Travel Ukraine

Ukraine is becoming an increasingly common travel destination for all levels of the tourism sector; from budget backpackers to high-spending business travellers. The vast majority of tourists travel to Ukraine by plane into Kiev, although some also cross into Ukraine at the land crossings. The major land crossing points with west Europe is at Shengeni on the border with southeast Poland, and at Chop on the border with Slovakia.It is also possible to travel into Ukraine by sea into Odessa on the south coast of Ukraine. Boats travel from Odessa to Turkey, and Georgia.If you travel into Ukraine via the airport in Kiev, then you will have 3 onward travel options. 

Firstly, you might need to travel onwards to another city in Ukraine; such has Simferopol in Crimea, Odessa or lviv. The Ukraine internal flights terminal is located right next to the international terminal. Exit the international terminal, turn right and walk 2 - 3 minutes.

If you need to travel onwards by train, then the train station is located near the centre of Kiev about 40 minutes taxi ride from the airport. You can also take a bus to the train station; they leave every 20 minutes from just outside the main terminal on the right side, and cost $4-5. Be warned; although your travel in Ukraine will be invariably be require the use of taxis on a regular basis; taxis do not have meters and taxi drivers shamelessly increase prices for foreigners. A taxi to the Kiev train station should cost $20, and never accept a price higher than $25, unless you don't mind being ripped off. If you need to travel to the centre of Kiev, the same taxi prices apply. You cannot take a bus right into the centre of Kiev, but the train station is near the centre and it is easy to take an onward connection from there (by bus or metro).

It is unusual to travel in Ukraine by long distances by bus. The most common form of travel in Ukraine is by train. Those who can afford also travel in Ukraine by plane. Train travel is cheap, comfortable, and interesting. The travel time is about 15 hours from Kiev in the north of Ukraine to Crimea in the south of the country, and 25 hours from Lviv in northwest Ukraine to Crimea. Everyone gets a bed, and there are plenty of stops when you can get out for a few minutes and stretch your legs.

Plane travel in Ukraine is comfortable and safe. The big carriers such as AirSvit have a fleet of modern Boeings, and the level of service is fast reaching international standard. It takes 1.5 hours to travel from Kiev to Crimea, and there are 4-12 flights a day (depending on the season). 

It is not easy to travel around Ukraine, as there is very little information in English and no tourist information points. Travelling in Ukraine however offers great rewards. This is a fast developing country on the doorstep of Western Europe that offers an enthralling array of sites and sounds. 

It is not possible to book train tickets directly through the Internet, and Internet plane tickets are often limited - When there are no tickets left available on the Internet, there can still be tickets for sale from agents within Ukraine. 

If you are planning to travel to Ukraine, be sure to check out AccessCrimea. We offer travel services to the beautiful Crimea in Southern Ukraine. We book pre-book Ukrainian internal plane and train tickets for you, and organize accommodation and other tourist services within Crimea. To find out more, please go to http://www.accesscrimea.com