Beautypically

Moldova attracts tourists with its picturesque countryside, numerous wineries, varied and generous cuisine, and attractive holiday prices. Chisinau sights, monasteries and fortresses – everything about Moldova: tours, hotels, map and photo.

Although not the most popular tourist destination in Eastern Europe, the Republic of Moldova is famous for two things: viticulture and an abundance of ancient Orthodox monuments – early Christian rock monasteries and medieval cathedrals. Who does not know a stork with a bunch of grapes in its beak – the emblem of Moldovan winemaking? Today, hundreds of varieties of wine and brandy are produced here, and wine tours in Moldovan cities and towns – perhaps the most popular direction of the local “excursion”. Of the pleasant bonuses – the practical absence of border formalities, only 2 hours in flight and such a Soviet native local population. Among other things, the country has an extremely rich and, as they say, colorful history with the spirit of gypsy barons and dedicated cabalists hovering in the air, as well as simple and tasty cuisine and good opportunities for treatment. In short, everything you need for a complete and interesting holiday.

Cities and resorts

According to Wholevehicles, the capital is Chisinau. Large cities are Tiraspol, Balti, Bender, Rybnitsa. Look for a complete list of Moldovan cities and resorts on our page.

Details about when is the best time to go to Moldova and what to do on the spot are described on the tours to Moldova page.

How to get to Moldova

From Moscow to Chisinau can be reached by flights S7 and Air Moldova. S7 departs from Moscow Domodedovo every day all year round and twice a day in summer and lands at the airport of the Moldovan capital 2 hours later. Air Moldova boards take off twice a day – at 10:40 and 22:40 – daily throughout the year, also from Domodedovo.

Air Moldova flies from St. Petersburg on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (2 hours in the air), and from Kyiv – on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, on the way – 1 hour.

Citizens of Belarus will have to get to Moldova with a transfer in Moscow or Kyiv, or use the railway.

You can also arrive in Chisinau by rail: several trains depart daily from the Kievsky railway station in Moscow. Travel time is from 26 to 32 hours. From St. Petersburg to Chisinau by rail – 40 hours, trains run every day; from Minsk – 30 hours, communication on odd days.

Details on how to get to the popular region of Moldova – Chisinau.

Search for flights to Moldova at the lowest prices

Visa to Moldova

Citizens of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus do not need a visa to enter the Republic of Moldova if the duration of the visit does not exceed 90 days.

For your own peace of mind, it would be good to arrange medical insurance in advance.

Customs

You can import duty-free to Moldova 5 liters of beer and 2 liters of other alcoholic beverages, 50 cigars, 200 cigarettes, 5 pieces of jewelry made of precious stones and metals, regardless of their cost, 1 unit of photo, video and computer equipment. Import and export of foreign and national currency is not limited, but amounts over 10,000 EUR per person must be declared. It is forbidden to import weapons and ammunition, explosives and poisonous substances, drugs and narcotic preparations, pornography.

Hotels

In Moldova, you can find hotels for every taste: in Chisinau there are very high-quality hotels, including the world’s leading “chains”, and in the outback, family pensions and mini-hotels, as well as sanatoriums inherited by the republic from Soviet times, hold the palm.

Money and currency exchange

The monetary unit of the country is the Moldovan leu (MDL), in 1 lei there are 100 bani. Current exchange rate: 1 MDL = 3 RUB (1 USD = 19.19 MDL, 1 EUR = 20.19 MDL).

You can exchange money at bank branches and exchange offices, at the hotel reception. There is also no shortage of ATMs in the Republic of Moldova – in addition to bank branches, they can be found in hotels, shopping centers and on the central streets of Moldovan cities. Of course, it is better to go to the provinces with cash lei: there may not be a currency exchange or an ATM at hand.

Useful phone numbers

Embassy of Moldova in Moscow: st. Kuznetsky Most, 18; tel.: +7 (495) 624-53-53, 624-63-42; consular department: st. Rozhdestvenka, 7; tel.: +7 (495) 628-10-50, 624-96-78; Web site

Embassy of Russia in Chisinau: Stefan cel Mare Ave., 153; tel.: (22) 234-941, 234-942, 235-110 (consular department); Web site

Tourist safety

Moldova is a relatively safe country, especially for Russian-speaking tourists. Relative inconvenience can bring a visit to Transnistria, or rather, the unrecognized Transnistrian Moldavian Republic. Local border services can request an entry visa, which, in fact, is nowhere to be obtained, since the republic does not have consular offices abroad. It is better to entrust a trip to Transnistria to a travel company that will handle all the formalities for you. For the same reason, in conversations with Moldovans, one should avoid the “Transnistrian” and “Romanian” topics – since many in Romania consider Moldova to be part of their territory, and Moldovans are not singled out as a separate nation. For walks around the city, it is recommended to take a passport with you – police checks of documents are not uncommon.

Transport

In Moldova, the fastest and most convenient way to travel is by buses and minibuses. The main transport hub is Chisinau with its three intercity bus stations, from here buses go to all cities of the country without exception. The northern bus station serves most of the major cities and towns in the north of the country, the southwestern bus station serves the southern cities, respectively, and buses to Pridnestrovie depart from the central bus station. The 15-seat minibuses, called “maxitaxi,” travel faster than buses and charge only slightly more.

The country also has a completely modern railway transport, after modernization it is almost in no way inferior to the European one. By train, you can get from Chisinau to Balti, Tiraspol or Bender, the classification of wagons and accommodation is Russian.

Rent a Car

Car rental rules, as well as border formalities, in Moldova are very simple: you will need a driver’s license and money to rent. No one really looks at the age of the driver, as well as the driving experience. Renting the most affordable model will cost from 15 EUR per day (insurance included), a more interesting car, for example, a Mercedes on a “machine” can be rented for 45-60 EUR per day. As a rule, when renting a car, a deposit of 100-200 EUR is required, depending on the model.

Climate of Moldova

The country has a temperate continental climate with long sunny summers and cool winters. The average January temperature is -3…-5 °C, several times during the winter the thermometer can drop to -15…-20 °C. Snow falls and melts several times from November to March. Spring is an unstable season with unexpected warm days and equally sudden cold snaps, the average temperature in May is +15 °C. The Moldovan summer is surprisingly long and warm, with possible prolonged droughts and short-term, but literally heavy rains. In July, the thermometer shows +20…+27 °C, sometimes reaching +33…+38 °C. Autumn has the character of “Indian summer” – with pleasant warmth, gentle sun and flying cobwebs, it lasts until November, when the first frosts on the soil begin and the temperature drops to +4… + 7 ° C.

Current weather forecast for the main resorts of Moldova for the next few days.

Visa to Moldova

Hospitable and exclusively dear to us, Moldova is very affectionate towards Russian tourists: Russian citizens do not need a visa to visit it, while staying in the country can be up to three months. An important point: entry into the republic is carried out only with a foreign passport, you can safely leave the internal Russian one at home. No more documents are required for passing through passport control, and it is enough to answer the questions of a border guard officer orally, documentary evidence is not asked. It is also not necessary to register at the place of stay in Moldova.

Entry into the country

At the border control, it is enough to present only a passport. However, you do not need to present a hotel voucher or provide proof of sufficient funds. The border guard officer can ask about the purpose of the visit, and a verbal answer (“on vacation”, “for treatment”, “on a visit”) will be enough. But it is still worth taking out medical insurance, although it is not mandatory.

When traveling with a child at the border control, you must provide:

• birth certificate of the child;
• international passport of the child or the parent in which the child is entered.

If the child is traveling accompanied by a parent or a third party, a notarized power of attorney from the remaining parent is required to take the child out.