About
The Moldova Travel Co.
The
Moldova Travel Company is run by two brothers, Richard who is resident in Moldova
and Kevan who is resident in The UK. As we are both native English men we aim
to provide a friendly relaxed and honest service for your needs in Moldova and
Chisinau. We offer a wide choice of services at the best prices and give advice
free via email. The services we can offer range from sorting an apartment for
short or long term rent in Chisinau, Flower delivery in Chisinau, we can also
provide translators during your stay in Moldova or translation of your correspondence,
we can even do some investigation work on your behalf before you arrive. Are service
is very relaxed and we are very flexible, should you need us to carry out a service
other than those you see on this site please dot' hesitate to ask. I hope you
enjoy the site.
Richards Introduction
If
you have an inkling or plan to visit Moldova, look no further and
please read the rest of this site, especially parts highlighted in
red. I am an English man living in Moldova. Whether your trip is for
business, pleasure or just dam right fun, I am here to give you my
experience, free help and advice. Just
use me as your personal Moldova forum. Having been
involved in Moldova for seven years (living permanently for the last
two) and twice being married out here, I have a wealth of experience
to offer. Please feel free to contact me about any matter concerning
Moldova. richard@visamoldova.co.uk
My
Moldova and Chisinau Services
Over
the years I have been asked to provide a range of services to help
people either visiting Moldova or in relationships here. On my services
page you will find any thing from airport transfers to to the cheapest
flower delivery service in Moldova, Chisinau. I also can provide some
investigation work should you think your partner is a scammer. Should
you require any service just drop me a mail to arrange it and then
pay via Paypal by hitting the donate button. If there is a service
you want that is not listed please contact me for more information
at richard@visamoldova.co.uk
Why
Visit Moldova
To
visit Moldova will not disappoint any traveler. Whether you come for
the cultural experience, business or to find your Moldovan bride.
The people are so friendly and helpful, but you will only find out
the real Moldova if you make the effort to mix with them
and go and socialize where local people do. Don't
get stuck in a hotel or keep going to places designed for the richer
people of Moldova or tourists.
Moldova
is a picturesque land-locked forgotten country in eastern europe between
Romania and the Ukraine. It is a very fertile country with green hills,
Placid lakes and some of the best vineyards you will ever see. You
must visit Moldova before the west influence changes what is a beautiful
place forever.
The
Capital city is Chisinau (kishinev). the main feature of the city
is its hospitality, it is always open to guests. A warm welcome is
given to all who visit this city. Situated on 7 hills. Chisinau is
split up into 5 districts, Centre, Botanica, Buiucani, Ciocana and
Riscani. It is well worth traveling out of the centre to see what
some of these districts have to offer. Large developments have taken
place over the last few years providing good places to eat and drink
all over Chisinau.
The
republic of Moldova gained its independence in 1991, after the break
up of the former Soviet Union. Since then the population of Moldova
has grown to 4.6 million people. The biggest growth being in the capital
Chisinau where in just the last two years has seen its population
grow from 700 thousand to just around one million.
Traveling
To Moldova
Over
the past seven years I have looked at numerous ways of getting to
moldova. The reason for this is because it's quite expensive to fly
directly into the country. This is due to a government airline monopoly
preventing cheaper carriers operating. With all my efforts I'm afraid
you just have to grit your teeth and bear it if you want to fly all
the way to Chisinau. For the more adventurous among you a huge saving
can be made by flying to Bucharest in Romania. Budget airlines such
as Wizzair and
Easyjet operate from
here making costs very cheap. Once in Bucharest you can travel by
overnight train, get a bus or get someone like me to get you a car
to bring you here. Should you need more specific information please
advise me of your departure country and I will be pleased to help
you further. If you are traveling from outside Europe please note
a direct flight with Air Moldova is available from Stanstead in London.
www.airmoldova.md for pricing and other departure countries.
Visa
Information For Moldova
Two
years ago this would have been a large section on my site, but since
January 1st, 2007 Moldova has relaxed it's visa laws. Holders of regular
passports, citizens of countries specified
below, will NOT NEED entry visa to Moldova if the stay in Moldova
is under 90 days. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Poland, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.
The member states of the European Union
(Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Malta, Great Britain, Holland,
Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Hungary), the
candidate states to join the European Union (Croatia, Turkey), Canada,
Swiss Confederation, Japan, the State of Israel, Norway and the USA.
For the above countries all you need to do is show your passport on
entry into Moldova.
Where
To Stay in Moldova
When
I was frequently traveling to Moldova I always preferred the option
of staying in Moldova apartments. This gives you more freedom to come
and go as you please. Depending on your comfort and location requirements
a Moldova apartment will cost you from 25 euro a day up to as much
as you want to pay. For the more affluent amongst you I would say
around 35 euro would give you a fairly good standard apartment. Please
bear in mind that an apartment for one month will cost you nearly
the same as one for 10 days. If the apartment thing is not your cup
of tea there is always the option of a hotel. This will set you back
at least 75 euro a night depending on rating. There is a few mini
hotels in Chisinau that are as cheap as 20 euro a night but they are
akin to staying in a youth hostel. Often just a box room with a bed
and a sink, OK I suppose if your coming for a football match or something.
Please look at my
apartments for rent in chisinau page.
Here you will find my most popular apartments, should you require
something else please don't hesitate to mail me at richard@visamoldova.co.uk
Streetwise
Tips for Moldova
If
I were to write this from my first experiences in Moldova seven years
ago I would probably scare you off. I was stopped nearly every day
by the police, which really hacks you off after a while. In Moldova's
defence I must say that the government has made huge moves forward
in stamping out this sort of corruption in Moldova, especially the
harassment of foreign visitors by the police. Having said this it
still does happen from time to time. This is mainly due to foreigners
attracting attention to themselves in one way or another. Take a look
at my Moldova tips bellow and by in large you should be OK. Make
it easy for the police and they will make it easy for you.
Always carry your documents, if you are scared
of loosing your passport a photocopy should suffice. Should you be
out with a native Moldovan please make sure they also have their ID
on them. A local not carrying their ID can cause you more problems
than you not having yours. Be warned, I once spent 2 hours and 20
dollars in a police station because my wife didn't have her papers
on her and could 't prove who she was.
My tips to stay safe
- Always
cary your documents with you. (passport, ID card, other forms of
identity)
- Keep
your native countries nearest embassies phone number on you.
- If
alone try not to look like a tourist when police are close by.
- If
alone or in a group try not to advertise yourself to much on the
streets. save it for the bars and clubs.
- If
you are a man with a woman or woman with a man try not to make it
obvious you are a couple when walking past police especially if
the age gap is fairly large. I know it sounds stupid but I did warn
you.
- Never
take anyone at face value, not all people here are good. Just be
carefully who you are talking to and why they want to talk to you.
- Try
and avoid talking English when near any police.
- Never
leave valuables unattended.
- Make
sure your Visa for Moldova (if you need one) is valid.
- Use
a taxi late at night even for short trips.
- But
above all don't be put off, get out and have fun.
Moldovan
Money and ATM's
The
currency in Moldova is Lei. On the right hand side of this site you
will find a converter to change your local currency into moldovan
lei. If you are English like myself I would avoid bringing British
pounds. This is because there are not so many places to change GBP
in Moldova, and the rate between companies does seem to vary greatly.
The best currencies to bring are euros and US dollars. Two change
any of these is very easy, you will find an exchanges everywhere even
24 hours a day. Try to change your money
during the day. You will find fewer places after 6pm
and the rate after this time will go down as competition for your
money reduces. Make sure your notes
are perfect. If
your notes are not perfect (and I mean perfect)
You will find yourself getting the face value of your note less 10%.
i.e. 50 euro will become 45 euro. Another tip is to always get the
bill and count your money in front of the cashier, You will be surprised
at how many people will try to short change you. If you have decide
to bring your plastic to use in the ATM's. I have discovered recently
that there is problems in Moldova with
using debit and credit cards to withdraw cash. At
the moment we are only sure that plastic will work in Agroindbank
ATM's. Up until January 2008 they did not work anywhere in Moldova.
They do however work to take money from banks at the counter and buy
goods in shops. This is due to either a chip and pin problem or English
banks blocking this service in various parts of the world to protect
the customer. I can't speak for any other countries so if you do intend
to use a card please check with your bank first.
Getting
Married & Dating in Moldova
Moldova
probably has the biggest concentration of beautiful women in Europe.
Because of this many men come here to find or visit potential partners
girlfriends etc. I don't want to say to much about dating on this
site because quite frankly it's a minefield and I wouldn't want to
advise what I think are the better methods. You can contact me personally
for further information. When it comes to marriage I suppose I am
a bit of an old hat. I have married twice in Moldova, One word of
advice I can give is don't rush into
marriage in Moldova for the wrong reasons. Getting married is no easy
fix for a visa. I learned from my first wife, I rushed
into marriage because I thought it would make obtaining a visa easier.
My advice is to get your partner a visa for a holiday in your native
country first and spend a few months with them. The worst thing you
can do is rush into marriage with a Moldovan, have a trail period
first. Having said this I do understand you can't take the time you
would with a partner from your native country. OK so you feel the
relationship is all good and fine. If you took my advice they will
be in your own country by now making marriage easy. To marry in Moldova
is a whole new ball game. You will need to supply the following documents
to the wedding office to marry a native Moldovan.
- Certificate
of No Impediment(This proves you are free to marry)
- Birth
Certificate
- Medical
Certificate(Aids
test)
- Criminal
Record Check
All
must be translated along with your passport which can be done in Moldova at very
little expense. With the exception of the birth certificate you
need to legalised all the others in your own country, then again in Moldova by
your embassy (If you have one in moldova) then legalised again by the Moldovan
Government. It sounds very difficult and you are right to think so.
However I know how to save you a lot of time, and I mean weeks, both
in your native country and Moldova. You can actually
do all documents in Moldova if you have the time. I don't want
to broadcast this information online so if you are interested in getting married
in Moldova, please contact me for further information. Another word of advice
is plan your wedding in advance,
this will save you allot of money as you pay for the notice given to the wedding
office. The less notice you give the more you pay. For further advice please mail
me at richard@visamoldova.co.uk
Moldova
Dateing Websites
Are
you talking to a girl or girls via a Moldova or other dating agency web site?
If so you may be having trouble obtaining personal information about the person
you are talking to because the site is censoring your mail. This happens because
the agency Wants you to keep spending money using their services. Once you have
a personal email address or phone number the agency then becomes redundant. If
this is happening to you why not see if we can help. With the smallest piece of
information we can often find out the information you require. Please don't be
scammed by Moldova web or other dating agencies on the internet.
Going
Out in moldova
Whatever
your purpose in Moldova you are going to want to go out. Whether it
be for clubbing a nice meal or just a simple beer or two, there is
plenty of places to choose from. A few
pounds, Dollars or Euro's can go a long way here if you're wise.
A pint of beer can cost as little as 40 pence but in a club or more
upmarket establishment you can be looking more like 2 pounds (still
not bad hey). Similarly for food, a reasonable meal can cost from
1.50 pounds upwards. When in an establishment you are unfamiliar with
always ask for the menu so you know
roughly how much items cost.
Never just pay a verbal bill, always ask for a written or printed
one. Above all go out and have fun, don't be scared
just get stuck in there. Where to go out is always a question i am
being asked by foreigners. I always find this very hard to answer
as everyone has different ideas and expectations of what is a good
night. There are many good restaurants, bars and clubs of which many
offer tasteful striptease for your entertainment, there are a few
dedicated girly dancing bars around should you choose. I can't list
what bars and clubs etc are the best as this site is more about information
and not recommendation. Contact me personally for more information
on this subject. I personally prefer going to places more in the middle
of the pricing spectrum that are more accessible to native moldovans.
Places like this always seem to have more sincere fun loving people.
A useful thing to do is ask a native what places they prefer to go.
Just get out there and try for yourself.
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