Transfăgărășan road trip: where to join it, how long it takes and how to make a loop
The Transfăgărășan has two ends: one in the south, near Pitești, and one in the north, between Sibiu and Brașov. Where you start decides where you join it. Below are the distances, the times and two plans you can build around a night in Curtea de Argeș.
At a glance
- The road: DN7C, 151 km between Bascov, near Pitești, and the DN1 near Cârțișoara, between Sibiu and Brașov.
- Highest point: 2,042 m, at the tunnel by Bâlea Lake, which is 887 m long.
- The mountain section, between Piscu Negru and Bâlea Cascadă, is officially closed from 1 November to 30 June, and the opening depends on the snow. In 2026 it opened on 12 June. While it’s open, traffic is allowed from 07:00 to 21:00.
- Built between 1970 and 1974.
Where to join it, depending on where you start
From the south you climb from Pitești through Curtea de Argeș, past Poenari Fortress and Vidraru Dam. From the north you leave the DN1 at Cârțișoara and go straight up to Bâlea Cascadă and Bâlea Lake. Distances below are by road to Bâlea Lake, worked out with OSRM.
| From | Join from the | To Bâlea Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Curtea de Argeș | south | 75 km |
| Sibiu | north | 82 km |
| Pitești | south | 118 km |
| Brașov | north | 138 km |
| Târgu Mureș | north | 166 km |
| Bucharest | south | 232 km |
| Ploiești | south | 242 km |
| Craiova | south | 253 km |
| Cluj-Napoca | north | 260 km |
| Timișoara | north | 351 km |
| Iași | north | 459 km |
| Constanța | south | 472 km |
From Cârțișoara to Bâlea Lake it’s 31 km. From Curtea de Argeș, 75 km.
How long it takes
The mountain road is slow. From Curtea de Argeș to Bâlea Lake it’s 75 km and about two hours without stops. The full crossing, from Curtea de Argeș to Cârțișoara, is about 107 km, roughly three hours of driving alone. With stops at Poenari, the dam and the lake, give it a whole day.
A two-day loop from Bucharest or the south
Day 1: to Curtea de Argeș
From Bucharest it’s about 157 km on the motorway, roughly two hours. Arrive by lunchtime, see the Monastery, where the church is being restored until 2028, and spend the night in Curtea de Argeș so you can head for the mountains early the next day.
Day 2: over the mountains
Set off north in the morning: Poenari Fortress, then Vidraru Dam, then the hairpins up to Bâlea Lake. From there you have two options:
- Back the way you came: from Bâlea Lake to Bucharest it’s about 232 km. It’s shorter, but you drive the mountain section twice.
- The loop through Sibiu: go through the tunnel, down to Cârțișoara, on to Sibiu (51 km) and back along the Olt Valley, via Râmnicu Vâlcea and Pitești. The whole loop from Bucharest is around 600 km, so it’s easier with a second night, in Sibiu.
From Brașov, Sibiu, Cluj or Timișoara: join from the north
From Sibiu it’s 51 km to Cârțișoara, from Brașov about 107 km, on the DN1. Climb to Bâlea Lake, go through the tunnel and down the southern side, past Vidraru and Poenari, to Curtea de Argeș: about 158 km from Sibiu. Spend the night here, see the Monastery in the morning and go back a different way: to Sibiu along the Olt Valley (about 115 km) or to Brașov via Câmpulung and Bran (about 129 km). That way you never drive the same road twice.
From Cluj-Napoca and Timișoara, drive to Sibiu on the motorway first and do the same.
Tips for the drive
- Check on the day whether the mountain section is open: it closes temporarily in bad weather.
- Plan to cross the high section between 07:00 and 21:00.
- Fill up in town before you start the climb.
- It’s cold at the top even in summer: bring a warm jacket.
- Bears are often seen by the road. Don’t feed them and don’t get out of the car near them.
Where to stay on the route
Curtea de Argeș is the last town before the mountains on the southern side. Casa Sima is here, 600 m from the Monastery, with parking in the courtyard and a barbecue in the evening, and in the morning you head straight for Poenari, 23 km away. There’s more about the road on our Transfăgărășan page, and distances from every major city in how to get to Curtea de Argeș.