Romania on an Italian Licence — 0.0 Alcohol & the Rovinietă

An Italian driver has little paperwork to worry about in Romania — right-hand traffic as at home, an EU licence valid with no IDP, 112 everywhere. The differences are a stricter limit, a road tax, and a road that asks for more patience than Italian motorways do.

Zero, not Italy’s 0.05

Romania enforces a 0.0 BAC limit — an absolute zero, against Italy’s 0.05. There is no allowance for a glass of wine with dinner, and the police run frequent roadside breath checks, particularly at weekends. The penalties beyond the line are heavy, so the only safe approach is none before driving.

The rovinietă and the roads

Italy tolls its autostrade by barrier; Romania works differently. The rovinietă is an electronic road tax tied to the number plate that covers the entire national road network, not just motorways, and it is checked by automatic camera with no sticker to display. A Romanian rental usually includes it, but confirm at the desk to avoid a separate fine. Touring more of the region? Our vignette countries guide compares each system. The roads themselves are the bigger adjustment: the motorway network is limited, so most driving is on single carriageways shared with horse-drawn carts, slow tractors and overtaking lorries, with variable surfaces and unlit traffic after dark. The 90 km/h rural limit is a ceiling, not a target.

Speeds, fines and equipment

Motorways are 130 km/h where they exist, 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, fuel is about €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 the emergency number across the country is 112.