Border Crossing: Transnistria to Moldova (Tiraspol to Chişinău) via Bender

Posted: June 16 2019

How to get from Tiraspol to Chişinău via the border at Bender. Transnistria to Moldova.

​This post is the reverse of How to get from Chişinău to Tiraspol.

Marshrutkas leave from the main bus station, (avtovagzal) in Tiraspol which is next to the train station.

Unlike when coming from Chişinău, you buy a ticket from the ticket office/Kacca, just like we are used to doing. Plain and simple.
Marshrutkas leave regularly. Ticket price as of June 2019 was 40Transnistrian Rubles and if you need to pay in MDL, it's 50.

But the twist of the story is that I didn't go back to Chişinău with the direct Tiraspol - Chişinău marshrutka.

Transnistria is just 3,567km², thats about the size of French Polynesia. Can't visualise that? Well, its about 162/199 countries as detailed on nationmaster, in other words, it's pretty freaking small.

​Bender is the second largest city in Transnistria. And I Backpacked Bender.

I took Trolleybus #19 to Bender. I looked around, I stayed the night, at the Apartment VIP, I looked around some more and continued my trip back to Chişinău the next day.

Screenshot of the Trolleybus #19 route on the EasyWay app

I picked it up at the Victory Park stop, in Tiraspol. I paid the conductor the 3 Rub and 13.89 km and 25 minutes later I was in the city of Bender. ​I rode Trolleybus #19 until the last stop at Lazo street.

I Backpacked Bender in the afternoon. I stayed the night in Bender. And I Backpacked Bender up until 12 noon.

​And then I made my way back to Chişinău.

There are two options. The train or the marshrutka.
​
I checked out the timetable of the train:

Of course the train schedule was shite, so I took the marshrutka from Bender to Chişinău. 

Bender to Chişinău ticket. 36.75Rub which you buy at the little Kacca. And is printed with the licence plate number of your marshrutka.

​Bender to Chişinău marshrutka

Border post/security checkpoint between Transnistria and Moldova. I love this photo. On the way from Chişinău to Tiraspol, there had been no opportunity to take a photo at the check point. The guys at the check point just check your id and migration cards which I got to keep. It makes a great souvenir. 

Back in Chişinău I made a beeline for the Amazing Ionika Hostel. I checked in, dumped my bag, and headed out again.

Later, a backpacking friend I had made in Tiraspol messaged me and we went out to have a few more beers together and shoot the breeze.

Tagged: Border Crossings

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Related posts:

• How to get to and from Chişinău International Airport
• Backpacking in Chişinău
• Backpacking in Bender
• Backpacking in Tiraspol
• How to get from Chişinău to Tiraspol
• Facts about Transnistria for the backpacker

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