Transnistria ‘toll’

I read with interest the reader’s account of being required to pay money to agents on a train traveling from Chisinau, Moldova, to Kiev, Ukraine (Dec. ’08, pg. 11).

According to www.bahn.de, the Chisinau-Kiev night train goes through Transnistria, stopping in the capital, Tiraspol. Almost certainly, the gentleman and his wife were hit up for money on this train by the Transnistria border guards. This is standard practice when transiting Transnistria (and it’s hard to get from Moldova to Ukraine or vice versa without this happening).

The “fine” of $50 each was a little on the high side. I paid “only” €20 (now $29) on May 23, 2006, but I was on a bus from Odessa to Chisinau and trying to look impoverished.

Since Transnistria is recognized only by the Russians, it has no embassies and no way to issue visas. You could look on this as an informal visa, but the money certainly won’t go to the government and the amount is entirely arbitrary.

I had read discussions of the practice on the travel forum www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree and was expecting to pay; I just didn’t know how much.

I really don’t think that booking a coach seat instead of a sleeper would make the slightest difference. There were reports on Lonely Planet from people traveling in coach class on day trains also being required to pay.

KATHY WILHELM

Cary, NC