Live loads on this route
There are no live loads from Turkey to Romania on GigFreight right now. Loads appear here as soon as brokers and shippers post them. Meanwhile, browse the Turkey board or post your own load.
Distances
- Istanbul → Bucharest: about 650 km
- Istanbul → Ruse: about 580 km
- Edirne → Vidin: about 600 km
Transit time
Istanbul to Bucharest is usually one day plus border time at Kapıkule. Under EU drivers’ hours rules a driver may drive 9 hours a day (10 hours twice a week) with a 45-minute break after 4.5 hours, so one driver covers roughly 700–800 km a day.
Border crossings
- Kapıkule – Kapitan Andreevo (Turkey → Bulgaria, EU external border)
- Ruse – Giurgiu Danube bridge (Bulgaria → Romania)
- Vidin – Calafat Danube bridge (Bulgaria → Romania)
Typical freight
- Textiles
- Food and fresh produce
- Building materials
- Household goods
Tolls, bans and documents
Borders
Customs clearance or transit happens at the EU external border at Kapıkule. Romania and Bulgaria have been full Schengen members since 1 January 2025, so routine checks at their internal land borders have ended; the EU external border (for example with Turkey or Serbia) still has customs and police controls.
Tolls
Bulgaria charges trucks over 3.5 t an electronic distance-based toll. Since 1 October 2026 Romania charges trucks over 3.5 t a distance-based toll (TollRo) on the motorways, expressways and national roads managed by CNAIR (except national-road sections inside municipalities’ built-up areas), instead of the rovinieta vignette; the rovinieta remains for vehicles up to 3.5 t.
Permits and drivers
Turkish-registered trucks need bilateral or ECMT permits and Turkish drivers need Schengen visas.
Tips for carriers
- Allow for queues at Kapıkule in the delivery window.
- Romanian loads back towards Turkey are the obvious return; Turkish accounts see European freight on GigFreight.
Questions
Which Danube bridge do trucks use from Bulgaria to Romania?
Ruse – Giurgiu for Bucharest and the east, or Vidin – Calafat for western Romania.
Carriers and brokers on this route
Load boards can be browsed without an account. Visitors see the route, dates, equipment and price of each load, but not the poster’s contact details. Broker and shipper contact details on a load are shown only to members with a fully paid, active subscription. A trial gives access to the platform but not to load contact details.