Published on: March 29, 2016

Chisinau Airport is located not too far from the city, just 13 km from the city center. Travelers may choose either public transports:  bus, minibus taxi, taxi service, or personalized airport transfer service provided by private companies.

The Express Bus “A”

The cheapest way to get to/from Chisinau Airport is using public bus service. It is called the “A” Express Bus. The Express Bus “A” transfers travelers from the Chisinau Airport bus station to the city center. The ending station is on the street “Dimitrie Cantemir” in Chisinau downtown.  This route is running from 07:00 am to 07:00 pm with an interval of 40 minutes. The price per one trip costs 3 mdl. Note that the bus driver is eligible to charge extra for big luggage.  You don’t have to buy a ticket as the tickets are sold inside the bus using MDL cash. The bus crosses the  following streets: “D.Cantemir”, “Stefan cel Mare”, “C. Negruzzi”, “Iurii Gagarin”, “Decebal”, “Dacia Avenue”.

The advantages of this transportation method are the cheap price and  live contact with locals. Among the disadvantages is the time it  takes you to get to the city, around 35 minutes. The bus could be crowded (might have to stand), noisy, no air condition (during summer) and no special place for luggage.

Minibus Taxi No. 165

Another option to get to the city center is using the Minibus taxi No 165. You can get it directly at the Airport,  next to the arrival hall. You can catch it starting from 05:30 am to  09.55 pm(from Airport) or from 06.00 am -10.00 pm (from city center, “Ismail Street”). The price per one transfer is 03.00 MDL (cash), for big luggage extra payment will be charged. The minibus is available with an interval of 10 minutes.

NOTE: The Minibus taxi does not stop at stations. You have to ask the driver to stop before you reach your stop. You can request it. The ending station is Ismail street, Chisinau city center.

The advantages of this method are cheap price, relatively fast ride and you have the chance to admire the national radio “Noroc” station.

The are some disadvantages as well. Just like with the Express Bus “A” there is no place for luggage,  there are only 15 seats and yet again no air conditioner.

Taxi                                      

The travelers may order a regular taxi directly from the taxi agency desk, situated in arrival hall, next to the exit doors. The official price for transfer from Airport to city center is 100.00 MDL (cash). It is advisable to reconfirm the price with the driver when you get in the taxi. Be informed that there are private taxi drivers in arrival halls who are hunting clients. Try to avoid their offers as the price could be more expensive for foreign guests. If you already have a local phone number you can book your own taxi. Some of the agency numbers are: 14222, 14022, 14008,14400, 14428, 14111.

NOTE: The Price for an Airport transfer is cheaper (70.00 – 80.00 MDL) when you are coming from the city center.

So the advantage of the taxi is that it’s easy to find a taxi, it’s still quite cheap. Obviously it is much faster and will get you to your required destination. Some of the disadvantages are that the drivers often do not speak English (commonly only Romanian & Russian). You might encounter impolite drivers, not very clean cars (though this is rare). Sometimes drivers have problems understanding where you need to go.

Personalised Airport Transfer

If you are looking for a more comfortable solution for your Airport transfer then you can book one from a private company. CVS.md is offering VIP airport transfers with a English speaking driver and a high class car. Here you can find their prices.

From 27/06/17 the transfer from / to Chisinau International Airport became cheaper than ever!