This article is your comprehensive guide to travelling by train in Romania. Read on to learn how to travel on the Romanian railways: how to book tickets, what different types of trains are available, and more.
Romanian trains: classes and types
All the trains have two classes: 1st and 2nd. Since the differences between them are minimal, I don’t see any reason to choose 1st class. Essentially, the seats in 1st class are slightly more comfortable, and sometimes it is less crowded.
The trains in Romania are categorized based on the services they offer:
InterCity (IC): These trains only stop at major stations and are as fast as InterRegio trains. However, in my opinion, they are not worth the 15% higher ticket price, as they don’t offer much extra in return.
InterRegio (IR): My favourite type of train. They are not as expensive as InterCity trains but are faster than Regio trains.
InterRegio Night (IR-N): These trains travel long distances overnight and have sleeping compartments with berths.
Regio Express (R-E): Another favourite of mine when available. The trains offer the same travel conditions as InterRegio but at lower prices.
Regio (R): These are the slowest trains, stopping at every station. They are usually crowded with commuters. I prefer to avoid them, mainly because they are the dirtiest.
Train operators in Romania
CFR Călători is the national railway passenger transport company in Romania and the largest passenger transport company in the country, covering most of the available routes.
In addition to CFR, there are five private rail operators: Astra Trans Carpatic, Regio Calatori, Softrans, InterRegional, and Transferoviar Calatori. Each of these operators covers a few specific routes. You can find information about their services on their official websites.
Many people prefer private train operators because they offer better conditions, and some also have cheaper tickets.
If you want to consider all operators when planning a trip, use the Infofer website.
How to buy train tickets in Romania
How to buy CFR train tickets
For CFR, you have several options for purchasing tickets:
Ticket offices:
- You can buy tickets in person at the ticket offices in any major train station.
Vending Machines:
- Vending machines are available in the following stations: Henri Coandă Airport, Bucharest North, Bucharest Basarab, Ploiești Sud, Sinaia, Bușteni, Craiova, Timișoara, Arad, Cluj, Brașov, Predeal, Miercurea-Ciuc, Sibiu, Iași, and Constanța.
- These machines accept only chip-and-PIN cards, not contactless payments.
Online:
- The easiest and fastest way to buy tickets is through the CFR website. This method allows you to plan your trip in advance, choose your seat, and avoid queues.
- Online tickets can be purchased up to 5 minutes before departure.
How to buy train tickets from private operators
Private operators don’t have ticket offices in many stations. Fortunately, for most of them, you can purchase tickets online or directly on the train, eliminating the need to find a sales point. To guarantee a seat, buy your ticket online. Otherwise, you might end up travelling standing.
An exception is Regio Calatori. Passengers boarding a Regio Calatori train outside of ticket office operating hours or from stations without ticket offices can purchase travel cards from the train staff at the ticket price if they present themselves immediately after boarding the train. Otherwise, the passenger must pay a surcharge.
Private operators cover limited routes, and their schedules may change seasonally. When planning your trip, check if a private train is available in your desired direction.
How expensive are the train tickets in Romania?
Romania offers affordable train travel compared to many Western European countries. Train ticket prices in Romania are per kilometre, with the price varying depending on the type of train service, the distance travelled, and the class of service.
For example, in 2025, a second-class ticket for an adult on the Bucharest to Brașov route with an InterRegio (IR) train operated by CFR costs around €13,2. The distance between the cities is 166 km (about 103.15 miles), and the journey takes approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes.
On the other hand, for the Cluj-Napoca to Iași route, you’ll pay around €25 for an adult ticket under similar conditions. The distance between the cities is 459 km (about 285.21 mi), and the journey takes almost 9 hours! Since the trains are slow, consider night trains. These allow you to sleep during the trip. For around €36, you can share a wagon with up to 5 people. If you want privacy, a single compartment is available for around €85.
To explore all train types and prices for your desired route, you can use the Infofer website. Unlike the CFR website, which only displays tickets from their company, Infofer shows all available operators on the routes you’re interested in.
The prices for private operators are similar to CFRs, sometimes slightly lower.
Discounts for internal trains
CFR offers a 10% discount on round-trip tickets, a 10% discount on purchases in advance from 11 days and a 5 % discount on purchases in advance from 6 to 10 days.
Travelling in Romania with pets by train
CFR, Regiotrans, InterRegional, and Transferoviar all have the same rules regarding pets:
- Dogs of medium size or larger are allowed only in second class, with a muzzle and leash, as well as with their health certificate, at 50% of the price of a human adult ticket.
- Fighting dog breeds access is denied in trains.
- Small pets can travel for free and only in second class, either on a leash or in a cage. It’s also advisable to have their health certificate with you.
Astra Carpatic Trans and Softrans allow only small pets in cages, in second class, with no charge.
Taking the bike on the train in Romania
Folding/demountable bikes can be transported for free as hand luggage on all trains, provided they don’t inconvenience other travellers.
CFR allows bicycles to be transported only on trains with dedicated spaces, with a fee of 26 lei (around €5,3). You can find trains that allow bicycles at ticket offices or on the CFR website by checking the timetable or “Services” for bicycles.
Astra doesn’t allow bicycle transportation on their trains.
For Softrans, the bicycle transportation fee is 50% of the price for an adult ticket.
At Transferoviar, the bicycle transportation fee is 11 lei (around €2,3).
InterRegional requires a 4 lei (around €0,8) fee for distances under 100 km and 8 lei for longer distances.
For Regio Calatori, the fee is 5 lei (around €1) for distances under 70 km and 10 lei for longer distances.
Romanian railways overview
Romania has the fourth-largest railway network in Europe in terms of track length. This translates to a vast network of tracks connecting cities, towns, and villages across the country. However, Romanians often complain about trains and railways because they aren’t well-maintained or fast enough.
Overall, Romanian trains are safe but very slow. The maximum speed is 160 km/h on the Bucharest–Constanta route and 140 km/h on the Bucharest–Brasov route. On other routes, the maximum speed is 120 km/h.
Delays are common. In 2023, the average delay per train was about 8 minutes, according to CFR Călători.
While trains in Romania are affordable, the conditions are not always great. Don’t be surprised if the air conditioner is not working on CFR trains during extreme temperatures.
Are there any better options?
The best mode of transportation in Romania depends on various factors such as your destination, budget, time constraints, and personal preferences. As a tourist travelling long distances in Romania, the train might be the perfect solution, as long as you’re not in a hurry.
Flights can save you time, but they are expensive and only available for a few destinations.
Car rentals offer flexibility and are faster than trains. However, they are more expensive, and the roads in Romania are generally less safe than the rest of the EU.
Buses are another option for travelling between cities, but the conditions are often worse than those on trains.
Read more: How to travel in Romania on long distances: a story of Romanian roads, railways and flights.
