Planning a trip to Ukraine
 

I am planning a trip to Ukraine and hame some questions I hope you can
help me with some questions. I speak Russian for travel purposes and
have experience with independent travels in Russia, other CIS countries
and Poland.

Where to go
I would like to see Kiev (much to see and do, easiest to get a flight
there, best starting point to see other places, student town). The few
places I have met who knows Ukraine all says that Lviv is an obvious
number 2. Since I travel during winter, I expect Crimea and the Black
Sea coast to be less attractive than during summer. Odeassa is on the
may be list though. I also think I would like to see Chernobyl - anyone
with experiences?

When I travel in the CIS I try to see some countryside. Anyone that has
suggestions on a nice village not to far from Kyev that is relatively
easy to reach by train or bus, farm land or dacha area and something to
see or do during wintertime? In my experience it is easy to get into
contact with people so anywhere people meet, somewhere for
wintersports, markets local museums or excibitions would be of
interest.

I also try to go to places where students and other young people meet
and hang out. In St Petersburg and Minsk, the metro is typical during
winter. Is there a metro station young people hangs out in Kyev? Is
there other places to meet with young people? (in my experience the
gang with dark sun glasses on the night clubs often isn't to
attractive;). Is the canteen on the university(s) open for other than
students?

Travel
If one is used to negotiating taxi/car prices inside the city and over
longer distances in Russia, Belarus and Central Asia - should Ukraine
be a problem when it comes to attemts to overpricing foreigners, that
the driver will give in when he realises that you know what to pay and
that it is generaly quite safe to use unofficial taxies?

If I have got it right (almost) all transportation in Ukraine goes via
Kiev, meaning that if I want to see different parts of the country it
is a good idea to start out in Kiev and I must expect to travel via
Kiev on my way from place to place (if they are not on the same train
route). Is this correct?

Is it worthwhile to check prices to for instance Warshaw an take a
train/bus from Western Europe or is that not worth the effort compared
to go directly to Kiev?

Russian language:
It is my experience from Latvia, Litauen and Belarus that it is totally
uncontroversial to speak Russian, regardless that some people tends to
say something else. From those 3 countries it is also my experience
that most people speak Russian and that Russian is by far the most
videly spoken foreign/"foreign" language. Will I experience the same in
Ukraine?

-Prices
From previous travels in Russia and CIS I know that the prices they
suggest in travel guides published only a year or two ago. Can someone
that knows the prices in Kyev / Ukraine please tell me if theese
pricelevels are updated?

-Metro, bus, trolley and tram 50 - kopek. Mashrutka 1-2 UEH.
-Operatheatre in Kyev - 3 to 20$. Is there a two price system where
foreigners pay more?
-Taxi - 3 to 4$ for 2-3 people for driving through most of the city in
Kyev. For 2$ you can cross the city in other towns.
- Flatrent 20$ a night
-What does dinner in a restaurant cost in Kyev and outside Kyev?
-If heating, hot water, a nice/clean bed and a solid lock is
requirements for accomondation. What is the price?
-What does excurtions to Chernobyl cost?
- What is the price in Ukraine for traveling by car/taxi over longer
distances? Is the rule of thumb I learned in Central Asia true for
Ukrain: 2 - 2,5 x local fuel price?
-What does a litre of fuel cost in Ukraine?
-According to my travel guide I can get a bed in a kupe for 8-12$.
Updated?

thank you in advance,

best regards,

Jan

Planning a trip to Ukraine
 

Hi
check out
www.uktravelnet.co.uk
All the best
Maciek

Planning a trip to Ukraine
 

wrote:
I am planning a trip to Ukraine and hame some questions I hope you can
help me with some questions. I speak Russian for travel purposes and
have experience with independent travels in Russia, other CIS
countries and Poland.

Big SNIP

From personal experience, I strongly recommend avoiding winter there. But
summer can be very hot...
The facilities for tourists are minimal, and I very much doubt there are any
organised tours to Chernobyl.
Be sure to ride on Kiev tram line 12 through the woods to the terminus near
the lakeside at Pushcha-Vodnitsa (take a picnic).

For rail travel, click on the hyperlink to Ukraine at:

http://www.steane.com/egtre/egtre.php

Feedback/updates after your return would be appreciated ;-)

Regards,

- Alan (in Brussels - mind the spamtrap)

Planning a trip to Ukraine
 

wrote:
I am planning a trip to Ukraine and hame some questions I hope you can
help me with some questions. I speak Russian for travel purposes and
have experience with independent travels in Russia, other CIS countries
and Poland.

Where to go
I would like to see Kiev (much to see and do, easiest to get a flight
there, best starting point to see other places, student town).
That's a good idea, I found Kiev very interesting.

The few
places I have met who knows Ukraine all says that Lviv is an obvious
number 2. Since I travel during winter, I expect Crimea and the Black
Sea coast to be less attractive than during summer. Odeassa is on the
may be list though.
Odessa is certainly worth visiting. You could do a round trip Kiev -
Lviv - Odessa - Kiev. On your way from Lviv to Odessa you could also
visit Chernivci (Tschernowitz) and/or Kamyanets Podilsky.

When I travel in the CIS I try to see some countryside. Anyone that has
suggestions on a nice village not to far from Kyev that is relatively
easy to reach by train or bus, farm land or dacha area and something to
see or do during wintertime? In my experience it is easy to get into
contact with people so anywhere people meet, somewhere for
wintersports, markets local museums or excibitions would be of
interest.

I'd rather search for that in the Lviv region. There're some places for
wintersports in the Carpathian Mountains south of Lviv (Slavske is the
largest of them AFAIK), intersting folklore can be found in villages
between Ivano-Frankivsk, Rahiv and Kolomiya and in Transcarpathia
(Zakarpatskaya oblast'), you can get there by train from Lviv.

Travel
If one is used to negotiating taxi/car prices inside the city and over
longer distances in Russia, Belarus and Central Asia - should Ukraine
be a problem when it comes to attemts to overpricing foreigners, that
the driver will give in when he realises that you know what to pay and
that it is generaly quite safe to use unofficial taxies?

If you speak some Russian, the drivers should give in quite fast. I
found taxis safe in Ukraine.

If I have got it right (almost) all transportation in Ukraine goes via
Kiev, meaning that if I want to see different parts of the country it
is a good idea to start out in Kiev and I must expect to travel via
Kiev on my way from place to place (if they are not on the same train
route). Is this correct?

Not always. For example the trains Lviv - Odessa or Lviv - Crimea do not
go through Kiev. It's not likely, that you'll have to change trains,
there're hundred's of through carriages on the Ukrainian Railways network.

Is it worthwhile to check prices to for instance Warshaw an take a
train/bus from Western Europe or is that not worth the effort compared
to go directly to Kiev?

If you plan to go to Lviv, flying to Poland ang getting from there to
Lviv might be worth considering. Try checking prices rather to Cracow,
than to Warsaw, it's closer to Lviv. Even closer to Lviv is Rzeszow, you
can fly there from Stansted with Ryanair. From Cracow/Rzeszów you'd have
to get to Przemysl (Cracow - Przemysl 12$ by train), from Przemysl to
Lviv there're frequent bus connections, 5$. There direct train and bus
connections from Cracow (and Warsaw) to Lviv, too, but they're twice
more expensive and not really more convenient (at least the buses).


Russian language:
It is my experience from Latvia, Litauen and Belarus that it is totally
uncontroversial to speak Russian, regardless that some people tends to
say something else. From those 3 countries it is also my experience
that most people speak Russian and that Russian is by far the most
videly spoken foreign/"foreign" language. Will I experience the same in
Ukraine?
Generally yes. In Kiev, Odessa and eastwards Ukrainian isn't spoken at
all. In Lviv and surroundings it's more popular, still nearly everyone
speaks Russian (maybe excluding some distant villages in the Carpathians).

-Prices
From previous travels in Russia and CIS I know that the prices they
suggest in travel guides published only a year or two ago. Can someone
that knows the prices in Kyev / Ukraine please tell me if theese
pricelevels are updated?

-Metro, bus, trolley and tram 50 - kopek. Marshrutka 1-2 UEH.
-Operatheatre in Kyev - 3 to 20$. Is there a two price system where
foreigners pay more?
No, foreigners pay the same. Some prices you can find he
http://www.olvia.com.ua/?type=classics

-Taxi - 3 to 4$ for 2-3 people for driving through most of the city in
Kyev. For 2$ you can cross the city in other towns.
- Flatrent 20$ a night
I've rented a flat (clean, with hot water etc.) in Crimea 2 years ago
for 5$ a night :) But in Kiev prices are generally higher - still,
renting a flat for 20$ shouldn't be a problem. Probably you could find
something for 10-15$, too.
-What does dinner in a restaurant cost in Kyev and outside Kyev?
In Kiev and Odessa it could cost from 6$ to infinity :) In Lviv cheaper.

-What does a litre of fuel cost in Ukraine?
ca. 0,75 - 0,8$
-According to my travel guide I can get a bed in a kupe for 8-12$.
Updated?
Yes. Railway ticket prices from Kiev:
http://www.uz.gov.ua/index.php?m=ser...e.Place&lng=ru
(+ ticket office's comission, ca. 5 UAH)

Regards,

igor

Planning a trip to Ukraine
 

Alan (in Brussels) wrote:
wrote:
I am planning a trip to Ukraine and hame some questions I hope you can
help me with some questions. I speak Russian for travel purposes and
have experience with independent travels in Russia, other CIS
countries and Poland.

Big SNIP

From personal experience, I strongly recommend avoiding winter there. But
summer can be very hot...

I know January is not ideal, but since I am Norwegian I think I will
survive;)

The facilities for tourists are minimal, and I very much doubt there are any
organised tours to Chernobyl.

Unless you have some very new and updated info saying something else, I
know for a fact that several travel agencies arrange trips to
Chernobyl.

Be sure to ride on Kiev tram line 12 through the woods to the terminus near
the lakeside at Pushcha-Vodnitsa (take a picnic).

Thank you, I will remember that - not too sure about the picnic in
January though;)

For rail travel, click on the hyperlink to Ukraine at:

http://www.steane.com/egtre/egtre.php

Feedback/updates after your return would be appreciated ;-)

I will, in the meantime you find my travelreports from Belarus plus St
Petersburg and Vilnius he
http://www.thorsnas.com/belarus2005/belarus2005.pdf

....and from my trip To Uzbekistan, Kazakstan and Kyryzstan he
http://www.thorsnas.com/centralasia/...erapporten.pdf

Jan

Planning a trip to Ukraine
 

schrieb:

I am planning a trip to Ukraine and hame some questions I hope you can
help me with some questions. I speak Russian for travel purposes and
have experience with independent travels in Russia, other CIS countries
and Poland.

Where to go
I would like to see Kiev (much to see and do, easiest to get a flight
there,

Which air company did you foresee?

best starting point to see other places, student town). The few
places I have met who knows Ukraine all says that Lviv is an obvious
number 2. Since I travel during winter, I expect Crimea and the Black
Sea coast to be less attractive than during summer.

The view should be the same, although it's too cold to swim in the sea.

When I travel in the CIS I try to see some countryside. Anyone that has
suggestions on a nice village not to far from Kyev that is relatively
easy to reach by train or bus, farm land or dacha area and something to
see or do during wintertime?

Bila Cerkva but it's a town.

In my experience it is easy to get into
contact with people so anywhere people meet, somewhere for
wintersports, markets local museums or excibitions would be of
interest.

Winter sports: Volovets in the Carpathian mountains, south-west of L'viv.

I also try to go to places where students and other young people meet
and hang out. In St Petersburg and Minsk, the metro is typical during
winter. Is there a metro station young people hangs out in Kyev? Is
there other places to meet with young people? (in my experience the
gang with dark sun glasses on the night clubs often isn't to
attractive;). Is the canteen on the university(s) open for other than
students?


If I have got it right (almost) all transportation in Ukraine goes via
Kiev, meaning that if I want to see different parts of the country

A friend of mine just wrote his thesis in tourism management about
Kam'anets-Podil'ski
http://www.reisenundmusik.nacht-wind...sterarbeit.htm
which can be reached from Kyiv by overnight train but has more difficult
connections to closer L'viv.

it
is a good idea to start out in Kiev and I must expect to travel via
Kiev on my way from place to place (if they are not on the same train
route). Is this correct?

No. Quite a number of train services avoid Kyiv, for example L'viv - Odessa.

Is it worthwhile to check prices to for instance Warshaw an take a
train/bus from Western Europe or is that not worth the effort compared
to go directly to Kiev?

Russian language:
It is my experience from Latvia, Litauen and Belarus that it is totally
uncontroversial to speak Russian, regardless that some people tends to
say something else. From those 3 countries it is also my experience
that most people speak Russian and that Russian is by far the most
videly spoken foreign/"foreign" language. Will I experience the same in
Ukraine?

It's even local in cities of Eastern Ukraine. Inhabitants of L'viv might
not like it too much but most of them will agree to speak Russian with
Westerners.

-Prices
From previous travels in Russia and CIS I know that the prices they
suggest in travel guides published only a year or two ago. Can someone
that knows the prices in Kyev / Ukraine please tell me if theese
pricelevels are updated?

-Metro, bus, trolley and tram 50 - kopek. Mashrutka 1-2 UEH.

Donetsk: bus, trolley and tram 50, 40 and 30 kopek.


-According to my travel guide I can get a bed in a kupe for 8-12$.
Updated?

For fares from Kyiv, see
http://www.uz.gov.ua/?m=services.transppl.schedulkiev&lng=uk


Kyiv - L'viv by train 57 would be 39 hryven.

Regards, ULF

Planning a trip to Ukraine
 

wrote:
I am planning a trip to Ukraine and hame some questions I hope you can
help me with some questions.

I have an additional question. Can anyone help me with a website that
lists what goes on in Kyev and other Ukrainian towns? (Something like
for instance sptimes.ru and www.afisha.ru). Is there any newspapers in
English in Ukraine with internet editions?

Best regards,

Jan