Romania on a French Licence — 0.0 Alcohol & Horse-Cart Roads

A French driver arrives in Romania on easy terms: right-hand traffic, an EU licence that needs no IDP, and 112 as the emergency number. The adjustments are about the limit you must respect, the penalty system and the road in front of you, not the documents in your pocket.

Zero, not 0.05

Romania’s alcohol limit is 0.0. In France it is 0.05. A single glass of wine that is legal in Lyon puts you over the line in Cluj, and police breath-test routinely at roadside checks. Treat it as no alcohol at all before driving.

Roads shared with horse carts

The motorway network is limited, so most of a Romanian trip happens on single-carriageway national and county roads. On those you share the lane with horse-drawn carts, slow agricultural vehicles and heavy trucks, the surface quality varies, markings fade, and unlit traffic appears after dark. The 90 km/h rural limit is a legal maximum, not a comfortable pace. Overtaking demands patience and a long, clear view.

Limits side by side

France’s rural default is 80, with 90 reinstated on selected roads in over 50 departments. Romania’s rural figure is 90 across the board, but the road quality does not support it.

A points system, not fixed euros

French fines are fixed in euros: EUR 135 for a seatbelt, EUR 135 and 3 points for a hand-held phone, EUR 135 and 4 points for a red light. Romania scores most offences in class-based fines and penalty points:

• Seatbelt: RON 580-1,450 (roughly EUR 120-300).
• Phone in hand: a Class III fine and 4 penalty points.
• Red light: a Class II fine and a mandatory 30-day licence suspension, with no points.
• Speeding: 2 points for 10-20 km/h over, 3 points for 21-30, 4 points for 31-40 and 6 points for 41-50. Over 50 km/h means a Class IV fine and a 90-day suspension.

A red light costing you your licence for a month is the one that surprises French drivers. For a likely figure on a particular overspeed, the speeding fine calculator is a good start.

Road tax instead of barriers

France charges tolls at the péage barrier. Romania requires the rovinietă, an electronic road tax for the main network, checked by camera. A rental car may or may not have it, so confirm at the desk before driving. Our Romania rovinieta guide gives the current prices and where to buy, and the vignette countries guide compares how each country charges.

More to carry

France requires a reflective vest and a warning triangle. Romania asks for those plus a fire extinguisher and a first-aid kit. A rental car should carry all four; open the boot and check.

A realistic plan for the first days

Collect the car in daylight and spend the first hour on the better roads. The step from a French autoroute to a Romanian single carriageway is large: you will meet slower traffic more often than you expect, and the safe response is to drop back and wait for a clear stretch. Avoid driving after dark outside towns on your first days, since unlit carts and pedestrians are hard to see. Keep to the limit even when locals do not, because the points system and the 30-day suspension for a red light make small lapses expensive.

Carry your licence, passport and the rental papers within reach, and keep the contract’s insurance details in the glovebox in case you are asked at a roadside check.

Emergency numbers

Romania has one: 112 for police, ambulance and fire. France uses 17 for police, 15 for ambulance and 18 for fire, with 112 as the general number. Here you can forget the separate lines. The Romania driving guide has the rest of the rules.