Reading time: 8 min.

June 2017 – European roadtrip

Highlights

• 15 days
• 3000 km
• 6 countries crossed

Hit the road!

1^st of June.

It’s 6 AM and the alarms are buzzing. Tough, I know, but this is the sound of holiday mode kicking in. The first day of many adventures begins now.

Up we go!

A 6-hour drive takes us to Turda Salt Mine: one of the coolest underground places we’ve visited. Dating back to the 11^th century, it’s now a beautifully designed museum of salt mining history.

By the end of the day I’m back in Cluj after so many years…and it looks even better than I remembered. Cluj welcomes us with its mix of student energy and relaxed Transylvanian charm.

Oradea is the first stop of day 2. The city shines with its Art Nouveau architecture and calm, elegant vibe. How can you not love it? Respect!

At the end of day 2, we arrive in Budapest, ready for a packed itinerary.

Buda vs. Pest – a city with two personalities. Buda is the hilly side with an imperial atmosphere, while Pest is the busy, buzzing flat half. But when night falls, everything blends into one.

I have to confess: Budapest after dark stole my heart.

Just one hour before reaching Zagreb, there’s the lovely baroque-style Varaždin, the former capital of Croatia. Varaždin feels like stepping into a pastel‑coloured postcard, quiet and beautifully preserved.

Zagreb: beauty and beer go well together.
Such a cool, pocket-sized capital deserves more that one night. Zagreb, we promise we’ll come back.

Hidden on the road that connects Zagreb to Plitvice Lakes, stands a magical watermill village where humans and nature worked hand in hand: Rastoke.

Leaving Rastoke behind, we reach Plitvice Lakes National Park, ready for a full day of trekking. Its 296 square kilometers and 16 lakes – shifting from azure to green, blue, or even grey – are impeccably arranged for long walks. We even overhear a group from Dubai asking, “How did you build this?” 🙂

Nature is full of surprises. And some places are worth the wait.

Zadar is the first stop where we actually slow down. Every one of the past six days has been a marathon.

One morning we get up early and head to Ninska Laguna. Looks like the effort pays off: we’re the first two humans on the beach. And what a view.

Three days later we find the new hottest spot on the Dalmatian coast.
Roman ruins by day, Mediterranean vibes by night. We simply cannot get enough of Split.

And finally, the last stop in Croatia, the pearl of the crown, is Dubrovnik.

No wonder King’s Landing from Game of Thrones was filmed here – it’s the most beautiful medieval city we’ve seen. King’s Landing, House of the Undying, The Red Keep, Walk of Shame, Qarth…with just a walk along the city walls you’ll follow the footsteps of your favourite actors and scenes from the movie, and step into a world of fantasy.

“Different roads sometimes lead to the same castle.” And in Dubrovnik, it feels true – every alley, staircase, and viewpoint seems to guide you back to the same magical heart of the city.

It’s so hard to leave Dubrovnik behind.

On the long way home, we cross Bosnia and Herzegovina near the Montenegrin border, rest in Serbia for one night, and continue through Bulgaria the next day.

The Bosnia-Montenegro border has some really striking scenery. First comes Bileća Lake, surrounded by limestone mountains, then the road leads straight into Sutjeska National Park. At any moment, you feel like a Jurassic dinosaur could step out of the forest and follow you.

I would give up the highway anytime just to have this view again.

We rest for one night in the quiet Serbian city of Čačak. The town has a simple, welcoming atmosphere that makes even a short stop feel warm and genuine. And with just a quick chat with the locals, we learn we have more words in common than we imagined.

The next day is not just another morning on the road. 600 km more – it’s the day we’re going home. 🙂

Map

Stops

• Bucharest, Romania
• Turda Salt Mine, Romania
• Cluj, Romania – Aparthotel Gutinului (1 night)
• Oradea, Romania
• Budapest, Hungary – Hotel Charles (3 nights)
• Varaždin, Croatia
• Zagreb, Croatia – Taban Hostel (1 night)
• Rastoke village, Croatia
• Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia
• Zadar, Croatia – Villa Julian (3 nights)
• Ninska Laguna, Croatia
• Split, Croatia – Rooms Valentino (3 nights)
• Dubrovnik, Croatia – Villa Dard (2 nights)
• Sutjeska National Park, Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Čačak, Serbia – Hotel Tema Nova (1 night)
• Back in Bucharest, Romania.

Vignette/toll costs

• Hungary – vignette ~11 EUR/10 days (purchased by card at a gas station on the Romania – Hungary border)
• Croatia – several toll gates on the highway, total cost in 2 weeks ~25 EUR (purchased by card/EUR/Kuna)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina – no highway on our route, so no additional costs
• Serbia – 1 EUR Eco-Tax at border crossing (cash only, EUR/RSD) + highway toll 1.5 EUR (card/EUR/RSD)
• Bulgaria – vignette ~8 EUR/7 days (purchased by card/Leva at a gas station after crossing the border)
• Romania – bridge toll 6 EUR (purchased by card/Leva)

Meal costs at the restaurant

• Hungary – usually around 30-40 EUR/2 persons.
  • 4000 HUF(13 EUR)/course
  • 1000 HUF(3 EUR)/drink
  • regular tip 12%
• Croatia – prices increase as you go down on the coast: 40-60 EUR/2 persons.
  • Zagreb – 90 Kuna(12 EUR)/portion, 16 Kuna(2 EUR)/beer
  • Zadar – 100 Kuna(13 EUR)/portion, 20 Kuna(3 EUR)/beer
  • Split – 100-120 Kuna(16 EUR)/portion, 30 Kuna(4 EUR)/beer
  • Dubrovnik – 150 Kuna(20 EUR)/portion, 35 Kuna(5 EUR)/beer
• Bosnia – we only stopped once at a restaurant, and paid 11 EUR for 2 persons.

Advice

• Bring euro in cash. You can pay almost everywhere in EUR (hotels, restaurants, and more importantly at the border crossing or tolls) without needing a different currency for each country.
• Turn OFF mobile data in Bosnia and Serbia – they are not part of the EU. Our telephone company showed a cost of 11 EUR/MB!
• Don’t forget your passports.
• Have the car Green Card with you – check with your insurance company that it covers all the countries on your route.
• The best time to visit Croatia is early June. Later on, it gets really crowded. What do you know? Perfect timing! 😀

Total costs

• Fuel: 240 EUR
• Vignette/Tolls: 53 EUR
• Accommodation: 1000 EUR
• Food: 800 EUR
• Entertainment: 200 EUR

Later edit: These prices are from our 2017 trip through Eastern Europe. A lot has changed in the last years – general inflation and the post‑pandemic jump in travel costs have pushed things up across the region. As of 2025, you can expect prices to be roughly 30-40% higher, depending on the country.

***

It would be a shame to squeeze all these beautiful places in one post, right? Each has its own story. So, step by step, here’s what we did:

1 day in Romania: Turda-Cluj-Oradea

Budapest: 2 days packed itinerary

The perfect European city break you’ve probably never thought of: Varazdin and Zagreb

Nature at its best: Rastoke village and Plitvice Lakes

A city with an old soul – Zadar, Croatia

Split: Mediterranean vibes with a ‘Game of Thrones’ twist

Welcome to the King’s Landing: Dubrovnik

Happy travels and stay safe!