Giurgiu – Ruse — no border checks

Quick answer

There are no border checks at the “Giurgiu – Ruse” crossing. Romania and Bulgaria are both in the Schengen area and neither has reintroduced checks here, so you cross without stopping — which is why we give no waiting time.

Sources: traveller reports · nakordoni.eu · How we calculate waiting time

There are no border checks at this crossing

We deliberately show no number here. There is no queue to measure, so a calculated waiting time would be invented. Checks at internal Schengen borders are sometimes reintroduced temporarily — when that happens, waiting times will return to this page. Last verified: 2026-08-18.

Key facts: Giurgiu – Ruse

Key facts: Giurgiu – Ruse
Name on the Romania sideGiurgiu
Name on the Bulgaria sideRuse
Crossing typeRoad, international
Open forCars
Opening hours24/7
Coordinates43.90388° N, 25.99062° E

About Giurgiu – Ruse

Giurgiu and Ruse are linked by the Friendship Bridge over the Danube, opened in 1954 – a two-level structure with the roadway on top and the railway beneath. It is the shortest route from Bucharest into Bulgaria and one of the most important crossings on the entire Romanian-Bulgarian border. The crossing handles cars in both directions and is used by locals as well as by tourists driving through Romania towards the Bulgarian coast, Greece or Turkey, including many drivers from Poland.

Since 1 January 2025 Romania and Bulgaria have been full Schengen members at their land borders, so systematic passport control on the bridge has been abolished. Schengen states can reintroduce it temporarily, so check the current announcements before travelling and carry an identity document. The bridge itself is tolled, separately from the vignettes – Romania's rovinieta and Bulgaria's electronic vignette for national roads.

Data from our board shows that the wait towards Romania is clearly longer here than at most crossings: about two hours and three quarters on average. Saturday and Sunday afternoons are typically the worst, while nights are the calmest, with the usual wait dropping to roughly an hour and a half. It is therefore best to plan the return to Romania for the night or early in the week. Alternatives are the Ostrov–Silistra land crossing to the east and the Calafat–Vidin bridge to the west.

Border webcams: Giurgiu – Ruse

Checkpoint cameras — live

Ruse - Approach to Border — webcam
Ruse - Approach to Border · 7 min ago
Ruse Border Checkpoint (KPP) — webcam
Ruse Border Checkpoint (KPP) · 7 min ago

Cameras, charts and forecast on nakordoni.eu →

Fuel near Giurgiu – Ruse

Petrol stations within 50 km of the crossing — 74 in our database.

Which side is cheaper?

Romania2,037 € 8,95 złEuropean Commission — Weekly Oil Bulletin
Bulgaria1,890 € 8,31 złEuropean Commission — Weekly Oil Bulletin

converted at the ECB rate

Cheaper in Bulgaria — on a 60-litre tank you save about 39,00 zł.

Closest stations

  1. 1PetromGiurgiu1,9 kmGoogle MapsApple Maps
  2. 2LukoilGiurgiu2,0 kmGoogle MapsApple Maps
  3. 3Benzinarie TSV2,5 kmGoogle MapsApple Maps
  4. 4Partener Rompetrol2,5 kmGoogle MapsApple Maps
  5. 5Lukoil3,0 kmGoogle MapsApple Maps

We have no individual pump prices on this side of the border — showing station locations only.

Sources: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)

Fuel prices at every border →

Parking and rest areas near Giurgiu – Ruse

Places to stop within 50 km of the crossing — 64 in our database.

Closest places to stop

  1. 1Car park23 spaces0,2 kmGoogle MapsApple Maps
  2. 2Car park69 spaces0,3 kmGoogle MapsApple Maps
  3. 3Car park100 spaces0,9 kmGoogle MapsApple Maps
  4. 4Car park26 spaces0,9 kmGoogle MapsApple Maps
  5. 5Green Auto ServiceCar park1,3 kmGoogle MapsApple Maps

With a toilet

  1. 1Rest areatoilet3,6 kmGoogle MapsApple Maps
  2. 2Rest areatoilet3,6 kmGoogle MapsApple Maps
  3. 3TIR Parking ТИВА КОМCar park · toilet · lit3,7 kmGoogle MapsApple Maps

Sources: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)

What it costs to drive to Giurgiu – Ruse

Fuel, time and charges for the drive to Giurgiu – Ruse from the 6 nearest cities. Distance and time follow the real road, not a straight line.

Route Bucharest → Giurgiu – Ruse
Route Bucharest → Giurgiu – Ruse · 62,2 km · 54 min · 65 PLN
CityDistanceDriving timeFuelChargesTotalRoad
Bucharest capital62,2 km54 min36 PLN29 PLN incl. barrier tolls65 PLNeasy
Varna203 km2h 10min101 PLN47 PLN incl. barrier tolls148 PLNeasy
Burgas278 km3h 19min139 PLN47 PLN incl. barrier tolls185 PLNeasy
Sofia capital321 km3h 45min161 PLN47 PLN incl. barrier tolls207 PLNeasy
Plovdiv336 km4h 3min168 PLN47 PLN incl. barrier tolls214 PLNeasy
Iași511 km5h 7min297 PLN29 PLN incl. barrier tolls325 PLNeasy

Calculated for a car at 7,0 L/100 km, petrol 95 at the country average on the day of calculation. Substitute your own consumption — the whole formula is here.

Vignettes required: 🇷🇴 Romania — Rovinieta (1-Day) 3,50 EUR · 🇧🇬 Bulgaria — 1-Day E-Vignette 4,09 EUR

A road charge is counted only where the route actually uses a toll road. A vignette is always counted, because in many countries it is required on ordinary roads too.

Where a drive uses a toll motorway, the barrier toll for that section is included in the figure, at the price the road operator publishes for it. A vignette is a flat national price.

Routes calculated 01.11.2026

Alternatives close by

Nearby crossings

Zimnicea – Svishtov

no checks

Ostrov – Silistra

no checks

Bechet – Oryakhovo

no checks

Negru Voda – Constanta

no checks

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about border queues

Are there border checks at Giurgiu – Ruse?

There are no border checks at the “Giurgiu – Ruse” crossing. Romania and Bulgaria are both in the Schengen area and neither has reintroduced checks here, so you cross without stopping — which is why we give no waiting time.