UK, EU, Swiss & US citizens no longer need
a visa for stays of up to 90 days. This visa-free
arrangement was introduced in 2005, but has been
extended indefinitely. To check this, see the
Ukrainian embassy website ay
www.ukremb.org.uk.
Page last
updated:
10 November 2009. Train times valid
from 13 December 2009 to June 2010.
Travel to Ukraine by train...
Above: Kiev, Ukraine
It's easy to travel by train from
London to Ukraine. It's also safe, comfortable, affordable and
best of all it's an adventure, unlike yet another flight. Eurostar and German Railways link London
with Berlin, then there are daily sleeper trains from Berlin
& Warsaw to Kiev. There are even direct sleeping-cars several times
each
week from Berlin to Odessa & Simferopol in the Crimea. This page will tell you
train times, approximate fares and how to buy tickets.
It's safe & easy
to travel from London to Kyïv (Kyïv in Ukrainian, Kiev in
Russian) by train, using Eurostar to Brussels, Thalys to
Cologne, the 'Jan Kiepura' sleeper train overnight to Warsaw,
then the 'Kiev Express' overnight from Warsaw to Kyïv. Or
take Eurostar to Paris, the City Night Line sleeper train
overnight to Berlin, then a direct Berlin-Kyïv sleeper train called the
'Kashtan'. The journey can be booked in the UK with one
phone call, and is an adventure in itself. Either way,
the journey takes 2 nights.
Train times
London ► Kyïv (option 1, via the Warsaw-Kiev
Express)
Day 1: Travel
from London to Brussels by
Eurostar.
On Mondays-Thursdays leave London St Pancras at 12:57 arriving Brussels
Midi at 16:03.
On Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays leave London St
Pancras at
14:34 arriving in
Brussels at 17:33.
Day 1: Travel from Brussels to
Cologne by high-speed train. On Mondays to
Thursdays leave Brussels
Midi at
16:28 by Thalys
train arriving in Cologne at 18:15. On
Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays leave Brussels by ICE
train at 18:25, arriving Cologne at 20:15.
You've
time for a meal in Cologne.
Day 1:
Travel from Cologne to Warsaw overnight on the 'Jan Kiepura'
EuroNight sleeper train, leaving Cologne at 22:28 and arriving
at Warsaw
Centralna
at 10:35 next morning. The Jan Kiepura has modern
air-conditioned Polish
sleeping-cars (1 & 2-bed deluxe rooms with private toilet
& shower plus TV/DVD player, 1, 2 & 3-berth standard rooms
with washbasin, hot shower at end of the corridor, CCTV
security, highly recommended),
couchettes (basic sleeping accommodation in 4-berth & 6-berth
compartments) & reclining seats (not recommended). The sleeper fare
includes complimentary toiletries pack and morning tea or
coffee and croissant. There's no restaurant car in the
evening, so take you own picnic
and bottle of wine aboard, but a restaurant car is attached
for breakfast. Spend most of the day exploring Warsaw.
Day 2: Travel
from Warsaw to Kyïv on the 'Kiev
Express' leaving Warsaw Centralna
at 16:45 and arriving in Kyïv at 10:58 next morning (day 3
from London).
The 'Kiev Express' has a Polish sleeping-car with 1st
class 2-berth compartments with washbasin, and several
Ukrainian 2nd class sleeping-cars with 4-berth compartments. There is
a buffet car serving tea, coffee, beer and snacks, but
it's always a good idea to take your own supplies of food,
water and wine or beer. Late at night, the train is shunted into the gauge-changing shed at Yagodin (the Ukrainian frontier point) and jacked up to
have its wheels changed from standard European (4'
8½") gauge to Russian 5' gauge. You remain on
board while this is done.
Train times
London ► Kyïv (option 2, via the Berlin-Kiev Kashtan)
This option only takes
a bit longer, involves fewer changes of train, gives
you a full day in Berlin, and can sometimes be easier to book
because UK agencies such as DB's UK office can easily make you
a sleeper reservation from Berlin to Kiev, but sometimes have difficulty booking the Warsaw-Kiev
train.
Day 1: Travel from
London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving
London St Pancras at 16:02 (15:32 at weekends), arriving Paris Gare du Nord at
19:17 (18:47 at weekends).
It's a
10 minute walk
from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est. By
all means take an earlier Eurostar if you'd like to spend
some time in Paris, or if it has cheaper seats available.
Travel from Paris to Berlin
by the City Night Line sleeper train 'Perseus', leaving
Paris Gare de l'Est at 20:20 and arriving at Berlin Hauptbahnhof
at 08:59 next
morning. This train runs daily in summer, but only 4
times a week in winter. It runs on Mondays, Fridays,
Saturdays & Sundays until 25 March 2010, then daily for the
summer until 28 October 2010, then on Mondays, Fridays,
Saturdays & Sundays again until March 2011. The 'Perseus' has sleepers
(1, 2 & 3 berth with washbasin or deluxe with shower &
toilet), 4-berth & 6-berth couchettes, seats
and a bistro car,
see the photos & information below,
or click for more pictures
& information about this train. Spend some
time exploring Berlin.
Day 2: Travel from
Berlin to Kiev on the 'Kashtan', leaving Berlin
Hauptbahnhof at 15:15
daily, travelling across Germany and Poland and arriving in Kyïv at
16:48 next day (day 3 from London). The Kashtan has comfortable Ukrainian
2 & 3-berth sleeper compartments with washbasin. A Ukrainian
buffet car is attached to the train
between Kovel (just beyond the Ukrainian frontier) and
Kyïv, serving snacks and drinks, but it's always wise to
take your own supplies of food, water and wine or beer.
The train is shunted into the gauge-changing shed at Yagodin
(the Ukrainian frontier point, reached at 06:08)
and jacked up to have its wheels changed from standard
European (4' 8½") gauge to Russian 5' gauge. You
remain on board while this is done.
Introducing the Paris-Berlin City Night Line
sleeper train...
The Paris-Berlin
overnight train is one of the
German Railway's excellent 'City Night Line' sleeper trains. It
has brand-new sleeping-cars
(1, 2 & 3-berth deluxe rooms with private shower &
toilet, 1, 2 &
3-berth standard rooms with washbasin, shower at
the end of the corridor, all rooms with power points for
mobiles & laptop computers),
modern air-conditioned couchettes (choose between a berth in
a 4- or 6-berth compartment), ordinary seats (not
recommended, as a couchette is far better) and a bistro-restaurant
car. Inclusive fares are charged covering
travel plus sleeping accommodation. The
sleeping-car fare includes a light breakfast in the
restaurant car.
Click for more pictures and information about this train.
1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper: The most comfortable &
civilised option, with proper beds & washbasin.
4-berth couchettes: Ideal for families,
much more space per person than 6-berth couchettes.
6-berth couchettes: A very economical
option, far better than a seat for just a few euros
more...
Bistro-bar car:
The bistro
car serves meals, snacks & drinks in the evening,
breakfast in the morning.
Introducing the
Jan Kiepura sleeper train from Cologne to Warsaw...
1, 2 or 3
bed sleepers: The EuroNight 'Jan Kiepura'
has two modern air-conditioned Polish sleeping-cars,
with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments, either deluxe with shower & toilet or standard with washbasin...
3-bed sleeper with beds
folded out... Photo courtesy of Tobias Köhler.
3-bed sleeper with beds
folded away. Photo courtesy of Tobias Köhler
4-berth couchettes: Ideal for families.
Much more space per person than 6-berth couchettes.
6-berth couchettes: A very economical
option, far better than a seat for just a few euros
more...
Above: The
Jan Kiepura also has two couchette cars, with 4 & 6
berth compartments. There are toilets &
washrooms at the end of the corridor...
Introducing the Kiev Express
fromWarsaw to Kiev & the Kashtan from Berlin to
Kiev...
The 'Kiev Express' from Warsaw to Kyïv. Nearest
the camera is a Ukrainian sleeper (one of seven) with
2nd class 4-berth compartments. Behind it is the
Polish sleeping-car with 1st class 2-berth compartments.
Above: A 2nd class 4-berth sleeper on the 'Kiev
Express'.
The 'Kashtan':
A modernised Ukrainian sleeping-car with 2- & 3-bed
compartments on the Berlin-Kiev 'Kashtan'.
Train times Kyïv
► London (option 1, via the Kiev-Warsaw Express)
Day 1: Travel from
Kyïv to Warsaw on the 'Kiev Express' leaving
Kyïv daily at 15:31 and arriving at Warsaw Centralna at
08:20 next morning (day 2). Sleeping cars (2-berth 1st class
& 4-berth 2nd class) and a buffet car
are available.
Day 2: Travel
from Warsaw to Cologne on the 'Jan Kiepura' sleeper
train,
leaving Warsaw Centralna at 17:55,
arriving in Cologne at 06:14 next morning. The Jan
Kiepura has modern
sleeping-cars (1, 2, & 3-bed standard
rooms with washbasin, 1 & 2-bed deluxe rooms with
private shower & toilet, highly recommended),
couchettes
(basic sleeping accommodation in 4-berth & 6-berth
compartments) and reclining seats (not
recommended). There's a restaurant car in the
evening for dinner, with waiter-served meals at
affordable prices, alternatively feel free to take you own picnic
and bottle of wine aboard!
Day 3: Travel from
Cologne to Brussels by high-speed
Thalys
train, leaving Cologne daily at 07:45, arriving
Brussels Midi at
09:32.
Day 3: A
Eurostar
leaves Brussels
Midi daily at 11:29
and arrives London St Pancras at 12:33.
Train times Kyïv
► London (option 2, via the Kiev-Berlin Kashtan)
Day 1: Travel
from Kyïv direct to Berlin on the 'Kashtan', leaving Kyïv daily at
09:24 and arriving Berlin Hauptbahnhof at 09:00 next
day. The Kashtan has modernised Ukrainian
sleeping cars with 2 & 3-berth compartments with
washbasin, and there is a buffet car between Kyïv and
Kovel.
Day 2: On Mondays-Fridays
or Sundays, you can travel
from Berlin to London by day, leaving Berlin Hauptbahnhof at
10:40, changing at Cologne & Brussels to arrive
back in London the same day at 19:56 (no Eurostar
connection on Saturdays). Or spend the day in Berlin
and take the sleeper to Paris then a Eurostar home,
see the London
to Germany page for details of all option between
Berlin & London.
How much does it
cost?
Each train is
ticketed separately, so add up the price for each leg of the
journey:
You can't book trains to Kiev online, so the easiest way to buy tickets is to click the button below (or
click here).
A booking form will appear which lists
all the
specific trains you
need to book. Fill in the form & email it to
sales@europeanrail.com. European Rail will make
the reservations and call you back to confirm the cost.
Assuming you're okay with the cost, you
can give them your credit card details & they'll
send you the tickets. European Rail is an experienced
agency whose staff are used to making more exotic bookings
like this. They are equipped with the German Railways
reservation & ticketing system, so have access to all the
cheap Saver fares for travel via Germany. They charge a £35
booking fee which includes postage to any UK address, or
they can send to any address worldwide if you pay the
courier fee. Seat61 gets some commission if you buy
tickets using this form. You will have to book the first leg of your return
journey when you get to Ukraine, because trains originating
in Ukraine cannot be booked from the UK. But you can
still pre-book the remainder of the return journey, and
benefit from a Saver return fare for the basic travel ticket.
Alternatively, you can book westbound train tickets from
Ukraine back to western Europe using the
Real Russia online system here. Remember that you
can't book until 60 days before departure.
How to buy
tickets, the full story...
You need to buy
tickets by phone or using the booking form above, as you cannot book this journey online.
Remember that reservations open 60 days in advance and you
can't book until reservations open! The best agencies to
call for this trip are:
www.europeanrail.com
on 020 7619 1083, lines open 08:30-18:00
Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday. You can
use this special booking form, just email it to
sales@europeanrail.com (Seat61 gets some
commission if you buy tickets using this form).
European Rail is an experienced London-based booking agency
equipped with the German Railways reservation system and
whose staff are familiar with bookings like this. When
they get your form, they will make all the reservations and call you
back to confirm the price and take your credit card details.
There's a £35 booking fee per transaction.
From overseas
call +44 20 7619 1083, tickets can be sent outside the UK if
necessary.
Deutsche
Bahn's UK office on
08718 80 80 66, lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday,
09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday.
Prices are the same as those charged by European Rail, though
an advantage is that DB don't charge a booking fee,
just a 2% fee for credit cards. However, their staff aren't
always as familiar with more exotic bookings like this, so
make sure you are clear about exactly which trains you want to
book before calling.
All the outward reservations from London to Kiev can easily be
booked from the UK. However, for the return journey, the
sleeper reservation from Kiev back to Warsaw or Berlin may be
more difficult to obtain from outside the Ukraine.
Deutsche Bahn sometimes hold a small allocation of berths for
the return Kiev-Warsaw/Berlin journey on their computer, but
not always. If they are unable to book this part of the
return journey for you, simply ask them to book the section
from Warsaw or Berlin back to London and (if you like) sell
you an open ticket for the Kiev to Warsaw or Berlin section.
You can easily book the return leg at the reservations office
when you reach Kyïv. Alternatively, you can book
westbound train tickets from Ukraine back to western Europe
using the Real
Russia online system here.
If
Krakow has become the new Prague, then Lviv is the new
Krakow... Lviv (spelt Lviv in Ukrainian, Lvov in
Russian) is a beautiful city that escaped most of
the ravages of world war 2. For accommodation in Lviv,
whether your budget is 1 star or 5 star, check out the faded
grandeur of the excellent and historic George
Hotel. This is the place to stay in Lviv, from
just US$27 per night.
The quickest and
easiest route from the UK to Lviv is via Krakow, using a new
daily Krakow-Lviv sleeper train. Why not stop off in
Krakow and see two great cities this way? Train times
via Prague are also shown below, although you arrive in Lviv
late at night this way. Why not go out one way and back
the other? There are direct trains from Vienna to Lviv
too, also shown here.
Train times
London ► Lviv (via Krakow)
This is probably
the quickest and easiest route, with good connections from
London...
Travel
from London to Krakow as shown on the London
to Poland page. If you take the 16:02 Eurostar to
Paris, the City Night Line sleeper train from Paris to
Berlin and the EuroCity train 'Wawel' from Berlin to
Krakow, you can connect with the train from Krakow to Lviv
the same evening. But why not stop off for a day in
Krakow?
A direct
overnight train called the 'Georgij Kirpa' with modern sleeping-cars with
comfortable 1, 2, &
3-bed compartments (some with private shower & toilet) leaves Krakow
on Wed, Fri & Sun at
21:15 and arrives Lviv at 04:47 next day. There's
also a slower daily train leaving Krakow at 13:40 and
arriving at Lviv at 23:46 the same day.
Train times Lviv
► London (via Krakow)
Travel
from Lviv to Krakow overnight by direct train, the 'Georgij Kirpa', leaving Lviv
on Wed, Fri & Sun at 08:35 and arriving Krakow at 14:10
the same day. There's also a slower daily train
leaving Lviv at 07:18 arriving Krakow 15:38.
Travel
from Krakow back to London using any of the options shown on the
London
to Poland page. The best connection (if you're not
stopping off in Krakow) is to take the morning EuroCity
train 'Wawel') from Krakow to Berlin, the City Night Line
sleeper train from Berlin to Paris and a late morning
Eurostar back to London.
A direct Ukrainian sleeping-car with
comfortable 1, 2, &
3-bed compartments leaves Prague Hlavni station daily at
21:32 and arrives Lviv the next day (24+ hours later) at
23:46. This is a late hour to arrive, but just let
the George
Hotel know you'll be arriving late!
Train times Lviv
► London (via Prague)
Travel
from Lviv to Prague by direct sleeping-car, leaving Lviv
at 07:18 and arriving Prague Hlavni station at 06:51 next day (24 hours later). The sleeper has 1, 2, & 3
bed rooms with washbasin.
Train times
London ► Lviv (via Vienna & Bratislava)
Travel from London to
Bratislava using any of the options shown on the
London
to Slovakia page.
A direct
Ukrainian sleeping-car with comfortable 1, 2, & 3-bed
compartments leaves Bratislava daily
at 14:10 and arrives Lviv the next day at 10:30.
Train times Lviv
► London (via Bratislava & Vienna)
Travel
from Lviv to Bratislava by direct sleeping-car, leaving Lviv
at 10:01 and arriving Bratislava at 05:33 the
next day. The sleeper has comfortable, carpeted 1 2
& 3 bed rooms with washbasin.
Travel
from Bratislava back to London using any of the options shown on the
London
to Slovakia page.
Krakow to
Lviv costs £40 one-way with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper,
£53 one-way with bed in a 2-bed sleeper, or £84 one-way
with bed in a 2-bed sleeper with private shower & toilet,
if you book in the UK. Bought locally at the station in Krakow, Krakow-Lviv is
costs around 35 euros including a bed in a 3-bed sleeper (20 euros
fare + 15 euros for a berth in a 3-berth sleeper, about 155
Polish zlotys in total in local currency).
Prague to Lviv costs £99
one-way with bed in a 3-bed sleeper, £111 one-way with bed in
a 2-bed sleeper, if you book it in the UK.
However, you
cannot book the sleeper from Krakow/Prague/Bratislava to Lviv
online. This can be booked by calling either
Deutsche Bahn's UK telesales office
on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00
Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday), or www.europeanrail.com
on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 08:30-18:00 Monday-Friday,
£35 booking fee, but their staff are more familiar with
booking more exotic journeys like this).
You probably
won't succeed in booking the inwards Lviv to
Krakow/Prague/Bratislava sleeper outside of Ukraine, although by
all means ask. So for a return journey, simply book the
whole outward journey from London to Lviv, plus the
Krakow/Prague/Bratislava to London part of the return journey, and
simply buy the Lviv to Krakow/Prague/Bratislava ticket at the
station when you reach Lviv. This really isn't
difficult.
How to buy
tickets by phone...
You can book all
the trains from London to Lviv via either Krakow, Prague or
Bratislava by calling either Deutsche Bahn's UK telesales office
on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00
Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday), or www.europeanrail.com
on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 08:30-18:00 Monday-Friday,
09:00-13:00 Saturday, £35 booking fee, but their staff are more familiar with
booking more exotic journeys like this). Before calling,
I suggest writing a clear list of exactly which specific
trains on which dates you want to book.
You probably
won't succeed in booking the inwards Lviv to
Krakow/Prague/Bratislava sleeper outside of Ukraine, although by
all means ask. So for a return journey, simply book the
whole outward journey from London to Lviv, plus the
Krakow/Prague/Bratislava to London part of the return journey, and
simply buy the Lviv to Krakow/Prague/Bratislava ticket at the
station when you reach Lviv. This really isn't
difficult.
Believe
it or not, you can travel safely and comfortably from London to Odessa on
the Black Sea or Simferopol in the Crimea with just two changes, in
Paris and Berlin.
Train times
London ► Odessa / Simferopol / Crimea
Choose a train
service from London to Berlin using the London
to Germany page. The 16:02 Eurostar (15:32 at
weekends) plus the
Paris-Berlin overnight sleeper is the best option and it
gives you a morning in Berlin.
For Odessa,
a direct Ukrainian sleeping-car with comfortable 2 & 3-berth compartments leaves Berlin Hauptbahnhof
at 15:15 on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays & Fridays, arriving Odessa at 05:41
two nights later.
For
Simferopol, a direct Ukrainian sleeping-car with comfortable 2 & 3-berth
compartments leaves Berlin Hauptbahnhof at 15:15 on
Tuesdays & Saturdays, arriving Simferopol two
nights later at 08:50.
Train times
Odessa / Simferopol / Crimea ► London
From Odessa:
A direct Ukrainian sleeping-car with comfortable 2 & 3-berth
compartments leaves Odessa at 22:57 on Mondays, Tuesdays,
Wednesdays & Saturdays, arriving in Berlin
Hauptbahnhof two nights later at
09:00.
From
Simferopol: A direct Ukrainian sleeping-car with
comfortable 2 & 3-berth compartments leaves Simferopol
on Thursdays & Sundays at 15:37 arriving Berlin
Hauptbahnhof two nights
later at 09:00.
Travel back to London
using any Berlin-London
service shown on the London to Germany
page. Allow at least 90 minutes for any connections
in Berlin. For example, the 10:40 from Berlin, change at
Cologne and Brussels, will get you back to London at 19:03 the
same day.
Passengers for Odessa or the Crimea can also travel daily with
a change of trains in Kyïv, see the 'London to Kyïv' section
above plus the Train travel in Ukraine
page for
information on how to find train times, fares and how to book.
Above:
The Berlin to Odessa sleeping-car has just arrived in Odessa,
attached to a Moscow-Odessa express. Note the
difference in roof profile between cars built for
use purely in Russia / Ukraine and the sleeper from
Berlin, built for travel into Western Europe...
Above: Your
home-from-home. Carpet,
curtains & varnished wood in the corridor of the
Berlin-Odessa sleeper...
How much does it
cost?
See the section
above for London-Berlin fares.
Fares
Berlin to
Odessa:
£132 one-way, £182 Saver return* with bed in 3-berth
sleeper.
£178 one-way,
£255 Saver return* with bed in 2-berth sleeper.
For 2 people
travelling together: £142 Saver return* in 3-berth, £216
Saver return* in 2-berth (per person).
* = Doesn't
include the 23/42 euro sleeper supplement for the return
leg, as this must be booked in Odessa.
Berlin
to Simferopol:
£168 one-way, £293 Saver return* with bed in 3-berth
sleeper.
For 2 people
travelling together, £253 Saver return* in 3-berth
sleeper, per person.
* = Doesn't
include the 29 euro sleeper supplement for the return
leg, as this must be booked in Simferopol.
It may not be
possible to book 2-berth sleepers on this route,
although by all mans ask.
You can't book trains to Ukraine online, so the easiest way
to buy tickets is to click the button below (or
click here).
A booking form will appear which lists
all the
specific trains you
need to book. Fill in the form & email it to
sales@europeanrail.com. European Rail will make
the reservations and call you back to confirm the cost.
If you're okay with the cost, you
can give them your credit card details & they'll
send you the tickets. European Rail is an experienced
agency whose staff are used to making more exotic bookings
like this. They are equipped with the German Railways
reservation & ticketing system, so have access to all the
cheap Saver fares for travel via Germany. They charge a £35
booking fee which includes postage to any UK address, or
they can send to any address worldwide if you pay the
courier fee. Seat61 gets some commission if you buy
tickets using this form. You will have to book the first leg of your return
journey when you get to Ukraine, because trains originating
in Ukraine cannot be booked from the UK. But you can
still pre-book the remainder of the return journey, and
benefit from a Saver return fare for the basic travel ticket.
Alternatively, you can book westbound train tickets from
Ukraine back to western Europe using the
Real Russia online system here. Remember that you
can't book until 60 days before departure.
How to buy
tickets, the full story...
You need to buy
tickets by phone or using the booking form above, as you cannot book this journey online.
Remember that reservations open 60 days in advance and you
can't book until reservations open! The best agencies to
call for this trip are:
www.europeanrail.com
on 020 7619 1083, lines open 08:30-18:00
Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday. You can
use this special booking form, just email it to
sales@europeanrail.com (Seat61 gets some
commission if you buy tickets using this form).
European Rail is an experienced London-based booking agency
equipped with the German Railways reservation system and
whose staff are familiar with bookings like this. When
they get your form, they will make all the reservations and call you
back to confirm the price and take your credit card details.
There's a £35 booking fee per transaction.
From overseas
call +44 20 7619 1083, tickets can be sent outside the UK if
necessary.
Deutsche
Bahn's UK office on
08718 80 80 66, lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday,
09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday.
Prices are the same as those charged by European Rail, though
an advantage is that DB don't charge a booking fee,
just a 2% fee for credit cards. However, their staff aren't
always as familiar with more exotic bookings like this, so
make sure you are clear about exactly which trains you want to
book before calling.
All the outward reservations from London to
Odessa or Simferopol can easily be
booked from the UK. However, for the return journey, the
sleeper reservation from Odessa or Simferopol back to Berlin may be
more difficult to obtain from outside the Ukraine.
If they are unable to book this part of the
return journey, simply ask the agency to book the section
from Berlin back to London and (if you like) sell
you an open ticket for the Odessa or Simferopol to Berlin section.
You can easily book the return leg at the reservations office
when you reach Ukraine. Alternatively, you can book
westbound train tickets from Ukraine back to western Europe
using the Real
Russia online system here.
Yalta, Sevastopol &
Balaclava...
Sevastopol
is a naval base which was closed to foreigners until 1996. A
pleasant and interesting town, it can be reached by regular local train from
Simferopol, as well as long distance ones from Kiev and
Moscow. The local trains stop at Bachchysaray, where you
can visit the palace of the Tartar Khans who ruled the Crimea
until the 16th century. Approaching Sevastopol, the
trains meander through the hills at the site of the Battle of Inkerman (Crimean war, 1854).
Yalta, the seaside resort and site of the 1945 Yalta conference,
can be reached by scenic trolleybus ride across the mountain
range from Simferopol - the longest trolleybus service in the
world. See the
train travel in Ukraine page
for more information.
Balaclava & The charge of the
Light Brigade, 1854 - Balaclava and the site of the famous
'Charge of the Light Brigade can be reached by bus or taxi
from Sebastopol. See the
train travel in Ukraine page for more information.
What tickets
can this system sell? This system can sell
tickets for any mainline train journey within
Russia, Ukraine, Latvia, Estonia, Belarus,
Lithuania, Kazakhstan and the other ex-Soviet
states. It will also sell tickets for journeys
starting in those countries heading outwards, for
example Moscow to Berlin or St Petersburg to
Helsinki. Reservations officially open 45
days before departure, but Real Russia allow you to
request tickets up to 180 days ahead and they will
contact you for payment when the price is confirmed.
Can
anyone buy tickets using this system? Yes,
you can buy tickets online with a credit card
whether you live in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia,
or wherever.
How
are tickets delivered? Tickets can be
collected free of charge at Real Russia's offices in
Moscow or St Petersburg, or an e-ticket can be
emailed to you so you can collect the ticket from
most main stations in Russia (but not other
ex-Soviet states). Tickets can be sent to UK or
EU addresses for a £12-£15 extra charge, or couriered to
any address worldwide, also for an extra charge.
Who run this
service?Is it reliable? This
service is provided by Real Russia, a reputable
joint UK-Russian company which has got good reports
from users. Real Russia can also sort out your
Russian visa.
Booking tips: Look for a train marked 'Firm'
if there is one. 'Firmeny' trains are the best
'quality' trains, with modern coaches and good
on-board service. 'TBC' means the system
cannot provide a price for that particular train
automatically, but they'll contact you with a cost
by phone or email.
Is
it cheaper to buy at the ticket office?
Real Russia charge the normal Ukrainian Railways fare
plus a 15-23% mark-up to cover their costs (all
agencies charge a mark-up, in fact Real Russia is
one of the cheapest agencies).
There's a 2.5% charge for credit card payments,
but you can easily avoid this by calling their UK office
to pay by debit card when your tickets are
confirmed. The fares shown include the
mark-up, but not the credit card charge. By
all means buy tickets at the ticket office if you're
flexible, but trains can get fully-booked so it's
good to pre-book if you want a specific date and
train.
Find
a hotel
in Kiev, Lviv or elsewhere in Ukraine...
A good guidebook like the Lonely Planet or Rough Guides will
point you at some good hotels in each town or city when you
get there. Alternatively, you can pre-book hotels using
www.hotelscombined.com, just use the search box
below.
This is not a hotel booking website, but a free search tool
which checks all the main hotel booking sites for you (AsiaRooms,
Opodo, Expedia, Travelocity, LateRooms and many others) to
find the cheapest hotel rates on the net. Set up in
2005, it's an amazing system and probably the best place to
start for booking any hotel online in any country, worldwide.
The
Thomas Cook European timetable
has train & ferry times for every country in Europe plus currency
& climate
information. Published since 1873, it costs £13.99.
It's essential for any serious traveller
and an inspiration for armchair travellers. Still
not convinced you need one? More information
on what the Thomas Cook Timetable contains. You can
buy the latest monthly edition online at
www.thomascooktimetables.com with worldwide delivery or
buy it in person from any UK branch of Thomas Cook (ask at the
bureau de change), or from W H Smiths in Victoria or Kings
Cross stations in London.
Or
buy the twice-yearly independent traveller's edition with
laminated cover from Amazon.co.uk:
2009 edition (June to December 2009)
The Thomas Cook Rail Map of
Europe is the best and most comprehensive
map of train routes right across Europe, from Portugal in the
west to Istanbul, Moscow & Ukraine in the east, from Finland
in the north to Sicily & Crete in the south. High speed
&
scenic routes are highlighted. Highly recommended!
Buy online
at www.amazon.co.uk
(worldwide delivery).
See an extract from
the map.
My own book, an essential
handbook for train travel to Europe based on this website called "The
Man in Seat 61", was published in June 2008, and available
from Amazon.co.uk with shipping worldwide.
Travel insurance & health card...
Get travel insurance..
Never go abroad without travel insurance from a
reliable insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover. It should also cover loss of
cash (up to a limit) and belongings, and cancellation. An annual
multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip
policies even for just 2 or 3 trips
a year (I have an annual policy myself). Here are some suggested insurers.
Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these
links.
I've used
Direct Line myself and on one occasion, successfully
claimed back the cost of non-refundable Eurostar & trainhotel
tickets to Spain when we cancelled the trip because my mother
fell ill.
Feedback from
using insurance for rail & ferry travel is always welcome!
If you're a
UK citizen travelling in Europe, you should apply for a free
European Health Insurance Card, which entitles you to free or
reduced rate health care if you become ill or get injured in
many European countries, under a reciprocal arrangement with
the NHS. This replaced the old E111 forms
as from January 2006. The EHIC card is available from
www.ehic.org.uk. It doesn't remove the need for
travel insurance, though.
Get an international SIM card...
Mobile phones can cost a fortune to use abroad, but if you
buy a global SIM card for your mobile phone from a company
such as
www.Go-Sim.com you can slash the cost by up to 85%. It
cuts call costs in 175 countries worldwide,
and you can receive incoming calls and texts for free in 75 countries. It's pay-as-you-go, so no nasty bills
when you get home. It also allows cheap data access for laptops
& PDAs. A Go-Sim account and any credit on it doesn't
expire if it's not used between trips, unlike some
others, so a Go-Sim phone number becomes your 'global phone
number' for life.
If you live in the UK, get quotes from
If you live in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the
EU, see
If you live in the USA or Canada, see
