Romania on an Austrian Licence — Zero Alcohol & the Rovinietă

For an Austrian driver, Romania removes most of the friction: same right-hand traffic, your EU licence valid as-is with no IDP, and a familiar 112 across the country. Two things genuinely differ, and the first is a legal line you might cross without noticing.

A true zero, not Austria’s 0.05

Romania enforces a 0.0 BAC limit — an absolute zero, against the 0.05 you are allowed at home. There is no “one Spritzer with lunch” margin, and Romanian police run frequent roadside breath checks, especially at weekends and near resort areas. The penalties above the line are heavy. The simplest rule is the one the law effectively imposes: nothing at all before you drive.

The road tax that isn’t the vignette you know

Austria’s vignette covers the motorways; Romania’s rovinietă is broader. It is an electronic road tax tied to the number plate that you need for the entire national road network — not just the motorways — and it is checked by camera. A Romanian rental almost always has it included, but it is worth confirming at the desk so you are not exposed on a regional road. If you are touring the wider region, our vignette countries guide sets out who charges what and how the systems differ from Austria’s sticker.

Roads, speeds and the practicalities

The motorway network is limited, so much of your driving will be on single-carriageway roads where mixed quality, slow farm traffic and the occasional horse cart slow things below the 90 km/h ceiling. Where motorways exist the limit is 130, towns 50. A minor speeding fine is roughly RON 290–725 (≈ €60–150) — check yours on the speeding fine calculator.

Winter tyres are required in wintry conditions, as in Austria, fuel is around €1.42/litre, and the car must carry a triangle, vest, first-aid kit and extinguisher. The full rules are on the Romania driving guide, and emergencies are 112.