"Travelling to Kiev via Transdniestr
on train 65/66", John,
May 2010
We were a little apprehensive about our crossing of the _Transdniester_ (http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/transdniester.htm)
border. Here's how our border crossings went that night/morning:
Exiting Modova - passport control
came through first, checked passports - no problem. Customs came through, spoke
some broken English phrases and checked our bags - no problems.
Entering Transdniester - one border control agent came into the compartment
- checked our passports and asked if we had any guns or drugs (in very reasonable
English) and when we said no, he said thank you and then went on to the next
compartment.
Entering Ukraine - first pair of passport agents came through - checked our
passports and entered the information on their PDA's - and then called someone
else on their "radios" to report that there were three Americans on
the train. Minimal/no English from them. But no problems. Then one customs agent
came through and I think that he wanted us to lift up our beds and to show him
the luggage, but he really wasn't very clear (he just said in Ukraine or Russian
what he wanted a couple of times without using any sign or hand language or
gestures). And I responded that we did not speak Russian or
Ukraine and tried to gesture - that our luggage was under the beds and did he
want us to lift them up and show them to him? I think he got easily frustrated,
as he immediately got on his radio --- I heard something about "Americanskis"
-- and then he just shook his head, walked out, and went on to the next compartment.
So, in actuality, the Transdniester border guard was the most courteous, polite
and spoke the best English of all three border crossings personnel that evening.
But, I imagine that this could vary a lot, depending upon the agent!
So, from our experience, we did not have any problems with the Transdniester
border crossing. In fact, if you have an email address for someone of authority
in Transdniester customs, I would be pleased to send them an email stating how
courteous, efficient and pleasant the border guard was to us that night - to
help change some of the "bad press" that they have been having and
that their apparent efforts to try to change this problem seem to be working
-- if you feel that this may help future Western travelers.
Before going on the trip, I had seen some email notes on some travel blogs about
certain efforts being made to correct the previous problems at the Transdniester
border crossings. We just may have been lucky that night, but everything went
relatively smoothly in crossing the borders. Or, maybe by train is much easier
than in a bus or car."
"Recommendations on travelling
from Poland to Chisinau, Moldova",
Grzegorz, February 2009
It's possible to take (from Germany) a direct bus Berlin - Chisinau by Euroline
Moldova - I don't know what is the exact cost but from Krakow (Poland) it costed
70 euro.
It's also one possible route (from Poland) taking a train to Polish border (Przemysl), then get to Medyka cross the border there by foot, from there take "marszrutka" to Lwow, and then as written on your page take a bus to Chisinau. It's a little hardcore option but relatively cheap:
Train from west part of country (for example
Poznan city) to Przemysl = 70 PLN = 15 euro
Bus from Przemysl to Medyka (border) = 2 PLN =0,5 euro
Marszrutka border - Lwow = 15 UAH = 1,5 euro
Bus Lwow - Chisinau = 20 euro
So together something about 37 euro.
Bad thing is that u need a lot of time for such a journey.
"Varna, Bulgaria to Chisinau via
Constanta, Romania by bus",
Steven, September 2008
Hi Marisha,having just arrived home,I will tell you the story of what happened.
As I said ,Vernon-Prim left me in a bad position, as I was expecting them to
take me and then they let me know that they will not have the bus in Varna for
that day,OK,I made contact by telphone with Mari-Tur,but because of language
problems it was very difficult to understand how to make this bus stop in Varna,especially
as they told me to pay at Hotel Cosmos,and there is no hotel like this in Varna.
So I call for help to everyone who can help to contact them for me for a clear
position,but as of early Friday afternoon I don't hear anything,so I leave the
house to wait in Varna for a maxi taxi to Constanta or the Mari-Tur if see it.I
see the maxi taxi at 4pm,and tell the driver I need to be in Constanta before
7pm to connect with Trand-Leahu to Moldova,so he says no problem,although again
language problem as he speaks Rumanian.When we get to Mangalia,he says that
another bus will take me to Constanta,as the other passengers have got off and
only me remains,so he did not want to go the extra 50 KM with me.
The driver of the maxi taxi told the other driver I need to connect with the
Moldova bus in Constanta,but they said nothing,and it was soon clear that this
new bus was not going to leave Mangalia until 7PM,making it impossible to make
the connection.Anyway,I went with the bus to Constanta,to hope some other way
would be open,but when I got there and asked around,it was clear that no other
transport was available that evening,leaving a 12 hour wait,no sleep for 2 days
and missing my game in Tiraspol,so I decide I will come back to Bulgaria.I even
asked the driver of this second bus if he can take me to Braila to maybe connect
with Torpedo-Tur,but he said the bus is not going to Braila,even though it says
Mangalia-Constanta-Braila on the front.I must say that it was the first time
I had been in Rumania,but I don't have a good impression of Rumanian people
I met,most of them were very unhelpful,and would not take any time to explain
things.
I will never go through Constanta to change buses again,things there are not
organised,no good information available,and it's like a place that is not up
to a good standard.Only to go through this place without stopping is good,or
to come through Bucharest.It is very disappointing for me that this has happened,as
I wanted to enjoy my holiday in Moldova,and to not even reach it because of
these problems is bad for me.
Still,I have learnt some things from what I experienced,and when the times come
again,I can maybe make sure that these things do not happen again.I was very
pleased to leave Rumania,and to get back to Bulgaria,which for all its problems
seems to be a much better place than Rumania.I will probably go to Rumania again,but
will be much more careful next time.
"Riga - Chisinau budget flight with Air Baltic", Charles, August 2008
Just to update your excellent website I am flying direct Riga -Chisinau with Air Baltic - so 'low cost' is possible direct now.
"Low-cost airlines to Moldova
and surroundings",
Elis, July 2007
Meridiana flying from Italian
city of Verona www.meridiana.it . You can also
come somewhat close to Chisinau www.airport.md,
if you are flying to Romanian city of Bacau www.bacauairport.ro
with Blue Air www.blueair-web.com from Torino,
Barcelona and Roma - for much more reasonable prices than Meridiana. From Bacau
you can take a bus or microbus to Moldova through the town of Husi and border
crossing of Leuseni. In approximately same distance from Chisinau as Bacau is
the Ukrainian city of Odessa www.airport.od.ua,
to which you can fly with Air Baltic www.airbaltic.com
from Riga but then you will have to find a rare bus to Chisinau via Palanca
to avoid Transnistria, or you will not avoid it and will have to bribe quite
likely Transnistrian "customs officers" and "border guards". But in the end
low-cost airline market is non-existent in Moldova, also due to silly (or corrupted)
government market protection, and is not so much competitive in neighbouring
countries, so you will still get a best price with Air Moldova or Moldavian
Airlines / Carpatair (same company), sometimes with TAROM via Bucharest, ocassionally
with Turkish via Istanbul and quite rarely with Austrian via Vienna. Cheaper
but more exhausting way is to come by bus or train.