Shoving, pushing and jostling go hand in hand with public transport in Moldova, just part of the local experience! 

Our Moldova Transportation guide tells you everything you need to know about getting to, from and around Moldova. Taking a tour in Moldova is an easy way to get around while experiencing the many exciting things to see & do across the country.

Check out our local transportation information in Chisinau.

Moldova Transportation Guide

Getting to Moldova

Passing through Transnistria

For the gutsy tourist or those without an option who try to take the Ukraine route to Moldova, a word of caution. When you pass through Transnistria on buses from Odessa you are sure to have trouble with the border crossing. All buses are stopped for checking and as a tourist you will be expected to fork out a huge amount of Euros for a transit visa for passing through this unrecognised nation. Since the diplomatic community does not recognise Transnistria as an independent state, consulates do not exist and as such getting a visa before you arrive is impossible. Seasoned travellers recommend you try to act dumb and pass yourself off as a student if you're young enough - you may get away with a smaller fee.

By plane

Moldova's international airport in Chişinău is where your flight will arrive along with others from Moscow, Rome, Paris, Vienna, Amsterdam, Minsk, Istanbul, Budapest, Berlin, Bucharest and beyond. Flights aren't cheap and the lowest priced options would be to fly in via Istanbul, Moscow, Kiev or Bucharest.

Moldova's airlines are Moldavian Airlines, Air Moldova and the regional airline Tandem Aero, which only operates on the Kiev and Tel Aviv route.

If you're arriving from London you have a choice between arriving on a Tuesday or a Friday while Romanian carrier Tarom and Air Moldova between them offer 1 or 2 connections daily to Romania.

By train

The budget travellers' best bet to enter Moldova without busting their budget is to arrive by the night train from Bucharest. Flights to Bucharest will cost you as much as 200 dollars less than those to Moldova, so it makes sense to fly that route and take the train from Bucharest.

Taking the Preitenia

Moldovan trains run on a narrower gauge and at the border each carriage is picked up and fitted with a new set of smaller wheels! If you're taking the Ukraine route you could face checking at the borders of the Transnistria region due to their longstanding conflict. The sleeper train called the Preitenia has four berths to a cabin and is quite economical. Expect to pay around 25 dollars for a berth. The only downside is that unlike other trains in Europe, you cannot book on the Preitenia via regular ticketing agents.

Moscow, Kiev and Chisinau are linked by two express trains that run in the day and one night train that is slower. The journey takes about 13 hours on the express trains and 17 hours on the overnight train. The Odessa route faces trouble off and on and the train on the route was discontinued when troubles with the Republic of Transdniestr came to a head. The train from Lvov is a 20-hour journey running only on odd-numbered dates. Between June and September each summer, an evening train runs between Chisinau and Constanta every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

By car

Take care to come via a border where there is a non stop visa issuing office. If you arrive from Ukraine you may be able to hire a private car that will bring you from the Odessa train or bus station to Chisinau at any time of day. The journey takes around 3 hours and costs 200 Euro for 1 car which can seat up to 4 people.

By bus

Moldova is well served by buses connecting Chişinău with Kiev, Bucharest, and key cities in Romania and Ukraine. Border crossings take time, so journeys may be as long as 10 hours.

From Romania: There are about 5 or 6 bus trips between Bucharest every day and plenty of connections to Galati, Brasov, Constanta, and Suceava too. Do ensure you route yourself via a border that has a non stop visa issuing office. Tickets cannot be bought online, so contact a booking office for tickets.

From Ukraine: Buses run between Kiev, Odessa and Moldova, with the trip from Kiev taking around 11 hours and that from Odessa about 5. The Lvov bus takes 17 hours and has just 1 run a day. Again, tickets cannot be bought online. Try and route via the Palanca Moldovan-Ukraninian frontier and avoid the Transdniestr crossing at all costs!

Getting around Moldova

Travelling in Moldova is quite an experience, with crowds and jostling being part of it all! Keep an open mind and don't think you're being singled out for pushing around - everyone lives with it. Local transport in Moldova runs to trams, buses and the old-fashioned trolleybuses. You could avoid the crowds by taking the taxis, but if you aren't lucky enough to spot a government-run metered taxi do be sure to decide on a fare before you hop in. Most towns and cities are connected by bus services.

Visa information

If you're the citizen of an EU country or of the USA, CIS countries, Canada, Switzerland, Norway or Japan and plan to stay for not more than 90 days over a 6-month window, then you won't need to get a visa to enter The Republic of Moldova.

Anyone who isn't from these countries will need to either try their luck with the visa on arrival at the airport in Chişinău or at the land border check points - but only if one is in possession of a letter of invitation which has been endorsed by Moldovan officials. You may find it easier to apply for a visa through the Moldovan embassy nearest to your home country. Many travellers apply through the Consulate in Bucharest.

As visa and passport rules can be quick to change, remember to check the latest visa and passport information for your holiday in Moldova with the Moldovan embassy.