Ruse is well connected by rail and road, and is the principal land crossing between Bulgaria and Romania. It sits about 300 km northeast of Sofia and about 70 km south of Bucharest across the Danube.
By train, Ruse is connected to Sofia (approximately 4–5 hours) with several trains daily. International trains to Bucharest cross the Friendship Bridge and stop at Giurgiu before continuing to the Romanian capital. The journey from Ruse to Bucharest takes around 3 hours by train.
By road, the Friendship Bridge (Мост на Дружбата) carries traffic between Ruse and Giurgiu — the only road crossing of the Danube in this stretch. Queues can build at peak times; morning crossings are generally faster. From Giurgiu, Bucharest is a 60 km drive or a local train.
Buses run from the Ruse bus station to Sofia, Varna, and other Bulgarian cities, as well as to Bucharest. The Ruse–Bucharest bus is quicker than the train and runs several times daily.