OTP · Romania
The Transfagarasan and the Transalpina are both a half day away, and Romania remains the best value mountain driving in Europe.
Great roads in range
5
First road from the terminal
Transbucegi, DN71, about 2 hr 1 min
Best months
July to September, when both high roads are fully open
Checked by the Drivers Atlas desk
Scored and written by the Drivers Atlas editorial desk, drawing on driven routes across the UK and Europe, mapping data and member road reports. Drive times are estimates from the terminal to the start of each road, padded for mountain routing. How we score roads.
Last reviewed 10 May 2026
Ranked
01 · Fagaras Mountains
Ceausescu's mountain folly, the most photographed hairpin stack in Europe.
About 2 hr 33 min from the airport · 55.9 mi · Rating 9.9 / 10
Closed above the treeline from November to late June
02 · Parang Mountains
Romania's highest road runs along bare alpine ridgelines with almost no barriers.
About 4 hr 13 min from the airport · 92 mi · Rating 9.6 / 10
Closed by snow from late October to June
03 · Bucegi Mountains
A steep dead end climb onto a high plateau of wind carved rock formations.
About 2 hr 1 min from the airport · 18.6 mi · Rating 9 / 10
Winter closure above 1500 metres
04 · Eastern Carpathians
Vertical limestone walls close in over a road carved into the gorge floor.
About 5 hr 25 min from the airport · 31.1 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10
Rockfall and ice in winter
05 · Valcea
A river carved corridor through the Carpathians, fast and endlessly flowing.
About 3 hr 6 min from the airport · 62.1 mi · Rating 8.7 / 10
Practical
Cheap, but inspect the car properly and confirm the roads you plan to drive are permitted.
July to September, when both high roads are fully open. Prices and availability move sharply either side of those months, so lock the car in before the flights if you want anything more interesting than a diesel hatchback.