Due to its history of Soviet occupation, Romania is not the first place that most people put on their list of countries to visit in Europe. However, since the end of the reign of communism, the tourism industry in Romania has been growing steadily and the country has become an increasingly popular stop for travelers on their European adventures. Indeed, Romania is home to some of the most beautiful natural landscapes in the world, some fascinating historical and cultural monuments, and a ton of places to enjoy some food, music, dancing, and drinks.
If you plan on visiting the gorgeous country of Romania, one of the first places you should tour is Turda, which is located in the county of Cluj in the region of Transylvania (which is most often associated with the legend of Dracula). This city was first a Dacian settlement that was later taken over by the Romans and, indeed, you can still see salt mines on the outskirts of the city from Roman times. Later, in the Middle Ages, Turda served as a political center for the Transylvanian Diet. Today, Turda serves as the industrial powerhouse of Romania; however, a wealth of tourist attractions has helped the city develop a lively and interesting aura. If you’re thinking about touring Turda during your time in Romania, the best way to do so is by renting a motorbike and cruising around the city.
Here is everything you need to know about hiring a motorcycle in Turda. Most things here can also be applied if you are renting a scooter as well. This guide includes:
- Whether or not you need an international driving permit for motorbike hire in Romania
- Whether it’s safe to drive a rental motorcycle in Turda
- The best places in Turda to find motorcycle hire
- The typical cost of motorcycle rentals in Turda
- The best things to do in Turda with a rental motorbike
Do You Need an International Driving Permit to Hire a Motorbike in Romania?
If you’re a citizen of a country in the European Union and you’ve been issued a valid driver’s license by your home country, that is all you need to legally drive a hired motorcycle in Romania. However, if you’re from a non-EU country (including the United States and Canada), you will need to obtain an international driving permit to hire a motorcycle or any other motor vehicle in Romania.
If you want to get your international driving permit, the first thing you should do is apply online here. You will have to pay a $20 application fee and fill in some information about your driver’s license. You should make sure to apply at least two weeks before departing from your home country because that’s typically about how long the permit takes to come in the mail. Once you have your permit, it will be valid for one full year.
Where Are the Best Places Around Turda to Find Motorcycle Hire?
If you plan on flying to Turda to start your Romanian journey, you’ll probably be landing at Avram Iancu Cluj International Airport, the airport serving the county of Cluj and the closest airport to Turda. You should be able to find a motorcycle rental service inside the airport when you touch down quite easily. Therefore, if you’re traveling relatively lightly, you should be able to rent your motorcycle and drive directly from the airport to Turda.
If you’d rather take public transportation to Turda before renting your motorcycle, you can also find a few rental shops within the city limits. Of course, you can always search the internet or ask someone to find out where your nearest motorcycle hire service is. However, you’re best off starting your search in the area just north of the Parcul Municipal, the central park located in the middle of the city.
What Is the Normal Cost of Motorcycle Rental in Turda?
Similar to prices for just about everything in Romania, the price of motorcycle rental in this country is slightly lower than a lot of other European countries. However, that doesn’t mean that motorcycle hire in Romania is dirt cheap. For a proper motorcycle, such as a BMW G650GS, you’ll probably have to pay around €65 per day. However, if you want to go on the more affordable side, you can also rent something like a Vespa LX 50 for around €25 per day, which is far better than you’d pay in Vespa's home country of Italy.
Regardless of what type of motor vehicle you choose to rent in Turda, you should always make sure that the price of helmet rental and insurance is included in the stated price. You don’t want to drive in a foreign country, especially a country with dangerous road conditions like Romania, without insurance. And, if you plan on staying around Turda for more than a week, you should ask your rental shop if you can get a discounted price for weekly or monthly rentals.
What Are the Best Things to Do in Turda, Romania by Motorbike?
Now that you know everything you need to hire a motorcycle in Turda, here are some things to do in the city to get you started on your adventure:
Salina Turda
Indeed, one of the most interesting attractions in all of Romania is Salina Turda, also known as the Turda Salt Mines. These incredible mines were excavated by miners over a series of years, revealing amazing formations in the ground and some mind-boggling patterns in the rock. You can take a tour through the mines and marvel and the grandeur of this collaborative effort of humankind and nature.
Not only can you feast your eyes on the beauty of the salt mines, but there are also a ton of underground activities to keep you occupied at Salina Turda for hours. First of all, they have an entire amusement park that includes a panoramic wheel, a bowling alley, a mini-golf course, athletic fields, table tennis, billiards, an amphitheatre, and a playground for kids. And it’s all underground! Not only that, but they also have an entire swimming pool if you want to take a dip.
Turda History Museum
The Turda History Museum is the best collection of local culture and history in the region. You wouldn’t expect such a large collection to be in a place as relatively unknown as Turda; however, the museum’s collection contains over 40,000 pieces which are organized into a series of categories.
There are 250 artifacts from prehistoric times, over 24,000 pieces from the Roman and pre-Roman eras, 7,000 pieces from medieval to modern times, a collection of ethnographic works, and some amazing paintings with historical significance. The most famous and valuable painting is titled Diet of Turda and “reproduces the historical moment of the declaration of conscience and religious tolerance at the Diet of Turda.”
Potaissa
For any fans of Roman history, the ancient ruins of Potaissa are a must-visit spot in Turda. There you can find the ruins of a Roman bath, which was built after the Romans conquered the area in 101 AD under the rule of Trajan.
The site is a remaining piece of the long history of Rome’s conquest to defeat the Dacians, a war that Emperor Trajan waged over numerous years, eventually defeating Decebalus, the Dacian king, in the Second Battle of Tapae.
Tour Around Turda on a Rented Motorcycle
Turda, Romania is one of the many hidden gems of Eastern Europe that’s absolutely worth a visit. And if you are going to make your way over to Turda, there’s no better way to tour the city than on the seat of a rented motorbike.
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