Moscow - Chisinau trip by car, 2005

*** Budget accomodation in Chisinau! Rent a bed with 10 EURO per night directly from the hostess

From Moscow to Chisinau 2005
Pasha's recent report on traveling from Moscow to Chisinau with a stopover in Kiev, Lvov, Tiraspol

The famous vamp Uncle Pasha is planning to drive his old Renaut, the picture of which you'll find at his Freelance Drivers in Moscow site, from Moscow to Chisinau. Being mostly a theoretician of life, his is putting his travel notes before embarking upon this adventure. While I would not normally favour such an inversion of the natural order, Pasha's musings often show the grasp of things and insite you will not find in true-to-life documentaries saturated with facts. Further, Pasha has a habit, annoying to some but delightful to others, of uploading his stuff as it is being written, thus sharing with you not just the end result but openly showing how his mind works.

Also note his other active project www.staritsa.info to promote travel between Saint-Petersburg and Moscow through small towns and villages with a major stopover in Staritsa, Tver region.

Bus is cheapest. Only 800 roubles ($30), and you'll be there in 24 hours. The bus leaves from the Kiev station in Moscow, same as trains, about [check on that] daily.

Airplane is fasters but it will set you back $130-160 each way. The plane leaves from Domodedovo or Vnukovo airports south side of Moscow twice and sometimes three times a day. You can buy tickets at the Paveletskaya train station (which by the way is very close to Pasha's apartment that is available for rent or order them delivered by calling 956-3489.

Train is the answer if air travel is too expensive and bus too tiring for you. Expect to pay around 1200 rubles ($40) for a second class ticket. You can buy your ticket at any station but the train leaves from the Kiev station ("Kievsky vokzal"). Commuter trains are at the side of the staton facing Dorogomilovskaya. Don't go there because you will find yourself quite a walk from long-distance trains, which are on the other side, between the station and the huge white Radisson-Slavyanskaya hotel. Trains leave at 4:01 pm and 7:39pm Moscow time and arrive at 7:27 pm and 10:15pm local time.

You still need a visa but it is easy to obtain in Moscow. Contact me or Pasha in Moscow for more information or assistance.

Coming up:
Report from a car trip, with a long stopover in Kiev, about half way between Moscow and Chisinau, is coming up. Expected departure time is sometime in March or April 2005. Watch for an announcement here or on Pasha's site.