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Travel - International
AIR: Ukraine International Airlines (PS), a Ukrainian alliance with Austrian Airlines/Swiss and Aer Fi Group, links Kyiv with Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Brussels, Copenhagen, Frankfurt/M, London, Paris, Rome, Vienna, Zürich and most recently Milan. Air Ukraine (6U) serves a smaller number of European points, as well as Moscow and other Russian cities aboard aircraft reclaimed from the former Soviet airline Aeroflot (SU). Flights are also available from Lviv to Warsaw, New York and Washington, from Simferopol to Turkey and from Ivano-Frankivsk to the UK (summer only).
Approximate flight times: From Kyiv to London is 3 hours 30 minutes, to Moscow is 1 hour 15 minutes and to Vienna is 2 hours.
International airports: Kyiv (IEV) – Borispol International (KBP) is approximately 34km (21 miles) from central Kyiv. The airport has undergone extensive renovation. Facilities currently include 24-hour banks/bureaux de change, duty-free shops, restaurants, child facilities, 24-hour post office, left luggage and pharmacy. The bus terminal is located at Ploshcha Peremohy where an airport bus operates services to the city centre every 60 minutes (0500-2130). The bus fare is around US$4. A train also runs to the centre (travel time – 60 minutes). Taxis usually cost about US$30-40.
Departure tax: None.
SEA/RIVER: The main ports are Odessa and Izmail on the River Danube. Services are available to the Russian Federation ports of Novorossiysk and Sochi, Batumi and Sukhumi in Georgia, as well as to a number of cities on the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. A ferry service connects Sevastopol and Istanbul, Turkey. The republic’s most important internal waterway is the River Dnieper. Black Sea cruises around the Crimean peninsula are available and well recommended. Most cruises leave from Turkey, Bulgaria or Romania and stop over in Yalta, although there are a few cruises which leave from Yalta.
RAIL: The 22,730km (14,207 miles) of railway track link most towns and cities within the republic and further links extend from Kyiv to all other CIS member states. The main stations are Kyiv and Lyiv. Regular daily services connect these stations with Moscow. There are direct lines to Warsaw in Poland, Budapest in Hungary, Bucharest in Romania, Berlin in Germany and Brest in Belarus. Ukrainian trains are slow. Journeys can range from pleasant to terribly uncomfortable if, for instance, the heating is not working. Security can also be a problem, as many muggings have been reported. If travelling by overnight train, do not leave the compartment unattended. Buying tickets locally can be difficult and it is easier to pre-book through Intourist Travel Ltd before departure (see Contact Addresses section). From Kyiv to Moscow takes 16 hours and to St Petersburg is about 36 hours.
ROAD: Of the 172,315km (107,074 miles) of road network, 29,227km (18,161 miles) are main or national roads. Ukrainian roads tend to be in reasonable condition. Border points are at Mostiska, Uzhgorod and Chop. It is recommended to carry a visa to enable a smooth border crossing. Private car-repair garages have recently become available, along with state-owned ones; however, spare parts are still scarce. The biggest problem is availability of suitable petrol (for instance, unleaded petrol is not available). Never set out on a journey without several cans of petrol. Insurance cover can be difficult to arrange. See Travel – Internal for information on traffic regulations and documentation. Coach: Eurolines, departing from Victoria Coach Station in London, serves destinations in the Ukraine. For further information, contact Eurolines (4 Cardiff Road, Luton, Bedfordshire, L41 1PP; tel: (08705) 143 219; fax: (01582) 400 694; website: www.eurolines.com or www.gobycoach.com). Bus: A few buses run daily services from Karkiv to Moscow.
Copyright © 2003 Columbus Publishing Ltd.
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