Lugansk Information

[fairbro]

Hi I am going to Lugansk in November. I want to stay for 2 weeks or a month, I am not sure yet. Does anyone know of how to get an apartment for this length of time? I need someplace where I can get internet, hi-speed internet would be great. I am looking for an apartment because the hotel seems to be expensive. I am trying to find someplace cheaper than $30 a day, so I can stay longer. Is there a hotel for this rate in Lugansk? Also, I am looking for software, I don't want Windows, but some other programs, is it possible to buy there?

Thanks for information.

Another question, what do you recommend to go from Kiev to Lugansk, the plane or the train? The train appears to be almost as expensive as the train, and I haven't ridden the train since I rode Amtrak from DC to NY. When you come into Kiev airport, is it possible to buy the local ticket to Lugansk there at the airport, or is it advisable to buy it beforehand, to be sure you have a seat?

Thanks again

[Gotno Gizmo]

Originally Posted by fairbro

Hi I am going to Lugansk in November. I want to stay for 2 weeks or a month, I am not sure yet. Does anyone know of how to get an apartment for this length of time? I need someplace where I can get internet, hi-speed internet would be great. I am looking for an apartment because the hotel seems to be expensive. I am trying to find someplace cheaper than $30 a day, so I can stay longer. Is there a hotel for this rate in Lugansk? Thanks again

I'm an Englishman staying in Lugansk for several weeks at a time. I do not rent an apartment as I'm with friends, but I can tell you that doing searches on the website in the English language will only pull up top western Europe or USA prices. I can tell you that foreign students studying in Lugansk typically pay from 1500 UAH per month for a two bedroomed modestly furnished apartment. It will be of the former Soviet style build and may have a telephone, but most certainly not have internet facility. Internet will be difficult to arrange for a non Russian/ Ukrainain speaker without a local bank account. However, there are some internet cafes, or you could try a mobile phone provider's "dongle modem" option. I would suggest you find a Russian speaker (the predominant language here) with Russian character keyboard to run accomodation searches on the web.

Trains leave Kiev most afternoons for Lugansk. It is an overnight service and cost me 170 UAH last time. You will share a four bunk compartment. You can buy tea or coffee on the train and packet snacks, but I would suggest you took something more substantial with you to survive the 14 hour journey.

For flights from London, Germany and other European airports see Wizz Air They are are very competitive. It will cost almost twice the London/ Kiev flight cost to fly from Kiev to Lugansk. I prefer on arrival with Wizzair at Kiev Borispol, to catch the overnight bus from Borispol to Donetsk, then onward bus to Lugansk. See About Company You will be on buses for more than 13 hours but It saves going into the capital, finding and paying for an overnight hotel. But then you might want to spend time in the big city?
Good luck!

[fairbro]

Gonzo, why do you go to Donetz, and then to Lugansk? Isn't that a sort of roundabout way? Why not just direct to Lugansk from Kiev? Or why not the train, if it is cheaper (200 Grivna for bus just to Donetz?) and 170 by train from Kiev to Lugansk. Are we talking First class? With four in a cabin? I did find a schedule somewhere, iI thought they were asking $130 for first class, so I guess you are describing second class, which would be the same price as plane, I think.

How much must you put in the bus driver's hand for transporting your luggage?

If I rent a mobile phone for internet, then I would still need some local verification, yes (bank account) to get a sim card for the phone?

I don't want to spend more time on this trip, getting there, than I have to. First from the midwest village to the city, then a bus to the big city, then a taxi or bus to the airport, then a flight to BWI (Baltimore), then buses and Metro to Dulles airport in Virginia, then Aeroflot to Moscow, then to Kiev. I'm tired just thinking about it. It was a lot easier when I lived 3 miles from Dulles. I'm thinking airplane from Kiev to Lugansk if it's under $100.

How far is the airport from Lugansk? Wonder if the taxi scalpers are there. Of course they are!

[Gotno Gizmo]

As a pensioner I'm on a budget and not on a business schedule. Travelling on the Wizzair flight from London, I get into Kiev's Borispol airport arrival lounge sometime after 18:20 after immigration and baggage processes. The bus leaves at 20:00 for Donetsk. There isn't a bus for Lugansk from Borispol. The alternative is to go into Kiev find a hotel and a train (or bus) the following day. For me the Donetsk route is less hassle and money and I end up at Lugansk bus station close to where I need to be. I have never flown into Lugansk, but my golden rule is to never accept a taxi offer from a tout in any airport arrivals lounge. Find the taxi rank outside the airport, only approach cars clearly marked "Taxi" and get the driver to write his fare on paper if you can't speak the local lingo. Try two or three drivers to get the tarrif. But do you know where you want to go? I cannot tell you about other travel services that I haven't used outside of my travel budget.

[Dr Nick]

Hello,

To fill in a few of the blanks ......

The airport in Lugansk is quite a long way from the town. There may be expensive taxi drives there waiting for you, or worse still, nobody at all. Its a rather desolate airport ;-) I don't know if there is a bus to town from there but I think not.

There are lots of buses passing through the Lugansk bus station to most local destinations.

However, if speed is your key driver and not price this could be the best way depending on when your plane arrives from Moscow in Borispol. Its about two hours on the plane vs the above on the train. Another factor is whether you will make the connection with the Lugansk plane at Borispol Airport. As I recall the plane leaves about the same time as the train. But of course you are already at the airport.

There were two trains the last time I used one to Lugnask from Kiev. Oddly, they both leave around the same time 6 pm ish. One is a slower cheaper train. I used the train from Lugansk to Kiev in the summer. It was about 100H single in second class. This is a sleeper in an open compartment with folks wandering about as they please. Gotno's price for one bed in a four sleeper sounds about right.

Gotno's strategy of using the bus is a good one as it saves you staying overnight in Kiev. From the UK, all the planes except British Airways arrive to late to make connections to the train or the plane, leaving bus as the only option unless you want to stay overnight in Kiev.

There is a bus to the centre of Kiev that costs about 22H if you choose to stay overnight. The bus goes from outside the airport and has a picture of a plane on it. It goes to the railway station in Kiev and sometimes stops at one of the first metro stations along the way.

You can get internet set up in Lugansk on a kind of pay as you go ( in advance) basis. My in laws have it this way. But as already mentioned you would need good Russian to get this set up and it is unlikely to be already in your appartment.

Hotels do seem rather expensive for the location. I would go for an apartment if you can get one. Plenty of adverts in the local paper.

Hope that helps.

[fairbro]

Duh, I'm not so smart today. I finally looked at the map, to confirm my mistaken idea that Donetz is not on the way to Lugansk, but, it is on the way, isnt' it? It does make a lot of sense to go to Donetz first, then Lugansk.

I have already asked about an apartment, and the quick reply I got assured me that the high-speed internet was included in the daily rate - about $35. I'm suspicious of that. I did rent an apartment in Samara, Russia, and if I didn't pay internet bill in advance, for time (30 days), or by download (per megabyte), they disconnected me. Not cheap, either, but after I left, some competition among ISP's developed and suddenly the internet access in Samara got real cheap. Wonder if they have competition in Lugansk. Here in my village in the US, there is only one provider, and I'm paying $85 as month.

I have a sore point with the airport taxis. When I go to Togliatti (by Samara) from the airport is a mob scene when arriving, but all the drivers seem to defer to the first one who asks. He wants 3000 rubles for the trip to Togliatti (when I go FROM Togliatti to the airport, the cost is 400-600 rubles). If I ask another driver, they won't talk, or ask the same price. The first driver follows me around like a shadow, asking when can we leave, even if there is a blizzard going on outside.

So I always wind up just going outside and pretending I'll wait 4 hours for the bus to Samara (even though it's going in the wrong direction and I'll have to take another bus back by the airport and on to Togliatti the next day) or arguing until the price gets down to about 1200. That is the lowlight of the trip. The taxi guy makes you feel like you are starving his children. Well, he can talk to Odumba about "rich Americans" - there's fewer every day, and I wouldn't be surprised if my pension disappears soon.

Once I made a "Togliatti" sign and walked a ways from the airport and stood by the road with my sign. Of course a taxi stopped by, already with 3 other passengers, and tried to charge me 2000, but I told him 1000 or no. Sometimes a rogue (non-union?) taxi driver will wait till the original guy leaves, then approach me, "C'mon, 1200 it is."

About the bus, are they the big bus? I mean, do you get drunks sleeping on your shoulder? (Trying not to recall my trip to Yoshkar-Ola (otherwise known as Scam City)).

[Dr Nick]

Hello again,

Internet prices are now highly competitive so don't expect to pay a lot. It should only get expensive if the cable is not already there.

Insist on checking the internet connection first or walk away.

35$ sounds fair.

Lugansk is scam-city for some things too. Not that its any of my business why you are going there.

If you speak any Russian at all its a good idea to collect a few taxi driver phone numbers. So when you are going on the cheaper leg to the airport you get their number and agree to text them the next time you are coming and not pay the rip-off airport rate.

Have you booked your flight yet?