Overview
Moldova is one of Europe's least-visited countries, and that is exactly its appeal: rolling vineyards, cliff-carved monasteries and a capital, Chișinău, that rewards slow wandering. Tucked between Romania and Ukraine, it is an easy country to plan for because almost every UK traveller arrives through a single airport. Whether you are visiting family, exploring the wine country or simply after somewhere different, this page pairs live fares with practical guidance so you can book with confidence.
Best time to fly to Moldova
Moldova has a continental climate: warm to hot summers and cold winters that regularly drop below freezing. Late spring (May and June) and early autumn (September and October) are the sweet spots, with mild days and the countryside either lush or heavy with grapes. The first weekend of October brings National Wine Day in Chișinău, a popular time to visit, so book well ahead. Winter generally brings the lowest fares — see the When to book chart above for how prices move through the year.
Main gateway cities & airports
Chișinău International Airport (KIV) is the only airport in the country with scheduled international flights and the arrival point for virtually all UK visitors. It is compact and modern, about 13 km south-east of the city centre. The small airport at Bălți handles very limited traffic and is not a realistic option from the UK.
Airlines and routes
Wizz Air flies direct from London Luton to Chișinău several times a week, and Ryanair operates direct services from London Stansted. FlyOne, Moldova's own carrier, and HiSky also link Chișinău with London and at times other UK airports, so it pays to compare them all. Nonstop flight time from London is around three and a half hours; because flights route around Ukrainian airspace, allow a little longer than the map suggests. From Manchester and most other UK cities you will usually connect once — common hubs include Bucharest with Tarom, Vienna with Austrian Airlines, Istanbul with Turkish Airlines and Frankfurt or Munich with Lufthansa.
Popular places to visit in Moldova
- Chișinău: leafy boulevards, Soviet-era landmarks and a lively café and wine-bar scene make the capital a walkable base.
- Cricova & Mileștii Mici: vast underground wine cities near the capital, the latter home to the world's largest wine collection.
- Orheiul Vechi: a cave monastery above a dramatic bend in the Răut river, and Moldova's most photographed view.
- Soroca: a well-preserved medieval fortress on the Dniester alongside the flamboyant mansions of "Gypsy Hill".
- Transnistria: the Moscow-aligned breakaway strip east of the Dniester, visited on cautious day trips from Chișinău to Tiraspol.
Top tips for finding cheap flights to Moldova
- Stay flexible by a day or two — midweek departures from Luton and Stansted usually beat weekend ones, as the price charts on this page show.
- Book low-cost direct fares early, particularly around National Wine Day in early October and the Christmas and Easter periods when Moldovans travel home.
- Compare a direct Wizz Air or Ryanair fare against a one-stop route via Bucharest or Vienna; connections can undercut the direct price outside peak dates.
- Set a fare alert and keep an eye on the When to book chart above so you can move when prices dip.
Travel essentials
UK passport holders do not need a visa for stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period; your passport should be valid for the duration of your stay. The currency is the Moldovan leu (MDL) — cards are widely accepted in Chișinău, but carry some cash for rural areas, markets and shared taxis. From the airport, a metered taxi or ride-hailing app reaches the centre in about 20 minutes, or public bus route 165 covers the same journey for a few lei. For the best value, book two to three months ahead for peak dates and use the price charts on this page to time an off-season trip.
