Moldova: Getting there & around

All international flights to Moldova use Chişinău (Kishinev) airport. There are direct flights into Moldova from Berlin, Amsterdam, Istanbul, Budapest, Bucharest, Timişoara, Minsk, Moscow, Sofia, Rome, Prague, Vienna and Paris among others. A cheaper, but more punishing option is to fly to Bucharest and then take a bus or train to Chişinău. Buses can also be taken from Suceava and Iaşi in Romania to Chişinău. Trains from Bucharest are probably the best way to go, as they are the most economical. There are, however, no discount fares or rail passes available.

Getting around Moldova is a matter of buses, trams and trolleybuses, and usually all three forms will be crowded. Shoving, pushing and elbowing are just some of the joys of catching public transport, so you'd better join in the fun if you want to get anywhere - don't take it personally when it happens to you. Both government taxis and private taxis are available; government taxis are metered, so if you get one of the other sort bargain for a price before you set off. Buses also run between most of the larger towns and cities.