Chisinau is far easier to explore with a car at hand: the wineries, monasteries and villages worth seeing lie 30 to 100 km from the city, and public transport to them is sparse or non-existent. If you have never rented a car here, the process can look complicated from the outside. It is not. We have split it into five stages, with what to do and what to check at each one.

Stage 1: compare offers properly

The daily price in a listing says little on its own. When comparing two companies, put side by side:

  • which insurance is included and how large the excess is (the maximum you pay in case of damage);
  • the deposit amount and how it is held (cash or a hold on your card);
  • whether there is a mileage limit and what exceeding it costs;
  • the cost of delivery to the airport or your hotel, and of out-of-hours returns;
  • the minimum driver age and the licence history required;
  • what previous customers say on Google or on booking platforms.

A serious company publishes all of this on its website, not "on request".

Stage 2: choose the car for the trip, not the photo

Think about what you will actually do. City only, alone or as a couple: economy. Drives across the country, 3 or 4 people, luggage: standard. A group of 6 or 7 or a large family: minivan. Country roads to guesthouses: SUV. Then decide on the gearbox (automatic if you have not driven a manual in a while), the fuel type and the equipment you do not want to leave without: navigation or CarPlay, a child seat, parking sensors.

Stage 3: book ahead

Booking online takes a few minutes and brings two advantages: certainty that the car you want is yours and, often, a better price than at the counter. When booking you set:

  • the exact date and time of pick-up and return;
  • the place: the company office, Chisinau Airport or an address in the city;
  • the extras: a second driver, a child seat, zero-excess insurance, cross-border permission if you plan to drive into Romania;
  • the payment method and how the deposit will be held.

Ask for written confirmation with every detail and a phone number someone answers on a Sunday.

Stage 4: pick-up

You will need a valid driving licence (an international one if yours is not in the Latin alphabet), an ID card or passport, and the card or cash for the deposit. Before signing the handover report, walk around the car with the company representative and have every existing scratch and dent noted; take your own photos too. Check the fuel level and mileage written in the document, ask how anything unfamiliar works (electric handbrake, start-stop, automatic gearbox) and save the company's emergency number.

Stage 5: return

Hand the car back at the agreed place and time, with fuel at the pick-up level, a clean interior and nothing left behind. Be there for the final inspection, sign the return report and keep a copy until the deposit is back on your card. If the experience was good, a review helps the next traveller choose more easily.

Where to start

On the TopRent fleet page you can see every available car with its daily price, equipment and rental terms, and you book straight from the model's page. We are based in Chisinau, we answer calls and messages, and if you have any question before your first rental, write to us at toprent.md. Safe travels!