Search Flights from Zurich to Chisinau

Located along the river Bâc, Chisinau is the capital and most developed and populated city of Moldova. Chisinau International Airport opens its doors to passengers who want to visit Chisinau, Moldova's main industrial city. Chisinau is divided into two main regions, the old part of the city and the new part of the city, which is considered the city center. Stefan cel Mare Street is considered the city center, which also includes Stefan cel Mare Park.

The only train station in the city is the Chisinau railway station, which is located in the city center. Although the city is surrounded by railway networks, transportation by train is only offered to the surrounding areas, outside of the city. There is also no metro network that provides transportation in the city. Buses, just like trains, are also not a method of urban transportation. Trolleybuses and minibuses, known as “rutiera” make up the main network of urban transportation in Chisinau.

There are ticket collectors present on public transportation vehicles. There are single-use tickets available for purchase however if you are staying longer in the city we would recommend buying a monthly ticket. Other, perhaps more convenient, transportation alternatives within the city include traveling by taxi or rental car.

There are a variety of transportation alternatives available to get to the city center from the airport including minibuses or private airport shuttle services. These options might include a transfer so if you want a direct alternative that provides door-to-door transportation you could take a taxi or rent a car.

Shuttle

Chisinau International Airport's own private shuttle provides transportation to the city center from the airport. The shuttle provides transportation to the following stops, Dacia Street, Decebal Street, Yuri Gagarin Street, C. Negruzzi Street, Ştefan cel Mare şi Sfînt Street, and Dimitrie Cantemir Square. These shuttles are very reasonably priced and run every 40 minutes.

Minibus (Rutieră)

Minibuses are the most convenient option to get to the city center from the airport. Minibuses cost the same as the airport shuttle services do, however they run more frequently than the shuttle does. Minibuses run every 10 minutes. Minibus line 165 stops at Dacia Ave, Trandafirilor, Decebal Street, Yuri Gagarin Ave., Dimitrie Cantemir Street, and Ismail Street.

Ticket prices are quite affordable but if you have a large suitcase you might have to pay an extra fee. Once you exit the arrivals area make a right towards the parking area at the end of the building. The white minibuses are located there.

If you come across a vehicle in motion you can raise your hand to hail it. Usually there is an assistant sitting next to the driver. If there is an assistant in the vehicle, and the vehicle does not have an automatic door system, the minibus doors are opened by that assistant.

There aren’t that many designated minibus stops but drivers will usually stop wherever you want to get off. Nevertheless, new regulations may restrict this possibility.

Some minibus lines in the city serve more than one route and some routes run parallel to each other. There is a route display screen next to the minibus line number to help indicate which way the minibus is traveling. By tracking this display you can easily find out which direction the minibus will travel in.

Trolleybus

Unfortunately there isn’t a trolleybus line that provides direct transportation from the airport to the city center. However, once you arrive in the city center via shuttle or minibus you can transfer to a trolleybus to get to your final destination in the city. The trolleybus system is one of the most important public transportation networks in Chisinau.

There are twenty-two trolleybus lines that operate in the city. These lines include, line 1 the str. Bariera Sculeni – str. Sarmizegetusa route, line 4 the Gradina Botanica – str. Zelinski route, line 5 the parcul "La izvor" route, line 17 the Schinossa 1 route, line 20 the str. Dokuceaev route, and line 28 the or. Durlești – bd. Gagarin route, all of which connect with the Chisinau railway station or to other areas of the city where you can easily transfer vehicles.

Bus

Traveling bus isn’t a source of urban transportation in Chisinau. However, buses are a popular alternative for transportation between cities and to other countries. So if you want to travel to nearby areas from Chisinau, then traveling by bus is a convenient option. There are 3 bus terminals in Chisinau, the Central Station, Gara de Nord and Gara de Sud.

Train

Just as with buses, trains provide transit services between cities or between countries. Located in the city center, the Chisinau Central Railway Station provides public transportation services to Romania, Russia, Ukraine and other CIS countries.

Taxi

There are three taxi companies that operate at the airport. Pricing is quite expensive compared to public transportation alternatives. However, unlike other cabs, you can talk to the driver in advance and try to negotiate the fare. Although the taxi system is much better than it was before, there are still some problems. For example, taxi drivers can come up with a variety of excuses to charge extra fees. If you are going to get in a cab at the airport, instead of getting in a cab from the stop, trying getting in a cab that is dropping off a passenger. They might be more reasonable when it comes to the fare. We would recommend negotiating or agreeing on the fare with the taxi driver beforehand.

Rental Car

Another way to get to the city center from the airport is by rental car. There are various rental car offices located at the airport. You can also reserve a vehicle in advance by making a reservation online.