Leaving on a jet plane! (my first trip)

[TagUrIt898]

Privet everyone, I'm making my first venture to Ukraine on April 27, 2015!  I'm super excited.  A little history about why, where and who I'm visiting.  I met Polina on the LuckyLovers dating website.  We started talking mid February.  We exchanged emails and eventually took things off-line.  Speed things up to about the end of March we are pretty much communicating daily (Viber or Skype) and I asked her when she would like for me to visit?  She answered ASAP! with smiley faces.  So began the search of when to go, flights, logistics, etc.  She is originally from Zaporozhye, however we are going to meet in Odessa.  She recommended it and it actually worked out great.  I ended up finding a roundtrip flight from Dulles to Odessa for $650!  Yes $650 dollars!  Unheard of right!?!  I immediately purchased it.  Before everyone starts chiming in with why aren't we meeting in Zap, let me finish.  She is going to fly to Odessa to meet and stay with me there.  I rented a car and the last three days of my trip we are going to drive back to Zap, so that I can meet her family and see her city.

I've never done anything remotely close to this before (International dating), but I'm very excited, hopeful and optimistic.  Polina and I have a great rapport on the phone, we laugh and joke around quite a bit.  We are both serious about wanting to have a future together and start a family.  I know everyone has their story to tell about how any and everything can go wrong, but I'm quite confident this will be great. 

I will be sure to take plenty of pictures and do a trip report when I get back.  Until then, wish me luck!

Tag

[Hammer2722]

If you are both meeting in Odessa, I am assuming you've rented an apartment with multiple bedrooms, yes? There are lots of good apartments to rent in the city center for decent prices. Odessa is one of my favorite cities in Ukraine. Be sure to have dinner at famous steakhouse on Deribasovskaya Street. Absolutely great steaks at good prices.
Top Sandwich has very good food at excellent prices. I would have breakfast and coffee there every morning. Feel free to PM me if you need any info.
Good luck and enjoy the trip. 

[ML]

If you are both meeting in Odessa, I am assuming you've rented an apartment with multiple bedrooms, yes?

Be sure to have dinner at famous steakhouse on Deribasovskaya Street. Absolutely great steaks at good prices.

No, do not get apt with multiple bedrooms.  In fact, only  get a one room apartment.  This way you are forced to share the same bed which is important so that you can discover if she is a relatively motionless sleeper and a non-snorer.  These are the important things for a life together.

But I agree about the Steakhouse.  One of the few places in FSU where they know how to prepare a medium rare steak.  The reason is because the owner spent some years in USA working in restaurants.

[Faux Pas]

Congrats and relax. None of us were born into international dating. It's just a conscientious decision (for most) and it doesn't excuse or absolve anyone, man or woman of bad decisions or bad behavior. It's dating, just like at home but you're in a different country

[Hammer2722]

But I agree about the Steakhouse.  One of the few places in FSU where they know how to prepare a medium rare steak.  The reason is because the owner spent some years in USA working in restaurants.

Last time I was there, the executive chef was an Aussie. Not sure if he's still there.....

[AC]

Privet everyone, I'm making my first venture to Ukraine on April 27, 2015!  I'm super excited.  A little history about why, where and who I'm visiting.  I met Polina on the LuckyLovers dating website.  We started talking mid February.  We exchanged emails and eventually took things off-line.  Speed things up to about the end of March we are pretty much communicating daily (Viber or Skype) and I asked her when she would like for me to visit?  She answered ASAP! with smiley faces.  So began the search of when to go, flights, logistics, etc.  She is originally from Zaporozhye, however we are going to meet in Odessa.  She recommended it and it actually worked out great.  I ended up finding a roundtrip flight from Dulles to Odessa for $650!  Yes $650 dollars!  Unheard of right!?!  I immediately purchased it.  Before everyone starts chiming in with why aren't we meeting in Zap, let me finish.  She is going to fly to Odessa to meet and stay with me there.  I rented a car and the last three days of my trip we are going to drive back to Zap, so that I can meet her family and see her city.

I've never done anything remotely close to this before (International dating), but I'm very excited, hopeful and optimistic.  Polina and I have a great rapport on the phone, we laugh and joke around quite a bit.  We are both serious about wanting to have a future together and start a family.  I know everyone has their story to tell about how any and everything can go wrong, but I'm quite confident this will be great. 

I will be sure to take plenty of pictures and do a trip report when I get back.  Until then, wish me luck!

Tag

Congratulations Tag!  Great news.  Anyone reading this should pay close attention to the progress you made as you went from initial contact to plans of an actual meeting.  Sounds like it was completely natural and that's the way it should be for the most part.  No need to worry about "identifying a scammer", just a natural boy meets girl.  Hope you have a great time and post some photos of street scenes if you get a chance.

[KenInUtah]

Good luck Buddy!  I'm leaving for Moscow a couple days before you.  2 weeks from right now I should be standing in line at customs!

[TagUrIt898]

Thanks for the feedback and the well wishes.  We're staying at a hotel in Odessa, I got a really great rate too.  It's only $250 for a four night stay.  You could pay that much for one night here in the States.  I got us a suite, it has a king size bed and a sofa bed too.  I will give her the bed until she asks me to join her.  I know everyone has their way of doing things, this is just the way I choose to do it.  I will certainly check out the steakhouse.  I'm not at all worried any types of scams, we're way beyond that at this point.  Scammers tend to reveal themselves rather early in my experience.  My gut tells me this will be an awesome trip.

[BillyB]

  She is going to fly to Odessa to meet and stay with me there.  I rented a car and the last three days of my trip we are going to drive back to Zap, so that I can meet her family and see her city.

Sounds like a great plan Tag. You will meet in more exciting city and she will let you meet the family back home if you two hit it off.

I've never done anything remotely close to this before (International dating), but I'm very excited, hopeful and optimistic. 

Many of us know that feeling and will never forget it. Enjoy the ride.

  I got us a suite, it has a king size bed and a sofa bed too.

You two seem to have great correspondence going on building a friendship. I think you'll be fine but I have read trip reports where men were robbed blind. Don't keep all your money in one spot but don't be paranoid either. Staying under the same roof can help you both figure each other out and build trust.

2 weeks from right now I should be standing in line at customs!

Good luck to you too Ken. I hope to read your adventures over there. I think you'll have a high chance of success.

[jone]

Thanks for the feedback and the well wishes.  We're staying at a hotel in Odessa, I got a really great rate too.  It's only $250 for a four night stay.  You could pay that much for one night here in the States.  I got us a suite, it has a king size bed and a sofa bed too.  I will give her the bed until she asks me to join her.  I know everyone has their way of doing things, this is just the way I choose to do it.  I will certainly check out the steakhouse.  I'm not at all worried any types of scams, we're way beyond that at this point.  Scammers tend to reveal themselves rather early in my experience.  My gut tells me this will be an awesome trip.

That's probably a good idea about staying on the sofa bed.  Especially if you snore.

[msmobyone]

Good luck, Tag

I wouldn't have chosen a hotel over an apartment  - as you can cook together and stay in - and I think offering the gesture of the other bed is 'kulturny' - gentlemenly, if you like.

You aren't kids and if you hit it off, you both know what might happen...


 

[LAman]

Privet everyone, I'm making my first venture to Ukraine on April 27, 2015!  I'm super excited.  A little history about why, where and who I'm visiting.  I met Polina on the LuckyLovers dating website.  We started talking mid February.  We exchanged emails and eventually took things off-line.  Speed things up to about the end of March we are pretty much communicating daily (Viber or Skype) and I asked her when she would like for me to visit?  She answered ASAP! with smiley faces.  So began the search of when to go, flights, logistics, etc.  She is originally from Zaporozhye, however we are going to meet in Odessa.  She recommended it and it actually worked out great.  I ended up finding a roundtrip flight from Dulles to Odessa for $650!  Yes $650 dollars!  Unheard of right!?!  I immediately purchased it. Before everyone starts chiming in with why aren't we meeting in Zap, let me finish.  She is going to fly to Odessa to meet and stay with me there.  I rented a car and the last three days of my trip we are going to drive back to Zap, so that I can meet her family and see her city.

I've never done anything remotely close to this before (International dating), but I'm very excited, hopeful and optimistic.  Polina and I have a great rapport on the phone, we laugh and joke around quite a bit.  We are both serious about wanting to have a future together and start a family.  I know everyone has their story to tell about how any and everything can go wrong, but I'm quite confident this will be great. 

I will be sure to take plenty of pictures and do a trip report when I get back.  Until then, wish me luck!

Tag

Are you sure about that??? It doesn't make sense. What makes sense is train. Or is she in Kiev already????

Also, your driving back to Zap....then drive back to odesa?? Are you familiar with the roads, the speed traps??

BTW, have a wonderful time in Odesa. I can tell you of romantic walks along beaches if weather is nice, from Lanzheron to Otrada, maybe some places open during walk. Favorite restaurant is Olio's. If open, 12 Fountains is most romantic place to share a meal.....you are actually dining over the water!!!

[cc3]

One way car rental rates, with a drop off in a different city than the pick up city, are much cheaper than in the US. In more peaceful times, three years ago, I picked up my rental car in Simferopol, drove it for a week and a half, and dropped it off in Donetsk. Price was insignificantly more than if I had returned it to Krym.

[TagUrIt898]

Are you sure about that??? It doesn't make sense. What makes sense is train. Or is she in Kiev already????

Also, your driving back to Zap....then drive back to odesa?? Are you familiar with the roads, the speed traps??

BTW, have a wonderful time in Odesa. I can tell you of romantic walks along beaches if weather is nice, from Lanzheron to Otrada, maybe some places open during walk. Favorite restaurant is Olio's. If open, 12 Fountains is most romantic place to share a meal.....you are actually dining over the water!!!

Hya LA, yep I'm pretty sure.  Originally we were going to do the train, but it takes way too long and with a rental car we can stop whenever we want and we're on own time.  She's lives in Zap, she's going to fly from there to meet me at Odessa airport.  I'm picking up the rental car at Odessa airport.  We will spend 4 days in Odessa and then drive to Zap.  I will then return back to Odessa to catch my flight and return the car.  Yes it's a lot of driving and no I'm not familiar with the roads, but I'll have a GPS and hopefully my wits and common sense about me.  As far as speed traps, I don't plan on speeding too much in a foreign country. 

Thanks for the recommendation on the restaurant btw.

[Faux Pas]

Hya LA, yep I'm pretty sure.  Originally we were going to do the train, but it takes way too long and with a rental car we can stop whenever we want and we're on own time.  She's lives in Zap, she's going to fly from there to meet me at Odessa airport.  I'm picking up the rental car at Odessa airport.  We will spend 4 days in Odessa and then drive to Zap.  I will then return back to Odessa to catch my flight and return the car.  Yes it's a lot of driving and no I'm not familiar with the roads, but I'll have a GPS and hopefully my wits and common sense about me.  As far as speed traps, I don't plan on speeding too much in a foreign country. 

Thanks for the recommendation on the restaurant btw.

Have you ever driven in a foreign country, specifically a FSU country before?

[cc3]

Tag, good luck on your drive. Absolutely do not speed and do drive in the most defensive way you can. Assume every other driver wants to kill you or at least that he or she will always be on the verge of driving in an unanticipated way. Another good assumption is that any driver of any vehicle at any time might be drunk. Keep your watch out for disastrously deep potholes! Unlike the US, where we drive with our eyes up and anticipating conditions on the highway miles ahead, I found myself concentrating on road surface conditions 50 to a 100 meters ahead. Even so, I have managed to ding a rental car wheel in one of the potholes from hell, but the rental car company (I think it was Avis, in Lviv) didn't charge much for the damage, about $60.

All that said, I agree with your selection of car over slow train for the same reasons you cite. I continue to rent cars rather than take the train (except whenever there is a high speed Hyundai train available, such as between Lviv and Kyiv).

[Chicagoguy]

Go to Utube and type in Russian driving.

[PBRstreetg]

CC3 all true above but you forgot to notice Tag is not wet behind the ears.
I think FSU driving has risks of course (like the police are not going to speak English and you'll not get any word in at all) but it's doable. As other people have said here it is more
convenient than the train. Also say it goes tits up, that means he has all his stuff and a place to sleep also.
Tag knows the deal, he should be fine imho. We need pix that's all))

[TagUrIt898]

Have you ever driven in a foreign country, specifically a FSU country before?

Hey Faux Pas, no I have not ever driven in a foreign country before.  I am in no way shape or form trying to sound cocky or over-confident, but I think I'll be okay.  I'm a police officer in Washington D.C.  I've driven in quite a few more than stressful situations, I definitely keep my head on a swivel while driving there.  One thing I wanted to add, I don't want the fear of a foreign country to keep me from trying things.  I'm not saying to take a leisurely stroll thru a minefield, but I don't want to NOT do things simply because it's unfamiliar to me.

Tag

[Faux Pas]

Hey Faux Pas, no I have not ever driven in a foreign country before.  I am in no way shape or form trying to sound cocky or over-confident, but I think I'll be okay.  I'm a police officer in Washington D.C.  I've driven in quite a few more than stressful situations, I definitely keep my head on a swivel while driving there.  One thing I wanted to add, I don't want the fear of a foreign country to keep me from trying things.  I'm not saying to take a leisurely stroll thru a minefield, but I don't want to NOT do things simply because it's unfamiliar to me.

Tag

I wasn't insinuating anything, it was just a question. Driving in Ukraine or Russia can quickly become a liability and or expensive if/when militia becomes involved. A number of guys do it, for me it's not worth the risks but, that's personal preference. I'm generally in no hurry to get anywhere once I'm there anyway. City to city isn't such a big deal IMO but the city driving I would find confusing particularly in Russia. I've driven in a number of foreign countries without problem but it seems things could go South  in a hurry in Ukraine or Russia, I'm afraid it might spoil my trip. FWIW

[cc3]

Tag, you're a police officer and I'm a (retired) airline pilot. I think both you and I have physical and mental skills above the average when it comes to dealing with motorized vehicles in many different, possibly extreme, situations. So, for you, as for me, driving in UA, although challenging, will be an interesting adventure.

[BillyB]

Did you guys know when a tree branch is sticking up in the road, there is a manhole cover missing? Covers aren't supposed to fall in the manhole so I suspect they get stolen for the value of the metal. Drive safe and enjoy the ride.

[northkape]

TagUr,,
Don't worry about the driving.
When renting a car, you have insurance, and nothing to worry about.
Police / militia are nice and friendly with foreigners, at the most, they want a little cash in US dollars for your alleged offense.

I have 15 years of driving experience, in every part of Ukraine.
40.000 km (25.000 miles) in the last two years alone, for finding my present wife.
Even with all the crazy drivers having a minimum of driving experience, Ukraine is a relatively safe place to drive.
Outside the cities, there is in general very little traffic on the roads, especially now with the economic crisis.
Sparse traffic can tolerate a lot of crazy driving without much in the way of accidents.

I have been stopped a 100++ times by the police for speeding and other traffic violations.
(In Ukraine my driving style is similar to the "crazy ones" but with a lifetime of driving experience behind me.)
Paid a few five-dollar notes in the first couples of years, before I learned how to avoid paying.
Have enough funny stories about my meetings with the "Police Men of Ukraine" to write a book.

Roads are from very good to absolutely terrible.
From Odessa to Zap, go the following route, Nikolav - Kherson - Melitopol - Zap
Moderate to small amount of potholes, but still preferable to drive in daytime, expect 7-8 hours going non-stop.
(Drove that route a few months ago)
Alternate route from Nikolav - Krivoy Rog --- had absolutely terrible roads in this part, summer of 2013.

And talking about potholes and flats,,,,
Oh Boy, do I have some experience with that,, smile
(But driving slower will of course avoid more "flats" when hitting potholes.)

I posted this a year ago, about a trip to Ukraine in early March 2013 to meet with a woman for 2 days in Khmelnytski.
She was a very nice woman, but I didn't want to tie the knot so early in the game, without executing all of my plan.....

The photo is from a rental car at the end of the winter in Western Ukraine,,,
driving much too fast in heavy rain/snow conditions on smaller roads in terrible condition.
And being in the middle of the night it was impossible to see even large potholes in the roads,
as they were all filled with water,, I had two flats fixed on gas stations already before midnight.
After that I kept driving too fast for as long as it was possible,, in the end on three flat tyres...
and four rims like the one on the photo.



Most here or any sensible person wouldn't have been driving like that,,,,
But I didn't care, I wanted to get to my destination before the morning,
even if I had to leave my car with luggage, at five o'clock that Sunday morning in March,
and start walking in a blowing mix of rain and snow, without clothing for being outside at all.
I almost made it through all of the 400 km (250 miles) distance, but had to start walking for the last 15 km (10 miles)

This one is from Ukraine in January this year,, with my trusty Peugeot...
Sometimes it is possible to shed the tire, and continue driving slowly on the rubber bead without damaging the wheel itself.
This was the second flat this night and I only had a single spare wheel on this trip.
I drove slowly like this for an hour in the middle of the night, to get to a gas station, and wait for the morning,,
and then find someone to help me..... smile

[Noch1]

Personally I have never driven in Ukraine for a reason.
The advice and pics above you help make my point LOL.
But even with insurance, be sure of what you sign, because
if in an accident, regardless of who's fault,  when police realize your not a local,
it just became your fault. Second other, easier modes of transport are so cheap in
Ukraine. I hired a driver once, to take me from Simferopol to Poltava,
120 dollars on his gas, Another from Chernovsty to Kiev for $150.
But better yet, trains are slow and cheap, so what leave at night, get a private
two bunk cabin, buy something to drink, food and you and your girl will have a great night, show up to the city with a nights sleep, for small money and one night you don't need an apartment.
Or you can drive all day on roads you don't know, be tired and worn out for 8-10 hours of driving, to maybe save 10 bucks, maybe.

[GregfromGa]

Good luck and there is a 100% chance that you will get shaken down for a bribe while driving.