Zimnicea – Svishtov — no border checks

Quick answer

There are no border checks at the “Zimnicea – Svishtov” 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: Zimnicea – Svishtov

Key facts: Zimnicea – Svishtov
Name on the Romania sideZimnicea
Name on the Bulgaria sideSvishtov
Crossing typeRoad, international
Open forCars
Opening hours24/7
Coordinates43.645° N, 25.3646° E

About Zimnicea – Svishtov

Zimnicea in Romania's Teleorman county and Svishtov in Bulgaria's Veliko Tarnovo province face each other across the Danube, but there is no fixed bridge here – it is a river crossing that depends on the vessel in service. Svishtov is a historic town with a long trading tradition, and the road from it runs inland towards Veliko Tarnovo. The crossing takes cars in both directions and matters mainly at regional level: for people from Teleorman and the Svishtov area, and for travellers who want to avoid the busy bridge at Giurgiu.

Since 1 January 2025 the Romanian-Bulgarian border has been a full internal Schengen border without systematic document checks. Schengen states keep the right to reintroduce controls temporarily, so read the current announcements before leaving and take an identity document. National roads require Romania's rovinieta and Bulgaria's electronic vignette, and the crossing itself is paid for separately.

On the river, conditions decide everything: low water on the Danube, fog or wind can delay or suspend sailings, and capacity is limited. So before you travel, make sure the crossing is operating and check the current timetable. If it is not, the nearest alternative is the Giurgiu–Ruse bridge downstream, and upstream the Bechet–Oryahovo ferry and the Calafat–Vidin bridge. The live board shows current data.

Border webcams: Zimnicea – Svishtov

Cameras, charts and forecast on nakordoni.eu →

Fuel near Zimnicea – Svishtov

Petrol stations within 50 km of the crossing — 54 in our database.

Which side is cheaper?

Romania2,037 € 8,96 złEuropean Commission — Weekly Oil Bulletin
Bulgaria1,890 € 8,32 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. 1Petrom Zimniceastr. Mihail Kogalniceanu nr. 6, Zimnicea1,7 kmGoogle MapsApple Maps
  2. 2ForteNăsturelu5,2 kmGoogle MapsApple Maps
  3. 3Rompetrol11,6 kmGoogle MapsApple Maps
  4. 4Petrol station18,2 kmGoogle MapsApple Maps
  5. 5Rompetrol18,3 kmGoogle MapsApple Maps

Cheapest diesel

  1. 1Petrom Zimniceastr. Mihail Kogalniceanu nr. 6, Zimnicea1,7 km10,86 RONprice at the pumpGoogle MapsApple Maps
  2. 2PETROM 10 POROSCHIAPoroschia33,9 km10,86 RONprice at the pumpGoogle MapsApple Maps
  3. 3PETROM 14 ALEXANDRIAAlexandria37,0 km10,86 RONprice at the pumpGoogle MapsApple Maps
  4. 4LUKOIL România S.R.L. Alexandria 1Alexandria36,8 km10,89 RONprice at the pumpGoogle MapsApple Maps
  5. 5Rompetrol ALEXANDRIAAlexandria36,4 km10,92 RONprice at the pumpGoogle MapsApple Maps

Best value: price including the detour

The ranking adds the fuel burned driving there and back (about 8 l/100 km) to a 50-litre fill.

  1. 1Petrom Zimniceastr. Mihail Kogalniceanu nr. 6, Zimnicea1,7 km10,86 RONprice at the pumpGoogle MapsApple Maps
  2. 2PETROM 10 POROSCHIAPoroschia33,9 km10,86 RONprice at the pumpGoogle MapsApple Maps
  3. 3PETROM 14 ALEXANDRIAAlexandria37,0 km10,86 RONprice at the pumpGoogle MapsApple Maps
  4. 4LUKOIL România S.R.L. Alexandria 1Alexandria36,8 km10,89 RONprice at the pumpGoogle MapsApple Maps
  5. 5Rompetrol ALEXANDRIAAlexandria36,4 km10,92 RONprice at the pumpGoogle MapsApple Maps

Sources: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)

Fuel prices at every border →

Parking and rest areas near Zimnicea – Svishtov

Places to stop within 50 km of the crossing — 12 in our database.

Closest places to stop

  1. 1TIR Parking Найденов-ойлCar park · toilet · lit32,6 kmGoogle MapsApple Maps
  2. 2Rest area35,8 kmGoogle MapsApple Maps
  3. 3ParcareCar park35,9 kmGoogle MapsApple Maps
  4. 4TIR Parking Снек-бар ВоловоMotorway services · toilet · lit37,2 kmGoogle MapsApple Maps
  5. 5Rest area38,7 kmGoogle MapsApple Maps

Sources: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)

What it costs to drive to Zimnicea – Svishtov

Fuel, time and charges for the drive to Zimnicea – Svishtov from the 5 nearest cities. Distance and time follow the real road, not a straight line.

Route Bucharest → Zimnicea – Svishtov
Route Bucharest → Zimnicea – Svishtov · 126 km · 1h 54min · 102 PLN
CityDistanceDriving timeFuelChargesTotalRoad
Bucharest capital126 km1h 54min73 PLN29 PLN incl. barrier tolls102 PLNeasy
Sofia capital239 km2h 46min119 PLN18 PLN137 PLNeasy
Varna250 km2h 55min125 PLN18 PLN143 PLNeasy
Burgas306 km3h 35min153 PLN18 PLN171 PLNeasy
Plovdiv311 km3h 42min156 PLN18 PLN174 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

Giurgiu – Ruse

no checks

Bechet – Oryakhovo

no checks

Ostrov – Silistra

no checks

Calafat – Vidin

no checks

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about border queues

Are there border checks at Zimnicea – Svishtov?

There are no border checks at the “Zimnicea – Svishtov” 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.