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Chişinău (Russian Kishinyov, Ukrainian Kishinev) is the capital of Moldova with a population of around 780,800.

[edit] Understand

Chisinau is the relatively wealthy capital of the poorest country in Europe, 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 that brings.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By plane

Chişinău International Airport [1] is served by several airlines like AirBaltic [2], Air Moldova [3], Austrian [4], Moldavian Airlines [5], Tarom [6] and Turkish Airlines [7] with flights around the region, notably to Athens, Bucharest, Budapest, Frankfurt, Istanbul, Madrid, Moscow, Riga, Rome, Timisoara and Vienna, Vilnius.

[edit] By train

There are trains coming to Moldova from different places. There are daily trains to and from Bucharest (Romania), Kiev (Ukraine), Moscow (Russia) etc.

For travelers arriving from Western Europe, the train is much cheaper than a flight. The trains, however, are rather slow - particularly when crossing the borders of the old Soviet Union, where they need to stop to have their wheels changed. The bus is a good alternative to the train. It is cheaper than flying and faster than traveling by train. Consider taking the train to a nearby city like Iasi, Odessa or Chernivtsi, and continuing your journey by bus.

Trains leave Bucharest (Gara de Nord) at 19.30 and arrive in Chişinău at 09.00, which is a 13½ hour journey. It is a sleeper train and it's actually quite comfortable, although the toilets are not quite up to European standards. During the 13½ hour journey you will go through customs and the train will have its bogeys changed in Ungheni on the Romania-Moldovan border.

A return ticket to Bucharest costs approximately 50 € (2008). At the moment there are no trains to Odessa, Ukraine.

[edit] By car

Note that the quality of the roads in Moldova ranges from decent to terrible. The road leading from Chisinau to Ungheni is particularly bad, with lots of potholes. 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. You might also get shaken down for bribes by the traffic police, especially if you have foreign plates.

[edit] By bus

Note that Chisinau has three bus stations - the central one (serving mainly in-country destinations), Gara Nord (for travel to Odessa) and the larger Gara Sud (for journeys to Romania). You can reach Gara Sud from central Chisinau on the 117 Marshrutka (3 lei). Gara Nord is served by marshrutka 163 and trolleybus #9, along with a bunch of others.

There are several buses throughout the day from Bucharest, Odessa, Iasi, Chernivtsi, and Lviv. The journey to/from Odessa takes around five hours and costs around $10 US. Most Odessa-bound buses go through southern Moldova, avoiding the Transnistrian region - these will be marked as going through Palanka or Causeni. The journey to Iasi is three and a half hours long, with travel on to Brasov (price to Iasi:100 lei). There are many buses and maxi-taxis headed to Bender and Tiraspol in Transnistria, about one every forty minutes (21 lei for a ninety minute journey).

[edit] Get around

• Call 1499, 1420, 1422, 1447,1444 or any of the other 14xx numbers to get a taxi, except 1488. Ordering in English shouldn't be a big problem, but only a few drivers speak foreign languages. If you don't know the local prices, drivers may charge you exorbitant rates. If you are sitting in a private cab, there is not much you can do. If you are in a taxi with a "14.." number written on it, just call this number and check the price with the operator. An average taxi ride should cost 55 Lei.
• For budget travelers, just do like the locals do: Ride the trolley-bus, bus or maxi-taxis. A trolley-bus ride costs 1 leu while a bus ride costs 2 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 no set stops for maxi-taxis: just tell the driver when you want to get off. Flag him down with your hand (just like you would with a taxi) when the vehicle approaches you on the street.

[edit][add listing] See

• Stefan Cel Mare Monument
• Rose Valley
• Rishkani Park
• Botanica Park (the most beautiful and the largest in Chisinau, situated near the Gates Of The City)

[edit][add listing] Do

[edit] Learn

English is spoken in restaurants and some of the markets. Even 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 Turkish dialect is spoken. Mostly only 30% of the people in Moldova speak some English and the country is far behind with schools that teach the English language .

[edit] Work

[edit][add listing] Buy

If you are just visiting Chişinău, consider buying a special cognac selection of about 30 small bottles, with different sorts of cognac. 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 note that there are strict limits on the number of cigarettes you can bring across an EU border).

[edit][add listing] Eat

Chisinau is a good place for food lovers. There are plenty of good places to eat all over Chisinau. 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. Good restaurants have prices comparable to Europe. For a quick lunch, try fast food stores and pizzerias, these can be found on nearly every corner.

Lunch: Pizza House, 133 Stefan Cel Mare, tel: 23-51-62, 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.

Mid-range: Symposium wine Bar, offers a variety of meals including steak, lamb, and pasta. They have an excellent selection of Moldovan wines. Prices for a full meal with drinks range from 250-500 Lei.

For groceries, there are small shops all over. Some are even located right in front of the apartment blocks just a few steps away from their entrances. For harder-to-find items, head to a supermarket.

For fresh fruits and vegetables, markets are the best (and freshest) option. 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/vegetables. It is best to buy meat and dairy products from supermarkets or shops. The quality is much better than in the market, and the prices are pretty much the same.

[edit][add listing] Drink

[edit] 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 ( www.moldovtraders.com )

[edit] Beer

Moldovan beer is one of the best in Europe. A very famous is named "Bere Chisinau". It was awarded with the Nr.1 Gold Medal at the Nuremberg beer competition in 2007, beating Germany, Czech Rep. and others. It can be found in all the Bars on every street in Chisinau, 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.

[edit][add listing] Sleep

[edit] Budget

• In the main train station, there is a decent hostel. Just enter the train station and ask the guards there. Price is 220 Moldovan 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).
• Private apartments. In the second floor of the Hotel Chisinau, Bulevard Negruzzi 7, office 238 you can find comfortable private accommodation in the city centre starting from 600 Moldovan Lei per night.
• Chisinau Hostel Nice hostel in the city centre. On the main street Ştefan cel Mare. Very helpful English speaking staff.

[edit] Medium

• Hotel Cosmos, [8] A very popular hotel in the heart of Chisinau. Clean rooms and friendly staff, some of whom speak English. Rates from 35 EUR/night. You can book rooms online at the low rate at http://cvs.md.
• Hotel Luna, [9] A nice hotel with comfortable rooms and good services. Costs around 80 EUR/night.
• Hotel Edem, [10] A rather new hotel with comfortable rooms and a swimming pool. Rates start at 60 EUR/night.
• Hotel Stella De Lux, [11] a tiny hotel that costs 50 EUR/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, [12] A small nice hotel with comfortable rooms and accesible prices. Costs around 50 EUR/night. In price is included breakfast, internet Wi-Fi, Parking, Laundry.
• Hotel Villa Muntenia, [13] A cosy hospitable hotel offering cheap rates and excellent services. Prices go from 40 EUR/night. In price is included breakfast, internet ,TV, Parking, Laundry.

[edit] Luxury

• Hotel VisPas, [14]. A very cozy 4* boutique hotel in Downtown area 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.
• Club Royal Park 5* Hotel, [15].
• Jolly Alon Hotel 4* , [16]. A very nice hotel located in front of Chisinau's central park on a street with no traffic. Superbly quiet although rooms are at the very minimum of 4* standards. This hotel also has a gym which is only accessible to guest.
• Leogrand Hotel & Conventions Center 4*, [17](formerly Dedeman Grand Hotel)

• Luxury apartments for rent, str. Puschin 35, ☎ 069848484, [18]. checkin: 24/24; checkout: 12-00. Luxury apartments for rent in Chisinau (1-2 rooms), bath, kitchen, jacuzzi, TV, internet, minibar, security system, surveillance camera, near the central park and in the Center of the city. hourly, daily, weekly!. 00 373 69848484 60-80 euro.  edit

[edit] Contact

[edit] Stay safe

Use your common sense at all times! Be aware that when entering some buildings at night, you will have to walk through unlit alleyways. So when traveling through Chişinău always carry a small flash light.

Watch out about night life: The U.S. State Department warns about Russian dating schemes also very common in Moldova and other kind of financial scams. Most of women in night clubs are not just professionals but scammers.

Also, it is worth noting the high level of 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. Most police will not speak any English, and you can expect a lengthly lecture in Romanian. Be sure to always carry at least a good quality photocopy of your passports. However, such attemts at bribery can be sometimes successfully detered by making it known that you have your embassy's phone number.

[19] [20] [21]

[edit] Cope

There is only a single national broadcast television station. For the most part, TV channels are piped in from Russia, Ukraine, Romania and even Georgia. Euronews, Eurosport, CNN, Discovery Channel, etc. are on cable, but in Russian mostly. Not every home in the city has continual hot water. If you will be staying in a private home, be sure to ASK whether there is 24-hour hot water.

[edit] Get out

Have a great tour and ask Richard to organize, advice and guide your: contact him at [www.visamoldova.co.uk] or email him at [richard@visamoldova.co.uk]

Cricova - a small place located right outside Chişinău. Famous for its fabulous wine.

Mileştii Mici [22], [23]- biggest wine cellar in Europe (Guinness Book of World Records) - length 200 km.

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