Few more hints.
Roads and Motorways
Prices at the exchange rate of August 2016 and for vehicles up to 3.5 tons.
Check for any special conditions if your vehicle exceeds it.
Slovenia (Motorways):
VIGNETTE (adhesive sticker):
https://www.slovenia.info/en/p…nia-by-car
Purchasable at the border.
Divided in two, the lower part to keep in case of policecontrol or request for a duplicate.
Upper part must be placed on the windshield on DRIVER'S SIDE, no matter at what height.
For motorhomes up to 3.5.tons (category 2A) €30 for thirty days.
On the motorway, gates (or toll booths) with license plate reading.
Hungary (Motorways and some unspecified fastways):
Electronic MATRICA (just vehicles registration, no sticker):
https://e-autopalyamatrica.hu/en
Mandatory also on some unspecified fastway.
Buyable at the last service before the border. Warning: it is not marked = risk of passing over.
For motorhomes up to 3.5tons (category D2) about €35 for thirty days.
Keep the receipt in case of disputes even after returning home.
On the highway, gates with license plate readings.
Romania (Whole roads network): electronic ROVINIETA (just vehicles registration, no sticker):
https://www.roviniete.ro/en/
Mandatory to circulate on the
whole road network and not just on motorways.
Purchasable at the border. For motorhomes up to 3.5tons (category A) €7 for thirty days.
Keep the receipt in case of disputes even after returning home.
Portals with license plate readings are not uncommon both on and off the motorway.
Note: On the highway from Constanța to Bucureşti, at the height of Feteşti toll bridge not included in the Rovinieta.
Manual payment at the toll booth (14 lei).
Roads:
Good in Hungary. In Romania, generally better than one might expect but with some exceptions, especially in the mountainous and rural north.
They could be improved but in 2016 the national road 18 was terrible and the 73C (also called 733) just better.
Mandatory dipped headlights (or daylight) on even during the day in all the countries crossed.
Alcohol:
0.00% in Hungary and Romania. 0.05% in Slovenia.
I suggest to not risk. In addition to the fine, there is a risk of the license being withdrawn.
Fuel:
No major problem of geographic availability of point of sales.
The
only lacking stretch between Borsa and Campulung Moldovenesc (DN18 about 100km).
In 2016 prices/Lt from 4.78 to 5.00 RON.
We usually refilled at already known brands OMV and LUKOIL (in one occasion the Russian GAZPROM).
I believe that ROMPETROL and PETROM are the local equivalents of BP.
Not used "exotic" brands and always made small supplies instead of full ones.
In case of problems with poor quality fuel, there is less of it in the tank and it dilutes with what is already there.
However, the problem does not exist.
Currency:
Slovenia: EURO.
Hungary: FORINT (Not changed).
Romania: RON (Or Leu and Lei in the plural). We have always changed at banks without commissions.
Credit cards:
Visa / MC widely accepted. Definitely for fuel and supermarkets. Some campsites grumble or don't accept it.
Language:
Almost always only Romanian. Incomprehensible. Quite seldom English is an alternative.
Food supply:
Villages:
In almost all of them, at least in the larger ones, it is easy to find mini or micro markets (so they call them).
Very poor for our needs and habits, both in terms of quality and availability of articles.
Bread is almost always only packaged and very seldom fresh.
Good fruit and vegetables instead.
Small towns:
Near them it is not difficult to find supermarkets even if they are often only Lidl or discounts (Penny, Billa).
Large towns:
No problem, Malls with Auchan and Carrefour type chains are almost everywhere.
Public transport:
Used only in Bucharest. Problematic purchase of tickets.
They are not sold on buses and at the Casa Alba campsite they do not keep them.
They tell us that three stops away there is a kiosk where they sell them but I don't know where it really is.
We were helped by one of the guardians who was returning to the center, we traveled with him who lent us his card.
A good alternative can be to use taxis which they say are cheap.
Useless in the rest of the other locations, all of which can be visited by walking.
Internet connection:
With few exceptions, all campsites have WiFi connection, which is almost always free and very fast.
Bars and restaurants are also often equipped with them.
If you don't have any business reasons that need constant connection to the network, you can save money.
Max