Frankly, the public transport in Chisinau is far from being perfect. Actually, I have yet to meet at least one person in this city who is happy with it. The problem is that the number of vehicles is limited, and during rush hours every bus is jam packed so there is no air to breathe. Now, add to this the fact that many of them don’t have air conditioners and temperatures in summer rise up to 38 degrees, and you will get the picture 😊
So, my sincere advice: if you can get to the place you need on foot, just do it 😊 Luckily, as a tourist there is little probability that you will use Chisinau public transport during rush hours.
If you are interested in things to do in Chisinau, I have a list of more than 50 places.
Chisinau is a small city, but I guess you will have to take a bus from time to time, so here is my guide to the public transport.
Just some info about me for you to believe that I am talking from my own experience: I have been living in Chisinau for 18 years already, so I know a bit about the public transport 😊
In Chisinau we have three means of public transport: trolleybuses, buses and maxi taxis (or marshrutkas in Russian and rutiera in Moldovan). Don’t worry, I will mention taxis as well 😊
1. Public transport in Chisinau: trolleybuses
Trolleybuses are the main means of transport in Chisinau: they cover and connect main parts of the city. As a rule, almost all trolleybuses (but not all) pass through the city center. The municipality keeps updating the vehicles, so there are many new ones. We still have old trolleybuses from the Soviet times, but they are very rare. Many of the new trolleybuses have air conditioning, but quite often they don’t turn it on, so people have to rely on open windows.
The cost of a ride in a trolleybus is 6 Moldovan leis (MDL), or roughly 0,3 eurocents. Passengers pay on board to conductors, there is no way to buy tickets outside. On some routes it’s possible to pay by card, but I would still advise to have cash on you, and it’s much better if you have the exact amount. The reason is that quite often conductors don’t have change.
NB: 6 leis is a new price, they introduced it this year, so people are still adjusting to new fares.
Many trolleybuses, for example 10, 24 and 22, run very often, like every 4-5 minutes. A good thing is that trolleybuses have designated stops, unlike maxi taxis, so you will know where to get on and off.
There are 30 different routes in Chisinau, so there is plenty to choose from 😊 Luckily, there is a very useful online service that allows you to check those routes. Go here and select any route you want to make sure that it goes where you need to go. Just make sure you check trolleybuses and not buses 😊
Useful info: check trolleybus 30, it goes right to the airport from the city center.
2. Public transport in Chisinau: buses
Buses do not run as often as trolleybuses and they can get extremely crowded as well.
Unlike trolleybuses that run inside the city only, many buses connect the center of Chisinau with the suburbs. It means that in many cases they are full when they enter the city borders. And it means that they are not so crowded outside rush hours.
The cost of a ride in a bus is 6 MDL as well, or roughly 0,3 eurocents. As with trolleybuses, passengers pay on board to conductors, there is no way to buy tickets outside. As always, cash is recommended.
Like I said, buses do not run as often as trolleybuses, there are some routes with 3-4 buses in one hour, which means longer waiting time.
There are 26 bus routes in Chisinau, and you can check them under the same link I mention above.
Useful info: bus 33 stops close to the airport, but trolleybus 30 gets much closer and takes you right to the entrance to the departure area.
3. Public transport in Chisinau: maxi taxis
There are many maxi taxis in Chisinau and they cover the entire city and the suburbs. They are faster, and, in many cases, run more often and go to streets that buses and trolleybuses do not.
The cost of a ride in a maxi taxi is 6 MDL, or roughly 0,3 eurocents. Passengers pay directly to the driver on board, preferably when getting in. If it is crowded, just get in, do not delay others: you can pay when everyone is in. Don’t worry, our drivers are multitaskers: they drive, watch the road, take money, give the change and manage to count how many people have not paid yet, and all is done simultaneously.
Unlike buses and trolleybuses, they don’t give you a ticket in return. No air conditioning here either, just open windows. And the payment is in cash.
The earnings of maxi taxi drivers depend on how many passengers they take, so they are notorious here for speeding. They want to take in as many passengers as possible, so they try to outdrive their colleagues.
Maxi taxis do not have (but should) designated stops, so you can hail them basically everywhere where they can safely park to pick you up.
There are 40 maxi taxi routes in Chisinau. You can use the same link to check them.
Useful info: maxi taxi 157 runs from the central market to the airport, but doesn’t have a stop very close to it.
4. Taxi services
We have a lot of taxi services in Chisinau. Prices vary, but the difference is not huge. The service level might be different as well.
About prices: taxis in Chisinau are much cheaper than in Europe. For example, a ride from the airport to the city center will cost 6-7 EUR. Inside the city it would be around 4-5 EUR, maybe less depending on the distance.
Phone numbers of taxi companies have 5 digits and all of them start with 14.
I personally use 14999 and their partner 14222. I can’t tell you the exact reason I selected them, at one point of time they used to be the best. And, I think, they have the biggest fleet.
How it happens: you dial the number, talk to the operator, and when they find you a car, a robot calls your phone and notifies you of the arrival time, car model and colour, and the last numbers of its plate so that you can be sure it is your car. Some taxi companies ask whether you want a standard car or a comfort one. The comfort one costs more, naturally 😊 but the standard ones are good as well.
All official taxis are equipped with taximeters, and you will get a receipt after the ride. In case you did not like anything, or think that the fare you paid is unfair, take the receipt and call their office. Usually in taxis there is a sticker on the window with a phone number to call if you are happy or unhappy about anything.
The majority of drivers do not speak English, only Russian and Moldovan. If you are not comfortable calling them, then consider using taxi apps. We do not have Uber or Gett in Chisinau, but Yandex Taxi and iTaxi instead. They work pretty much like Uber: you put in your departure and destination, the app calculates the fare, you see the location of the car on the map. You can link your card to the app or pay by cash.
You can try hailing a taxi, but it is not that common here. But you can approach them when you see drivers lounging or sitting in a car as it means that they either have a break or do not have any clients at that moment.
5. Useful links and info
So, the first thing you have to remember: do not use public transport during rush hours. Or do that to get a taste of locals’ everyday life 😊.
Secondly, passengers always pay on board and almost always in cash.
Thirdly, buses and trolleybuses have designated stops, you do not have to push any buttons for them to stop, while you can hail a maxi taxi almost everywhere (actually, the local authorities try to limit it, but they still stop outside the designated stops).
Fourthly, do not expect drivers and conductors to speak English, as they most likely won’t.
Stations are announced in some buses and trolleybuses, but in Moldovan only. Some of them have electronic displays with current stations.
Unfortunately, we do not have electronic displays on stops like in Europe where passengers can check the arrival time. Our municipality keeps talking about implementing this system, but nothing is happening so far. The only thing you can do is consult the timetables available at many bus stops.
Now, here is a useful website that will help you plan the route. It works like Google Maps but is much better: you select your departure and arrival addresses and it gives you info on all means to get there.
If I have not covered something here, comment with your question and I will see what I can do 😊
More on Chisinau, Moldova:
Hi,
thank’s for useful info as I’m visiting Chisinau in August and will arrive late approximately at 23:15 pm. What os the cheapest way to go to city center(hotel) at that time as public trolley buses has stopped? Maxitaxi?
Br john h
Hi John!
Personally, I would just get a taxi, especially if you have bags. The only maxi taxi that goes in the direction of the airport is 157, and it’s quite far from the airport itself.
There is a taxi stand in the airport right when exiting the baggage claim area, but their service is more expensive than ‘normal’ taxis, especially at night when there are no other options.
You can download one of the taxi apps we use here: Letz, Yandex Go (I use this one) or itaxi. They give the approximate price, you can follow it in the app, and you can link your card as well.
Hope this helps, but you can always ask me if you need help.
Best,
Marianna
Hi, are there any discounts for children in public transport?
Hi Joanna,
Children up to 7 years old usually don’t pay in public transport. I have never heard about any discounts offered to kids besides that, though I know it’s common in Europe.
Best,
Marianna
Multumesc, that is very helpful! We plan to visit Moldova in September and we would like to visit other places as well: Soroca, Balti, Glodeni. Sadly, there is no train going there during the day. Can we find anywhere any similar guide for the bus transport in the country? Any page with departures? I didn’t manage to find anything, at least in English…
Hi Kuba!
Thank you for your nice words!
Trains aren’t a popular means of transportation here, we use buses for interurban travel. Almost every bigger city has their own bus station, but, unfortunately, they don’t have websites as usually locals just know the timetable, and we don’t have many tourists. Still, there is a place where you can check timetables and price: https://autogara.md/. “Autogara” is bus station in Romanian. The website is in Russian and Romanian only, but with Google Translate is should be manageable. You put there from/to places and the date, and it will give the buses going in that direction. If you click on ‘i’ letter, it will give some additional info (see the pic below).
I noticed that sometimes they mention whether a particular route is cancelled, but it looks to be true only for buses departing from Chisinau. It is possible to buy tickets online on this website, I used to do that in the past, but not anymore, so not sure if it still works. Frankly, you don’t need to buy tickets in advance, unless you travel from Chisinau on Friday late afternoon/evening (this is the time when students and working people travel to their cities/villages) and from cities/villages to Chisinau on Sunday as the same people are coming back. But then again, I wouldn’t expect anyone at bus stations to speak English.
When it comes to transport inside cities, I usually use Google maps, they are pretty good at it, or you can try this website https://www.eway.md/md/cities/balti/routes (in the upper left corner you can change the city, though it’s limited).
Hope this helps!
Marianna
Very useful site, thank you! I’m planning to visit Chisinau from Iasi (by minibus). I think the buses arrive and depart from the South Bus Station, ¿is trolleybus nº 35 the best option to get to the city center (Stephen the Great Central Park)? Thank you!
Hi Juan,
Yes, it looks like buses from Iasi arrive at the South Station. Personally, I wouldn’t take trolleybus 35 to get to the city center as its route is very long, and it doesn’t run very often. I have never taken it, but I assume that somewhere along the route its station terminus is, so you will have to change the trolleybus.
I often go to/from the South Station, and the way I do it is the following: I exit the station and cross the road and take trolleybus 17 or 9 and ride 2 stations to the first stop on Miorita street: it’s right after the turn. From here I take trolleybus 10 or 24 and they go directly to the city center. You can check their routes here. I know that it sounds complicated, but in reality it isn’t, and this route is so much quicker, as all these trolleybuses, especially 10 and 24, run very often.
If you need more help, feel free to write another comment.
Hi! I have been living in Chișinău for a while and I have a pretty big dog, are dogs allowed on all transport, and would she have to wear a muzzle? Thank you for all this information too, very helpful and detailed.
Hi Julia!
That’s a good question. I don’t remember seeing people with big animals in transport. Usually animals are small, so people hold them in their hands or in carriers. Let me ask around and I will post here.
Hi Marianna!
Cheers for a very useful post. I’m going to spending a couple of months in Chisinau and was wondering if the Trolleybus from the airport takes card as payment? If not, is there some kind change machine available at the airport?
Also, I’d like to get a local SIM card while I’m there – any recommendations on which mobile service provider would the best (and easiest to use)? Is it easy to get a SIM?
Any help or advice would be much appreciated! Thanks!
Hi Shay,
Thank you for your nice words and I hope you will have great time in our country!
Regarding your question about the airport trolleybus: normally, they do, but I wouldn’t count on it fully. There is always a probability that a specific trolleybus doesn’t have a card reader, or it’s broken, or some other reason, so I strongly advise to have some cash on you. And there are exchange counters at the airport, though it is a general recommendation not to exchange a lot of money, as the rate is better in the city.
When it comes to SIM cards, we have two big operators: Orange and Moldcell. I like Orange, I use them 🙂 You can get a sim at the airport, or you can buy it in one of the multiple shops both operators have around the city.
Hope it helps 🙂
Hi Marianna
I know it is a while since you posted this but I have a question. If your bus route requires a change, do you have to pay the 6lei on both buses?
Many thanks
Anna
Hi Anna,
Yes, you have to pay for every journey. Unfortunately, we don’t have here a system that allows not to pay if you take the next bus within a specific period of time after the first one. We don’t have any electronic systems for this, the tickets on buses and trolleybuses are still paper ones. If you have a transport pass, then you don’t have to pay anything, you just show it to the assistant on board. I don’t know if there are any passes for tourists, only regular ones, which probably don’t make much sense to buy, as they are monthly and cost 234 leis. Hope this helps!