Chișinău

Chişinău (Russian Kishinyov, Ukrainian Kishiniv, pronounced "Kishinau" with "nau" as in the English word "know") is the capital of Moldova with a population of around 790,000 plus 250,000 people coming each day for work and entertainment from all over the country and abroad. The city's territory with nearest suburbs cover the area of 635 km².

Opera and ballet palace

Understand

Chişinău is very wealthy compared to the rest of the country, as Moldova is not a very rich country, and the countryside especially is 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 it. By other side 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 "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. Many restaurants and almost all the hotels in the city accept the credit cards. There are hundreds of ATMs throughout the city.

Get in

By plane

Chişinău International Airport

• 🌍 Chişinău International Airport (KIV  ^IATA). Served by many airlines like AirBaltic, Air Moldova, Austrian, Lufthansa, Moldavian Airlines, Tarom, Turkish Airlines, S7 Aircompany, Wizz Air with flights around the Europe and Asia, notably to Athens, Bucharest, Budapest, Frankfurt, Istanbul, Madrid, Milan-Bergamo, Moscow, Munich, Riga, Rome, Timisoara, Vienna, Vilnius, Saint Petersburg, Varna, Paris, London, Bologna and Surgut.  

There are three taxi companies which operate at the airport. The fixed fares range from 80 to 120 lei 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 cheaper to wait for a taxi dropping someone off at the airport and use that one to return to your destination. Always agree the price before entering the taxi.

Cheaper alternatives are minibus 165 and trolleybus 30:

№ 165 takes you through Botanica to the center, Izmail street. Tickets cost 3 lei; luggage will cost you another ticket. The minibuses are white vans leaving from the airport parking lot. If you leave the airport building from the arrivals area, turn right and walk towards the end of the building. The buses are marked with the number 165 on a sign behind the windshield and you can flag one down passing you, or walk up to the ones still parking. Don't open the sliding door even though you have luggage; for some reason they always use the co-drivers door to get on and off.

N. 30 leaves just out of the arrivals door and is marked by a sign with the times. Pay the girl with an apron 2 lei (July 2018) once the bus is running. It takes you to Botanical Gardens, Ismail Street and Bulevardul Stefan cel Mare si Sfint (main street).

By train

See Calea Ferata Moldova (CFM) - Moldovan Railways.

There is one Central Railway Station and a few suburban stations at the city's ends. The trains depart to Europe through Romania and to the Community of Independent States, especially to Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.

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 gauge.

The most popular route is from Bucharest, daily overnight trains leave Gara de Nord station at 19:15 and arrive at 09:30. The 'couchette' - shared sleeper cabin, cost approximately 136 Romanian lei purchased the day of in Bucharest.

Another useful route is from Warsaw, departing every second day taking two nights (38 hr). Chişinău is served by three routes from Russia, one from Moscow via Kiev, one from Saint Petersburg and one from Rostov-on-Don. Several cities in Ukraine also have daily connections.

A direct train from Odessa leaves Odessa at 16:00 and arrives at ~22:00 the same evening, running only on Saturdays and Sundays. This train crosses the unrecognised breakaway state of Transnistria and makes a quick stop-over in its capital, Tiraspol. A single journey costs 244 грн as of May 2015.

By car

Roads in Moldova are quite bad. The road leading from Chişinău to Leuseni is pretty nice. 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.

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

By bus

Chişinău has three bus stations:

• the central 🌍 Gara (serving mainly in-country destinations onclduing Transnistria),
• 🌍 Gara de Nord (for in-country destinations on the northern part of the country like Sorocca, Rezina, Ocnita, for travel to Odessa, Kyiv and elsewhere in Ukraine) and
• the larger 🌍 Gara de Sud (for in-country destinations in the southern part of the country like Comrat, Cahul and for journeys to Romania). You can reach Gara de Sud from central Chişinău on rutiera (microbus) number 120, 124, 180 or 192 for 3 lei. Gara Nord is served by rutiera 163 and trolleybus #9, along with a bunch of others.

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

There are several buses throughout the day from Bucharest, Odessa, Iasi, Chernivtsi, and Lviv. The journey from Odessa takes around five hours and costs around US$10. Most buses from Odessa go through southern Moldova, avoiding the Transnistrian region - these will be marked as going through Palanka or Causeni. The journey to Iasi is 3½ hours long, with travel on to Brasov (price to Iasi: 140 lei).

There are many buses and maxi-taxis from Tiraspol (leaving from the train/bus station - gara) in Transnistria, about one every 30 minutes (40 rubles for a 90-min journey—it's shorter than the trip to Tiraspol) (Oct 2018). There are also many mini-buses from Bender.

Get around

• There are 40 taxi services operating throughout the city and its suburbs. Call 14222, 14333, 14444, 14747, 14448 or other 14xxx numbers to get a taxi. Taxi service 14700 frequently has an English-speaking person though this is not guaranteed.

It is recommended that non-Russian- or Romanian-speaking travelers have a local person/hotel or restaurant call a taxi, as few taxi drivers speak English.

In case you need a receipt for your travel, you need to ask for this specifically when ordering. Also payment by credit card is impossible.

Bring small bills, as sometimes they will not be able to give back on anything larger than 50 lei bills, but this is rare.

Prices vary across company/individual taxi driver, and it is fairly inconsistent. Expect prices between 30-60 lei for shorter rides and 50-150 lei for longer rides. From Malldova to Airport the prices vary and should be expected to be around 80-130 lei.

Pay good attention to the traffic as a pedestrian, as the driving skills are rather poor combined with the fact that no one really follows normal traffic laws. Accidents are often occurring, and pedestrians should be very careful in terms of crossing streets and especially avoid the Maxi-taxis.

• For budget travelers, just do like the locals do: ride the trolley-bus (24 lines through the city), bus or maxi-taxis. A trolley-bus ride costs 2 lei while a bus ride costs 3 lei, collected by a conductor who walks up and down the bus after each stop. Maxi-taxis cost 3 lei, which is paid to the driver upon entry. There are few set stops for maxi-taxis: and it is usually OK to just tell the driver when you want to get off, although new rules mean that drivers may not do this so much anymore but will stop on street corners, etc. Flag him down with your hand (just like you would with a taxi) when the vehicle approaches you on the street.

See

Botanical garden

Arch of triumph

• 🌍 Cathedral Park (Parkul Catedralei) (in the very centre). The centre is adorned with the Nativity Cathedral, the main church for the city. To the Southwest is the Triumphal arch constructed in 1841 which is the center piece of the Great National Assembly Square. Across Stefan cel Mare Boulevard is the Government House. The city’s biggest flower market is on the north side of the park along Banulescu Bodoni street. At the intersection of Stefan cel Mare and Banulescu Bodoni is a statue of Stefan cel Mare. 
• 🌍 Stefan Cel Mare Monument (Monumentul lui Ștefan cel Mare). The monument to Stephen III of Moldavia, who in the 15th century, achieved European fame by resisting the Turkish advances. The monument is the gateway to the beautiful park of the same name.  
• 🌍 Rose Valley (lines T2, T3, T7, T9 or T10). A 9-hectare park featuring three major lakes (with pedal boats) and several restaurants. Possible to walk there for the center, and thus allows to visit the Cathedral Theodor Tiron on the way.  
• Riscani Park (bus 5 or A). A 32-hectare wooded park offering you pleasant, almost secluded walks. 
• Botanica Park (near the city gates). The largest and most beautiful in Chişinău. Trolleybus 30, 22 and 4 from Boulevard Stefan cel Mare si Sfint (2 lei). Entry 10 lei (including students), 5 lei for children and retired. (updated Jul 2018)
• Village Museum (Muzeul Satului). Next to Botanica, if you head west after you exit the gates, cross Strada Aeroportului, and then you can find a path which will take you towards the first, and so far only building, that is on the land designated as the Village Museum. It is a wooden church built in the 1600s brought piece by piece to Chisinau from the village of Hiriseni, 74 km north. There is a new wooden gate with traditional carvings leading up to the museum. 
• 🌍 Parcul Valea Morilor. Very large park with a lake and which offers acres of largely untouched countryside scenery in the heart of the city.  
• Parcul Dendrariu. A large park in Buiucani (which costs 2 lei to enter). Nice gardens, lake, forests and sports field. 
• Parcul Alunelul. Near a former Soviet theme park, this contains a strange doorless and windowless house, and a memorial to the pogroms in Chişinău in the first part of the 20th century. 
• 🌍 Jewish Cemetery (in Buiucani). The cemetery is still in use. Contains new and very old graves, and used to be one of the largest Jewish cemetery in Europe. At one point, between 40 and 60% of Chişinău's population was Jewish. It also contains an old destroyed synagogue and a monument for the Torah scrolls.  
• Courtyard on the corner of Str. 31 August & Str. Tighina 47, you can find here the Military Museum, containing all sorts of Soviet-era military vehicles (tanks, a MIG fighter jet, etc.)
• Memorial Park. A little way-out of the center is the is a memorial commemorating the victory of the Soviet army in World War II. There is also an eternal flame in memory of Chişinău's unknown soldiers who died in World War II. It's behind the military and civilian cemeteries. 

Museums

• 🌍 Pushkin Museum (Casa-muzeu „Pușkin”), Str Anton Pann 19. You can visit the house where the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin lived when in exile from Russia during 1820-23.  
• 🌍 National Archaeology & History Museum, Str 31 August 1989, 121A. 10:00-18:00 in summer. Spend a few hours exploring the exhibits, and pay attention to the walls, floors and roofs of the building. There are some explanations in English. They may try to sell you museum, exhibitions and photography all together. 10 lei (5 students), 10 lei (or 5) more for temporary exhibitions, extra fee for photos or video. (updated Jul 2018)
• 🌍 National Ethnographic and Natural History Museum (Muzeul naţional de etnografie şi istorie naturală), Str M Kogălniceanu 82. The palaeontological part of the exhibition includes a skeleton of Deinotherium, a fearsome prehistoric relative of elephants. There is a good collection of traditional dresses. Free (at least on Saturday July 2018), but 15 lei for photographs and 40 for videos. (updated Jul 2018)
• 🌍 National Museum of Fine Arts (Muzeul Naţional de Artă), 115, 31 August 1989 Street.  

Orheiul Vechi

Orheiul Vechi — is one of the most visited sites out of Chisinau and a one hour bus ride from the capital. It features nature reserve, monasteries, museums and archaelogical sites. A cave church and a functioning monastery are the most prominent sights, but there are plenty of archaeological sites in the area, hotels, restaurants and two museums. To get there take a mini bus from Central bus station heading to Butuceni (departing at 08:35, 10:20, 13:15, 14:55, and back at 08:00, 10:00, 12:00, 15:00, 16:10; 26 lei each way (July 2018) to pay to the driver when leaving the bus), or Trebujeni (same buses as before plus 17:15, 18:15, 20:10 from Chisinau; 06:00, 18:30 from Trebujeni -from Trebujeni there is a walk to the church cave and the monastery). One of the museums, just before crossing the bridge to the ridge with the church, costs 10 lei (5 concessions, including students; July 2018) and displays pottery.

• Orheiul Vechi Monastery. The complex is carved into a massive limestone cliff and this wild, rocky and remote spot is one of Moldova's most fantastic sights. Dug by Orthodox monks in the 13th century, this monastery of caves is unspoilt by commercial exploitation, but sometimes the local children will offer you their carvings. Visiting the rock-hewn monastic cells does not have to be strenuous since you can drive a track to the clifftop and then negotiate a goat path.
  2018 Aug: to get here from Chisinau by public transport, get the buses to Trebujeni (which is just next to Orheiul Vechi) from Gara Centrala. Get tickets beforehand from the ticket office. There are around 6-7 services each way. You'll see many buses to Orhei, but this is NOT the same place although it is nearby. 

Do

• 🌍 Opera and Ballet Theatre (Teatrul de operă și balet). Catch a show of one of the top ballet companies in Eastern Europe. The company has toured all over the world, from Tokyo to Johannesburg. Show times and information can be found at the website.  
• 🌍 Mihai Eminescu Theatre, Stefan cel Mare si Sfant Blvd 79. This beautiful old theatre has floor seating and two balconies. They have multiple productions running at the same time, so you if you are staying for a week, you may have four different plays to choose from - and films in the 'studio'. Comedies tend to communicate better if you don't know the language.  
• 🌍 The National Filharmonic, Str. Mihai Eminescu (just north of Stefan cel Mare si Sfant). Some shows start as early as 17:00.  
• Patria Movietheatre. Check for 'In Original English Language'. If not, it might be dubbed in Russian with Moldovan/Romanian subtitles. 

Buy

There are excessive number of shops, malls and trade centers in Chişinău. Only market places are at about 41.

If you are just visiting Chişinău, 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 there are strict limits on the number of cigarettes you can bring across an EU border).

• Chişinău Souvenir Bazaar - The city's main artisan market. One can find hand made crafts, paintings and relics from the Soviet days. English is limited, but many products have a marked price. Negotiating prices is acceptable. It's on Stefan cel Mare boulevard adjacent to the Mihail Eminescu National Theatre at Stefan cel Mare 152.
• Unic - An all purpose shopping center in Chişinău, but it is rather soviet-style. For a better shopping experience, go to MallDova or Sun City One can buy just about anything needed when in Moldova. The selection on souvenirs is smaller and many will not be hand made. It's on the corner of Stefan cel Mare and Ismail.
• Stefan cel Mare - This is Chişinău's main street. Not only is it great for people watching, it is also lined with numerous shops and restaurants.
• Piata Centralâ - Chişinău's outdoor market.
• Mall Dova - The largest western-style mall in Chişinău. Most stores and products are generic and could be found at any other mall in any country in the world.

Eat

Chişinău is a good place for food lovers. There are plenty of good places to eat all over Chişinău. The cheap, tasty food that is very popular with the locals is served in most places. For better service and more diverse food selection, there are a lot of small restaurants and cafes. Some restaurants have prices comparable to 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, these can be found on nearly every corner. Beef is often under the veal part of the menu.

For groceries, there are small shops all over. Some are even right in front of the apartment blocks just a few steps away from their entrances. For harder-to-find items, head to a supermarket. You will frequently also see markets or even one or two random people selling fruit and vegetables, and sometimes other products such as honey or "brinza" (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. 'Piata Centrala' - 'Central Market' is - as the name implies - in the center of the city and runs more than two whole city blocks. Other districts and neighborhoods 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. Some say that it is best to buy meat and dairy products from supermarkets or shops because they think the quality is much better than in the market for nearly the same prices.

However, the vendors at the 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 tend to be re-sold from larger distributors, it may be the same. However, for cheeses that are locally-made, there are slight variations that arise from even slight differences in technique, variations in the level of salt for curing, differences in feed. 'Oi' means sheep, so this will have a slightly different flavor than cow 'vaca' or goat 'capra' cheeses. 'Cas' is a softer cheese, that is not aged like some of the other 'branza' which tends to be harder and saltier and 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 if you need by showing a pen and paper.

A classic 'fast-food' is the 'langos' which are fried dough with either 'cartofi' - potatoes, 'branza' - cheese, 'varza' - cabbage, or 'ficat' - liver. These are all made in the bakery in the second story 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 'Piata Centrala'. Depending on the vendors, you might find marinated eggplant with onions, marinated shredded carrot, squash or mushrooms. There are also re-hydrated sea grasses (they said from the Black Sea) in white or green curly varieties in whole bunches, or smoother grasses that are more shredded. I didn't catch the names, but again, they will give you samples.

Budget

Supermarket Nr.1 in Dacia with Bucaresti has 30% discount of prepared food between 21:00 and 23:00.

Galbenus, in Puskin Street, offers a selection of dishes paid per weight. Open 08:00-21:00, 20% discount after 19:00.

The orange Beleas stalls all around the city offer cheap and warm food which is very good in winter, and usually "quick and tasty" as advertised (repede si gustos) in Romanian. However they may not always heat it up properly which can mean it might not be so good so ask for fierbinte (boiling). Also, although it is usually nice, don't think about where it might have been before you bought it.

Foisor for cheap blini (pancakes/crepes) and zaema at 16 lei.

The canteen in the basement of the court building in Banulescu Bodoni Street is open from 11:00-12:00 and 13:00-16:00. The simple food is great value for money (25 lei for soup, main dish, and chefir; 40 lei maximum for a meal; 2 lei for tea). Walk up the street from the two parks, the court building is on the right just before ASEM University (Academia de Studii Economice din Moldova) on the left.

🌍 Sandwich Express (Sandwich and coffee shop), Decebal 91, Botanica (on the Decebal Boulevard, some 100 meters down from the Elat commercial center.), ☎ [phone]. 08:30-22:00. Sandwich Express is small, friendly and budget-friendly cafe that offers large sandwiches, coffees, fresh juices, free WiFi. US$3-5. 

Express Bravo Cafenea Bar, Stefan cel Mare si Sfant 130 (This is a small place virtually opposite the Mihai Eminescu Theatre. With your back to the theatre, cross the road, and walk a few metres to the right.). Food is arranged in trays and on plates behind glass. The menu changes and depending on who is working they might let you taste some before choosing a particular dish. The staff doesn't know English, but you can pick up a tray and point to what you want to eat. There is a better choice at lunch time. 10 - 45 lei. 

You might also enjoy eating on the roof of McDonald's where the menu is virtually the same as in America (plus beer).

🌍 Star Kebab, str. Ismail 84. Chain of fast food restaurants in the style of McDonald's, serving kebab & falafel. 30-40 lei. 

Mid-range

• Andy's Pizza. A fast food restaurant which is found all over the city. The quality of the food is very good depending on which dish and which outlet you go to, with some of the food being absolutely gross especially the pizza. 
• Pizza Celentano, str. Puskin. 08:30 - 22:45. nice pizzas, chain famous in Ukraine, has three branches. 
• Pizza House, 133 Stefan Cel Mare, [phone], serves a variety of dishes including pizza, pasta and local favorites. They have a lunch special for about 50 lei. Prices for a full meal range 40-100 lei.
• La Placinte, Bd Moscova 9 1, ☎ [phone]. Another restaurant owned by the same people, serving traditional Moldovan cuisine. The quality of the food is far more reliable and good, at decent affordable prices far below that found in Western Europe. Bright, colourfully decorated place. (updated Sep 2018)
• Robin pub - medium-sized place with a friendly English-style pub atmosphere. This pub has a wide variety of meals from fish to pasta. Staff know a little English and menu is in English as well. This place is all smoking area. The food is fast, hot and decent.
• The restaurant owned by the Green Hills company on Stephan Cel Mare is excellent, prices are comparable to European ones.
• 🌍 Smokehouse, 128 Stefan Cel Mare (entrance just downhill from Stefan on V. Alexandrei), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. 11:00 - 22:00. American BBQ in Chisinau. Smokehouse is run by 2 Americans and a Moldovan who have brought American-style pulled pork, ribs, baked beans and other bbq specialties to Chisinau. Additionally they have 6 Moldovan craft beers on tap which is the most diversity in the city and their 1.5-litre "beer flight" sampler is cheaply priced and a good way to jumpstart your knowledge of Moldovan beers (updated Jul 2015)

Splurge

• La Taifas, Str. Bucuresti, 67, ☎ [phone]. Daily 10:00-23:00. Traditional, family-run Moldovan restaurant in a cellar serving Moldovan specialties. English-language menu. It caters to tour groups and parties, so calling ahead to reserve is a good idea. Excellent list of Moldovan wines, many by the glass. Mid-range to splurge. (updated Sep 2018)
• Salciora, Str. Pushkin, 39, ☎ [phone]. (updated Sep 2018)

Drink

Drinks such as vodka are served on their own. So don't be surprised if your Vodka Sprite is served as a 2 separate drinks. Also club soda seems difficult to procure, at least in English.

• Wines - Moldavan wines, cognac, liquor and juice are all on par with the best of Eastern Europe. For one thing, manufacturers tend to use only organic products. Secondly, these products are made in the traditional way. Restaurants tend to sell only local wines, but only those of the highest standards. One of the very best wines of Moldova is from the wine plantation of Purcari and even if you live in the United States you can buy Purcari wines from Purcari and their importer Moldova Traders.
• Beer - Moldovan beer is one of the best in Europe. A very famous is named "Bere Chişinău". It was awarded with the Nr.1 Gold Medal at the Nuremberg beer competition in 2007, beating German, Czech and others. It can be found in all the bars on every street in Chişinău, so finding a place for a drink is not a problem. However, good bars and restaurants with a pleasant atmosphere can be difficult to find. So watch where you stop.
• Beer House bar and restaurant on bd C. Negruzzi, has a wide range of beers (some brewed on the premises) and a good menu. Prices for a full meal with drinks range from 150-500 lei.

Clubs

There are more than 40 night clubs in Chişinău, making its night life vibrant and dynamic. Here are some of the best of them.

• City club - tucked in behind the parliament buildings this dome-shaped club offers tables that can be reserved for 300 lei in the back and 200 lei right on the dance floor. All the tables may look reserved but they are open for purchase. Listen to the electronic music among the red decor. 35 lei cover. 2 floors. Coat check is available. Do not be surprised if the bouncers begin shoving you around - if you get too close to a VIP table, take a drink too far from the bar, or do not move out of the way quickly enough when performers enter the dancefloor.
• Booze Time Club - a club with a slight rustic feel as it is nearly all wood. Somewhat of a university bar feel. Electronic music. Upstairs bar and lounge area. No cover. Connected to City Club but for staff only. Booze Time will be more full than city on off nights. Coat check available. Bartenders here like to put on a show as well.
• Deja vu - a smaller basement pub club. Quite intimate but watch out for the harmless bar top antics where staff pour drinks down customers' throats in a sexually suggestive manner. Be sure to order the flaming sambuca. It's a good show. A mix of pop electronica and club rnb. just don't be surprised if your bar tab ends up being twice as high as expected. But as some shots involve 3-4 staff working to keep you safe as the entire bar is engulfed in flames while bar tenders juggle liqueur bottles turned Molotov cocktails. Cash only (they take euros).
• Drive - destination for those who appreciate the real quality club recreation. Powerful energy and surrounding you absolutely powerless sound and modern rhythm will make you to love it at a glance. A wide bar range and a variety of recipes will surprise even the most demanding taste. Also, there is always fresh beer, and a huge selection of cocktails and alcoholic drinks.
• Military - the place where Military Club now occupies, brought together people that were symbols of their times. People like Vladimir Visotsky, Andrei Tarkovsky, Andrei Mironov, Nona Mordukova, Stefan Petrache, and Mashina Vremeni.

Sleep

Budget

• In the main train station, there is a decent hostel. Just enter the train station and ask the guards there. 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).
• 🌍 Central Youth Hostel, Pruncul 6, Apartment 1, ☎ [phone], [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Check-in: 13:00, check-out: 11:00. 120 lei/night for one bed in a six-bed room. 50 lei key deposit. One bathroom with a shower in it. It is in the heart of Chişinău. This is the cheapest hostel in Chişinău. This is a nice and clean place. Laundry service available at €5. Hot water may be limited. Free internet is very good Checkout 11:00, check-in 13:00. from 120 lei. 
• Chişinău Hostel, 5/4 Arborilor str., ☎ [phone], [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Check-in: noon, check-out: 11:00. Well-managed, friendly and social hostel. Staff are helpful for finding international marshrutka routes. It is in its own building with a porch/patio for BBQs and hanging out near MallDova. €9-13. 
• 🌍 Hotel Chişinău, 7 Negruzzi blvd. (at the southern end of the main street), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Hotel Chişinău claims to be the oldest central hotel in the city. An "aging beauty" with friendly staff and clean rooms. Rooms from about €28. 
• Retro Moldova Hostel, Strada George Cosbuc 3, Apartment 24. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 11:00. €12/night for dorm bed. Silent and central location with very friendly and helpful staff. Laundry service. Wi-Fi and lockers are available. The hostel is in a large flat in a lovely communist-style apartment block. Interior is a lot nicer than the exterior. Some of its interior such as wall posters dates back to Soviet times. The entrance is in the backyard and not towards the street. A small sign is sprayed on the concrete at the entrance and that is the only hint you get that there is a hostel inside apartment 24 of that gate. 
• Tapok Hostel, 27a Armeneasca Street, Chisinau (15-minute walk from the central bus station, or take marshrutka 192. If the central bus station bustle can be confusing on arrival, it is in a horseshoe shape, both ends lead to Tighina Street, turn right towards the hostel), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Friendly and helpful English-speaking hostel, with Wi-Fi, fans, lockers, kitchen and washing machine as well as the usual facilities. From €8 for basic dorm to €11.50 p.p. for twin private. (updated Jun 2015)

Mid-range

• Hotel Bella Donna, 9, Bucuresti street, ☎ [phone]. It's a new hotel with comfortable rooms and nice staff in the centre of the Chişinău. The prices are low, beginning from €50 for a room, including the breakfast, Wi-Fi, TV. €60. 
• Hotel Cosmos. Clean rooms and friendly staff, some of whom speak English. Now the hotel Cosmos has a slightly derelict appearance, and receives relatively few guests. However, the rooms are clean and the staff are friendly and helpful. Around the immediate area are some nice shops and restaurants. Rates from €29/night. 
• Hotel Edem. A rather new hotel with comfortable rooms and a swimming pool. Rates start at €60/night. 
• Hotel Luna. A nice hotel with comfortable rooms and good services. From €75 twin. (updated Apr 2017)
• Hotel Stella De Lux. A tiny hotel that costs €50/night and offers small and rather spartan rooms (some are windowless). Service is poor and visitors are not allowed to enter the hotel. 
• Hotel Vila Iris. A small nice hotel with comfortable rooms and accessible prices. Costs around €50/night. Price includes breakfast, internet Wi-Fi, parking, laundry. 
• Hotel Villa Muntenia. A cosy hospitable hotel offering excellent services. Breakfast, internet, TV, parking, laundry included. The hotel provides 11 rooms, each with a telephone and a mini bar. A shower, cable/satellite channels and a hair dryer are also provided. On-site dining options include a restaurant. Chisinau International Airport is less than a 25-minute drive from Villa Muntenia Hotel. Prices from €40/night. (updated Apr 2017)

Splurge

• Club Royal Park 5* Hotel. 
• Flowers Hotel 4*, ☎ [phone]. A very posh but small (18 rooms) hotel close to the airport. Excellent service and good food, with extremely large rooms and comfortable beds. 
• Hotel VisPas. A very cozy 4-star boutique hotel about a 15-minute walk to the city center. It has a good restaurant with mid-range prices. A full meal with drinks will cost about 300 lei. 
• Jolly Alon Hotel 4*. A very nice hotel in front of Chişinău's central park on a street with no traffic. Superbly quiet. Rooms are at the minimum of 4-star standards. This hotel also has a gym which is only accessible to guests. 
• Leogrand Hotel & Conventions Center 4* (formerly Dedeman Grand Hotel). 
• Manhattan Hotel. A smaller 4-star boutique hotel in the centre. A few quirks but a good hotel. Opened early in 2010. 
• Prezident Hotel 5* Newest 5-star hotel in Moldova.
• Weekend Boutique Hotel 5*. Modern, located in the centre. 

Connect

• There is a large Internet Cafe at Strada Cosmonautilor.

Ambulance - 903

Police - 902

Fire brigade - 901

Gas intervention -904

Telephone directory service by Moldtelecom - 1189 (taxable)

Emergency (calls are made by mobile phones with no SIM card) - 112

Stay safe

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 Chişinău, 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 night life: the U.S. State Department warns about Russian dating schemes being also common in Moldova and other kind of financial scams. Though, 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 offences 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. Be sure to 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.

Cope

English is spoken in restaurants and some of the markets, and some taxi drivers speak a little English. Young people are much more likely to speak English than the older generation. In Chişinău most people know Russian and Romanian . If you plan to travel outside Chişinău it would be helpful to pick up some Romanian and about the only language spoken outside of the city is Romanian. In Gagauzia a Turkic language is spoken. 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, but in Russian mostly. 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 Chişinău. here are some of them.

Belarus Bulgaria China, M. Dosoftei St 124, ☎ [phone], fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail].  Czech Republic France Greece (Honorary Consulate of Greece), office 220, 1 Stefan cel Mare Ave., MD-2001, ☎ [phone], fax: [phone].  Germany, Str. Maria Cibotari 35, ☎ [phone], [phone] (after hours emergencies including SMS), fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail].  Italy

Hungary Poland Romania Russian Federation Sweden Ukraine United Kingdom, 18 Nicolae Iorga Str., ☎ [phone], fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. M-Th 09:00-17:00, F 09:00-14:00.  United States, 103 Mateevici St, ☎ [phone], [phone] (after hours emergencies), fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail].

Go next

At the central bus station (autogara centrala), tickets for international trips have to be bought inside the bus station instead of directly from the driver.

Bucharest - many companies operate 'rutieras' during the day and larger coaches during the night heading to Bucharest. The fare with one particular company was 225 lei for an 8-9 hour journey with hourly departures in the evening. There was no toilet on the bus but several stops were made by the bus driver. Most companies were in the central bus station behind the Central Market, not the southern bus station as indicated above.

Iaşi - coach services to the student city of Iaşi (pron. yash) are operated from Gara de Sud. There are nine services a day, from bay 11 (?), but watch out for the big gap between 7:45 and 10:10. The fare is 140 lei and the trip takes around 4–5 hours. The contrasts between Chişinău and Iasi are quite significant and that makes this trip an interesting option if you are heading into Romania from Chişinău.

Odessa - Relaxing Ukrainian city on the shore of the Black Sea.

Mileştii Mici - biggest wine cellar in Europe (Guinness Book of World Records) - length 200 km

Cricova - a Chişinău suburb close to the city. Famous for its fabulous winery with an underground cellar over 100 km long. An 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 Chişinău suburb close to the city in its northern part. It is 9 km. in length and at about 1 km. in width. Ghidighici is also, called as "Chişinău sea". there are many resorts and recreation facilities along its shores. One of the most preferable place for recreations for city locals.

Western Club - Minizoo 10 km from Chişinău, wide variety of all animals, African birds and Australian black swans, horse riding and accommodation available, owned by very friendly Igor and his wife who is a vet and their son Dima who speaks English.

Transnistria - Buses and trains stop in Tiraspol. Maxi-taxis - 'microbuz' or 'marushkas' leave the autogara behind Piata Centrala at all different times of the day. If you walk a circle around the station, the Tiraspol/Bender bound ones tend to be on the northeastern corner. 36.50 lei. As there are unresolved political tensions, many countries have placed travel advisories against travel to this region.