Everyday practical information for Moldova

Language

• Romanian is the state language and is what is written on official signage.
• Russian is very widely spoken, particularly in Chisinau, Gagauzia and Transnistria, and the balance between the two is politically charged.
• English is less common than in the Balkans - younger people in Chisinau, less so elsewhere.
• "Buna ziua" is hello, "multumesc" is thank you - the same as Romanian.

Power

• 230 V, 50 Hz, sockets type C and F.

Wine

• Moldova's wine industry is the country's identity and is far older and better than its profile suggests.
• Milestii Mici holds the Guinness record for the world's largest wine collection.
• National Wine Day, in early October, is the one weekend the country genuinely fills with visitors.

Manners

• Hospitality is emphatic and homemade wine will be offered.
• Take your shoes off indoors.
• Gagauzia, in the south, is an autonomous Turkic-speaking Christian region and is unlike anywhere else in Europe.