We have selected all the necessary information for a tourist about Chisinau bus station: contacts, how to get there and much more.
The Chisinau Central Bus Station or Autogara Centralǎ is the main transportation hub of the capital of Moldova. It serves both domestic and international routes, connecting Chisinau with different regions of the country and foreign cities.
History of the bus station
The central bus station in Chisinau appeared back in 1974 and immediately became the main transportation hub of the capital. The architect was I. A. Zagoretsky, and the station was designed for 800 people. Inside - everything according to the classics of the Soviet era: a spacious waiting room, ticket offices, storage rooms, kiosks with small things for the road, information desk, even a hairdresser's shop. And on the second floor you could have a snack - there were catering outlets.
In the 80s, the Chisinau station was working at full speed: by 1982, millions of passengers a year passed through it. Every day more than 700 buses left from here - all over Moldova and to different cities of Ukraine. There was even an international route to Bucharest. But because of the huge flow, in 1982 a new bus station was built - the Southern Bus Station, where flights to the south of the country and some Ukrainian destinations were immediately transferred.
By the end of the 90s, it became clear: the Central Station could no longer cope. The number of buses was growing, and there were not enough places for them. The condition of the building itself also left much to be desired. Plus - the constant noise and exhaust fumes interfered with the life of the residents of the center. In 1997 the authorities thought about building a new station for northern directions. And in 2005 a significant part of intercity and international flights were transferred to the Northern station.
Structure, directions and routes
From the Chisinau Central Bus Station, buses and shuttles depart to many cities in Moldova, including Balti, Comrat, Orhei and others. International routes to Romania (Bucharest, Constanta, Cluj-Napoca, Brasov), Germany (Berlin, Bremen, Aachen, Augsburg), Ukraine, Poland and other countries are also available. There are transit flights to Transnistria.
Services and infrastructure
On the territory of the Central bus station of Chisinau there are such services:
Cash desks to buy tickets on the spot;
Electronic boards and information stands with information about schedules and routes;
Waiting rooms with benches and air conditioning;
Stores with snacks and drinks;
Luggage storage;
Wi-Fi for passengers;
Restrooms;
ATMs;
Parking.
How to get to the bus station
The central bus station of Chisinau is located right in the center - literally 2 minutes on foot. There is a parking lot at the entrance and you can take a cab.
From the airport
The bus station is connected to the airport by the very buses that depart from it. There are a few options at different times - check on the actual journey. The journey takes just under half an hour.
From the central railway station and other bus stations
You can get to the central railway station of Chisinau in 10-15 minutes by public transportation. Route #109 connects all three bus stations of Chisinau.
Useful information
Address: 58, Metropolitan Varlaam str., Chisinau, Moldova
Reference service phone number: +373 22 542 185
Official website: autogara.md
Opening hours of ticket offices: daily from 06:00 till 22:00
Bus station opening hours: daily from 05:30 till 23:00
Email: autogara@mtc.md
Necessary information is duplicated in English. You can buy tickets online at autogara.md. There you can also find timetables and other useful information.
Tips for tourists
It is recommended to arrive at the Chisinau bus station 30-45 minutes before departure, so that you can catch everything in time. Rush hours here are standard - in the morning and evening. There may be queues at ticket offices and at boarding. It is recommended to have some small cash with you. And if you plan to wait for a long time - a snack, water and a phone charger. And don't forget to keep an eye on your belongings.
Other bus stations
There are three bus stations in Kishnev - Central, Southern and Northern. The Southern and Northern bus stations appeared because the Central bus station of Kishinev could not cope with the loads and passenger traffic.
Southern bus station of Chisinau
Chisinau South bus station on the map is located at 143, Hincesti highway, in the Centru sector. It serves transportation within the Republic of Moldova and several foreign destinations, such as Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Germany and Ukraine.
It was built on the outskirts of the city, on the then Cotovski highway. At that time it was modestly called "bus station Yuzhnaya". All flights to the south of Moldova were transferred here, and at the same time to the southern regions of Ukraine - to Izmail, Reni, Vilkovo and other cities.
After a while, in the 2000s, the situation repeated itself: the Central Station was again unable to cope with the load, and some more international routes to the south and Western Europe were transferred here. Now it is not a backup, but a full-fledged independent transportation hub.
Northern bus station of Chisinau
The Northern bus station is located at 2/1 Calea Moshilor Street, in the Central sector. It serves domestic transportation and foreign destinations such as Ukraine, Czech Republic, Azerbaijan, Belarus and Russia.
In the 90s it became clear: two bus stations were no longer enough for Chisinau. The southern station helped a little, but it did not solve the problem completely. In 2001, the authorities decided that a third station was needed - on the northern outskirts. Different places were considered: the area of the tractor factory, Kalya Basarabiei Street and the crossroads of Sokoleni and Kalya Orheiului. In the end, the site near Izmailska and Kalya Moshilor streets, next to the former tobacco factory, was chosen.
The construction started and by 2005 the Northern Bus Station of Chisinau opened its doors for passengers. At first it was a modest complex - a waiting room, storage rooms and ticket offices, where you can buy a ticket from any of the three bus stations. Gradually, more and more routes were transferred here.
