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Chișinău

Chișinău, pronounced "Kishinau" with "nau" as in the English word "now", is the capital of Moldova with a population of around 780,000 in the metro area (2018), and 250,000 people coming each day for work and entertainment. It is a busy working city, but it has some sites of interest, and is a base for exploring other parts of the country.

Understand
Chișinău (Russian: Кишинёв (Kishinyov), Ukrainian: Кишинів (Kyshyniv)) is very wealthy compared to the rest of the country, as Moldova is not a very rich country, and the countryside is especially poor. As is common in developing countries, you are likely to see great disparities in wealth. It's also very much a post-Soviet city, with both the good and bad qualities associated with that. You'll see many modern and great buildings of steel, concrete and glass.

The majority of the middle- and working-class population lives in blocks of flats. These look standard, maybe not too nice but are not as dangerous as similar areas may be considered to be in Western Europe. Do not expect Western standards everywhere, but the situation is improving every year. There are 4- and 5-star hotels, good restaurants and cafes, coffee houses and bars.

The city's territory with the nearest suburbs covers the area of.
 * Visit Chișinău tourism information.

By plane

You may also want to consider flying to Iași to get a certain flight date, a direct flight or a better price from the region you start from. From Iasi, you can take an intercity bus or train to Chișinău.

Chișinău airport: transportation
The fixed fares range from 100 lei upward depending on where in the city you are going. While better than in the past, the taxi system is still not perfect and it is likely they will try to come up with a reason to charge you extra. It is required by law for taxi drivers to always use the taxi meter, but sometimes they tend to "forget". Always ask the driver to enable the taxi meter before entering the taxi, and pay based on the figure shown on the meter.

A cheaper alternative is the trolleybus 30. It leaves just out of the arrivals door and is marked by a sign with the times. Once the trolleybus is running, pay 6 lei (Sep 2023) either by cash to the person with an apron, or by wireless card reader if available. It takes you to Botanical Gardens, Ismail Street and Bulevardul Ștefan cel Mare și Sfînt (main street).

If for some reason the trolleybus is not running or you would like to multiply your options, go towards the expressway next to the terminal station, cross it, and wait at the bus station for either trolleybus 30 or bus 33, the latter of which goes to Central Railway Station and Ismail Street.

By train
See Calea Ferata Moldova (CFM) (Moldovan Railways).

There is only one train station in Chișinău: the Central Railway Station. Internationally, the trains depart to Europe through Romania, as well as to Ukraine.

Within Moldova trains run westwards to Strășeni, Călărași, and Ungheni, and eastwards to Anenii Noi and Bendery.

From Western Europe, the train is much cheaper than a flight. The downside is that they are slow, particularly when crossing the borders into the former Soviet Union, where they need to stop to have their wheels changed due to different rail gauges.

There are two routes to Romania: to Iași and to Bucharest. Connection with Iași is two trains per day in each direction, taking approx. 4 hours (only seating class). From Bucharest, daily overnight trains leave Gara de Nord station at 19:20 and arrive at 08:10. The 'couchette', shared sleeper compartment, cost approximately 136 Romanian lei purchased the day of in Bucharest.

Ukrzaliznytsia – Ukrainian railway company – serves a route from Chișinău to Kyiv, departing every second day overnight.

By car
Roads in Moldova are moderate. The road leading from Chișinău to Leușeni is OK. You are likely to be sharing the road with trucks, cars, and livestock, all moving at various speeds without a lot of regard for safety.

Because the driving and quality of the roads in Moldova is different from what a Westerner would probably be used to, it is thus better to rely on public transport, which is very cheap and (mostly) reliable.

By bus
Chișinău has three main bus stations:

You can check bus timetables (for in-country, and international destinations) at this website.

From specific destinations:
 * Transnistria – From Tiraspol (leaving from the train/bus station: gara) and Bendery there are semi-hourly marshrutkas taking 90 min and 40 rubles. You can also pay in Moldavan lei, about 37 lei.
 * Bucharest – Many companies operate 'rutieras' during the day and larger coaches during the night heading to Bucharest. The journey is 8-9 hr journey with hourly departures in the evening. There often is no toilet on the bus but several stops are made by the bus driver. Most companies run to/from the central bus station behind the Central Market. Fares start at about €25.
 * Iași – Coach services are operated to/from Gara de Sud. There are nine services a day. The trip takes around 3½–5 hr.
 * Odesa – The journey from Odesa takes around 5 hr and costs around US$10. The buses from Odesa go through southern Moldova, avoiding the Transnistrian region.

There are also several buses throughout the day from Chernivtsi and Lviv.

By bus
For those on a budget, just do as the locals do: use a trolley-bus (about 30 lines through the city), bus or maxi-taxis. A ride costs 6 lei regardless of the mode of transportation. In trolleybuses and buses, the fare is collected by a conductor who walks through the bus back and forth. Maxi-taxis are increasingly rare and unreliable. When entering one, pay the driver right away. There are few set stops for maxi-taxis. It is usually fine to just tell the driver when you want to get off, although there are new rules and drivers may not do this so much anymore but will stop on street corners, etc. More information can be found at Easyway.

By taxi
There are several big taxi services operating throughout the city and its suburbs, most notably Letz and Yandex Go. Call 14222 or 14444 to get a taxi. Those who do not speak Romanian or Russian should ask a local person at a hotel or a restaurant to call a taxi, because few taxi drivers speak English. The majority of taxi drivers accept payment by credit card; ask beforehand while ordering. If you pay by cash it is better to bring small notes because usually the taxi drivers will not be able to change anything larger than 50-lei notes. Prices start from about 50 lei.

It is required by law for taxi drivers to always use the taxi meter, but sometimes they tend to "forget". Always ask the driver to enable the taxi meter before entering the taxi, and pay based on the figure shown on the meter.

Buy
There are many shops, malls and markets in Chișinău. The majority of restaurants and almost all the hotels in the city accept credit cards. There are hundreds of ATMs throughout the city. If you do not have an account with the bank or its parent company (e.g. Santander), expect a fee of approximately 2%.

If you are just visiting Chișinău, consider buying a special brandy selection of about 30 small bottles, with different sorts of brandy. It can make a nice gift. Moldovan wines are deservedly famous across the former Soviet Union, yet are little known in Europe. Take the opportunity to sample them. Cigarettes are also much cheaper in Moldova than in the EU, so you might do well to stock up before leaving the country, although the number of cigarettes you can bring across an EU border is restricted. There are special rules for the land borders to Romania. The maximum number is lower.

Eat
Chișinău is a good place for food lovers. There are plenty of good places to eat all over the city. The cheap, tasty food that is very popular with the locals is served in most places. For better service and a more diverse food selection, there are a lot of small restaurants and cafes. Some restaurants have prices comparable to Western Europe, although if you eat only in those you may find yourself being ripped off. For a quick lunch, try fast food stores and pizzerias, which can be found on nearly every corner. Beef is often listed under the veal part of the menu.

For groceries, there are small shops all over. Some are in front of the apartment blocks just a few steps away from their entrances. For harder-to-find items, go to a supermarket. You will frequently also see markets or even one or two people selling fruit and vegetables, and sometimes other products such as honey or "brînza" (type of cheese). The majority of these are fresh and perfectly safe to eat and frequently better than what is found in a supermarket.

For fresh fruits and vegetables, open-air markets are the best option. 'Piața Centrală' (Central Market) is in the city centre and runs more than two city blocks. Other districts, such as Ciocana, also have large markets. Most of the items for sale are locally produced, but there are a lot of sellers who sell imports; mostly oranges, bananas and other tropical fruits and vegetables. It is best to buy fungible products (meat, dairy, etc.) from supermarkets or shops because they are much safer for nearly the same price.

The vendors at the open market will let you taste the cheese prior to your purchase so you can decide if it is something that you want to eat. When you first walk into the 'cheese halls', it may look like all of the vendors standing next to each other are selling the same product. For hard cheese which tends to be re-sold from larger distributors, it may be the same. However, for locally-made cheese, there are variations that arise from even slight differences in technique, variations in the level of salt for curing, and differences in feed. 'Oaie' means sheep, so this will have a slightly different flavour than cow 'vaca' or goat 'capra' cheeses. 'Caș' is a softer cheese, that is not aged like some of the other 'brînza' which tends to be harder and saltier and is recommended for Mamaliga (corn polenta). If you are uncertain about how to communicate the quantity you want, you can start by giving the vendor 20 lei or 40 lei depending on if you want a smaller or larger piece. Or, when they suggest a certain piece that might look too large, you can say 'jumatate' which means 'half', and then they will weigh it and tell you the price. You can ask them to write it down by showing a pen and paper.

A classic 'fast-food' is the 'langos' which are fried dough with either 'cartofi' (potatoes), 'brînza' (cheese), 'varza' (cabbage) or 'ficat' (liver). These are all made in the bakery in the second storey of one of the buildings near the market and are sold by different vendors in identical glass wheel carts in different parts of 'Piata Centrala'.

A quick meal can also be put together with the marinated or pickled dishes that are sold at 'Piața Centrală'. Depending on the vendors, you might find marinated eggplant/aubergine with onions, marinated shredded carrot, squash or mushrooms. There are also re-hydrated sea grasses in white or green curly varieties in bunches, or smoother grasses that are more shredded.

Drink
Drinks such as vodka are served on their own. So don't be surprised if your Vodka Sprite is served as two separate drinks. Also, club soda seems difficult to procure, at least in English.

Clubs
There are more than 40 nightclubs in Chișinău, making its nightlife vibrant and dynamic.

Budget

 * In the main train station, there is a decent hostel. Just enter the train station and ask the guards there. The price is 220 lei per night.
 * Hotel Turist is close to the centre and charges 440 lei a night for a double room with shower and WC (price as of August 2008).

Connect
Important phone numbers:
 * Emergency (calls can be made even by mobile phones with no SIM card) – 112
 * Gas intervention – 904
 * Telephone directory service by Moldtelecom – 1189 (taxable)

Stay safe
Pedestrians should pay attention to the vehicles on the roads, because driving skills tend to be rather poor and no one really follows normal traffic laws. Accidents often occur, and pedestrians should be very careful while crossing streets.

Crime is relatively low although usual precautions apply.

When entering some buildings at night, you will have to walk through unlit alleyways. So when traveling through Chișinău, always carry a small torch. The street lights are quite sparsely positioned and it is a good idea to plan your arrival for day-light hours.

Watch out about nightlife: the U.S. State Department warns about Russian dating schemes being also common in Moldova and another kind of financial scams. However, the average backpacker has very little to worry about unless looking for a Russian bride.

There is occasional police corruption aimed at foreigners. This will usually involve getting arrested for something ridiculously minor, with extra fictional offenses added on for dramatic effect, in an attempt to scare you into paying a "high" bribe (maybe a few euros). Most police will not speak any English, and you can expect a lengthy lecture in Romanian/Russian. Always carry at least a good quality photocopy of your passports. However, this corruption is rare and usually only happens after being caught doing something illegal.

Stray dogs are increasingly problematic in the city, with control of the population getting out of hand in the late 2010s. Take caution while walking in the city to avoid this hazard. If you are bitten, there is an anti-rabies clinic at the "Centru" Centrul Consulativ Diagnostic (public health clinic), at Strada 31 August 1989 #63 (i.e. building #63 on 31st August 1989 Street). The anti-rabies clinic is in Office ("Cabinetul") #101; go in the main front doors and turn left down a short hallway to find it. The staff generally only speak Romanian/Moldovan and Russian, but at least one physician in the anti-rabies clinic has a working knowledge of English.

Cope
English is spoken in some restaurants and markets, and some taxi drivers speak a little English. Young people are much more likely to speak English than the older generation. In Moldova, most people know Russian and Romanian. In Gagauzia, a Turkic language (Gagauz) is spoken, but the main communication language is Russian. Only 30% of the people in Moldova speak some English and the country is far behind with schools that teach the English language.

There is only a single national broadcast television station. For the most part, TV channels are piped in from Russia, Ukraine, Romania and Georgia. Euronews, Eurosport, CNN, Discovery Channel, etc. are on cable. Not every home in the city has continual hot water so ask if staying in a private home.

Embassies
There are many embassies and consulates in Chișinău, including:

Nearby

 * Cricova – A Chișinău suburb close to the city. Famous for its fabulous winery with an underground cellar over long. A tour, including tasting the dishes in its restaurant, plus wine souvenir will cost you 500 lei. Tours must be booked before arriving. Tours booked on the same day as the tour do not include tasting of wine or food.
 * Ghidighici – A lake and Chișinău suburb close to the city in its northern part. It is . in length and at about . in width. Ghidighici is also, called as "Chișinău sea". There are many resorts and recreation facilities along its shores. One of the most preferable places for recreation for city locals.
 * Orheiul Vechi – One of the most visited sites outside of Chisinau and a one-hour bus ride from the capital. It features a nature reserve, monasteries, museums, and archaeological sites.
 * Mileștii Mici – With over 200 km of underground roadways, Mileștii Mici is registered in the Guinness World Records as the biggest wine collection in the world. It may be easier to book a tour through a travel agency as one must provide a car for the tour. Website, phone: +373 22 382 333.

Further away

 * Transnistria – This unrecognized, de facto republic claims eastern Moldova; visiting it comes closest to what life in a communist state in the Cold War must have been like.
 * Bucharest – The capital of nearby Romania, in which megalomanic monuments, including "House of the People", built during Ceaușescu's reign, overlook medieval neighbourhoods. Many companies operate 'rutieras' during the day and larger coaches during the night heading to Bucharest.
 * Iaşi – The second largest Romanian city, it was the capital of the Moldavian principality until 1861 and then briefly the capital of Romania. Today it remains one of the major economic and cultural centres in the country. The contrasts between Chișinău and Iasi are quite significant and that makes this trip an interesting option if you are heading into Romania from Chișinău. Coach services are operated from Gara de Sud.
 * Odesa – Relaxing Ukrainian city on the shore of the Black Sea.

title: Chișinău