Central Bus Station of Chișinău
The Varlaam street bus station · chaotic but functional, per reviews
A minibus ticket bought at the counter and a departure that happens once the van fills up · one review paid 57 lei to Tiraspol.
Worth it as a departure point, not as a sight. Come with time to spare: per a 4-star review it takes a while to find the right bus, and you pay either at the ticket office or directly to the driver. The same review reports «very dirty» toilets. Opening hours are not on Google and the timetable link does not respond, so ask at the ticket office. If you do manage to buy online, the rules on the site require at least 3 hours before departure. Watch the address: the site lists a second station, «Gara Chisinau Suburban», at the same Varlaam 58.
Bus station at Strada Mitropolit Varlaam 58, in the Centru district, 1.7 km from the city centre in a straight line. Per the website, this is the «Gara Chisinau Centru» branch of a national network of bus stations. That same website advertises online ticket sales, including for international routes, but it is unmaintained: its only timetable link did not respond when checked on 2 September 2026, so in practice you buy at the counter. Reviews describe it the same way: chaotic but functional. You buy a ticket, get on a minibus and wait for it to fill, «10-20 min», says one 4-star review. Another 4-star review says it takes a while to find the right bus, that you pay either at the ticket office or directly to the driver depending on the route, and that the toilets are «very dirty», which the reviewer puts down to the crowds. A 5-star review describes a trip to Tiraspol for 57 lei per person, at a counter where staff spoke English; the same review says you can also pay by card. There is a mosaic wall inside, «worth a picture» per a review. Opening hours are not on Google, so ask on the spot.
- «Chaotic but functional», per a 4-star review
- Cheap tickets · 57 lei to Tiraspol, per a 5-star review
- Ticket staff who spoke English, per a review
- You can also pay by card at the counter, per a review
- A mosaic wall inside, «worth a picture», per a review
- Market bustle around it, with villagers selling, per a review
No g0er has reviewed yet. Be the first.
“We went to Tiraspol from Chisinau bus station. Our experience was quite smooth. Ticket office spoke English. But if not, just tell where you want to go and you can pay with card. To Tiraspol it was 57 Lei per person. Quite cheap for a 1.5 hour commute. We waited round 20 minutes and the minibus took off. The minibus we went to Tiraspol was real old but i have no complains, tha…”
“Chaotic station however miraculously functional. You buy your ticket, get on the converted people carrier, wait until it gets full (10-20min) then off you are. There is a nice mosaic wall inside the station worth a picture.”
“A bit chaotic but everything seems to work out. Definitely takes some time to find the correct bus. Depending on the bus you pay at the station or directly at the driver. The toilets are very dirty, but i guess that's cause the place is very crowded.”
- «Very dirty» toilets, per a 4-star review
- It takes a while to find the right bus, per a 4-star review
- You pay sometimes at the counter, sometimes to the driver, depending on the route, per a review
- The minibus to Tiraspol was «real old», says a 5-star review, which adds that it had no complaints
- The timetable does not open from the website, and opening hours are not on Google either