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This page explains how to travel by train from Kyiv - Kyiv in Ukrainian, Kyiv in English or Russian - or Lviv to other European cities and how to buy tickets the cheapest way. Click here to buy tickets starting in another city. Information current for 2024.
Trains are running as shown below, although for obvious reasons travel to Ukraine is not generally advised, www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/ukraine.
Before you buy your tickets
Take a moment to read these tips for buying European train tickets. It answers all the usual questions, "Do I need to book in advance or can I buy at the station?", "Can I stop off?", "Are there Senior fares?" and that old favourite, "Should I buy an $800 railpass or a €35 point-to-point ticket?". How far ahead can you buy train tickets?
European train travel FAQ
Train travel within Ukraine
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Comfortable trains link most major towns & cities within Ukraine, see the Train Travel in Ukraine section.
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Fares are cheap by western standards: Kyiv to Lviv costs about 590 UAH in 1st class by IC+ train - about €18.
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You can book Ukrainian domestic trains online at Omio.com (easy to use, small booking fee) which has a direct connection to UZ's ticketing system, or you can use Ukrainian Railways own site booking.uz.gov.ua/en.
Tip: You may need to use a VPN set to a Ukrainian IP address to use booking.uz.gov.ua/en, at the time I write this UZ have restricted access to their website to Ukrainian IP addresses.
Trains between Kyiv & Lviv
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Intercity+ The best trains between Kyiv & Lviv are the two daily IC+ Intercity trains (trains 705, 706, 715, 716). These are air-conditioned electric trains built by Hyundai like the one shown below. Fare around 590 UAH in 1st class, about €18.
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Intercity: Next best is the daily IC Intercity train 749, this uses modernised classic sleeper cars in daytime mode, 4 people to a compartment in 1st class, 6 people in 2nd class.
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Sleeper trains: There are various time-effective sleeper trains, some heading off to other destinations, with 2-berth (lux), 4-berth (kupé) and open-plan bunks (platskartny). However, the best sleeper is train 91 (Kyiv-Lviv) & 92 (Lviv-Kyiv) which has 2-berth & 4-berth only, and runs only between Kyiv & Lviv.
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There are a motley assortment of other trains on their way to or from somewhere else, I'd ignore these unless other trains are fully-booked.
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Buy tickets at Omio.com (easy to use, in plain English, in multiple currencies, small booking fee) which connects to UZ's ticketing system, or you can use Ukrainian Railways own site booking.uz.gov.ua/en.
Tip: You may need to use a VPN set to a Ukrainian IP address to use booking.uz.gov.ua/en, at the time I write this UZ have restricted access to their website to Ukrainian IP addresses.
Kyiv or Lviv to London
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See the UK to Ukraine page, this covers travel in both directions. Service still running in spite of the war.
Kyiv or Lviv to Paris
These routes are still running in spite of the war.
Option 1, Kyiv or Lviv to Paris using the Kyiv-Vienna & Vienna-Paris sleepers
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Step 1, travel from Kyiv or Lviv to Vienna by daily direct sleeping-car as shown below.
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Step 2, travel from Vienna to Paris by Nightjet sleeper train 3 times a week, as shown here.
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You leave Kyiv at lunchtime on Day 1, arriving Vienna Hbf late morning Day 2. Have some free time in Vienna. Leave Vienna Hbf in the evening of day 2, arriving Paris Gare de l'Est in the morning of Day 3.
Option 2, Kyiv to Paris using the Kyiv-Warsaw sleeper
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Step 1, travel from Kyiv to Warsaw Centralna overnight by Kyiv Express sleeper train as shown here.
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Step 2, travel from Warsaw Centralna to Berlin Hbf by EuroCity train, leaving Warsaw Centralna at 12:45 and arriving Berlin Hbf at 18:06.
See timetable, photos & travel tips for Warsaw-Berlin trains here.
Book this at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets.
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Stay overnight in Berlin. Top choice here is the InterCity Hotel Berlin Hbf (my favourite), only 200m from Berlin Hbf's main entrance, relatively inexpensive with great reviews, or if you're in the money, the excellent 5-star Steigenberger Hotel just outside the station. If you're on a budget, the cheaper 3-star Motel One Berlin-Hbf is behind the station or use www.hostelworld.com. Of course, if you really want to push the boat out, the famous Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin is next to the Brandenburg Gate just 17 minutes walk away.
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Step 3, travel from Berlin to Paris on high-speed trains from €39.90, booked at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Tip: I'd change Transfer time from normal to 30 minutes when booking Berlin-Paris.
More about trains from Berlin to Paris here. You leave Kyiv in the evening of day 1 and arrive Paris Gare de l'Est in the afternoon on day 3.
Kyiv or Lviv to Brussels
These routes are still running in spite of the war.
Option 1, Kyiv or Lviv to Brussels using the Kyiv-Vienna & Vienna-Brussels sleepers
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Step 1, travel from Kyiv or Lviv to Vienna by daily direct sleeping-car as shown below.
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Step 2, travel from Vienna to Brussels by Nightjet sleeper train 3 times a week, as shown here.
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You leave Kyiv at lunchtime on Day 1, arriving Vienna Hbf late morning Day 2. Have some free time in Vienna. Leave Vienna Hbf in the evening of day 2, arriving Brussels Midi in the morning of Day 3.
Option 2, Kyiv to Brussels using the Kyiv-Warsaw sleeper
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Step 1, travel from Kyiv to Warsaw Centralna overnight by Kyiv Express sleeper train as shown here. Book this as shown.
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Step 2, travel from Warsaw Centralna to Berlin Hbf by EuroCity train, leaving Warsaw Centralna at 12:45 and arriving Berlin Hbf at 18:06.
This comfortable air-conditioned EuroCity train has a restaurant car serving meals, snacks, beer & wine. See timetable & tips for Warsaw-Berlin trains.
Fares start at €27.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book Warsaw to Berlin at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens 60 days ahead. You print your own ticket or show it on your phone.
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Stay overnight in Berlin. Top choice here is the InterCity Hotel Berlin Hbf (my favourite), only 200m from Berlin Hbf's main entrance, relatively inexpensive with great reviews, or if you're in the money, the excellent 5-star Steigenberger Hotel just outside the station. If you're on a budget, the cheaper 3-star Motel One Berlin-Hbf is behind the station or use www.hostelworld.com. Of course, if you really want to push the boat out, the famous Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin is next to the Brandenburg Gate just 17 minutes walk away.
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Step 3, travel from Berlin Hbf to Brussels Midi by ICE train in around 6h50 with 1 easy change at Cologne Hbf, on any departure you like.
Fares start at €37.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Check times and book from Berlin to Brussels at int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or show it on your phone.
You leave Kyiv in the evening of day 1 and arrive Brussels Midi at lunchtime on day 3.
Kyiv or Lviv to Amsterdam
These routes are still running in spite of the war.
Option 1, Kyiv or Lviv to Amsterdam using the Kyiv-Vienna & Vienna-Amsterdam sleepers
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Step 1, travel from Kyiv or Lviv to Vienna by daily direct sleeping-car as shown below.
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Step 2, travel from Vienna to Amsterdam by Nightjet sleeper train every day, as shown here.
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You leave Kyiv at lunchtime on Day 1, arriving Vienna Hbf late morning Day 2. Have some free time in Vienna. Leave Vienna Hbf in the evening of day 2, arriving Amsterdam Centraal in the morning of Day 3.
Option 2, Kyiv to Amsterdam using the Kyiv-Warsaw sleeper
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Step 1, travel from Kyiv to Warsaw Centralna overnight by Kyiv Express sleeper train as shown here. Book this as shown.
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Step 2, travel from Warsaw Centralna to Berlin Hbf by EuroCity train, leaving Warsaw Centralna at 12:45 and arriving Berlin Hbf at 18:06.
This comfortable EuroCity train has a restaurant car serving meals, beer & wine. See timetable & tips for Warsaw-Berlin trains.
Fares start at €27.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book Warsaw to Berlin at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens 60 days ahead. You print your own ticket or show it on your phone.
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Stay overnight in Berlin. Top choice here is the InterCity Hotel Berlin Hbf (my favourite), only 200m from Berlin Hbf's main entrance, relatively inexpensive with great reviews, or if you're in the money, the excellent 5-star Steigenberger Hotel just outside the station. If you're on a budget, the cheaper 3-star Motel One Berlin-Hbf is behind the station or use www.hostelworld.com. Of course, if you really want to push the boat out, the famous Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin is next to the Brandenburg Gate just 17 minutes walk away.
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Step 3, travel from Berlin to Amsterdam by Intercity train on any departure you like, see the Berlin-Amsterdam timetable.
Fares start at €37.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or show it on your phone.
You leave Kyiv in the evening of day 1 and arrive Amsterdam Centraal at lunchtime on day 3.
Kyiv or Lviv to Luxembourg
These routes are still running in spite of the war.
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Step 1, travel from Kyiv or Lviv to Vienna by daily direct sleeping-car as shown below.
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Step 2, travel from Vienna to Luxembourg using the Vienna-Cologne Nightjet sleeper train, as shown here.
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You leave Kyiv at lunchtime on Day 1, arriving Vienna Hbf late morning Day 2. Have some free time in Vienna. Leave Vienna Hbf in the evening of day 2, arriving Luxembourg late morning on Day 3.
Kyiv or Lviv to Zurich & Switzerland
This route is still running in spite of the war.
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Step 1, take the direct sleeping-car from Kyiv or Lviv to Vienna as shown here. Book this as shown.
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Step 2, take the 13:28 railjet train from Vienna to Zurich via the scenic Arlberg Pass, arriving in the evening.
Fares start at €29.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, a bit more fiddly, same prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.
Kyiv or Lviv to Venice, Milan, Florence, Rome & Italy
This route is still running in spite of the war.
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Step 1, take the direct sleeping-car from Kyiv or Lviv to Vienna as shown here. Book this as shown.
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Step 2, take the 12:24 railjet train to Venice arriving 20:05 as shown here. You leave Kyiv or Lviv on day 1 and arrive in Venice on day 2.
Or spend the day in Vienna and take the Nightjet sleeper train to Venice, Milan, Florence or Rome as shown here. You leave Kyiv or Lviv on day 1, and arrive Milan, Florence or Rome on day 3.
Book the Vienna-Italy train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, more fiddly, same prices).
Kyiv or Lviv to Barcelona & Spain
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Day 1, take the direct sleeping-car from Kyiv or Lviv to Vienna overnight as shown here. Book this as shown.
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Day 2, travel from Vienna to Paris overnight, either by 3 times a week sleeper, or sleeper to Zurich then TGV to Paris, as shown here.
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Day 3, travel from Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 14:42, arriving Barcelona Sants 21:29.
This impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. I recommend an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.
It's a scenic ride, the train passes Béziers cathedral, flamingos on the lakes between Montpelier & Narbonne, the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks before Perpignan, with great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, see more photos & information about the journey.
Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.
Booking opens 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
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Stay overnight in Barcelona. The Hotel Barcelo Sants is the top choice here, it's part of Barcelona Sants station so easy to use when arriving & departing by train, with great reviews & good feedback from Seat61 users. See other suggested hotels near the station.
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Day 4, travel from Barcelona to other Spanish destinations next morning.
For Madrid: AVE S103 high-speed trains link Barcelona Sants with Madrid Atocha every hour or two in as little as 2h30 from €35.
For Granada: Leave Barcelona Sants at 06:45 by AVE S112 high-speed train arriving Granada at 13:10.
For Malaga: Leave Barcelona Sants at 08:35 by AVE S103 high-speed train arriving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 14:51.
For Cordoba & Seville: Leave Barcelona Sants at 08:35 by AVE S103 high-speed train arriving Cordoba 13:42 & Seville Santa Justa 14:32.
For Valencia & Alicante: Euromed trains link Barcelona Sants with Valencia & Alicante regularly through the day, for example one leaves Barcelona Sants at 07:15 Mondays-Saturdays arriving Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 10:10 & Alicante 12:38 or at 10:15 every day arriving Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 13:13 & Alicante 15:32.
For Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña & Vigo, there's a morning Alvia train to Galicia, see details here.
Book Spanish trains at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com. Booking should open 60 days ahead but this varies. You print your own ticket.
Kyiv to Berlin
By Kyiv-Warsaw sleeper train then EuroCity train to Berlin - still running in spite of the war.
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Step 1, travel from Kyiv to Warsaw Centralna by Kyiv Express sleeper train booked as shown here.
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Step 2, travel from Warsaw Centralna to Berlin Hbf by EuroCity train, leaving Warsaw Centralna at 12:45 and arriving Berlin Hbf at 18:06.
This comfortable air-conditioned EuroCity train has a restaurant car serving meals, snacks, beer & wine. See the timetable, photos & travel tips for Warsaw-Berlin trains here.
Fares start at €27.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book from Warsaw to Berlin at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens 60 days ahead. You print your own ticket or show it on your phone.
Kyiv or Lviv to Cologne, Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg & Germany
Via Vienna - still running in spite of the war.
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Step 1, take the direct sleeping-car from Kyiv or Lviv to Vienna as shown above. Book this as shown.
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Step 2, allow at least an hour between trains in Vienna. Then book a connection from Vienna to Munich, Frankfurt or anywhere in Germany at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. You leave Kyiv or Lviv on day 1, arrive in Germany on day 2.
Kyiv or Lviv to Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm & Scandinavia
Option 1, Kyiv to Kyiv to Copenhagen & Scandinavia using the Kyiv-Warsaw sleeper - still running in spite of the war
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Day 1, travel from Kyiv to Warsaw Centralna overnight by Kyiv Express sleeper train as shown here, book this as shown.
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Day 2, travel from Warsaw Centralna to Hamburg Hbf, leaving Warsaw Centralna at 12:45 by EuroCity train, changing at Berlin Hbf onto a comfortable ICE train arriving Hamburg Hbf at 20:23.
The EuroCity train has a restaurant car serving meals, snacks, beer & wine. See timetable & tips for Warsaw-Berlin trains. The ICE has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at €37.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book from Warsaw to Hamburg at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens 60 days ahead. You print your own ticket or show it on your phone.
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Stay overnight in Hamburg. The Hotel Reichshof Hamburg is the top choice here, just across the road 100m from the station's Kirchenallee exit, with art deco-based design and great reviews. Other hotels near Hamburg Hbf with good or great reviews include (starting with the cheapest) the Hotel Continental Novum, Hotel Furst Bismarck, Hotel Europaischer Hof, Hotel Atlantic Kempinski. If you're on a budget, cheap private rooms in the A&O Hotel near Hamburg Hbf can be booked at www.hostelworld.com.
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Day 3 morning, travel from Hamburg to Copenhagen by EuroCity train leaving Hamburg Hbf at 08:50 arriving Copenhagen at 13:34.
If you're only going as far as Copenhagen (or heading for Oslo by ferry), book Hamburg to Copenhagen from €27.90 2nd class or €47.90 in 1st at int.bahn.de & print your own ticket or show it on your phone.
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Day 3 afternoon, travel from Copenhagen to Norway or Sweden.
For Stockholm, travel onwards from Copenhagen to Stockholm by X2000 train. If you take the 08:50 from Hamburg you'll make the 14:19 X2000 from Copenhagen arriving Stockholm Central at 19:37. Book Hamburg to Stockholm as one transaction at int.bahn.de, looking for the 08:50 departure with 1 change.
For Malmo or Gothenburg, travel from Copenhagen to Malmö or Gothenburg by Öresund train, these run from Copenhagen to Malmö Central several times each hour taking 39 minutes, and once an hour to Gothenburg taking 3h50. Book from Hamburg to Malmo or Gothenburg as one transaction at int.bahn.de. Gothenburg is listed as Göteborg Central.
Kyiv or Lviv to Budapest & Vienna
Option 1, Kyiv or Lviv to Budapest by sleeper train- still running in spite of the war.
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Two direct sleeping-cars leave Kyiv main station at 13:20 & Lviv at 20:09 every day, arriving Budapest Keleti at 08:20 & Vienna Hbf at 11:20.
The sleeping-cars have 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, see the photos below. At Chop on the border with Slovakia the through sleeping-cars are jacked up to have their wheelsets changed from Russian gauge used in Ukraine (5') to European standard gauge (4'8½").
A Hungarian restaurant car operates between Zahony (on the Ukrainian border just after Chop) and Vienna, treat yourself to a cooked breakfast.
These direct sleeping-cars are popular and usually leave fully-booked, so book ahead.
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If you're going to Budapest, first try booking at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, see my tips for using it.
Booking opens around 90 days ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it in the MAV app. Feedback appreciated.
Booked this way, a bed in a 2 or 3 bed sleeper starts at around €66.
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If you're going to Vienna (or going to Budapest and the MAV website doesn't work for you), contact reliable agency www.polrail.com:
Kyiv to Budapest costs around €103 in a 3-berth sleeper €114 in a 2-berth sleeper, or €184 in a single-berth sleeper.
Kyiv to Vienna costs around €138 in a 3-berth sleeper €149 in a 2-berth sleeper, or €241 in a single-berth sleeper.
Lviv to Budapest costs around €87 in a 3-berth sleeper €95 in a 2-berth sleeper, or €152 in a single-berth sleeper.
Lviv to Vienna costs around €120 in a 3-berth sleeper €129 in a 2-berth sleeper, or €207 in a single-berth sleeper.
Don't leave it to the last minute, these sleeping-cars currently usually leave fully-booked.
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Or buy at the station in Ukraine: Kyiv to Vienna costs around €80.50 in a 3-berth, €90.50 on a 2-berth or €152 in a single-berth. Lviv to Vienna €62.10 in a 3-berth, €70.10 in a 2-berth or 119.70 in a single-berth. However, this sleeper does get full on occasion.
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Change in Vienna for Linz, Salzburg, Innsbruck. I'd allow at least an hour between trains at Vienna Hbf. Book the Austrian domestic train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, a bit more fiddly, same prices). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.
Option 2, Kyiv or Lviv to Budapest via Mukachevo.
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Day 1, travel from Kyiv or Lviv to Mukachevo (often spelt Mukacheve) on one of these two trains:
Train 13 leaves Kyiv at 15:58 or Lviv at 02:02 and arriving Mukachevo at 05:59.
Train 81 leaves Kyiv at 18:35 or Lviv at 04:56 and arriving Mukachevo at 09:13.
Train 29 leaves Kyiv at 19:19 or Lviv at 02:26 and arriving Mukachevo at 06:14.
Train 13 has spalnvy vagon 2-berth, kupé 4-berth and platskartny open-plan berths. Train 81 has kupé and platskartny. Train 29 has kupé.
Times may vary so check online, but always allow at least an hour between trains at Mukachevo.
The fare from Kyiv to Mukachevo in a 2nd class kupé 4-berth is around 670 UAH, about €17, but it varies.
Buy tickets at the Ukrainian Railways website www.uz.gov.ua or buy at the station.
Tip: You may need to use a VPN set to a Ukrainian IP address to use booking.uz.gov.ua/en, at the time I write this UZ have restricted access to their website to Ukrainian IP addresses.
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Day 2, travel from Mukachevo to Budapest by Hungarian InterCity train Latorca, leaving Mukachevo at 12:38 & arriving Budapest Nyugati 18:39.
Just one through carriage runs direct from Mukachevo to Budapest, a Hungarian air-conditioned 2nd class car with open-plan seats, power sockets available for laptops & mobiles.
Fares start at €18.80.
Buy tickets at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu, see my advice on using it.
Booking opens 60 days ahead.
Kyiv or Lviv to Prague & Bratislava
Option 1, Kyiv & Lviv to Prague by Regiojet sleeper train - running in spite of the war, comfortable, cheap, easily booked online
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Private open-access train operator Regiojet runs a comfortable daily train service from Kyiv & Lviv to Prague, consisting of a seats train from Kyiv & Lviv provided in partnership with Ukrainian Railways then a sleeper train operated by Regiojet themselves from Przemysl to Prague. They sell this combo online as a fully-integrated service, making it very easy to book with lots of capacity available, war or no war.
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It leaves Kyiv daily at 11:06 & Lviv at 19:30, arriving Przemysl 20:23, the Regiojet sleeper leaves Przemysl at 22:25 arriving Prague Hlavni 07:45.
The train has air-conditioned 4-berth couchette compartments which can be booked as private compartments for sole occupancy, or you can book individual couchettes in shared compartments at cheap prices. Bedding & bottled water is provided, a light breakfast with tea or coffee is included and there's free WiFi. The train also has ordinary seats, but a seat is a false economy for an overnight journey.
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Fares start at €58 with a berth in a shared compartment, or €119.90 for sole occupancy of a 4-berth couchette compartment for 1 to 4 people.
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Book at www.regiojet.com.
Booking only opens a month or two ahead, so don't be impatient. You print your ticket or show it on your phone.
Option 2, Kyiv or Lviv to Prague using the Kyiv-Vienna & Vienna-Brussels sleepers - running in spite of the war.
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Day 1, travel from Kyiv or Lviv to Vienna by daily direct sleeping-car as shown above. Book as shown.
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Day 2, travel from Vienna to Prague by railjet train, leaving Vienna Hbf at 15:10 arriving Prague Hlavni at 19:15.
Fares start at €19.90, book at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €).
Option 3, Kyiv or Lviv to Prague via Krakow
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You could consider going from Kyiv or Lviv to Krakow by daytime train as shown here.
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Stay overnight in Krakow. Hotels next to the station with great reviews include the PURO Hotel or for something inexpensive, the Polonia Hotel. For a longer stay, see suggested hotels in the old town.
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Travel from Krakow to Prague by daytime train or spend a day there and take the sleeper, see the Krakow-Prague page for details.
Kyiv or Lviv to Ljubljana, Zagreb, Belgrade
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Step 1, travel from Kyiv or Lviv to Budapest as shown above.
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Step 2, see here for trains from Budapest to Ljubljana, Zagreb, Belgrade.
Kyiv or Lviv to Brasov, Bucharest & Romania
Option 1, Kyiv or Lviv to Romania via Budapest - a long way round, but a simple option
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Step 1, travel from Kyiv or Lviv to Budapest by direct sleeping-car as shown above. Book as shown.
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Step 2, a same-day connection is possible with an air-conditioned Intercity train from Budapest to Brasov, leaving Budapest Keleti at 09:10 via Arad, Simeria, Sibiu arriving Brasov at 22:42. There's also an afternoon Intercity train to Timisoara. Book either of these trains from €26.30 at the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu (see my advice for using it).
Alternatively, spend the day in Budapest and take the overnight sleeper train Ister to Brasov & Bucharest as shown here.
Option 2, Kyiv to Romania via Moldova - more direct, with a day free in Moldova between trains
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Step 1, travel from Kyiv to Chişinău by overnight sleeper train as shown below.
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Spend a day in Chişinău.
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Step 2, travel from Chişinău to Bucharest by overnight sleeper train Prietenia, leaving Chişinău at 17:05, calling at Ungheni (Moldovan frontier) from 19:58 until 21:35 and arriving at Bucharest Gara de Nord at 06:35 next morning. More about the Chişinău-Bucharest train.
The Prietenia has 4-berth 2nd class sleepers and 1st class 2-berth sleepers.
The Prietenia can be booked at the Moldovan Railways website on.railway.md:10000/?lang=en. This can book the train in either direction with print-your-own tickets, it accepts foreign traveller passport numbers, and it has now been confirmed by several travellers that it works fine with international Visa & MasterCard credit cards.
Kyiv & Lviv to Warsaw
Option 1, Kyiv to Warsaw by Kyiv Express sleeper train - still running in spite of the war
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A comfortable direct sleeper train called the Kyiv Express links Kyiv and Warsaw every night, leaving Kyiv main station (also known as Kyiv Pass) at 18:19 and arriving at Warsaw Wschodnia at 10:18 next morning.
The train has comfortable Ukrainian 1, 2 & 3 bed sleepers with washbasin. Bring your own picnic and beer or wine as there's no catering car. The train is jacked up at the border to have its bogies changed from Russian 5' gauge to standard gauge (4' 8.5"), an interesting experience.
Don't book last minute, this train currently usually leaves fully-booked.
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The fare is around €50 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper.
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You can book this train online with Ukrainian Railways at booking.uz.gov.ua/en.
Tip: You may need to use a VPN set to a Ukrainian IP address to use booking.uz.gov.ua/en, at the time I write this UZ have restricted access to their website to Ukrainian IP addresses.
Booking opens 20 days before departure, if you look further ahead than this, no train will appear. It only sells berths in 3-berth compartments, so if you want sole occupancy (or dual occupancy for two of you) then you will have to book all 3 berths in a compartment. This is no problem, during the booking process it asks you to select berths from a carriage plan, simply click on all 3 beds in a compartment to get a whole one to yourself. You print your own ticket.
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Alternatively, you can order online from reliable Polish agency www.polrail.com with tickets collected in Poland or sent to any address worldwide - they cannot be printed out or collected in Ukraine. Booked with www.polrail.com the fare is around €59 including a bed in a 3-berth sleeper, €93 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €162 in a single-bed sleeper all to yourself.
Option 2, Kyiv or Lviv to Warsaw by daytime trains with overnight stop in Krakow
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Day 1, travel from Kyiv or Lviv to Krakow with one easy change at Przemysl, as shown below.
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Stay overnight in Krakow. Hotels next to the station with great reviews include the PURO Hotel or for something inexpensive, the Polonia Hotel. For a longer stay, see suggested hotels in the old town.
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Day 2, take any train you like from Krakow to Warsaw in as little as 2h19 for around €20, booked at Polish Railways www.intercity.pl with print-your-own tickets.
Kyiv & Lviv to Krakow
Option 1, Kyiv & Lviv to Krakow by Regiojet train
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Private open-access train operator Regiojet runs a comfortable daily train service from Kyiv & Lviv to Krakow, consisting of a seats train from Kyiv & Lviv provided in partnership with Ukrainian Railways then a train operated by Regiojet themselves from Przemysl to Krakow which continues overnight to Prague. They sell this combo online as a fully-integrated service, making it very easy to book with lots of capacity available.
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It leaves Kyiv daily at 11:06 & Lviv at 19:30, arriving Przemysl 20:23, the Regiojet train leaves Przemysl at 22:25 arriving Krakow Glowny 23:54.
The Krakow-Przemysl train has comfortable air-conditioned seats with on-board refreshments, free bottled water, power outlets & free WiFi.
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Fares start at €43.
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Book at www.regiojet.com.
Booking only opens a month or two ahead, so don't be impatient. You print your ticket or show it on your phone.
Option 2, Kyiv or Lviv to Krakow by daytime trains - still running in spite of the war
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You can travel from Kyiv or Lviv to Przemysl by Ukrainian train, and change onto a Polish Intercity train to Krakow:
Leave Kyiv at 22:14 or Lviv at 08:34, change in Przemysl (arrive 11:16, depart 11:57) and arrive Krakow Glowny at 14:58.
Leave Lviv at 13:06, change in Przemysl (arrive 15:21, depart 17:27) and arrive Krakow Glowny at 20:14.
Leave Kyiv at 12:06 or Lviv at 19:35, change in Przemysl (arrive 20:20, depart 22:05) and arrive Krakow Glowny at 00:41.
The 12:06 Kyiv-Lviv-Przemysl is a comfortable modern Ukrainian Intercity (IC) train with 1st & 2nd class. All other Lviv-Przemysl trains are Ukrainian sleeper trains, with platskartny, kupé 4-berth and (usually) 2-berth spalny vagon.
Przemysl-Krakow trains are comfortable air-conditioned Polish trains. Times may vary.
To check times, first check the Ukrainian train at www.uz.gov.ua/en/passengers/timetable (to access it, you may need to select Ukrainian IP address on your VPN).
Then check times for a suitable Polish connecting train at the Polish Railways website www.intercity.pl.
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Kyiv to Przemysl costs around €26. Lviv to Przemysl costs around €9. Przemysl to Krakow costs around €12.
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You can order Kyiv or Lviv to Krakow tickets through highly-recommended Polish train booking agency www.polrail.com. They charge a small fee, and either allow ticket pick up in Krakow or can send to any country worldwide.
It's possible to book the Kyiv or Lviv to Przemysl train at Ukrainian Railways booking.uz.gov.ua/en - you may need a VPN set to a Ukrainian IP address You can then book the Przemysl to Krakow train at Polish Railways www.intercity.pl.
Kyiv to Chişinău
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A sleeper train links Kyiv with Chişinău every second day, this starting running in November 2022.
The train leaves Kyiv at 17:02 on odd dates (1st, 3rd, 5th...) arriving at Chişinău at 10:38 next day.
Returning, the train leaves Chişinău at 17:45 on even dates (2nd, 4th, 6th...) arriving Kyiv at 11:48 next day.
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The train has kupé (4-berth compartments) and platskartny (open-plan bunks).
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To book, try booking.uz.gov.ua/en. Chişinău is listed as Kishineu.
Tip: You may need to use a VPN set to a Ukrainian IP address to use booking.uz.gov.ua/en, at the time I write this UZ have restricted access to their website to Ukrainian IP addresses.
Kyiv to Moscow
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These trains were suspended due to Covid-19, and are now cancelled - and the lines blown up - due to the war in Ukraine
