Hi,
Turda - yep they have ATM's - same for Veliko Turnova - but it is always good to have euro's to exchange (or GBP)

When is Dracula Rally? do you have a link/info.... might have a ride up for the day. I am in Saschiz near Sighisoara.

Have fun! Gavin

Hi Gavin,

numerous links to Dracula Rally, but here's a piccie..

here's a link...

http://www.vampiresmc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2447

http://www.world66.com/europe/romania/transylvania/festivals/eastern_european_v

We will be there on the 17th all being well , so might well see you there

cheers
Roger

Zundapp · Sep 18, 2008

In April I drove on the route E68 in Romania: Arad-Deva-Sibiu-Brasov. Much of it seemed to be under reconstruction particularly the Deva-Sibiu stretch. Everywhere on this road there were 'potholes' the size of cows - and don't think I'm exaggerating! - caused by the endless convoys of HGV traffic. Honestly, I was really glad I wasn't on a bike!

Road reconstruction there isn't like roadworks here - no diversions or anything like that - you simply drive through the roadworks steering around giant holes in the road, workers, plant, machinery and horses and carts. All the time avoiding the hundreds of mental drivers who overtake head on into oncoming traffic on what often looks like a single lane stretch of road! I must say being on this particular road was not at all pleasant - and it was hard work.... Plus at the end of the day I had three buckled alloy wheels...

We left Brasov and travelled northwest to Oradea via Targu Mures, here the road was much better. But ALWAYS be aware of oncoming drivers overtaking into the space you're occupying! Also watch out for local police (Policija Municipale and Policija Urbana) radar speed traps, they're all over the place. Or stick to the speed limits.

All in all, Romania was very interesting indeed, but outwith the cities, which are like cities anywhere, it's pretty similar to driving in India but faster, and Indians have much more regard for other road users. It really does look like a second and sometimes third world country.

One other thing - if travelling through Hungary and on to Slovakia as we did, do buy the motorway vignettes. They're inexpensive (less than £4) but we got pulled in Slovakia and ended up paying almost £100 for not having one.

Kav · Sep 21, 2008

Didn't learn my lesson last year and went back for a second visit.Nothing has improved much.A huge stretch of the E68 is being re-surfaced,but it's still single carriageway and nose to tail trucks.As I said last time,it's hard work!
(Romaniacs was good though,and a BMW in 2nd place.) :clap

Deleted Member I · Sep 21, 2008

From what I remember this year ..

We went through some "interesting" roads in Romania .. but EVEN I GOT THROUGH, so you just have to ride at your own pace. The only scary thing in Romania were the dogs, that bark and chase you

Hungary is a pretty flat country so the roads are fine .. or at least the majors ones we did to get to Budapest.
Budapest was really pretty and well worth the day I spent there wondering around aimlessly

Didn't stop in Romania but it looked interesting. Quite a few roads we road were being improved with new tarmac.

fritz · Sep 26, 2008

The roadworks are (and will be) three for quite some time. Main routes are great surface...but who would use them except when essential. The other roads are occassionally (very) absolutely stunning. Generally the roads are as bad as you will ever come across...terrible. This is based on Carpathians only.
It is however an amazing country with truely fascinating culture.
If it were closer to the UK it would help.
Too far for absolutely terrible tarmac. Our bike will take bad roads, but a tractor (or cart!) is all I would advice for the bulk of the roads
The unsurfaced routes are impressive and the options to do a lot of that are good.

All that said....Ukraine was worse

and the UK seems sh*te after Germany

Country and People :thumb2

Roads

LittleMark · Oct 13, 2008

My 2 cents worth.....

In August this year we intended to get to Romania through Serbia from Bosnia, but the border guards wanted 120euro's each for insurance, so we told em to stuff it and went round Serbia via Croatia and Hungary.

We made the mistake of heading from Szeged in Hungary to Timisoara in Romania on the DN6. BIG MISTAKE!
Worst road of the entire trip and absolutely horrendous. In some places there were holes that took up half the road, most of it had "tram lines" made by HGV's that were between 3 and 10 inches deep (not exagerating). Horrendous!

On the way out of Romania were were told by other bikers that the DN7 (also called the E68) from Sibiu to Szeged was good, AND IT WAS A HELL OF AN IMPROVEMENT!
Wish we'd found it on the way in. Most of it was newly laid tarmac. Part of it had 2 routes, 1 for HGV and 1 for just cars/bikes..... and great scenery to boot. It was very busy with lorries and campervans, but for the sake of decent road surfaces we didn't care!
My advice: Talk to other bikers coming the other way. Best way of finding out places to avoid at the very least!

Additional: If you have a Garmin Zumo 550, then note that only the Major roads (E and DN) will be shown. And not all of those will be brilliant. So buy a decent map before heading over there.

Roger Chatterton · Oct 13, 2008

LittleMark said:
In August this year we intended to get to Romania through Serbia from Bosnia, but the border guards wanted 120euro's each for insurance, so we told em to stuff it and went round Serbia via Croatia and Hungary.

We made the mistake of heading from Szeged in Hungary to Timisoara in Romania on the DN6. BIG MISTAKE!
Worst road of the entire trip and absolutely horrendous. In some places there were holes that took up half the road, most of it had "tram lines" made by HGV's that were between 3 and 10 inches deep (not exagerating). Horrendous!

On the way out of Romania were were told by other bikers that the DN7 (also called the E68) from Sibiu to Szeged was good,
AND IT WAS A HELL OF AN IMPROVEMENT!
Wish we'd found it on the way in. Most of it was newly laid tarmac. Part of it had 2 routes, 1 for HGV and 1 for just cars/bikes..... and great scenery to boot. It was very busy with lorries and campervans, but for the sake of decent road surfaces we didn't care!
My advice: Talk to other bikers coming the other way. Best way of finding out places to avoid at the very least!

Additional: If you have a Garmin Zumo 550, then note that only the Major roads (E and DN) will be shown. And not all of those will be brilliant. So buy a decent map before heading over there.

That's Romania -people say that they are "repairing the roads" and indeed they were, just that they'd dug 'em up ready for repair, and just buggered off and left 'em. As you say, half the roads missing in some places. We were in Turda, via Eradea, and then down to Bulgaria via the Trans Fargas, and on into Greece ...very exciting, especially going into the Fargas tunnels from bright sunlight to pitch black, no lights in the tunnels, running water and no idea of what might be on the road. The road up to the Trans Fargas (travelling south) was pretty good, but down the other side was pothole hell - nice views though , if you disregard all the masses of rubbish and litter strewn around.
Going to Norway next summer !!! :thumb2

All the same, very glad we did the trip, and Bulgarian roads were slightly better
Still, all "part of the Romanian experience" !!!
Pic below is Trans Fargas

yamonda1 · Oct 13, 2008

Dan98 said:
I think you are exaggerating a little I live in Romania , and we have plenty of good roads around, especially the E* ones. What route did you choose here ?

Hey Dan 98 probably be off to Kraiova early next year after this job and when settled in a flat I'll be riding my GSA out so I'll give you a call for travel advice nearer the date ...

LittleMark · Oct 15, 2008

Roger Chatterton said:
...very exciting, especially going into the Fargas tunnels from bright sunlight to pitch black, no lights in the tunnels, running water and no idea of what might be on the road.

Going to Norway next summer !!!

Did a trip up to the Arctic Circle through Norway and back through Sweden a couple of years back. If you enjoyed the tunnels you'll find some tunnels in Norway exactly the same.... except they go on for miles (largest one we did was about 15miles long.... think it's the biggest road tunnel in the world).

Norway is stunning!!! You'll have a great time there (although your wallet might not). I'd recommend adding the following to any visit to Norway...
Excellent car ferry with stunning scenery and a great twisty section at the far end (headed east) on route 60......
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en...62.101955,7.048416&spn=0.151645,0.439453&z=11
Camp at Olden and visit the largest glacier in Europe (10min ride away)....
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en...61.831524,6.813583&spn=0.076497,0.219727&z=12
Watch some mad nutters base-jumping and do some hairy twisties...
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en...62.458471,7.673264&spn=0.018732,0.054932&z=14
Plenty more, but this is the baltic section so I'm sure the Norway section of the forum has links to lots of others!

BTW, the roads are pretty great in Norway and empty in the summer (the Norweigans all head for the south coast). Roads in Sweden are crappy, but they have better beaches than most of the Med (and temperatures to match when we went).

Roger Chatterton · Oct 15, 2008

Thanks LittleMark, I'll pass on your info to the 2 other guys who'll be going along as well - I know Sweden a bit, lived in Lund for a few months, -maybe the roads get worse as you travel North, they were OK as far as I can remember up to Stockholm, but that was pre motorbike days for me !

Here's a pic of a backroad in Turda ...who says we exaggerate ...

..plus another of the Fargas, plus , erm..... a stork shot .... Romania wasn't all bad !!!

LittleMark · Oct 16, 2008

That Fargas pass does look damned good fun. Shame we missed that one!

I seriously need to get my travel photo's into shape. To give you an idea about Norway I have some old web pages with photo's showing the ferry trip and Trollstigen fjellstove (base jumping bit) among others, here.....
http://www.markbath.com/Scand2006 Day5.asp

I'll get around the putting some better pictures on that site at some point! ;o)

obm · Oct 24, 2008

Transfagarasan

... is the name of the route, it's the highest road in Romania and it is, indeed, a biker's treat. Yes, potholes at the south entrance but hey, this is GS forum so it's nothing to be afraid of... especially when the payoff is much more than what's shown in those 2 pictures (true about the litter though, sadly)...

The route is open only for the summer and early fall.

Boddabing!! · Jul 14, 2009

sani said:
Hi I am of to Romania on 22 of August for my sister Wedding and if you want we can go together I speak the languish and I am 50% Romanian
The roads from Budapest is not to good but the mine problem is the drivers
I am from Constanta bay the Black See
Pm me if you are intrested

Hi

I will be riding (GS adventure) from uk to my home in Brasov around the 23/24 of July

Then to bulgaria for a beach holiday with my girlfriend.

email me

mwainewright@yahoo.co.uk

Kawanor · Sep 29, 2009

Romania

Romania is great,with a GS,,fantastic natur and exiting roads.
Been there twice,also with a RT,,and I wil back again.

http://www.kawanor.net/2009/09/0907a.htm

harrybo1 · Oct 3, 2011

Dan98 said:
I think you are exaggerating a little I live in Romania , and we have plenty of good roads around, especially the E* ones. What route did you choose here ?

I agree the roads are pretty good in romainia but the e68 is a crap road your better of taking the 13 a lot less traffic , but a great country an great pepole,
especially the ladies

.

tsunami · Nov 1, 2011

harrybo1 said:
I agree the roads are pretty good in romainia but the e68 is a crap road your better of taking the 13 a lot less traffic , but a great country an great pepole,
especially the ladies .

hey, leave the gurls alone, they're all mine since i am here now, okay?
:beerjug:

i guess the gs is the best bike for romania. i brought with me an r6 from canada, but is no way to have fun with it.
then i bought an 1150gsa from germany.
man! this is a dream.

next year going nordkapp alone thru moldova, ukraine and belarouse

Mr K · Nov 1, 2011

Loved my brief time in Romania.

Yes the roads are variable and the driving is kamikaze, but then you didn't want it to be like the A1 did you? That's why you rode a coupla thousand miles to get there..

PS: Murfatlar :101

tsunami · Nov 1, 2011

BTW guys, just a tip for you,
people flash the lights, means.. radar ahead, okay?
keep it in mind and you can swtich your detector off

Romanian roads.

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