Anyone travelled through Moldova into Transnistria?

DeanoBeano · Apr 23, 2022

I'm thinking about travelling to Moldova into Transnistria. I'll be setting off from the UK in about a month all being well.

Has anyone been? If so, is there anything I need to be aware or anything worth visiting en-route?

Also, can anyone recommend an interesting route from the UK?

Wapping · Apr 23, 2022

You go in a month and only now are thinking of an ‘interesting’ route from the UK to Transnistria, via Moldova?

Why don’t you start by telling your audience how long you have set aside to ge from the UK to Moldova, is it would be ‘interesting’ to go via Dublin, Rome and Helsinki. Indeed, where it is you intend to set foot on the mainland of Europe would be a start.

PS It would certainly be ‘interesting’ to cut across the west / south west corner of the Ukraine, coming from Poland. This is ‘Dover to Moldova’ (that would have made a snappy title for your thread, perhaps):

I guess the same crossing of the Ukraine will be no less ‘interesting’ in mid-May.

DeanoBeano · Apr 23, 2022

Yes I think a month should be enough to prepare. Having children means making these trips at fairly short notice. I have to grab the time to do this when it's available.

I have about 12 days available to get there and back to the UK.

Entering any part of Ukraine is not an option for me so I want to avoid that.

The first part of mainland Europe that I'll be setting foot on would be Rotterdam.

Wapping · Apr 23, 2022

DeanoBeano said:
Yes I think a month should be enough to prepare. Having children means making these trips at fairly short notice. I have to grab the time to do this when it's available.

I have about 12 days available to get there and back to the UK.

Entering any part of Ukraine is not an option for me so I want to avoid that.

The first part of mainland Europe that I'll be setting foot on would be Rotterdam.

Is that six days to get there and six to get back, total 12.

Or….

12 to get there, 12 to get back, total 24?

DeanoBeano · Apr 23, 2022

6 to get there and 6 to get back

Yes I agree 'Dover to Moldova' certainly has a ring to it.

Wapping · Apr 23, 2022

OK.

Dover to Moldova direct, via the Ukraine (so, that’s a no go) is 1500 miles, which - had it of been possible - is a very neat 250 miles a day, every day and the same back.

Even the simplest look at a map shows that the likely way over six days is:

Holland, Germany, Czech and Slovak Republics, Hungary, Romania and into Moldova. Something like this, which is roughly 1,700 miles. Call that 300 miles a day, every day….. and you want things to see and do along the way….

DeanoBeano · Apr 23, 2022

Thanks that was the route I was thinking also. I'll see if I can get a few extra days off from work to make things easier.

Really appreciate the help and advice.

JohnnyBoxer · Apr 23, 2022

Wapping said:
OK.

Dover to Moldova direct, via the Ukraine (so, that’s a no go) is 1500 miles, which - had it of been possible - is a very neat 250 miles a day, every day and the same back.

Even the simplest look at a map shows that the likely way over six days is:

Holland, Germany, Czech and Slovak Republics, Hungary, Romania and into Moldova. Something like this, which is roughly 1,700 miles. Call that 300 miles a day, every day….. and yiu want things to see and do along the way….

Too far in 12 days, as Wapping’s alluded to…..there and back
It’ll be a slog
Yep it’s possible-but no holiday

wessie · Apr 23, 2022

Presumably you are aware of this and its impact on your safety and any insurance you might have?

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/moldova/safety-and-security

"Due to the situation in Ukraine, the FCDO advise against all travel to Transnistria. From midnight local time on 28 February, all checkpoints between Ukraine and the Transnistria region will temporarily close. All other border crossings into Moldova remain open."

DeanoBeano · Apr 23, 2022

Thanks and I agree that I'll find myself pounding the miles and it being a slog.

The other option is putting this off till next year and planning properly, which makes more sense.

JohnnyBoxer · Apr 23, 2022

DeanoBeano said:
Thanks and I agree that I'll find myself pounding the miles and it being a slog.

The other option is putting this off till next year and planning properly, which makes more sense.

Take the 12 days and do the Italian Dolomites maybe
Stay there for 2-3 days stopover in the middle of the trip and explore it really well, chill out time too
You can take in some of the Italian, Austrian & French passes on the way too

Wapping · Apr 23, 2022

DeanoBeano said:
Thanks that was the route I was thinking also. I'll see if I can get a few extra days off from work to make things easier.

Really appreciate the help and advice.

No problem.

I’ve done nothing more than found out from you:

A. Where you start from A and your end point B

B. The time period available to go from A to B

Then looked at a map to give me the likely (most sensible) direction and mileages, having in mind that the Ukraine is in the news. The rest was just sums.

It all depends on what you want. We once went Budapest to London in one day. If you repeat that, you could have five days getting from Hungary to Moldova. It’s maybe a touch extreme but I serve it up as nothing more than an example.

Think about it yourself. Start with the basics:

If you set off each morning at 07:00 and finish at say, 19:00 each day, it’ll be a lot different to setting off at 10:00 to finish at 16:30, having stopped between times to see ‘stuff’.

How much motorway do you plan on doing, if any?

What daily mileage do you think is sensible or even possible, using your preferred roads?

What do you want to see and do along the way?

What is really important? Getting to destination B or all the miles in between?

Wapping · Apr 23, 2022

DeanoBeano said:
Thanks and I agree that I'll find myself pounding the miles and it being a slog.

The other option is putting this off till next year and planning properly, which makes more sense.

By George, I think he’s got it….

All joking apart, the planning bit (at least the outline direction and mileages) is the easy bit. I did nothing more than pump A and B into Google maps and Kurviger, just to give me a line. From there, I’d just fine tune it, to suit my own abilities (limited as they might be) timeframe and things (stuff) that I might want to see and do on the way. For example, I might want, if time allowed, to have a day off Budapest (or I could just fly there, for a weekend break) for which I might throw in some motorway. Or I might ask Google for the best 10 things to see in Romania, to see if I could work one or two in.

Monsieur · Apr 23, 2022

Maybe now not the wisest of times to visit Transnistria. Today’s Times has an interesting report on Russia’s intentions to push eastwards from Crimea to Transnistria. Helped in no small part by the 1500 Russian troops already stationed there.

Saying all that I’m visiting the Baltic states and Finland in a month or so. Same Russian threats there too.

Monsieur · Apr 23, 2022

Hasn’t the Bald & Bankrupt guy travelled there on youtube?

Paul G (BHT) · Apr 23, 2022

Monsieur said:
Hasn’t the Bald & Bankrupt guy travelled there on youtube?

He has indeed :thumb2

Sergeant Pluck · Apr 23, 2022

I passed through Moldova and Transnistria into Ukraine via Romania. Quite a few years ago now (2006 IIRC), and the world has changed somewhat since!

If you go through Romania you get to ride through the Carpathian mountains - and options to do the Transfagarasan highway. Would also recommend riding through the Maramures region - it really is like travelling back in time. Romania and Moldova very beautiful and the people very friendly and hospitable in a way that we just aren't in this country. Transnistria is (was?) also like travelling back in time, although only to soviet times - so lots of drab, crumbling concrete, no money, under-funded military everywhere and not actually that interesting frankly. Also, it's tiny - you'll spend more time at the the borders than passing through the country unless you really intend to spend some time there.

Monsieur · Apr 23, 2022

squibb34 · Apr 23, 2022

Transnistria - another fine mess hanging over from the Soviet era, that Putin plans to correct shortly, if his forces can drive a corridor past Odessa.

........... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transnistria

The place looks a tad uninspiring TBH, unless you have any family links from the past I guess.

However, I spotted a flight availability to Iasi, in NE Romania, right on the Moldovan border recently - now that looks a fascinating destination, a respectable distance from a war zone.

mspenz · May 2, 2022

Your trip was going to be part of my own travels later this summer..after a few days in Berlin and exploring the Baltic Sea coast along to Gdansk the plan was to visit Chernobyl site and Pripyat :blast

while on my way to meet my partner in Sofia , Bulgaria..the Bulgarian bit I'm still doing !

All part of a 10 week trip..

Don't break yourself, maybe do a one way out to somewhere interesting and then see about bike transport home, at least doing that you can enjoy getting to somewhere different a little bit further out..it's not cheating

Anyone travelled through Moldova into Transnistria?

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