what should i know before i go to ukraine

Ukraine, a state so vast and diverse, filled with the most beautiful cities and the about beautiful scenery, a state that apace became one of our favourite destinations in Europe. Nosotros were warmly welcomed by the friendly people with hearty and carb loaded dishes and we awed at some of the most beautiful architecture we had seen during our travels, travelling through Ukraine is a real treat for those who decide to explore this cute country. However, information technology seems that many people still take doubts about travelling Ukraine, mainly every bit many people are not certain what there is to practise and to see in the country, or actually how to travel around Ukraine. And while travelling Ukraine can exist a bit more challenging then travelling other Western European countries (mainly due to the apply of a unlike alphabet) nosotros constitute that travelling Ukraine was comfortable, affordable and rather straight frontward. So to brand it as easy for y'all as it was for united states, or perhaps fifty-fifty easier, we take created a list of 44 things y'all demand to know before going to Ukraine so one time you arrive y'all know you lot will be well prepared and can just enjoy your travels stress complimentary!

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General Info & Safety in Ukraine

1. It is Ukraine, not the Ukraine. In the English linguistic communication yous volition hear many people refer to this state as The Ukraine, still, it is important the "the" is dropped, and this country is only referred to as Ukraine. You see, dorsum in the day, when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union the official name of the state was The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR). However, in 1991 Ukraine declared independence, and in their official Announcement of Independence and Constitution the name of the country was stated to exist: Ukraine.

2. The main languages spoken in Ukraine are Ukrainian and Russian. On the Western side of the state (around Lviv) you volition find the bulk of the people speaking Ukrainian, while if you caput to the Eastern side of the state (effectually Kharkiv) you will find the more people speaking Russian.

iii. Information technology doesn't hurt to larn the Cyrillic alphabet. Both Ukrainian and Russian use the Cyrillic alphabet, making it hard to read signs, menus, streets and so much more than. Getting a bones understanding of the Cyrillic language will assistance a lot during your travels in Ukraine, even if it just to read the metropolis names on your railroad train tickets.

4. That said, in many larger cities you volition find many people being able to speak English. Nosotros had no issues getting around in Lviv, Kiev or Odessa every bit we would oftentimes find menus in English, signs in English, and general people speaking English. However, in less touristic destinations such as Kharkiv and Rivne less people seem to speak English and we wouldn't be able to notice any signs, menus or anything else in English. Nevertheless, anybody was always willing to help us out, from getting metro cards to helping the states with our order.

v. For those places it doesn't injure to have a translation app. We personally love Google Translate and the alive translate option. But point at what you want to interpret and Google Interpret will practice the work for you. While not always 100% it did assist u.s. figure out what to order from the menu or to simply ask a question! Fun fact, you can actually download a language pack offline so you tin can utilise the app wherever you are!

6. Net is widely available. Equally a couple who relies on the internet for work nosotros never had any issues finding a steady and fast internet connexion. Our hostels and hotels had great net, and we constitute wifi widely available in shopping malls, cafes and restaurants.

seven. Even so, it is piece of cake to get a sim bill of fare. We simply walked into a Kyivstar shop in Lviv and within 5 minutes the guy had installed and activated the sim cards in both our phones. The total: 250 UAH (x$) for two sim cards with unlimited net for a month!

viii. The best time to visit Ukraine would be from May to October in our opinion. You will get to enjoy the warmer months from jump to fall and go to avoid the cold winter months. We traveled Ukraine in August, and have to admit it did get a bit warm and humid, we even had some heavy thunder storms from fourth dimension to time, if nosotros would go to Ukraine again I would personally get for the shoulder flavour (May & June, September & October) to avert the warmest months.

9. At present you might be wondering, is information technology safe to travel Ukraine? We never felt unsafe in Ukraine, neither in the touristic nor the less touristic destinations we visited. As with whatever destination you got to be on guard, use common sense, and exercise your research earlier traveling in that location. There are, however, areas where you should not travel to due to the ongoing armed disharmonize with Russian federation (Crimea and Donetsk & Luhansk), for that reason yous will notice almost all countries giving a negative travel advisory to these regions (for example the U.s.a. travel advisory, UK travel informational and Canada travel advisory).

Morning walks through the beautiful streets of Kiev

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Upkeep & Money in Ukraine

x. The local currency is Ukrainian Hryvnia, UAH, and in August 2019 yous could get roughly 25 UAH for 1 USD.

11. ATMs are widely available in Ukraine, so no demand to bring cash to Ukraine. However, when we visited Ukraine we sometimes ran into ATMs that would just be able to requite us 200 UAH (±viii$), then sometimes it might be a bit of looking for an ATM that will dispense a higher amount.

12. Merely be sure to avoid Euronet ATMs. But like in the rest of Europe y'all can find Euronet ATMs near everywhere in Ukraine, merely it is one of those ATMs you don't desire to use with a foreign card. It volition only allow you to take out money if they do the exchange charge per unit conversion for yous (instead of your own bank), almost ever giving you a horrible exchange rate, plus, charging you a fee for your withdrawal. Using Euronet ATMs will make you loose out on a lot of coin compared to other ATMs in Ukraine.

13. Visa and chief cards, both debit and credit, can be used almost everywhere in the larger cities and more touristic destinations. From supermarkets to restaurants, and in Kiev even in the metro organisation, visa and master cards are existence more than and more than widely accepted.

xiv. However, in smaller cities you might desire to take some cash with. In Rivne we had to pay well-nigh everywhere with greenbacks, including the supermarkets, and then it is good to have some greenbacks on mitt.

15. That said, be sure to take some small change for buses, trams and metros. While in Kiev yous can only "tap and go" with your credit bill of fare in many metro stations, in Kharkiv it was only possible to purchase a ticket with small bills (1o and lower), and in that location was no change auto available at many metro stations. In the marshrutkas it was oft too more user-friendly to have pocket-size cash handy to pay the commuter.

sixteen. Not all hostels accept card payments. Not certain how this works for hotels, but in two out of the five cities we visited hostels were not able to take bill of fare payments, simply cash, and then be sure to check your booking confirmation before heading there and having to expect for an ATM at 10pm!

17. Ukraine is a lot more affordable and so countries in Western Europe. Ukraine is a bang-up destination for those who are travelling on a budget, as information technology is a lot more affordable then many of the countries in Western Europe.

18. Entry fees for sights in the cities often cost betwixt 20 to 100 UAH, and of class you lot tin roam the beautiful streets of the cities of Ukraine for free.

nineteen. Expect to pay roughly 50 to 150 UAH for a meal in a regular eatery. Eating out is quite affordable in Ukraine, especially if yous know where to become, merely more than on that downwards beneath!

20. Public send inside the cities can be as affordable every bit viii UAH a ride. In many cities the cost for a bus, metro or tram ride within the city was around 8 UAH (±0.30$), making it easy to brand your way around the city, only we have more than info on taking marshrutkas and trams downward beneath!

21. Withal, if you are planning on doing excursions these costs might add up. Taking 24-hour interval trips or seeing sights such as Chernobyl will increase the cost of your trip significantly. A 24-hour interval trip to Chernobyl will easily gear up you dorsum $100, so exist certain to take that into business relationship when setting your Ukraine travel upkeep.

The National Academic Opera and Theatre in Odessa

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Ship in Ukraine

22. Public ship is widely available. Between cities, within cities, you volition have no issues finding public transport in Ukraine! From trolley buses to trams and trains, they truly have it all.

23. The easiest manner to travel between cities is by train. Ukraine has an extensive train network connecting the cities, and while the trains often simply go in one case or twice a twenty-four hours, it even so makes one of the nigh convenient and most affordable ways to brand your style around the country. Nosotros used railroad train solely for traveling between the cities!

24. Trains tin exist easily booked online. No need to stand in line at the train station trying to translate your destinations and dates to make certain you are booking the correct train, just book online! Yous can either use the train website to volume your tickets, which y'all can observe here, but equally this did not e'er piece of work with our foreign credit cards we accept booked a big part of our trains with Omio (formerly known as GoEuro) instead.

25. When taking the train sometimes at that place are 2 tracks on a platform. Something nosotros had to go a bit used to, as this means that you lot have to double bank check you lot are getting on the right train every bit there are frequently no signs at the platform at which track which train is arriving. Luckily about all trains will accept the road of the railroad train displayed on the front and on a sign next to the archway of the carriage.

26. Be certain to know how your destination is spelled in Cyrillic. Many buses and trains will not brandish the proper noun in English language, just solely in Ukrainian, so it will help to know what sign to look for when trying to catch a marshrutska or train!

27. Use Google Maps to program your journey inside a urban center! While the fourth dimension might non exist as accurate, Google Maps will almost always exist able to tell yous which metro line or double-decker line to take, oftentimes even giving an estimation of the price.

28. However, not all info is on Google Maps. While we had no problem finding bus schedules and metro schedules within cities on Google Maps, buses between cities would not pop up. For example, when nosotros went to the Tunnel of Beloved from Rivne, we would just have to become to the bus station to find a marshrutska, the schedule and prices were not available on Google Maps.

29. Sometimes you pay when you exit the bus, sometimes when y'all enter. Taking marshrutkas in Ukraine can exist quite confusing,  as we never knew when nosotros had to pay. Sometimes we had to pay when we left the coach, sometimes when we entered, in the end nosotros always just looked at what our fellow passengers did, and just did the same. If anyone knows what the gilt rule is be sure to share it with us in the comment section down below!

thirty. You might have to pay extra for luggage. If you are taking public send and behave a suitcase or bigger backpack with y'all, don't exist surprised when yous accept to pay extra for baggage. We had to pay extra in the tram in Lviv and when we took a bus to Moldova.

31. Taking the bus? Await a bumpy ride. While the roads within the urban center are frequently of pretty good quality, don't look the same out of the city. We saw our commuter driving left, right, left, just to avoid the potholes in the route. It sure is an adventure taking a marshrutka in Ukraine!

32. Don't similar public transport? Don't worry, Uber is available in the larger and more touristic cities! Nosotros took Ubers in Lviv, Kiev and Odessa, and our rides were ever betwixt 2 – 5$, a perfectly affordable option for those who are traveling with big luggage, or perhaps a larger group of people.

The bus station in Rivne filled with marshrutkas going to nearby cities

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Sightseeing in Ukraine

33. Visit some of Ukraine'southward most cute cities. Ukraine is filled with the most beautiful cities, from the cute capital of Kiev to the pearl of the black sea Odessa, Ukraine truly has it all. Stunning architecture, delicious drinks and coffee and so much more!

34. Even so, y'all might want to go a bit beyond the touristic destinations. While Lviv, Kiev and Odessa are some of our favourite destinations in Ukraine, there is actually so much more to run into and to do. With the little time nosotros had we decided to explore the city of Rivne and Kharkiv as well, twi cities that many tourist leave of their itinerary, which is a shame as it truly has so much to offering!

35. Ukraine is filled with the near cute compages, including the most stunning orthodox churches. You will encounter them everywhere, the beautiful golden domes and the nigh colourful churches and cathedrals, even if you are not a fan of religious sights you might desire to reconsider visiting some of Ukraine's near cute cathedrals!

36. But exist certain to be respectful when entering them and to apparel accordingly. No shorts, no tank tops or stringers, no short skirts, just make sure your knees and shoulders are covered basically, which applies to both genders. In almost all orthodox churches and cathedrals it is also mandatory for women to cover their hair with a caput scarf, and in some (less touristic) destinations we even saw women putting a brim over their pants which could frequently be borrowed on location. Some churches and cathedrals seem to be more than strict, so if you lot are not sure simply have a look at what everybody else around you is doing to be on the safe side!

37. Besides dressing respectfully, brand sure to be respectful once inside the orthodox cathedral or church building. There is a reason that there are no photos of the inside of the cathedrals in Ukraine, it was near never immune, and if it was allowed information technology was for a small fee, so leave your photographic camera off and but admire the beautiful architecture from the within!

38. Get up early on to avoid the crowds, only not also early on. As with any destination the best matter to do is to get up early on if y'all want to avoid the crowds (and the summer heat in our case). Nevertheless, exist aware that many sights don't open till 9 or 10am, especially in Kiev! From museums to cathedrals, we rarely institute annihilation opening earlier 9am.

Ukraine is filled with the most stunning churches, like this 1 in Kharkiv

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Food & Drinks in Ukraine

39. Don't drink the tap water. In general tap h2o in Ukraine is non safe to drink and so either find filtered water, drink bottled water or bring a reusable water bottle with a filter!

40. Dishes are often meat based, and are quite carb-heavy. The Ukrainian cuisine, in our opinion, is delicious, but can be a bit heavy. Expect a lot of starchy meals that include potatoes and meat, and while less then meat based dishes, vegetarian options were often available on the card!

41. Some of our favourite dishes in Ukraine included vareniki (dumplings stuffed with all sorts of things), deruny (potato pancakes), nalisniki (thin pancakes) and syrniki (a thick cottage cheese based sweet breakfast dish)!

42. Looking to consume on a budget? Try Puzata Hata. Yous can find Puzata Hata in almost every city, and information technology was i of our favourite places to eat. The dishes are served buffet style, yous but grab a tray and option and choose! Every bit there weren't any signs in English available information technology was sometimes a bit of a guessing game, but in the cease we were always happy with our choices. We often ended upwards paying around 4 – 6$ per person for a full tray of nutrient including veggies, a drinkable and some protein.

43. Honey coffee? You're in luck, Ukraine has an amazing coffee culture. In that location is no shortage of cafes and java stalls in Ukraine, yous will literally notice them every couple of hundred meters, something we absolutely loved virtually our time in Ukraine.

44. And last, but not least, relish the pastry and cakes. Every buffet, bakery and eating place seemed to take a big pick of desserts bachelor, including the near delicious pastry and cakes. Our personal favourite was the cheesecake, which we seemed to notice on almost every menu (lucky u.s.!).

The city food market place in Odessa, a great place to go for a bite to eat

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Ukraine Travel Tips

And there y'all take it, everything you need to know earlier you go to Ukraine. From transport tips to tips on nutrient & drinks in Ukraine, nosotros have tried to listing everything we could possibly recollect of that you must know earlier traveling to Ukraine so you lot tin savor your travels completely stress free. Have you lot been to Ukraine as well? Any tips that should be on this list? Be sure to tell u.s.a. in the comments down below!

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Source: https://www.omnivagant.com/ukraine-know-before-you-go/

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