Travelling in Ukraine

[Nando]

I would like to know your opinion how is the best way to visit some cities in Ukraine after arriving to Odessa or Kiev. Do they have aeroports to link their main cities?
Or does Ukrainian people use train to travel to other cities?
Is it possible to rent a car and use roads or is this a crazy idea?


If someone with travel experience in Ukraine give his opinion would be great...

Thanks

[Turboguy]

There are many more airports in Ukraine than just Odessa or Kiev.  I think it is hard to recommend something without knowing where you want to travel.  There are lots of trains and many are overnight sleeper trains where you can board, for instance at 11:30 pm in Kiev and will pull into Nikolev or where ever you are going in the morning.  They have reasonable comfortable accommodations, serve a little snack and other that the rest room facilities are rather nice.  Buying a ticket for one of those and finding your way to your bed might be challenging for someone who does not know Russian and how things work.

Renting a car?   Yes, you can.  No I would not recommend it.  Unless you have traveled there and know some Russian I think finding your way around and buying gas etc might be a bit of a challenge and the drivers there are not exactly careful safe drivers.   

You can probably hire someone to take you were you can not fly to much easier and cheaper.

[ronin308]

My answer will depend on how adventure some you are and where you want to go. 

Trains are a good way to go, they can be uncomfortable at times and most are overnight as stated.  This actually can make for an interesting low budget trip.  On my last trip there I ran into some Slovaks who crossed the border and made their way to Chernivtsi, from there they took the overnight train to Lviv.  They were then going to spend 1 day in Lviv and take that night's train to Kiev.  So for 2 nights at least they didn't need a hotel.  Most train stations also offer places to keep your luggage.

It is more challenging if you don't have help though as stated by Turboguy.

Almost all domestic flights route through 2-3 airports so it's not possible to go direct from say Chernivtsi in the west to Lughansk in the east.  The easiest and cheapest way to book domestic flights is through a Ukrainian travel agency.  I use Kiyavia, there's a link to their site on the Borispol website.  I was quoted $300 on the airline's website and got the same tickets for $127 through them.  Either way you will have to pickup paper tickets on your arrival in Borispol.

I would not rent a car the first time there and would only consider it now if I had a russian/ukrainian (like my fiance) speaker with me.  In general you can find a car and driver for about the same as a rental car price anyway so why bother renting?

[Christopher]

I took the train to and from Kiev to Zaporozhye last month.  I went second class for $17.00 and shared a place with three other people.  Be aware that some airports may close over Christmas.  I flew ito Dnepropetrovsk last Christmas and found out the day before I left that the flight I was supposed to be coming in on was cancelled for the Christmas season.  My return flight was supposed to be out of there but was changed to Dontesk.  I had to take a van there and it was a 5 hour trip.  Also so you can prepare there was no heat in that airport.  I have heard that the nice thing about some buses is that they go straight to the Borispol airport so you do not have to worry about a taxi.  Although haggling with taxi drivers about price is fun.  If you take the train remember also that it is 8 Hryvnia for bedding.  If you feel adventorous try the train or bus from Kiev.  It is fun to see the countryside although you will have to wait till your return visit sometimes.

[rpmschevy]

If you take the train remember also that it is 8 Hryvnia for bedding.  If you feel adventorous try the train or bus from Kiev.  It is fun to see the countryside although you will have to wait till your return visit sometimes.

Actually Christopher was just on trains from Kiev to Kharkov and Odessa to Khrakov overnight and the bedding was 10 and the 12 Hryvnia per trip.  Again not much, but use it or not, they charge you.

[Christopher]

Yeah I think I rember seeing something about prices going up again since I was there last month.

[Nando]

Thanks for your answers.
The route would be:
Voronezh, Russia
Zaporozhye
Odessa

and maybe I have to include Nikolaev and Poltava but it is too soon to know.
Is it possible to use the train to travel between this cities, specially the night ones?

Thanks,

[Jack]

ohhh man, is this your first trip!   

oh boy, you have to be an adventurous one.

Although you could fly from Voronezh back to Moscow, to Kiev, to Dneprop, I think your best bet is first-class sleeper train from Voronezh to Kharkov, Kharlov to Zap.

From Zap to Odessa three choices, only one of which I like. You can take train from Zap to Odessa, take a bus, or private driver. I prefer private auto. Not a whole lot more than the cost of a train ticket now.

First-class tickets, as well as second, third (and did you know their was a fourth class), prices have all gone up. First-class train tickets now from Kiev to Dnp, or Kiev to Kharkov, to Odessa, cost $41. Plus your $2 charge for a pillow and sheet, and as someone else mentioned, to matter if you use them or not.

The price a little more than a year ago,.....?  Half that, $20.

The price of tickets for all transportations went up, domestic airlines, bus, train tickets.  Why the sudden and steep increase?  ???  A direct result of the Orange Revolution.

For three months the country did not work, no one was paid. When Yushchenko finally was elected he immediately assumed this huge national debt that had to be resolved immediately.

hummmm, how could he create millions quickly????         You guessed it, added a tax to airline tickets, double the cost of train tickets.

[Wayne]

Check out the flights from Istanbul, Turkey to various cities in Ukraine.  There are many non-stop flights for US Cities to Istanbul.  I went from Istanbul to Simferopol.