Is Romania expensive to visit? Our Real 7-Day Family Trip Costs Shared
Is Romania an expensive holiday? See our real seven-day costs for flights, hotels, car hire, food and attractions, plus where we saved and what cost more than expected.
EUROPEROMANIABUDGET
12/15/202614 min read
If you're wondering is Romania expensive to visit as a family, our answer after a week-long road trip is no, we found Romania very good value, particularly for eating out, attractions and family accommodation.
We travelled as a family of three during October half term in 2026, flying from London Stansted into Bucharest and completing a 1,173km road trip through Bucharest, Transylvania, Salina Turda and the Iron Gates. We weren't travelling on the tightest possible budget. We deliberately chose spacious family rooms, good locations, breakfast where possible and a few more unusual stays because accommodation is part of the experience for us.
We originally budgeted £3,000 for the trip, preferring to overestimate rather than spend the week worrying about money. Our final tracked spend came to £2,614.63 for the three of us, around £871.54 per person.
This guide is for families working out a realistic Romania travel budget and wondering what flights, hotels, food, car hire and attractions actually cost on a family road trip.
Where useful, we've included links to hotels, attractions and travel services we used or would consider ourselves. Some may be affiliate links, meaning we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
What You'll Find in This Romania Trip Cost Guide
Quick Answer: Is Romania Expensive or Cheap for Families?
We found Romania relatively cheap to visit compared with many European family destinations.
Our total tracked cost was £2,614.63 for three people, including flights, accommodation, car hire, fuel, food, attractions, parking and most of our general spending.
That works out at approximately:
£871.54 per person
£373.52 per family per day across seven days
Around £124.50 per person per day
And importantly, we weren't trying to do Romania as cheaply as possible.
We stayed in family apartments, a woodland treehouse and a riverside spa property. We hired a comfortable car, paid for attractions and ate out regularly.
For a family prepared to use cheaper hotels, self-cater more and shorten the driving route, you could comfortably do this trip for less than we spent. Equally, if you just stuck to the Transylvania region I think this would bring the overall cost down again.
Our 7-Day Romania Family Itinerary at a Glance
Our costs make more sense once you understand just how much we fitted into the week.
We flew into Bucharest, hired a car and travelled through Sinaia, Bran, Brașov, Sibiu, Salina Turda, Hațeg and the Iron Gates, before returning to Bucharest and finishing the trip at Therme Bucharest.
Over the week, we drove 1,173km, so this certainly wasn't a cheap city break where we simply paid for a hotel and wandered around Bucharest.
We deliberately mixed relatively inexpensive sightseeing with more memorable accommodation and experiences.
→ See our full One Week Romania Family Road Trip Itinerary for the day-by-day route and what we'd change if we did it again.
Exploring Peles Castle in Romania
Visiting Bran Castle in Romania
How Much Did Our 7-Day Romania Holiday Cost?
Our final spending spreadsheet came to:
That put us £385.37 below our original £3,000 budget.
Cost Per Person
For three people, our trip worked out at approximately £871.54 each.
Average Daily Cost
Across seven days, that's around £373.52 per day for the whole family.
Could we have done it cheaper? Definitely.
Accommodation was our largest expense, and we intentionally didn't choose the cheapest places available. Cutting back on hotel standards and reducing the amount of driving would bring the total down considerably.
Two Other Costs to Budget For
There were two smaller costs we haven't included in our main trip total but are worth budgeting for.
Travel insurance: We already had annual family travel insurance, so there wasn't an additional cost specifically for this trip. If you don't have annual cover, remember to factor a policy into your overall Romania holiday budget.
eSIMs: We also bought Airalo eSIMs for £13 each, adding £26 to our costs, this gave us 10GB for 7 days. This meant we could avoid UK roaming charges and, more importantly on a road trip, had reliable mobile data for Google Maps throughout the week. For us, this was money well spent, particularly with so much driving between destinations.
Rock Statue of Decebalus at the Iron Gates
Corvin Castle Romania
Flight Costs: How Much Were Our Flights to Romania from the UK?
Our flights cost £475 for the three of us, flying Ryanair between London Stansted and Bucharest during October half term. We took two 20kg bags between us.
We also paid £64 for airport parking, taking our UK travel-related costs to £539 before we'd arrived in Romania.
For a school-holiday trip for three, we thought the flight price was reasonable.
I'd always compare the complete flight price, including the luggage you'll actually take, rather than being drawn in by the headline Ryanair fare.
Exploring Salina Turda salt mine
Salina Turda Salt Mine
Accommodation Costs in Romania: What Did Our Family Hotels Cost?
Accommodation was the largest part of our budget, with our final hotel-related total coming to £1,078.58.
But we weren't looking for the cheapest beds available.
Our priorities were:
Proper family rooms
Good locations
Strong reviews
Breakfast where possible
Parking where possible
Pools or spa facilities where they added value
Interesting accommodation that became part of the trip
We even spent a night in a log cabin treehouse in the forest, while our Iron Gates accommodation gave us a large family room, Danube views, spa access and meals.
Our individual bookings ranged from around £80–£100 for some city stays to considerably more for our multi-night riverside spa stay.
That's why I wouldn't describe our £1,078 accommodation spend as a budget example.
Is Accommodation Cheap in Romania?
It can be, but it depends entirely on what you want.
We thought the value was generally very good for the space and facilities we received. Family apartments were particularly useful because we weren't trying to fit three people into one small bedroom every night.
Expedia is usually our first choice, but we found considerably more inventory around the Iron Gates through Booking.com. My advice is to compare platforms rather than assuming one will always be cheapest or have the best family selection.
→ See Where to Stay in Transylvania With Kids: The Best Family-Friendly Places to Stay for the hotels and unusual accommodation we'd personally recommend.
Havens Treehouse in Hateg Romania
Casa 9 Spa Hotel in Romania at the Iron Gates
Car Hire, Fuel and Driving Costs in Romania
Hiring a car was essential for the road trip we planned.
Our base car rental cost £240, and we covered 1,173km during the week.
We then spent £140.73 in fuel, which is where our ambitious route started adding noticeably to the budget.
Fuel felt slightly cheaper than at home, but not dramatically so. The bigger problem wasn't the price per litre. It was simply how much driving we'd chosen to do.
How Much Did Parking Cost in Romania?
We recorded £19.79 in parking charges across the trip.
Almost everywhere seemed to charge for parking, including cities and tourist attractions. The reassuring part was that individual charges were generally low.
Our biggest frustration was Brașov, where finding a space near our Old Town hotel was extremely difficult. We eventually paid £9.44 for public parking.
At Peleș Castle, we paid £4.73, while Bran Castle parking cost us just £1.57.
Parking was not expensive and everywhere took card payments, it was just surprising that literally everywhere was chargeable parking.
What About Romanian Road Tolls?
With our Romanian hire car, the electronic rovinieta was handled through the rental arrangement, so we didn't need to buy a separate road vignette ourselves.
Was Hiring a Car Worth It?
Absolutely.
It allowed us to visit Peleș and Bran Castle on the same day, get to Salina Turda early and stay in more unusual rural accommodation.
The downside was that we probably tried to cover too much ground.
→ Read Is It Safe to Drive in Romania? Our Real Family Driving Experience for the roads, parking and everything we'd do differently.
If you don't want to drive, I'd compare organised Romanian road-trip tours rather than trying to recreate our exact itinerary entirely through public transport.
→ Don't want to drive? Compare Transylvania tours from Bucharest, including options covering Peleș Castle, Bran Castle and Brașov.
Navigating parking in Basov
Driving in to Basov Romania
Food Costs: Is Eating Out in Romania Cheap?
Food was one of the areas where Romania felt particularly good value to us.
We spent £257.84 spent on food, although all but one breakfast and two evening meals were already included within our hotel prices.
How Much Did Family Meals Cost?
Lunch was often around £10–£20 for the three of us.
I'll admit our road-trip lunches weren't particularly glamorous. We ended up at KFC or McDonald's several times simply because they were quick, easy and somewhere Joshua would eat without discussion. Luca was our favourite low cost option for a baguette or pretzel.
Evening meals varied more.
One of our dinners cost £44.14, while our most expensive restaurant meal in Brașov came to £70.63 for the three of us, including wine.
That top-end meal included a bottle of Prosecco, so it wasn't exactly a stripped-back budget dinner.
Alcohol was also generally cheaper than we'd expect at home. Beer was typically below £5, while a bottle of Prosecco could be around the £15–£18 mark.
Are Romanian Supermarkets Cheap?
We thought so.
One Carrefour shop cost us around £31.71 and covered food and drink for multiple meals, including meat, bread, potatoes, beer and wine.
It gave us dinner plus food we could use for breakfast and lunch the following day.
For families trying to reduce their Romania trip cost, supermarket meals are one of the easiest places to save without compromising the actual sightseeing.
Attraction Costs: Are Things to Do in Romania Expensive?
This was probably the part of the trip where Romania impressed us most for value.
Most of our major family experiences cost considerably less than we'd expect to pay for equivalent UK attractions.
Therme Bucharest Prices
Therme Bucharest was one of the surprises of the trip.
Our Galaxy entrance cost £35.39 for the three of us, and we spent another £14.82 on extras.
For several hours of water slides, indoor and outdoor thermal pools and family facilities, we thought it represented excellent value.
→ Read our Therme Bucharest Review: Is Therme Galaxy Worth It With Kids? for our review and the best value place to buy tickets.
Bran Castle Halloween Costs
Bran was one of our more expensive attractions because we weren't buying normal castle admission. We were visiting during its dedicated Halloween event.
We paid around £82 for the three of us, plus only £1.57 for parking.
It wasn't cheap by Romanian attraction standards, but it became one of Joshua's strongest memories of the holiday.
→ See Is Bran Castle Worth Visiting at Halloween? Our Honest Family Review of Dracula's Castle.
Salina Turda Costs
Our recorded Salina Turda costs were:
Entry: £31.15
Additional activities: £25.33
Parking: £3.15
That brought our complete visit to approximately £59.63.
This is a good example of why I'd look beyond headline admission prices. The mine itself was reasonably priced, but boats, mini golf and other activities quickly increased the total.
→ Read Is Salina Turda Salt Mine Worth Visiting? Our Extremely Honest Family Review for which extras we thought were actually worth paying for.
Iron Gates Danube Cruise
We paid £55 for a private boat trip to see the Rock Sculpture of Decebalus and the Danube Gorge.
Shared boats were available for roughly half that amount, but we liked having the boat entirely to ourselves.
This was one experience where I'd happily spend the same money again.
Peleș Castle
Peleș Castle was another attraction where booking independently saved money.
We booked direct rather than buying an expensive guided package. Visiting the exterior and grounds is also an option if your children aren't particularly interested in the interiors.
Again, this is somewhere I'd compare the official ticket price before automatically buying a third-party sightseeing tour.
→ See Is Peleș Castle in Romania Worth Visiting? Our Honest Family Review for the ticket options and whether the interior is worth paying for with kids.
Brașov Cable Car
Our Brașov cable-car trip cost £18.88 for the family.
It was a relatively inexpensive way to break up the castles and give Joshua something more active while seeing Brașov from above.
→ For everything else that worked well with Joshua, see Best Things to Do in Romania With Kids: Family-Tested Attractions.
Basov Cable Car
Walking into Therme Bucharest Galaxy
What Cost More Than We Expected in Romania?
Fuel was the biggest surprise.
Not because Romanian fuel was exceptionally expensive, but because we'd planned such an ambitious driving route. We ultimately spent £140.73 on fuel.
Our accommodation at the Iron Gates was also our most expensive booking. In hindsight, we don't think the off-season half-board food offering quite justified the premium we'd paid.
And while individual attraction extras were inexpensive, they can creep up. Salina Turda is the clearest example: admission looked inexpensive, but the paid activities added another £25 to our family visit.
What Was Surprisingly Cheap in Romania?
Eating out and attractions were the biggest wins for us.
We could have dinner as a family for considerably less than we'd normally expect at home, and attractions such as Therme Bucharest offered particularly good value.
Parking was another strange one.
We felt as though we were constantly paying to park, but our recorded spend for the whole trip was only £19.79. So it was annoying rather than genuinely expensive.
That distinction sums up Romania quite well.
There are lots of small costs, but many are low enough that they don't significantly damage the overall budget.
How Much Would a Budget Romania Family Holiday Cost?
Based on what we actually spent, I wouldn't try to invent a universal Romania holiday price because flights, family size and accommodation choices change the answer enormously.
But our £2,614.63 trip demonstrates that a relatively comfortable family road trip can come in comfortably under £3,000.
Budget Trip
You could reduce our costs substantially by:
Choosing cheaper accommodation
Staying in fewer hotels
Using apartments and self-catering more
Cutting the Iron Gates from a seven-day route
Using shared rather than private boat trips
Limiting add-on activities
Travelling outside UK school holidays (it was also Romanian school holidays)
Mid-Range Trip
This is closest to what we did.
Family rooms, central accommodation, breakfast included, a hire car, eating out regularly and paying for the attractions we genuinely wanted still kept our trip under our £3,000 budget.
Premium Trip
The budget increases quickly if you:
Choose high-end hotels
Book private guided tours
Pay third parties for attraction tickets and transport
Eat every meal in restaurants
Upgrade car hire
Add spa treatments or premium experiences
Do this trip as a fully guided tour with hotels and transport
The important point is that Romania gives families plenty of control over the budget.
Money-Saving Tips for Visiting Romania With Kids
Book Attractions Directly
This is probably my biggest tip.
At Peleș, Therme and other major attractions, we regularly found third-party packages costing significantly more than direct admission.
Pay extra when you're genuinely receiving something useful, such as transport or a guide, rather than simply paying someone else to make the reservation.
Don't Overdo the Driving
Our 1,173km route increased fuel costs and forced us into more stopover accommodation.
A more compact Bucharest + Peleș + Bran + Brașov itinerary could be substantially cheaper and more relaxing.
Choose Hotels With Breakfast
Breakfast was included in almost all our accommodation. If it wasn't adding it on wasn't very expensive.
Besides saving money, it meant we could feed Joshua properly before leaving and occasionally take a small snack for the journey.
Use Supermarkets Strategically
You don't need to self-cater every night.
One supermarket trip gave us dinner plus breakfast and lunch food for far less than three restaurant meals would have cost.
Think About Parking When Booking Hotels
A slightly cheaper city-centre hotel can become irritating if you then spend time and money finding parking.
When travelling with a hire car, we increasingly valued free parking as a hotel benefit.
Travel in the Shoulder Season
October worked well from a cost perspective while still giving us the special Halloween experience at Bran.
The trade-off is weather and reduced seasonal services in areas such as the Iron Gates.
Treating Joshua to waffle ice cream in Basov
Market stalls in Bran
Is Romania Expensive to Visit? Our Final Verdict
No. Based on our experience, we think Romania offers excellent value for a European family road trip.
Our complete recorded spend was £2,614.63 for three people, despite travelling during October half term and deliberately choosing more interesting family accommodation rather than the cheapest hotels available.
We ate out regularly, hired a car, drove more than 1,100km and paid for virtually every attraction we wanted to experience.
And we still came in almost £400 below our £3,000 budget.
What surprised us most wasn't necessarily that everything was cheap. Fuel, for example, wasn't dramatically different from the UK.
The value came from what we got for the money: spacious accommodation, inexpensive parking, reasonably priced restaurants and major family attractions that often cost considerably less than we'd expect at home.
Could we do the same trip cheaper?
Definitely.
Would I deliberately spend less if we returned?
Probably not across everything. I'd drive less and be more selective about accommodation, but things like the Bran Halloween experience and Therme were worth paying for.
For our family, Romania struck an excellent balance between affordability and having a holiday that still felt special.
FAQs About the Cost of Visiting Romania
Is Romania Cheap for Tourists?
We found Romania relatively affordable, particularly for restaurants, parking and attractions. Accommodation ranges considerably depending on location and standard.
How Much Spending Money Do You Need for a Week in Romania?
We spent around £779 for a family of three during our week in Romania, excluding pre-booked flights, hotels and car hire.
That covered food, attractions, fuel, parking, souvenirs and local transport, averaging roughly £111 per day for the three of us.
Should You Take Cash or Use Cards in Romania?
We found cards were accepted almost everywhere in Romania, including restaurants, supermarkets, petrol stations, attractions and most parking. We only withdrew a small amount of cash for souvenirs, market stalls and smaller purchases, spending around £39 in cash across the week.
For us, a card plus a small amount of Romanian lei as backup was more than enough. Although we found even the majority of the market stalls took card payments.
Are Attractions Expensive in Romania?
Generally, we didn't think so.
Therme Bucharest cost us around £35 for three, our private Iron Gates boat trip was £55 and most other attractions remained relatively affordable compared with similar UK family days out.
How Much Does a Family Holiday in Romania Cost?
Our seven-day October road trip cost £2,614.63 for two adults and one child, or around £871.54 each.
A budget-focused family could spend considerably less by reducing hotel and transport costs.
Is Romania Good Value for Families?
Yes, that was probably our biggest financial takeaway. Family accommodation, eating out and activities all offered strong value without requiring us to travel on an ultra-low budget.
For families wanting a European October half-term trip that combines Bucharest, Transylvania, castles, countryside and genuinely unusual experiences, we thought Romania delivered a lot for the money.
plan your TRIP TO Romania
If you’re planning your family trip to the Transylvania region of Romania, these guides will help you pull everything together:
About Plan Family Escapes
We’re a UK-based family sharing real, experience-led travel guides based on trips we’ve taken with our school-age son Joshua across destinations like Lapland, Turkey and India.
Everything we share is based on what we’ve personally experienced — with honest advice on what actually works when travelling with kids, focusing on making family travel easier, more comfortable and genuinely enjoyable.
