Chisinau

Chişinău (pronounced similar to “Kish-i-now”; Russian Кишинёв or Кишинэу) is the capital of Moldova with a population of over 800,000 for the metropolitan area which covers an area of 563.3 km2 (217.5 sq mi).

Chişinău is very wealthy compared to the rest of the country, as Moldova is not a very rich country. As is common in developing countries, you are likely to see great disparities in wealth. It’s also very much a post-Soviet city, with both the good and bad qualities associated with it. By other side you’ll see many modern and great buildings of steel, concrete and glass.
The majority of the middle and working class population lives in blocks of flats. These look standardly, maybe not too nice but are not “dangerous” as similar areas may be considered to be in Western Europe. Do not come to Moldova expecting Western standards everywhere, but the situation is improving every year. Here you can see 4 and 5 star hotels, great restaurants and cafes, coffee houses and bars. Many restaurants and almost all the hotels in the city accept the credit cards. There are hundreds of ATMs throughout the city where you can use your bank cards.

More information on Wikitravel

Chişinău International Airport is served by many airlines like AirBaltic, Air Moldova, Austrian, Lufthansa, Moldavian Airlines, Tarom, Turkish Airlines and S7 Aircompany with flights around the Europe and Asia, notably to Athens, Bucharest, Budapest, Frankfurt, Istanbul, Madrid, Moscow, Munich, Riga, Rome, Timisoara, Vienna, Vilnius, Saint Petersburg[10], Varna, Frankfurt, Paris, London, Bolognaand Surgut. In Sep 2013, WizzAir will commence low-cost flights from Rome and Venice. From November 2013, FlyDubai will operate direct flights twice weekly to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

• By Bus
  The cheaper alternative is to take minibus № 165 which takes you trough Botanica to the center, Izmail street. Tickets cost 3 lei; luggage will cost you another ticket. The minibuses are white vans leaving from the airport parking lot. If you leave the airport building from the arrivals area, turn right and walk towards the end of the building. The buses are marked with the number 165 on a sign behind the windshield and you can flag one down passing you, or walk up to the ones still parking. Don’t open the sliding door even though you have luggage; for some reason they always use the co-drivers door to get on and off.
• By Taxi
  There are three taxi companies which operate at the airport. The fixed fares range from about 80 to 120 MDL depending on which sector of the city you are going. While better than in the past, the taxi system is still not perfect and it is likely they will try to come up with a reason to charge you extra. It is cheaper to wait for a taxi dropping someone off at the airport and use that one to return to your destination. Always agree the price before entering the taxi.