on the move

by Air

to Kyiv

There are two main airports in the capital of Ukraine, Boryspil International Airport and Zhuliany Airport.

Boryspil Airport is the largest and most modern airport in Ukraine, and deals with almost all the international air traffic to the city. The airport is located around 38 km (24 miles) from the centre of Kyiv (Kiev). It was considerably rebuilt in 2000. Zhuliany Airport operates mostly domestic flights, and is located 11 km or 7 miles from the centre of Kiev.

Ukraine has two main international airlines: Ukraine International Airlines (Міжнародні Авіалінії України - Mizhnarodni Avialiniyi Ukrayiny) and AeroSvit (АероСвіт). These airlines have daily flights to major European cities. There are scheduled flights to Boryspil airport made by the likes of Aeroflot, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Czech Airlines, Estonian Air, KLM, Lufthansa and others. Semi-budget and budget airlines flying to Kyiv include AirBaltic and Wizz Air.

Domestic flights at the Zhuliany Airport connect all the major cities of Ukraine, including Kharkiv, Lviv, Donetsk, Sevastopol, Odessa and others. Note that air fares for foreigners for domestic flights are more expensive than for Ukrainian citizens.

Boryspil Airport features all the usual services and conveniences of a modern international airport: currency exchange offices, car hire, ATMs, duty-free shops, post office, left luggage, drug store and restaurants.

For full details, check out their website. 

The best and cheapest way to get to city center from Boryspil airport is to use the buses. "POLIT" operates a regular bus service between the airport and Kiev city center which can be found near the exit from the largest terminal (terminal "B"). The buses leave every 30 minutes. The cost of the ticket is roughly 30 UAH (approximately 3 Euro), and tickets are sold by the driver of the bus. The bus takes you to the Central Railway Station.

You can also use a taxi, although be very wary of the taxi touts that operate outside the terminal. In order to get from Boryspil airport to any point of the city center you will need to pay between 200-400 hryvnas. Make sure that your journey is run on the meter.

to Lviv

Lviv (Lvov) has good connections to many countries thanks to the flights of such airlines as: Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, LOT, Wizzair, Turkish airlines, UTair, LOT, Aerosvit, Lviv Airlines, Ukraine International Airlines.

International destinations served by scheduled services include: Warsaw, Vienna, Rome, Naples, Moscow, Munich, Dortmund, Venice, Istanbul, Prague, while charter flights fly seasonally from the likes of Antalya, Split, Naples, Bologna, and Dalaman.

to Donetsk

It is possible to fly to Donetsk International Airport by Lufthansa, Utair, Austrian Airlines, and Turkish airlines among others. Direct flights to Donetsk (the airport code is DOK) are usually through Kyiv, Munich, Istanbul or Vienna. If you are heading here from elsewhere in Europe you will likely have to change at one of these hubs.

Located around 30 minutes from downtown, it is connected to the city centre through trolley-buses and taxis.

As you would expect from an international airport, the usual services (car hire, ATMs, shops, restaurants, banks etc) are available. For full details of what's on offer at the airport check out their website.

to Kharkiv

Kharkiv (Kharkov) International Airport is a new modern airport, which was reconstructed last year, and is served by both Ukranian and international airlines. Currently serving the airport: AeroSvit, Dniproavia, Donbassaero, UIA, UM Air Airlines, UTAir, Khors, Armavia, Austrian Airlines, Czech Airlines, Georgian Airways, Pegasus Airlines, Windrose.

Some useful links:

Boryspil International Airport

Ukraine International Airlines

AeroSvit (АероСвіт)

AirBaltic

Wizz Air

by bus

International carriage of passengers is performed by the company Ecolines.

by car

through Poland

The main route into Ukraine from Western Europe is via Poland - the only 24-hour customs post is in Lvivska Oblast at a place called Krakovets. The nearest significant town on the Polish side is Przemysl. When you arrive at the border, the road is fairly narrow (no motorway/autobahn), and there is always a queue of trucks and vans parked to the right of the road. If you're in an EU-registered car then find the EU-passports section.

Once through, just follow the main road towards Lviv (Львів) on the way E40 - this is the route to Kyiv and thence the east. The main towns on the way are Lviv, Rivne (Рівне), Zhytomyr (Житомир). It is required to be careful as in some places the road is in fairly bad condition, even though it is the main East/West highway and the main road route to and from the EU.

through Slovakia

You will need to buy a sticker to use the motorways. The border crossing Uzhgorod is usually busy and there are long waiting times. All cars are checked as there is no separate lane for EU cars.

through Hungary

You will need to buy a sticker to use the motorways too. The directions are well placed and easy to follow but going through Budapest can be lengthy. At the border in Chop there is efficient passport and customs control. You will need a valid passport and the technical passport of your car.

For up-to-date information and news visit the Traffic Ukraine website or call the hotline: +3(044)303-99-10.

The European Union Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine have collected all that is worth to know when entering Ukraine and Poland. Click here to read their leaflet.