Hastily formed travel plans to Kiev and Crimea

[timothe]

Hello folks,

I need some help please.  I hastily booked a flight to Kiev from October 5th to October 15th to meet my longtime ladyfriend but not yet wife.  (long story)  We need to quickly decide on a travel plan for the 10 days we will spend together.  I have decided that we will spend three days in Kiev, then travel to Crimea by train for a week.

I need to find a nice hotel or apartment in both places and I need to know if it is necessary to buy the train tickets in advance or if I can simply go to the train station in Kiev and buy them. 

I've made many trips to Russia, but I've never been to the Ukraine and my last trip to Russia was in 2003.

Your suggestions are much appreciated.   

[ScottinCrimea]

Where do you want to visit in Crimea?  Do you want to stay in some central place like Simferopol and travel around from there? Would you rather stay on the coast? How much do you want to spend on a hotel or apartment and what standard do you want?  How do you want to spend your time, relaxing or taking in the sights? Will you need a driver/guide or can you get around without help?

This time of year you should have no problem just going up to the train station and buying them there.  The train leaves around 9:30pm IIRC and arrives in Simferopol sometime around 6:30am.  From there it's easy to catch a bus or get a car to take you anywhere in Crimea that you want to go.  I can help you know the price when you decide on a destination.

I can also recommend some things to do and see in Crimea beyond the typical tourist things.  Give me some specifics and I'll be glad to help.

[BillyB]

Google "apartment for rent in Ukraine" and you may be able to come up with travel agencies that have what you want. Replace the word apartment with hotel on another search. Time is short and you need to get on the phone, don't rely on e-mails, and lock in your reservations quick.

If you find yourself homeless upon arriving in Ukraine, maybe a local taxi driver knows a place that has vacancy. Bring a tent just in case.

[ScottinCrimea]

Good Lord BillyB, it's not as desperate as all that!  He will have no problems finding a place on short notice and definitely won't need a tent.  At this time of year the summer tourist season in Crimea has pretty well run its course and he can easily find a place just about anywhere, even if he just shows up and asks for a room.   While I agree that his time is short, no reason to panic and find the first place that pops up with a vacancy.  It's a sure way to spend more than he needs to.

[BillyB]

 While I agree that his time is short, no reason to panic and find the first place that pops up with a vacancy. 

It doesn't hurt to give him a scare into taking care of business. Besides, taking care of business earlier gives him peace of mind and scores points with his lady. 

On my ST Piter trip I searched for hotels and apartments earlier than timothe is doing and found nothing. I contacted travel agencies in the States that specialize in the FSU and travel agencies overseas and they all said they'd get back to me when they find somethingin way of hotels or flats. They never found anything. Luckily I remembered the poster Phil D Amore who lives in St. Pete and although he and his woman takes orders from us guys to deliver flowers, he knows people who did have an apartment available. I just happen to go to ST. Piter during their busiest time of year since they were celebrating the city's birthday and was nearly homeless.

If anybody sees a man living in a tent in Ukraine between Oct 5 and 15th, it's probably our fellow RWD member timothe so please give him a hand... or at least a handout.

[ScottinCrimea]

I remember your state of panic at that time.  I remember my first trip to Crimea was around the first of May, a big holiday there and I had some difficulty finding a place.  Fortunately, I don't recall any major holidays going on there in the next couple of weeks, though there is always some minor holiday (read as excuse to take off work and drink vodka) going on year round.

If worse comes to worse we have a garage in Simferopol that he can use. 

[wiz]

Timothe

Do not panic at all. Help is at hand. 

1. If you want to know more about Crimea and what to do when there I suggest you have a quick look at my old site, which is NOT operational but I left on the internet for people to read the information.

http://www.airsunholidays.co.uk/crimea/crimea.html

The Weather report on the site is LIVE and up to the minute.

Have a look at the apartments there and later I will tell you who to get in touch with.

2. I would suggest for comfort and economy to stay in one of the centrally located apartments of my ex-agent Chris and his GF Natasha in Sevastopol. Having the apartment for base you can visit everywhere in Crimea and Natasha can make all the arrangements for you. They can arrange for you to be picked up from the train Station in Sevastopol or Simferopol and also advice and organise your days out. She speaks excellent English and Chris is an English man. Their apartment are all of European standards and their prices very good. Mir and I have stayed in their apartments and we both had excellent service and I can recommend them.

3. If you want to see their apartments and other information visit their webside:

http://www.travel2sevastopol.com

I suggest you get in touch by email or Telephone. I just spoke to Natasha and they have availability.

Have a nice holiday.

Yannis

[Turboguy]

In Kiev, Pavel has a number of nice apartments.   I rented one that was especailly nice from UARents if I recall the name correctly.   I am not sure if Jack has recovered enough to conduct any business or not but he could hook you up in both places.

You should be able to by the train ticket there but I would do it as soon as you arrive.  If you go at the last minute you may find yourself traveling in a cattle car.   Best of luck.

[timothe]

Thanks for the assistance, Gents.  Actually, I'm more worried about accomodations in Kiev than I am in Crimea.  My ladyfriend is arriving on the 5th of October and I want to make sure she can get to and from the hotel and the Borispol airport where we will meet. (not concerned about living in a tent but hope that I don't put myself in the doghouse.   :selfharm: )

Scott, I was planning on staying in Yalta but I am open to suggestions.  Olga and I plan on doing a lot of sightseeing and it seems like Yalta had more places to see and more things to do.  We're going to be there from the 9th to the 14th of October.  We don't really need a guide per se because Olga can and will arrange the sightseeing, but it is my job to pick the destination.   :noidea:

I'm hoping to find an apartment or sanatorium with a large bed and nice accomodations for $60 to $80 per night.  We stayed in a sanatorium in Kislovodsk and it was nice for us because we were able to meet other people and spend time with them as well.  (both of us are very social)

Wiz, I'll read up on your site.  Thanks for the input.

[Turboguy]

Pavel has some nice apartments in Kiev and can pick her up and take her there.  He might be a good source.  I rented a very nice apartment from UARents a while back.   I believe I recall the name correclty.  They also have airport pickup but they get a little pricy on the transfer.  I am not sure if Jack has recovered enough to conduct business but he has some nice apartments that are central and affordable.

You should have no difficutly getting a train ticket but I would recommend you do it as soon as you arrive.  If you try it at the last minute you may find yourself traveling in a cattle car.

[Kuna]

Pavel has some nice apartments in Kiev and can pick her up and take her there.  He might be a good source.  I rented a very nice apartment from UARents a while back.   I believe I recall the name correclty.  They also have airport pickup but they get a little pricy on the transfer.  I am not sure if Jack has recovered enough to conduct business but he has some nice apartments that are central and affordable.

You should have no difficutly getting a train ticket but I would recommend you do it as soon as you arrive.  If you try it at the last minute you may find yourself traveling in a cattle car.

 

For God's sake Timothe - keep your money in your pocket!

If you're looking for an apartment in Kiev go to the FSU Lodging section on the left of this site and use an agency with a decent range of apartments,. I hope Dan is getting a little revenue from his affiliate sites.

If not there are DOZENS of apartment sites that will organise the apartment of your choice and pick you up at the airport.  There will be no catches... no scams...  no long winded stories that make no sense at all.  (I AM IN NO WAY SAYING JACK IS A SCAMMER... from what I know he is as straight as they come but I don't think he would be bacl operating yet).

Maybe it'll would different for you because you'll have your lady with you right from the start but in this case don't trust Turbo's advice.  I fell for that on my first trip and only just escaped after an attempted scam that was in the thousands.

I don't believe Turbo has ever seen his first recommenation's apartments and I can tell you one was good and another (for the same price) was dreadful.  The experience altogether was totally unacceptable!

If you're interested I have a few links for Kiev that I found after my trip.  Those sites look infinitely more reputable and have a much larger range and a friend of mine just used one site for an apartment in Kiev and raved about the price, location, quality and service.

Kuna

[Turboguy]

Kuna, you are right.  I have never met Pavel and never been in one of his apartments.   Still most everyone except you who have used his services and were totally happy.  Frankly I doubt if you can give an unbiased view of his apartments either.

Normally Jack would be my recommendation but I too am not sure if he is recovered enough for work.  It would only take him a few phone calls to arrange it but I have no idea what he is ready for.   I think if he were ready for that he would be posting now.

The apartment I got from UARents was one of the nicest I have had in my visits to the FSU and very central. 

[timothe]

I'm not going to use a guide.  I'm too cheap to do it.  I was just hoping to find non-American prices for a hotel or apartment in Kiev and Yalta.  (Hotel prices in Kiev are ridiculous.)

But I think I found a nice apartment in Kiev and I have a few choices in Yalta.  Thanks again for the assistance. 

[wiz]

Timothe

Try this link and I have stayed many times on the apartment No 1.


http://www.maxil.ukhouse.com/index.html

To see more detailed photos of the apartment here is my old page that I use to email to customers.

http://www.airsunholidays.co.uk/kiev/apt/apt.html

I must point out that I have nothing to do with this apartment and the owner as I am retired and not operating  my holidays anymore nor I get any commission. I only give you the links to help you, as I know the apartments.

It is up to you.

[ScottinCrimea]

timothe,
     I think for what you have planned, Yalta is a good choice as there is much to see within a relatively short distance.  For a first time trip to Crimea it makes sense.  I can't give you a whole lot of suggestions for where to stay, though as I only stayed there the first time I went and that was at the Hotel Yalta.  Since then I just made day trips from home.  I'm sure that you have good sources as to what there is to see and do in Yalta.  Don't forget to take the tram to the top of the mountain there.  The view is breathtaking. The beaches there aren't the best as they are more pebble than sand and it may be a little cold to do much swimming at this time of the year.  I'm sure, though, you will see some hearty Muscovites enjoying the water. If you want to explore outside Yalta, a couple of things I would recommend are a horsebacking riding trip arranged in Alushta that takes you up a mountain and to an ancient fort called Funa.  The horses are well trained and my wife who had never ridden before had no problem.  I would highly recommend a day trip to Sevastopol.  You can take a boat tour through the bay, the diorama is fantastic, and just south of there you have Chersonnes which is the ruins of an ancient Greek colony that is a must see.  Also a little south of there in Balaclava you have what was once a super secret Soviet sub base built under a mountain in the bay.
     Another interesting day trip is to Bakchasaray, which has a former sultan's palace complex complete with harem.  Near there are the cave monasteries, with churches and monk's quarters built into caves in the side of the hill.
     Anyway, those are just a few ideas.  Beyond Yalta there are a lot more interesting sites, but I don't think you would be able to see them all in one trip.  Check a few websites and I think you can find a nice list of things to see and do.  When you get to Simferopol, be sure and have your lady negotiate for a car to Yalta with you well to the side.  If you don't mind a minibus, their rates are set, are cheaper and really aren't that bad.  Sometimes, though, you can only find one that goes to Alushta and you need to take a car from there to Yalta.
     Good luck to you!  Be sure to give a TR with a lot of pictures, even though I'm sure it will make me homesick.