Question about Ukraine transport

[FunIndieBloke]

Hi everyone, quick question:

How easy is it to get around Ukraine?  The reason I ask is that I'm thinking about seeing a girl in Dnipropetrovsk or Zaporizhzhia, but the plane flights there are hard to get and they are notoriously expensive.  (Flying from London to Dnipropetrovsk can cost more than flying from London to Los Angeles!)  Flights to Kiev however, are very reasonably priced, so is it possible to take the train to other Ukrainian cities?  How reliabe and safe is the Ukrainian domestic air network?

Thanks!

[groovlstk]

There was a recent thread about this, but I can't seem to locate it.

You won't find an international flight to Zap, I believe the airport is domestic only. Austrian Airlines flies from Vienna to Dnepropetrovsk daily.

The train from Kiev to Dnepropetrovsk is a hellish 12-hour journey, particularly if you can't get a 1st class berth (which may not be available if you wait to buy your train ticket when you arrive in Kiev). The bus ride is about half that.

Once you're in Dnepropetrovsk, you can take a marshrutka or taxi to Zap, it's only an hour away.

[Kuna]

FiB,

I haven't been to Ukraine yet but I've "researched the buggery" out of the same questions as you've raised.

At the end of the day, I decided it depended on what sort of travel a person likes doing.  For me, the 12 hr train trip from Kyiv would suit me because I like "Independent Travel" and think you can have the most amazing moments in the most unlikely situations.  You can book your train tickets ahead of time, maybe Pavel can help you from Kyiv?

The bus would be more comfortable, and cheaper than flying, but there isn't the same opportunity to interact with people, if one of those "amazing moments" presents itself.

I personally wouldn't fly between cities, not because of safety concerns, but because you don't see anything flying (and I fly enough at home). I'd also like to think I'm on a journey, not a race.

I'm lucky because my stops are likely to be Kyiv, Cherkassy and Dnepropetrovsk to I can break up the "internal travel", but I'm still looking forward to seeing the country side, observing "life" in Ukraine and enriching my journey with as many natural moment as I can find.

I reckon it's a personal preference that will depend on what sort of travel you like doing.

Cheers,

Kuna

[Christopher]

I took the train from Kiev to Zaporozhye last summer.  I bought my ticket at the station but not through your standard agent.  It was cheaper then most people quoted me for buying it in advance.  The bus has the advantage of going straight to the airport so you do not have to worry about a taxi.

[ScottinCrimea]

I've taken the train between cities here in Ukraine several times and it really isn't a bad way to go.  Of course you hear horror stories, but I really don't have any.  It's cheap and it's convenient.  Each time I have shared a 4 person cabin with others and have met some interesting people that way, none that made me feel uncomfortable.  Of course I have seen my share of drunks on the trains and have been happy I wasn't sharing with them.  If sharing makes you uncomfortable and you can't get a first class cabin, another option is to buy up the other three seats and have a four person cabin to yourself.  It's not that much more expensive.  My first 17 hour trip from Simferopol to Kiev, I thought it would be a great chance to see the countryside, but the trains I took have all traveled at night so there wasn't much to see.  Even in daylight, the track is mostly bordered by trees so my view was only in bits and pieces.  For such a long trip, though, the overnight route is preferable because you are able to sleep and the time passes more quickly.
     If you do decide to use the train, it is best if you have someone with you who knows the ropes,  There are certain customs and "rules of the road" that go along with it that if you know will make the trip more pleasant and not leaving you feeling stupid.  If your first time is alone, ask some of the people here about what you need to know.  I am certain there are many who can help.  Now having said this, don't feel intimidated or put off by using the trains.  It's convenient, cheap, and for me overall a good experience.

[Mir]

Hello Fun

I am not sure how much you are prepared to pay to get to Dnipropetrovsk but a flight from Birmingham via Kiev will cost you around £300 and maybe less. I think this is a reasonable price.Of course if you have plenty of time then you can save a few quids taking a train or bus from Kiev but I wouldnot recommend this in winter.

[RK]

I have used planes, trains, and buses traveling between Kiev, Kharkov, Sumy, and Dnepropetrovsk, and Simferopol several times this past year. I always bought my train ticket at the train station and in Kiev, Kharkov, and Simferopol, they have a "foreigners only" ticket window. It doesn't mean the agent knows English, but the line is usually shorter and in Kiev, someone in line a nearby line almost always knows some English and has eagerly assisted me. Buy in advance for your next leg while you are there as many times the faster express trains are sold out on the day of travel, especially on or near holiday periods. All of the above advice is good. I have travelled in 3rd, 2nd, and 1st class, sometimes alone not knowing much Russian at all, but comfortable with figuring things out. Train stewards were always friendly and as helpful as they could be not knowing any English. For the average non-backpacker foreigner, I would recommend 1st or 2nd class. I'm not that type either, but all other classes were sold out on one journey and I had to travel 3rd class with "the rest of the world". It was a good experience but would prefer 1st or 2nd class. You can end up on nice state-of-the-art trains or the oldest rail cars known with coal heat. I kind of just sucked it up and enjoyed the whole experience. You can go to www.poezda.net/en/index for the official website on train travel.

Flying inter-Ukraine, I have flown on Aerosvit, Don Bass Aero, and Ukraine Mediterranean Airline (UMA). I can't speak much about fares because I am an airline employee myself and fly for a negligible fee. However, don't expect a solid level of confidence your first flight. The interiors and passenger safely regs are very different and the aircraft are old. Did I feel nervous or unsafe? Maybe a little the first time or two a year ago. Five flights under my belt and all is good. Comfort wise, it's the same as any prop or regional jet commuter flight here in the US. I facilitate inflight training and cabin safety programs for a commercial airline so my attentiveness to various things in the air may be a bit more specific. Flight attendants and pilots in my classes always get a kick and a shocked look when I tell them the aircraft I was flying on and where, as well as some of the weather conditions at the time. Again, this is flying within Ukraine. As a side note, I have flown UIA (Ukraine International Airlines) a few times from Kiev to Frankfurt and Paris. They are an all-Boeing fleet of newer 737 models and have an excellent maintenance/flight crew training program.

I have taken the overnight bus a few times to the Kiev airport early in the morning to make the flight I always take. It has always been on Autolux bus company and they provide excellent service. They are large, luxury Mitsubishi buses with fairly comfortable reclining seats, play a movie (in Russian of course!), have an on-board hostess, and sell Coke, tea, and sandwiches. Their website is:  www.autolux.ua/english/  You can buy tickets in advance on their website or in person at the bus station. The same rule applies when buying day of at the bus station...it could be sold out, especially if you wait to buy it at departure time.

Just a quick overview from my perspective and experience...hope it helps.

[Kuna]

GREAT POST RK!!!

Thank you...  some great information in there.

I, (as I'm sure other do) appreciate the quality of information we find in RWD from time to time.

Cheers,

Kuna

[FunIndieBloke]

Thanks to everyone for the help.  I've started a new job so I can't get the time off work, so this will be only a weekend.  Given the short time constraints, it is probably worth it to fly directly into Dnipropetrovsk.

Mir, the fares for February are over 400 quid, so where are you looking for flights?  Is there a good travel agent or website that can get good fares from the UK to Ukraine or Russia?   (Hope Ryanair or Easyjet start covering Ukraine like they cover the Baltic nations)

[ScottinCrimea]

RK's post had some great information.  I only have one correction to make.  There isn't a separate foreignor's ticket window at the Simferopol train station.  I've always bought my ticket at the same place as everyone else.  If you buy a ticket more than one day in advance, though, they will send you to another ticket counter in the customer service building.

[RK]

Ah, that must have been where my misunderstanding was. You are correct...as soon as I arrived, I went to buy a ticket for the return to Kharkov and had to go to that other building, where one of the agents seemed more experienced in dealing with foreigners. Talk about a nightmare...I was in Simferopol train station during the summer when one of the weapons depot in Ukraine had a mishap with ordnance exploding, etc. The result was more than a 24 hr. delay in getting out of Simferopol. Trains were stopped in there tracks coming from all over, and it was on a Saturday night of all times during the peak travel season. I was alone with thousands of other people laying anywhere one could find a place to sit. Fortunately, a manager in the train station, who didn't really know any English, came to my aid and through gestures and a few words we both knew of each others language, we communicated well and he gave me VIP treatment.

[ScottinCrimea]

Next time this happens you can come over and hang out at my place