Greece from Romania

Almost every drive from Romania crosses Bulgaria, entering at Giurgiu–Ruse (from Bucharest and the east) or Calafat–Vidin (from Oltenia and the west). From there, the choice of Greek border decides the trip.

Via Makaza–Nymfaia (Ruse – Veliko Tarnovo – Haskovo – Kardzhali): the shortest way to Kavala, Keramoti and Thassos, and to Alexandroupoli. Ruse to Makaza is about 365 km, roughly 5 hours 15 minutes. The pass is open to cars but not to trucks over 3.5 tonnes, and the mountain road is slow and winding — drive it in daylight. From Bucharest to Keramoti it is about 560 km, some 7–8 hours plus the ferry.

Via Kulata–Promachonas (Sofia, then the E79 south): the natural route to Thessaloniki, Halkidiki and the Olympic Riviera. Ruse to Kulata is about 507 km, around 6 hours 50 minutes, and Bucharest to Thessaloniki about 9–10 hours of driving. Expect a slow stretch through the Kresna Gorge: the motorway bypass is still under construction and is not due before the end of 2027.

Lefkada and Parga are a long day further: continue west from Thessaloniki on the Egnatia Odos motorway towards Igoumenitsa, then south. Lefkada is joined to the mainland by a bridge — you drive straight on.

Times are typical figures from route planners, before border queues. In July and August, and around 15 August above all, check the live queues before you choose a crossing.

In Romania you need a valid rovinietă for the national roads you use on the way south. In Bulgaria you need an e-vignette — there is no sticker, it is linked to your number plate, and prices rose by 30% on 1 August 2026. Bulgaria has used the euro since 1 January 2026, so the prices are in euros. Driving without one is fined around €153. Buy it before you reach the border, from the official Bulgarian toll portal or its app, and keep the confirmation.

The Danube bridges. At Giurgiu–Ruse, a car heading into Bulgaria pays 15 lei. Since 15 June 2026 you can pay online through eTarifGiurgiuPod — at least 3 minutes before you reach the booth — and use dedicated lanes. The return toll into Romania is reported at around €2. At Calafat–Vidin the bridge costs €6 each way.

In Greece the motorways charge tolls at booths. The Egnatia Odos switched to a distance-based toll on 1 January 2026: €0.04 per km plus VAT, which makes the whole motorway from Igoumenitsa to Kipoi €30.45. Thessaloniki to Kavala, the stretch you drive towards Thassos, adds up to about €6.95.

The new Greek traffic code (Law 5209/2025, in force since 13 September 2025) is expensive: €350 and a one-month licence suspension for holding a phone while driving; €350 and 30 days' suspension for driving with 0.50–0.80 g/l of alcohol. The general limit is 0.5 g/l, and 0.2 g/l for new and professional drivers. Speed limits are typically 50 km/h in towns, 90 on open roads, 110 on expressways and 130 on motorways — follow the signs, which vary.

Documents in the car: driving licence, registration certificate, valid RCA insurance and your identity card. Within the EU a Green Card is generally not required, but check with your insurer that Greece and Bulgaria are covered.

Fuel. In September 2026 unleaded cost around €2.00–2.10 a litre in Greece and around €1.60 in Bulgaria. Fill up in Bulgaria before the border, and again on the way home.

On the islands, the traffic code applies to scooters and quads too. Wear a helmet, and remember that a car licence covers 50 cc scooters only.

Thassos is the closest Greek island to Romania by road, and the one Romanians know best — so it has its own sister site, thassos.online, with beaches, villages, where to stay and eat.

Getting there: drive to Keramoti (the Makaza route is shortest) and take the ANETH ferry to Limenas, about 35–40 minutes, very frequent in summer. Adults pay €6, children €3, a car up to 4.25 m €22 and a longer one €27. From Kavala there are also ferries to Prinos (adults €6.50–7, cars the same €22/€27). Tickets are bought at the port. Kavala airport (KVA) is about 12 km from Keramoti if you fly.

Direct flights from Romania to Greece change every season, and we could not confirm schedules on the airlines' own pages — treat this as a starting point and check the airline for your dates.

For summer 2026, Wizz Air was reported flying from Bucharest to Kefalonia (a new route), Corfu, Heraklion, Mykonos, Santorini and Zakynthos; from Cluj to Corfu, Heraklion and Zakynthos; and from Timișoara to Zakynthos. AnimaWings was reported flying Cluj and Timișoara to Athens year-round, with seasonal flights to Thessaloniki, Heraklion, Rhodes, Zakynthos, Kefalonia and Corfu. Aegean and TAROM connect Bucharest with Athens, and TAROM also flies Bucharest–Thessaloniki. Ryanair was reported with seasonal Bucharest–Chania and Bucharest–Corfu flights.

Islands without a direct flight are usually reached through Athens and a ferry, or a short domestic hop.

Romania has been a full member of Schengen since 1 January 2025, and land border checks have been lifted. A valid identity card is enough for Greece and Bulgaria; a passport is not required. ETIAS does not apply to Romanian citizens, and the new EES biometric system is for non-EU travellers only. Checks can still happen, so keep the card on you.

Children need their own identity card or passport. A minor travelling with only one parent should carry a notarised consent from the other parent — practice varies, so check the Romanian border police guidance before leaving.

Health. Take the European Health Insurance Card (CEASS): it is accepted at public hospitals and health centres (ESY), not at private clinics. It is not travel insurance.

Emergencies: 112 works across Greece and Bulgaria, in English. The Greek Tourist Police line is 171.

Greece and, since January 2026, Bulgaria both use the euro. Cards must be accepted everywhere in Greece, taxis included. When a terminal or cash machine offers to charge you in lei, refuse and pay in euros — the conversion offered by the machine is the worst rate available.

Budget for the resilience fee at your accommodation, paid per room per night, usually at checkout: from April to October €2 for rooms to let and 1–2★ hotels, €5 at 3★, €10 at 4★, €15 at 5★ and €8 for short-term rentals.