travel to Ukraine

[mc3]

Hey fellow RWD members
I need some input on traveling to Ukraine .. i posted on here couple weeks
asking about custums and such .
Well my trip has changerd a little I am still flying in to Donetsk but i may not be going
on to Krasnodon Things dont seem to be working out with my girl.
But i am still looking forward to my trip!!
Does any one have any  advice as to what there is to do and see around donetsk..
I dont have to neccasarly stay in donetsk could travel on from there to some other places
I already booked my flights and will cost to change them so i will find things to do in that area of
the country.. I am sure ill have a good time where ever i end up!! So enstead of a wovow trip
it may just be a vacation and just really getting to know the country people and culture

I may take a train to metipol and see another girl maybe
Being my first time in Ukraine and not really knowing the language I am studing the russian
language i am learning some so not totally illiterate . Would I have a lot of trouble if i did travel on to there ? Is the train expensive to ride that far
One more trhing i am planning on staying in country about 19 days i was originally going to take like 2000 usd. for my trip was goin to stay with my girl but that may be changing now so will that still be enough for hotel or flatt food and a little night life fun  ? Or should i try to take more ?
i look forward to hearing your addvice
mc3

[CDW]

$2,000 a day for 19 days is almost $100 a day - including accomodation.  The accomodation can be $50-$70 a night.  You might need to bring at least $1,000 - $1,500 extra on top of your $2,000 only if you plan to spend $100 a day (other than accomodation)

I do not know much about Donetsk because I have only been to Kiev & Odessa.   Google is a good place to search, especially trains, bus, so on.

Kiev is a good places for culture

[Hammer2722]

You can always make your way over to Lviv. Its a very beautiful city with lots to see and do. Its my favorite city in Ukraine with Odessa second.

[Daveman]

You can always make your way over to Lviv. Its a very beautiful city with lots to see and do. Its my favorite city in Ukraine with Odessa second.

Yes, he could, but that's a fairly hellacious trip from Donetsk.. about 35 hours by train. Flying, of course, less. Which, of course, is doable and would probably be fun.. WITH a lady.. but as a first trip, and with there being two foreign languages involved (Russian AND Ukrainian).. it may be a stretch.


mc3, we have a member here, Nat, who lives in Donetsk and speaks English extremely well.. shoot her a PM and she can give you some pointer about that area.

[Jack]

mc3,  I think you might be in a little trouble.   I also think you can forget about spending much time in Kiev with your current finances. 

I would not plan on staying at any hotels with your budget.   In Donestk it will be possible to get a very nice flat, in the center, for about $40 a night, maybe even $35.   Donestk has a lot of fine women.  I am not aware of any marriage agencies in Donestk but do have a lady friend who knows a lot of single ladies and can help you to meet ladies if you might have interest.

Also Lugansk is only 1 hour and 40 minutes away.   I have drivers going between Donestk and Lugansk on almost a daily basis.  You could have a very good time in Lugansk and cost of flats will also be $35, maybe $40 a night.

[CDW]

mc3,  I think you might be in a little trouble.   I also think you can forget about spending much time in Kiev with your current finances. 

I would not plan on staying at any hotels with your budget.   In Donestk it will be possible to get a very nice flat, in the center, for about $40 a night, maybe even $35.   Donestk has a lot of fine women.  I am not aware of any marriage agencies in Donestk but do have a lady friend who knows a lot of single ladies and can help you to meet ladies if you might have interest.

Also Lugansk is only 1 hour and 40 minutes away.   I have drivers going between Donestk and Lugansk on almost a daily basis.  You could have a very good time in Lugansk and cost of flats will also be $35, maybe $40 a night.

Isn't Lugansk, the famous city of 'scammers' ?

What about Mariupol? 

[Jack]

Lugansk is year in and year out the highlight of our tours.   

As I tell our guy's "If the rest of the world wants to think Lugansk is scam capital and it keeps them away, let them think this".

Lugansk did rightfully so receive this title back in 1998, 99, 2000,  2001 mostly due to the cunning and beautiful Julia Petrova.  I have written the story about Julia and her right hand assiatant Oksana many years ago on this forum.

Julia was discovered, again I go into great details as to how she was discovered, actually quite funny, about 2002.   But the legend of Lugansk had already begun.

Today's Lugansk is a goldmine.  Oh sure, you will have scammers there as you will in every city/region of Ukraine and Russia.  But their are a lot of good agencies, good people and good women in Lugansk.  I could not be taking men there twice a year over the last decade if the men were getting scammed.


Today's scam capital is actually the area you are mentioning and one can go back and see I mentioned this some time ago, today's scam capital in Ukraine in Nikolaev, Mariupol, Meltipol and Berdyansk.  Very organized.  No where in Russia or Ukraine will you see more 18, 19, 20, 21 year old girls who have interest in men 50 to 60.

[Jumper]

Isn't Lugansk, the famous city of 'scammers' ?

What about Mariupol?

in my opinion he would likely be safer from scam in Lugansk than Mariupol which is home to a whole new sproutng of scammmer and scam agencies.


With his main plan falling through, I think it takes a really concentrated effort to save the trip.

Reconstructing it as a simple tourist trip?

To travel there for 19 days, as a simply an interesting tourist location ?
It is just really doubtful that he would choose any provincial city..
Crimea or Kiev would be much more likely.


Trying to salvage it as a meeting local women trip?

and going there for 19 days just hoping for the best?
I think he is a little under budgeted with no flat lined up, no travel itinerary, or meetings? No one he knows in country to help .etc..
I just think that would be a long 19 days of very few constructive meetings in general?


I think its better to cancel and reschedule,
or
make a  real concentrated effort to make something happen in a specific locale.
Contact women on personal sites, but its last minute for this?
 and contact  members like Jack who have staff on hand in Ukraine to help out logistically
 and with meetings and guidance to local agencies and translators that will  be more helpful
than the mah y scam agencies he might be likely to walk into ?


I just think he'll end up down there, not muich to do for so many days,
bored and walk into any  local agency just to see whats up ? i mean why not?
 but
 then its a total waste of his time and money if they are your typical soft scam agency(and most are)

[Jumper]

Berdyansk-


yea, what is with THAT place anymore? There has to be some local person or agnecy really actively promoting that and tied in as affiliate to the big websites?

[camachinist]

OP, your situation sounds a lot like what happened to me 15 years ago on my first trip. Got to know one lady, booked the airfare, then things went sideways. What I did next was answer a few ads on the free singles site of that era, American Singles, and made acquaintance with a couple of ladies and local agency owners in the areas I was visiting. Flew into Lvov, stayed a week, took the train to Odessa, stayed 10 days, and then back to Lvov for four more days. I rented apartments in both cities. Back then rent was ridiculously cheap and an apartment worked out great. I met in total five ladies, including the two whom I had originally contacted. I bartered with my interpreter, helping her with some nuances of English translation that she was doing for business clients, and paid a driver in both cities, back then really cheap, like 50 bucks a week for whenever I needed them.

I also, like yourself, tried to learn a smattering of Russian prior to departing, but, absent a few simple phrases, drew a total blank once immersed. Language/visual overload. Fortunately I lucked into some good people all along the way. In Lvov especially, speaking English caught the attention of the police right away. That was interesting. I learned to stop speaking in public.

IMO, since you're flying into Donetsk, and it is a large city, I'd just focus on there for the entirety of your trip. Maybe hire a driver and go exploring for fun, but focus on the city for your prospective romantic adventures. Make use of the contacts here from RWD for an in-country base of operations and then wing it. Go with the flow.

Regarding the train, which I do recommend for internal travel that can be done overnight, my most vivid memory of it on that first trip was having a cabin to myself for the 12 hour overnight trip from Odessa to Lvov but spending most of my time down in the frigid (it was January) 'bathroom', hurtling Stalin's revenge (making the mistake of eating dairy) through the hole in the bottom of the toilet onto the rails. Life's about memories. Good luck with your trip.

[mc3]

 Thanks  to all who have replied to my post!! I apreciate all the info and will consider it carefully!!
Ok a little more insight on my trip plans .. I think i will tavel on to Krasnodon anyway There are things
i realy want to see like ww2 memorials of the young gaurds and my family history is inriched in the coal minning industry Im a third generation coal minner  Well was for about eight months but gave that up. Thats another story for another time. But my farther and grandfather both retired out of the coal mines so i am always entresrted in mining stuff and there are minning memorials there also i would like to see..
And just expereiance small town culture a little .. Then i may just go back to Donetsk .. I found a translator /tour guide lady online she is helping me a little and she told me that she can find me a flatt there  if needed in Donetsk. So i may be ok there for that part of my trip . She is already picking me up at the airport and taking me to a hotel and on to the bus station the next morning..

CDW i will bring more money as you suggested your right after you do the math there ant much room for any fun or travel!!! I also do spend alot of time on google well i was mainly looking at my target city but ill expand my search to some other nice cities you guys have sugested..

Daveman thanks for telling me about nat i will pm her tomorrow..

I may go to Lugansk  for part of my trip dont know yet i got a little over a month to figure it all out ..
I leave for Ukraine on the 7th of november will arrive in Donetsk on the 8th then on to Krasnodon  on the 9th. I probably come back to Donetsk on the following monday.
And thats about as far as i have gotten on my planning.. So i got to feel 15 more with something..

Jumper ill try to stay out of the local agiences and just stick to my dating sight or just sight seeing and a little bar hoping at night..Im not a big drinker and im a cheap drunk so i wont be spending to much on beer..I had a couple girls pm me from kiev a few months ago wish i would have stayed in contact with them .I think ill wait on going to kiev though. I think your right im under budget for Kiev it looks Beautiful though !!

Ok Camachinist  So you say becareful of speaking english in public!! I would like to hear your story about that some time? I am trying to learn Russian but it is difficult for me i have a hard time studing it i have learned about a 100 words or so !       Is the train expensive to travel on ?

Thanks again to all for your  input and addvice..
mc3