This page is a list of concrete things. Where an official published tariff exists, we give it with the date it took effect. Where none exists, we say so — we do not invent ranges that sound plausible.
Money
The currency is the Romanian leu (RON), roughly 5 lei to €1. Contactless cards are accepted almost everywhere, including on public transport and for parking. ATMs are plentiful in the centre.
Still, keep some cash: markets, some small venues and churches (for candles) prefer it.
Public transport
CTP tariffs, in force since 1 February 2025:
- 4.00 lei — one journey, valid 120 minutes
- 8.00 lei — two journeys
- 13.00 lei — one-day pass
- 30.00 lei — 3-day tourist pass
- 35.00 lei — 7-day pass
- 130.00 lei — 30-day pass
- 99.00 lei — the fine for travelling without a valid ticket
- free — children under 7
How to pay, in order of simplicity: contactless bank card straight on the validator; the 24pay or IA'SI BILET app; a contactless CTP travel card. Validate every journey.
The network: nine tram lines and more than 40 bus lines. Iași has no metro. Detail on the transport page.
Parking
- 7 lei/hour in the central zone (Zona 1)
- 63 lei/week, 198 lei/month — central-zone passes
- Monday–Saturday, 08:00–20:00 — the paid window. Outside it, free. Sundays are free.
Payment is by SMS or through the apps the city accepts: TPARK, 24pay, UPPARK, Am Parcat. No public system publishes free spaces in real time. Detail on the parking page.
Getting here
- By air — Iași International Airport (IAS) is 8 km east of the centre. Bus 50 links the airport with Târgu Cucu, Piața Unirii and the railway station every 30 minutes; about 20 minutes into town.
- By train — the station is in the city. Bucharest is around six and a half hours by InterRegio.
- By car — useful only for trips outside the city.
Opening hours
- Museums usually close on Mondays and run seasonal hours. Check before setting out — we do not publish schedules that change twice a year.
- Shops in the malls open daily, usually until late evening.
- Restaurants in the centre serve late on weeknights, which in other cities only happens at weekends — the effect of the student population.
Safety
Iași is generally a calm city. Ordinary big-city awareness is enough: watch your pockets in crowds and on public transport at rush hour.
112 is the single emergency number, free from any network, 24/7. For the rest of the useful contacts — hospitals, police, public offices — see the essentials section.
Water, plugs, internet
- Tap water is drinkable.
- Sockets are type C/F (European), 230 V. Visitors from the UK or North America need an adapter.
- Prepaid SIM cards (Orange, Vodafone, Digi, Telekom) are cheap with generous data. Free Wi-Fi is common in cafés and malls.
Traps to avoid
- Taxis: only get into ones with the fare displayed on the door, and ask for the meter. Simplest is Bolt or Uber, with the price known in advance. Avoid taxis that approach you at the airport or the station.
- Exchange offices: avoid the "0% commission" ones with poor rates. Change at a bank or withdraw from an ATM.
- 14 October: unless you are coming for the Saint Parascheva pilgrimage, avoid the first half of the month — accommodation is sold out and the centre is closed off.
Tipping
5–10% in restaurants if you were happy; some venues already add a service charge. For taxis, bars or small services, rounding up is enough.
What changes and what does not
Practical information has a shelf life, and the difference between categories is worth knowing.
Changes often: transport fares (last revised 1 February 2025), parking tariffs (updated annually), museum hours (seasonal), train timetables (every December).
Does not change: 112 as the single emergency number, type C/F sockets at 230 V, the drinkability of tap water, the fact that Iași has no metro and no districts.
That is why this page gives tariffs with the date they took effect and, where data change too fast to be useful in a guide, a link to the official source instead of a figure that will go stale.
Three savings that matter
- The CTP pass that fits your stay. Three journeys a day means 12 lei in tickets against 13 lei for a day pass — from the fourth journey, the pass wins. For a weekend, the 3-day tourist pass at 30 lei is clearly better.
- Parking on Sundays and after 20:00. It is free. If you arrive by car for a weekend, you only pay on Saturday, between 08:00 and 20:00.
- The quarters a few stops from the centre. Păcurari, Tătărași and Nicolina have noticeably lower prices for food and accommodation, and the tram brings you into the centre in minutes.
What to carry
A contactless card — accepted almost everywhere, including on the tram validator and for parking through an app. Some cash for markets and churches. A plug adapter if you are coming from the UK or North America. And comfortable shoes: the city sits on hills, between 45 and 95 metres.
Frequently asked questions
How much is public transport in Iași?
4 lei per journey, valid 120 minutes. A one-day pass is 13 lei, the three-day tourist pass 30 lei, and the monthly pass 130 lei. Fares in force since 1 February 2025.
How much is parking in central Iași?
7 lei per hour in the central zone, charged Monday to Saturday between 08:00 and 20:00. Outside those hours and on Sundays, parking is free.
Can I pay by card everywhere in Iași?
Almost everywhere, including on public transport straight at the validator and for parking through apps. It is still worth carrying some cash for markets and small venues.
What is the emergency number in Romania?
112, free from any network, around the clock. It covers police, fire and ambulance.
Do I need a plug adapter?
Yes, if you are coming from the UK or North America. Romania uses type C/F sockets at 230 V.
