Questions about travel to Ukraine?

[cattleman]

Hi, I'm looking for information about travelling to Ukraine. Does a person need any special vaccinations? Is it better to take travellers cheques in American $ or take Ukrainian money from this end (Canada)? How expensive is it to stay there? I was planning to go for 2 weeks in July. Is it easy to rent a car and what about driving around there (signs, etc.)? I heard not to use credit cards because of a high rate of credit card fraud. Thank You for any information received.

[Gotno Gizmo]

You don't need vacinations or a visa if your coming from USA or Canada. You can stay in Ukraine for up to 90 days without a special visa. I haven't rented a car and I don't think I would want to. The condition of many roads in Ukraine is very poor. If you had a momentary loss of concentration and allowed a wheel to drop into a large pothole you could damage the car and would lose your hefty deposit. I'm assuming you don't speak Ukrainian or Russian, so I wouldn't involve myself in a car hire contract as you might be open for being taken for a ride in more ways than one! You might also have to bribe the notorius traffic police. Also how would you cope with traffic direction signs in Cyrillic, as very few show latin character translations. The trains and buses should get you where you need to go, and you can often meet interesting English speaking Ukrainians on public transport.

I've not used travellers cheques in Ukraine because in other post Soviet country banking systems I had trouble getting them encashed easily. You cant beat the $ USD, but keep your wallet protected (I got pickpocketed on the Kiev metro). I use a British bank debit card in ATMs and have only experienced gliches when I have tried to withdraw more than 1500 Hyrvnia (UAH) at one withdrawal. If you do not wish to use your own regular bank cards for security reasons, you can utilse a 'pay-as-you go', or 'top up' Visa or Mastercard. You can make an arrangement with your regular bank to top it up on the internet from an internet cafe machine whilst on the move if you wish. That way even if you lose it and your pin code is breached, there need only be a small amount of cash available on the card that day. Ask your bank if they have a Western Union" arrangement to send you money in the event of an unforeseen emegency.

[Juliett]

Cattleman, if you need some help with accommodation, sightseeing and transportation in Ukraine - feel free to contact me.
Here is our web-site, maybe it will be useful for you: enjoy-ukraine.com

[AlexanderMay]

I'm representative of tourist and lawyer companies at Ukraine.
If you would like to get a visa to Ukraine i'll help to make tourist invitation for 1 month; private invitation for 3 or 6 months; business invitation for 3 or 6 months.
Professionally and urgent.
e-mail:al.maiboroda@gmail.com

Alexander May | Facebook

[zodoz]

Originally Posted by cattleman

Hi, I'm looking for information about travelling to Ukraine. Does a person need any special vaccinations? Is it better to take travellers cheques in American $ or take Ukrainian money from this end (Canada)? How expensive is it to stay there? I was planning to go for 2 weeks in July. Is it easy to rent a car and what about driving around there (signs, etc.)? I heard not to use credit cards because of a high rate of credit card fraud. Thank You for any information received.

Hi Cattleman,

If I was you I would not bring any cash or checques other than what you need for Taxi from Borispol, Apartment deposit (Agency you rent from will give you details), and some travel cash. Taxi from Borispol is around $25 depending on where you intend to stay.

Previous info is posted assuming you have an ATM card that will work in Ukraine...I use Bank of America and I had to call customer service and have them "flag" my account for Ukraine so that the bank would not reject the withdrawals.

If, you don't have ATM card or can not use yours in Ukraine (Major emphasis on verifying this!) you can bring up to $10,000 to Ukraine through customs. I think I brought like $2000 and there were no worries. USD can be exchanged most anywhere in Kiev, including airport.

An apartment will run you between $50-$100 per night depending on your desired level of comfort. Only differences in Apartments are when you get higher end of rental rates...A google search will bring up numerous agencies that rent short term...If you want a specific recommendation email me as I have used a couple and I can help you find one that has an apartment close to a Metro Station.

I don't have any experience renting a car, but drivers are insane here. I would not risk it as it is very easy to get around by train/mashutka/metro/taxi - but if you think there is real reason, go for it. You are only here for 2 weeks so getting from point A to B quickly may be important to you...

Credit card fraud? I have used my card here with no issues. The ATMs are modern and normal by Western Standards. If your still worried, you could Western Union money to your self to pick up in a bank after you arrive....

Food prices are same as Western Countries, unless you buy local stuff. If you plan to eat all meals out, a dinner will cost like $30-40 for 2. I can recommend some good restaurants in Kiev if you like. Avoid restaurants catering to Westerners as they are over-priced and low quality. O,briens Pub etc.

I would budget maybe $50-60 per day for 2 for food, depends on your eating habits though.

Partying: clubs cost like 50-150 uah to get in ($5-20) and beers are around $3. Drinks around $6. I would budget around $50-$100 per night of partying depending on your lifestyle and philanthropy, if you know what I mean...

Overall budget : With $3000 USD you would have enough to have a good time....party every night, etc.

That being said, the Euro 2012 Final is July 1 in Kiev. If you plan to be here that day your apartment rate may be higher...Much higher.

If you need a translator or someone to help with mundane tasks, I have a friend who will work for you at a reasonable rate...

Phone: You can either bring a cel or buy one...I bought a cheap samsung for like $30 and a sim card and you will have a (+380) number - low end $50 for phone for 2 weeks, or the agency will probably rent you a phone to use.

Internet: apartment will have wi-fi or ethernet cable, but check your apartment details. Free Wi-Fi is everywhere but Mcdonalds has best signal/easiest to find...

As a Side note: I figure about $10,000 for 3 months stay (90 days) when I come here. That is eating local and not partying too much...an apartment becomes more difficult to rent as owners don't want to rent for only 3 months at a time. So around $750 per month there + agent fee. First and last required for deposit. I don't recommend longer rentals through agencies, they just over charge...The guy I recommended helped me find an apartment, takes about a week maybe less to find one...

Hope this helps, feel free to email me, I am in Kiev now...

S.

[Gotno Gizmo]

Here are some useful website URL's

For Ukraine internal long distance buses (coaches)

E-Travels

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For short term apartment rental in Ukraine major cities

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there is a drop down menu click right of Russian flag for alternative languages

[Guest House]

Dear Football Fans,

We cordially invite you and your friends to come to our Guest House, which is located in a quiet and peaceful area surrounded by greenery.
General information:
Location: Only 15 km from the city center (17 km from the Olimpiyskiy Stadium, 300 m from the lake)
Number of rooms: 3 bedrooms, 1 kitchen, 1 bathroom
Total number of beds: 12
Reservations and Payment: For the 2012 Summer Season will require a two night minimum stay = 35 EUR/night. Weekly and monthly rates are upon request.
Furnishings: The Guest House is completely furnished with sheets, towels, TV, refrigerator, stove, microwave, toaster, cooking equipment and serving utensils. We supply some food (bread, butter, milk, cereals, fruits, etc.) and basic paper products.
Special requests: We strive to make our guests’ stay in the Guest House both memorable and comfortable. We will do everything possible to accommodate special requests.

Contact us with any questions. We look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
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+38(050)4147221
+38(093)7557525
oshupta@ukr.net