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| Kiev |
Odessa |
Crimea |
Western
Ukraine |
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By bus
Unfortunately the central bus station (центральний
aвтовокзал) at Moskovs'ka ploscha is still waiting
for its European renovations. Perhaps the only redeeming
point is the sweet-smelling candy factory across the
road. If you simply must come back, you can deposit
your left luggage (камеpa cxовy, Open 06:00 - 11:00,
11:30 - 17:00, 17:30 - 22:00) in a room near the cafe
area. A currency exchange office (OБМІH Baлют) is
next to the main exit, and just outside it is an ATМ
(6aнкомат). Just inside the entrance from the bus
lot there are two coin-operated public telephones;
card-operated ones are through the side exit near
McDonald's. Getting to town Take a taxi ride to the
city centre for about 40Hr. Trolleybuses N°l, 2, 4,
11, 12 and 42 won't get you to the centre of town
but will take you the one stop to Lybids'ka (Либідська)
metro station. By foot, head across the bridge then
follow the underpass to the right to get to Lybids'ka.
From there, travel four stops north on the blue line
to Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Maйдан Незалежності).
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By
car
When entering the country by car, foreigners are required
to sign a document at the border swearing that they will bring
the car out of the country before a certain date. Foreign
cars are allowed on Ukrainian soil for a maximum of two months.
This document should be carried along with your driver's license
and your car's registration papers at all times. Automobile
insurance is obligatory in Ukraine. It may be possible to
buy green card insurance valid for Ukraine in your home country
to avoid problems - if not you must purchase it from the Ukrainian
state company at the border. The latter might cost less than
the former, however if you don't speak Ukrainian or Russian
it is easy to get deceived by border officials and buy something
which is totally useless. The minimum term of insurance is
two weeks, with prices depending on the size of the engine.
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By plane
Boryspil State International Аіrport (Aeponopт Бориспіль) is where
almost all international flights land and depart from. The smaller
Kyiv (Zhulyani) Airport (Aeponopт Київ (Жуляни)) is only 8km from
the centre of the city and handles mostly domestic travel. Located
34km east of Kyiv, Boryspil is a small but modern facility. Passport
and customs officials do speak English, so don't worry if you haven't
yet mastered Ukrainian or Russian (see The
Basics, Language). Foreigners are supposed to receive registration
cards (basi-cally advertising fliers) when they enter Ukraine -
save these to present upon leaving the country. All passengers emerge
through the same set of sliding doors into a sea of onlookers in
the main hall. You will find two currency exchange offices and an
ATM to the left (seeThe Basics,
Money). However, keep in mind taxis usually accept dollars and
Euros, plus exchange rates are better in the city centre. There
are credit card-operated public telephones (see
Keeping in touch) in the main hall and in the post office down
the corridor to the left.
Getting to town
If you surrender to the waves of taxi drivers offering their services,
a 30-45 minute ride to the centre will set you back about 150Hr.
For the budget traveller, buses and minivans leave roughly every
30 minutes from in front of the building. They charge 30Hr and will
drop you off about an hour later at the southern train station.
By train
The refurbished central railway station (центральний вокзал) has
now been joined by a futuristic-looking southern railway station
(південний вокзал), with the platforms located between the two.
A new waiting lounge up the stairs to the left from the the central
main hall boasts comfy couches for a 5Hr admission fee. Currency
exchange points and ATMs are in the main halls of each station.
Telephone calls can be made by paying money at a window on the 2nd
floor near the central station's escalators and then proceeding
to the appropriate booth. Coin-operated pay telephones are scattered
through-out the building, while card-operated ones are mostly outside
the central entrance.
Getting to town. You're basically in it already, but short taxi
rides to Khreschatyk Street (Xpещamик) area cost 20Hr and up. The
entrance to metro station Vokzal'na (Вокзальна) is to your left
as you exit the central station - look for the green letter M. Khreschatyk
is only three stops east on the red line. Various trolleybuses,
buses and minivans also take off from the central station. Those
with light bags and fresh legs can head down the main road and turn
right at Shevchenko Boulevard (6yльвар Т.Шевченкa), which runs into
Khreschatyk.
TAXIS
In Ukraine every car is a potential taxi - just hold your arm out
on any street if you don't believe us. Most taxis don't have meters,
so you'll likely have to agree on a price with your driver. Foreigners
are fighting an uphill battle in getting a fair price, but it never
hurts to try. Settle on the amount before getting in to avoid giving
the impression of having bottomless pockets. Taxis can also be ordered
by phone.
EvroTaxi 249 40 40 /// Delta Taxi 495 19 19 /// Shanson Taxi 548
28 28 /// Partner 247 00 00
You
can also book transportation services via our company
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