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Chisinau · Moldova

Car hire and driving in Chisinau

Driving distances to the cities around, the rules that change at the border, and where to compare rental prices.

OverviewFlightsHotelsTrainsBusesCar rentalTours

In Moldova traffic drives on the right. Picking up at RMO means 11 km (7 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1061257.

Drives from Chisinau

Car rental from Chisinau: distances and estimated journey times
RouteCountryDistanceEstimated time
Chisinau to BenderMoldova51 km (32 mi)about 47 min
Chisinau to TiraspolMoldova61 km (38 mi)about 56 min
Chisinau to IaşiRomania97 km (60 mi)about 1 h 29 min
Chisinau to BălţiMoldova109 km (68 mi)about 1 h 40 min
Chisinau to OdesaUkraine155 km (96 mi)about 2 h 22 min
Chisinau to CheremushkyUkraine155 km (96 mi)about 2 h 22 min
Chisinau to BacăuRomania156 km (97 mi)about 2 h 23 min
Chisinau to GalaţiRomania186 km (115 mi)about 2 h 50 min
Chisinau to Piatra NeamţRomania192 km (119 mi)about 2 h 56 min
Chisinau to BrăilaRomania205 km (127 mi)about 3 h 7 min
Chisinau to MykolayivUkraine238 km (148 mi)about 3 h 37 min
Chisinau to VinnytsyaUkraine249 km (155 mi)about 3 h 48 min
Chisinau to IstanbulTurkey667 km (414 mi)about 10 h 10 min
Chisinau to MoscowRussia1,145 km (711 mi)about 17 h 27 min
Chisinau to Saint PetersburgRussia1,441 km (895 mi)about 21 h 58 min
Chisinau to AnkaraTurkey851 km (529 mi)about 12 h 59 min
Chisinau to BerlinGermany1,264 km (785 mi)about 19 h 17 min
Chisinau to BursaTurkey758 km (471 mi)about 11 h 33 min
Chisinau to KyivUkraine402 km (250 mi)about 6 h 8 min
Chisinau to İzmirTurkey966 km (600 mi)about 14 h 44 min

Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.

Where to compare car hire

ExpediaCar hire from the major suppliers, and the one to look at if the flight or hotel is already booked there. Part of Expedia Group.Check car hire on Expedia (opens www.expedia.com in a new tab)
DiscoverCarsCompares local and international suppliers. Read the counter reviews before you pick.Check rental cars on DiscoverCars (opens www.discovercars.com in a new tab)
Auto EuropeA broker specialising in Europe, often with clearer all-in pricing for US renters.Get European rates on Auto Europe (opens www.autoeurope.com in a new tab)
Rentalcars.comBooking.com's car arm, with wide airport coverage worldwide.Compare suppliers on Rentalcars.com (opens www.rentalcars.com in a new tab)
Every link above leaves this site.

We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.

Common questions

Which side of the road do they drive on in Chisinau?

The right, as everywhere in Moldova.

How are the journey times on this page worked out?

From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.

Where these facts come from

  • GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
  • Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
  • OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
  • Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines

Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.