Transnistria is a difficult location to reach. It’s completely hidden from the world map because it’s not a recognized country. They are a self-proclaimed country, with their own currency and their own flag. I had no idea about Transnistria before I arrived in Moldova, but quickly realized that there was a hidden country nearby Chisinau, the capital city of Moldova, little did I know that I’d take two trips to Transnistria, one of those being by accident.

I checked online and wasn’t able to find a lot of information about the self-proclaimed country! Luckily, I asked around, and luckily, the woman at our hostel spoke excellent English and gave me more than enough information. She told me that the tourists used to have many problems in Transnistria and that customs officials used to scam a lot of tourists, but luckily, nothing happened to me. The Irish government does not recognize Transnistria, so I wasn’t sure who would be able to help or who I could contact if any problems had occurred.

She wrote Tirinospol in Russian characters, the capital of Transnistria, and I arrived at the main bus station in Chisinau and found a minibus with the Russian characters. Once I arrived at the border, they gave me a 24-hour stay visa on a piece of paper, and took it back when I left the country, it’s important to leave before the time specified on the visa. I also didn’t get stamped out of Moldova or back into Moldova.

Once you arrive in Transnistria, you need to convert to the local currency. There is a currency exchange at the main bus station and another one downtown. They accept all of the major currencies, but they prefer the euro, rubble, or US dollars. They also don’t accept the Transnistria currency in Chisinau, and I would assume anywhere else, so make sure that you exchange before leaving the country. The rate resembles that of the Moldova Leu, and things are almost the same price as they would be in Moldova.

The first thing that I realized almost instantly is how run down and undeveloped the country really is. It felt like being in the 1940s. I didn’t see any modern cars or shopping malls, no Starbucks, McDonalds, or anything that resembles the Western world and absolutely no one spoke English. It was like going back in time. Horses and carriages on the road, no taxis, very few buses, and lack of decent infrastructure.

I then crossed back into Transnistria on my bus ride from Chisinau in Moldova to Kiev in Ukraine. We were once again given the visa at the border and returned it to the customs officials once I arrived at the Ukrainian border. Even though we didn’t leave the bus, we were still given a visa in order to cross through the land. It’s a cool place to go if you have a day to spare and if you’re close to Chisinau. It’s a fantastic opportunity to see what most of Europe used to look like 50 + years ago.