Getting there
How to get to Moldova.
Two realistic routes: fly direct into Chișinău, or come overland through Romania — most often the nightly sleeper train from Bucharest, or a cheap flight into Iași or Bucharest and a short hop across the border. Here's how each works, with 2026 fares.
Last reviewed: June 2026 · fares and schedules drift; confirm before booking
By air — Chișinău International (RMO)
Moldova's main airport is Chișinău International (IATA code RMO, renamed from KIV in January 2024), about 13 km southeast of the centre in the Botanica sector. Direct flights connect it with major European hubs; budget carrier Wizz Air, the Moldovan airline HiSky, and TAROM serve a growing route map across Europe. From the Americas, Asia or Australia you'll connect through a European hub — Bucharest, Vienna, Istanbul or Frankfurt are common.
Through Romania — the overland gateway
Romania is the natural land gateway, and often the cheapest way in from Western Europe: fly into Bucharest or Iași on a budget fare, then cross by train, bus or car.
Bucharest → Chișinău: the Prietenia sleeper
A daily overnight train in each direction. Bucharest departs around 19:06 and arrives Chișinău about 08:44; the reverse leaves Chișinău around 16:50. A 4-bed couchette is roughly 180 RON (~€37) — down to about €31 on the discounted SMART Prietenia fare — a 2-bed 1st-class berth ~€42, and a private 1st-class single ~€55. Carriages are jacked up at Ungheni for the gauge change between European and ex-Soviet track — you stay aboard and can sleep through, though there's a border-control stop in the small hours. Book at cfr.ro (up to 60 days ahead) or cfm.md (30 days). Since late 2025 the service has been extended as a Bucharest–Chișinău–Kyiv run.
Iași → Chișinău: train or bus
Iași sits just over the border in Romanian Moldavia and has its own budget airport (IAS, served by TAROM, HiSky and Wizz Air). From there, a daily train runs to Chișinău for 90–130 MDL (~€4.50–6.50) but takes 6–8 hours thanks to the Ungheni gauge-change and border stops. A marshrutka (minibus) is faster — roughly 4 hours for ~150–250 MDL — crossing at Sculeni. Door-to-door from an Iași flight is around 4 hours.
Road borders
- Sculeni (north) — the Iași ↔ Chișinău route; usually a quick crossing.
- Leușeni / Albița (centre) — the main bus and truck crossing on the Chișinău ↔ Bucharest highway; busy on summer weekends, allow 1–2 hours at peak.
- Giurgiulești (south) — the only point where Moldova meets Romania and Ukraine at once; handy if you're continuing to Galați or Constanța.
From Ukraine
Buses link Odesa and other Ukrainian cities with Chișinău via the official Moldova–Ukraine crossings. Routings change with the war, and Ukraine has closed its crossings into Transnistria — check current status and the safety page before relying on this.
From the airport to the city
It's 20–40 minutes from RMO to the centre, depending on transport and traffic.
- Trolleybus 30 — 7 MDL paid in cash on board, stop right outside the terminal, 40–60 minutes to the centre. Daytime only (stops ~23:00) and not luggage-friendly.
- Taxi from the official rank — about 120–180 MDL (~€6–9), cash only; insist on the meter.
- Yandex Go app — usually 80–150 MDL (~€4–8), in-app card pay; the most reliable ride-hail. Bolt also works but has thinner driver supply.
- Private transfer — pre-booked sedan to a central hotel for €20–35; worth it for late arrivals and families.
Entry & visas
Citizens of the US, EU, UK, Canada, Australia and 100+ other countries enter visa-free for 90 days within any 180-day period. Your passport must be valid at least 3 months beyond your planned departure and issued within the last 10 years; EU, Swiss, Norwegian and a few other nationals may enter on a national ID card. One wrinkle: if you enter Moldova through Transnistria rather than the airport or a Romanian/Ukrainian border post, you must register at the Bureau of Migration within 3 days of reaching right-bank Moldova.
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