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Take the train from the UK to Ukraine
It's easy to travel by train from London to Ukraine, an adventurous journey that's also comfortable & affordable, superior to a soulless flight. Eurostar and German Railways link London with Warsaw, then there is a comfortable daily sleeper train Kyiv Express from Warsaw to Kyiv. Change in Kyiv for Odessa. Or use the direct sleeper from Vienna or Budapest to Lviv & Kyiv. This page explains train times, fares and how to buy tickets.
Update 2024: Trains to Ukraine are running in spite of the war, although for obvious reasons, non-essential travel to Ukraine is not generally advised, www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/ukraine.
Train times, fares & information
London to Kyiv & Odessa
- times, fares & tickets.
London to Lviv - train times, fares & tickets.
Train travel in Ukraine, a
beginner's guide
How to buy Ukrainian train tickets
online
Trains from Kyiv & Lviv to
other European cities
Trains from other European cities to
Kyiv &
Lviv
Useful country information:
visas, currency...
Starting from other UK towns &
cities
Hotels in Kyiv, Lviv, Odessa &
Ukraine
Useful country information
Which route to choose?
It's easy to travel from London to Lviv or Kyïv by train. It takes just 2 nights, taking Eurostar & luxurious German ICE trains from London to Berlin on day 1, a EuroCity train from Berlin to Warsaw on day 2, then the comfortable Kyiv Express sleeper train from Warsaw to Kyïv overnight arriving on the morning of day 3. Or you can travel by fast & comfortable daytime trains with overnight stops in Berlin & Krakow. The journey is an adventure in itself. Why not spend some time in Berlin, Warsaw or Krakow on the way? All these routes are still operating in 2023.
Option 1, London to Kyiv & Odessa via Warsaw
- using the daily Warsaw-Kyiv sleeper train, the most time-effective option,
taking 2 nights.
Option 2, London to Lviv & Kyiv via Krakow
- by comfortable daytime trains with overnight hotel stops in Berlin & Krakow.
Option 3, London to Lviv &
Kyiv
via Vienna - using the daily direct sleeping-car from Vienna to Lviv &
Kyiv.
Option 1, London to Kyiv & Odessa via Warsaw
This is the most time-effective option. Departures are daily all year round except Christmas Day. You get some time to see a bit of Warsaw, too!
London ► Kyïv & Odessa
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Day 1, travel from London to Berlin using any of the options shown on the London to Germany page. For example:
Leave London St Pancras at 09:01 by Eurostar, change at Brussels Midi & Cologne Hbf onto high-speed ICE trains arriving Berlin Hbf 19:02.
Leave London St Pancras at 11:04 by Eurostar, change at Brussels Midi & Cologne Hbf onto high-speed ICE trains arriving Berlin Hbf 21:02.
Eurostar has a cafe-bar, ICE trains have a restaurant car, all these trains have power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
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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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Alternatively, travel from London to Berlin using the European Sleeper as shown here, or the Brussels-Berlin Nightjet sleeper as shown here.
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Day 2, travel from Berlin to Warsaw by EuroCity train, leaving Berlin Hbf at 09:52 and arriving Warsaw Centralna at 15:09.
The Berlin-Warsaw EuroCity trains are comfortable air-conditioned trains with a restaurant car serving drinks, snacks and meals. Treat yourself to lunch in the restaurant car with a beer or two.
Alternatively, on Mondays-Saturdays you can take the early 05:51 Berlin-Warsaw EuroCity train arriving 11:15, which will give you an afternoon in Warsaw, see the Warsaw Centralna station & city information. A left luggage office and lockers are available.
Warsaw's historic old town is a 20 minute walk from Warsaw Centralna - if you fancy a modest splurge, the celebrated Ufukiera restaurant (www.ufukiera.pl) is excellent and right on the square in the heart of Warsaw's old town. The Palace of Culture (a wedding cake style Soviet skyscraper and distinctive Warsaw landmark, www.pkin.pl) is right next to the station and has a viewing terrace on the 30th floor.
Transfer from Warsaw Centralna to Warsaw Wschodnia by taxi, tram or local train, see transfer information here.
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Day 2, travel from Warsaw to Kyïv by Kyiv Express, leaving Warsaw Wschodnia at 17:49 arriving Kyïv main station 12:17 next day.
The Kyiv Express has comfortable Ukrainian sleeping-cars with 3-berth compartments, you can book all 3 places for single or double occupancy. There may be a buffet car serving tea, coffee, beer & snacks, but it's a good idea to take your own supplies of food, water and wine or beer. Late at night, around 00:30, the train is shunted into the gauge-changing shed at Yagodin (on the Ukrainian border) 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, an interesting experience. See Tim Richards excellent blog entry about of the Kyiv Express.
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Onwards to Odessa: A daily high-quality sleeper train (train 105) leaves Kyiv at 21:17 and arrives in Odessa at 06:15, with 1st class 2-berth & 2nd class 4-berth sleepers.
Odessa & Kyïv ► London
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Coming from Odessa: A daily high-quality sleeper train (train 106) links Odessa with Kyiv, leaving Odessa at 21:32 arriving Kyiv at 06:54. It has 1st class 2-berth and 2nd class 4-berth sleepers.
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Day 1, travel from Kyïv to Warsaw by Kyiv Express leaving Kyïv main station at 18:19, arriving Warsaw Wschodnia at 10:15 next morning.
The Kyiv Express has comfortable Ukrainian sleeping-cars with 3-berth compartments, you can book all three berths for single or double occupancy. There may be a buffet car serving tea, coffee, beer and snacks, but it's a good idea to take your own supplies of food, water and wine or beer. Around 4am, the train is shunted into the gauge-changing shed at Yagodin (the Ukrainian border point) and jacked up to have its wheels changed from Russian 5' gauge to standard European (4' 8½") gauge. You remain in your sleeping-berth on board while this is done, an interesting experience. See Tim Richards excellent blog entry about of the Kyiv Express.
Transfer from Warsaw Wschodnia to Warsaw Centralna by taxi, tram or local train, see transfer information here.
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Day 2, travel from Warsaw to Berlin by EuroCity train, leaving Warsaw Centralna daily at 12:46 and arriving Berlin Hbf at 18:06.
Alternatively, daily except Saturdays there's a later EuroCity train leaving Warsaw Centralna at 16:45 and arriving Berlin Hbf at 22:06, giving you some time to explore Warsaw, see Warsaw Centralna station & city information.
The Warsaw-Berlin EuroCity trains are comfortable air-conditioned trains with a trolley refreshment service and a restaurant car serving drinks, snacks and full meals. Treat yourself to a meal in the restaurant: Three courses, a beer and a coffee only come to around €11.
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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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Day 3, travel from Berlin to London using any service shown on the London to Germany page. For example:
Leave Berlin Hbf at 06:56, change at Cologne Hbf & Brussels Midi, arriving London St Pancras at 15:57.
Leave Berlin Hbf at 08:56, change at Cologne Hbf & Brussels Midi, arriving London St Pancras at 17:47 (18:57 weekends).
Leave Berlin Hbf at 10:57, change at Cologne Hbf & Brussels Midi, arriving London St Pancras at 19:47.
Eurostar has a cafe-bar, ICE trains have a restaurant car, all these trains have power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
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Alternatively, travel from Berlin to London using the European Sleeper as shown here, or the Berlin-Brussels Nightjet sleeper as shown here.
How much does it cost?
How to buy tickets
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Step 1, book your London-Berlin tickets following the step by step instructions here.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
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Step 2, book your Berlin to Warsaw ticket using the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 60 days ahead. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log in at any time and check or reprint tickets. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
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Step 3, now order a ticket for the Warsaw to Kyiv Kyiv Express from booking.polrail.com.
Polrail is a reliable and highly recommended Polish train ticketing agency. They use the Polish ticketing system so can access all the berths in 1, 2 & 3-berth compartments with booking opening 60 days ahead.
Don't book at the last minute, this train currently often gets fully-booked 2-3 weeks ahead.
Tickets can be collected in Warsaw or (at extra charge) shipped to any address worldwide. Polrail are also pretty good at arranging the return reservation back from Kyiv as they have close contacts with Ukrainian Railways.
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Alternative method for booking Warsaw-Kyiv tickets: In theory, you can book this train online at the Ukrainian Railways website booking.uz.gov.ua/en. But note the following (which explain why I recommend using Polrail in the eastbound direction at least):
First, booking only opens 20 days ahead if you book this way. If you look further ahead than this, no train appears. You may also need to use a VPN set to a Ukrainian IP address, at the time I write this UZ have restricted access to their website to Ukrainian IP addresses.
Next thing: Only a tiny allocation of 6 eastbound places (2 x 3-berth compartments) is loaded onto the Ukrainian ticketing system for sale by Ukrainian Railways. If you find a berth available, great, if not, it does not mean the train is fully-booked, it just means that the tiny Ukrainian allocation of eastbound berths has sold out.
Last thing, if you want dual or sole occupancy of a sleeper compartment, you'll need to buy all three tickets in a 3-berth compartment (if available) and it might then be cheaper to book through Polrail, see the next section. When you book it asks you to select berths from a carriage plan, so you can see if all 3 are still available in one compartment and can select all 3.
In the return direction (Kyiv to Warsaw) there should be no problem booking online at booking.uz.gov.ua/en, because in this direction the whole train is held on the Ukrainian Railways system (barring a few berths allocated to the Polish system), although UZ sell all compartments as 3-berth, not as 1 or 2-berth.
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Step 4, you can buy tickets for trains within Ukraine online at either the official Ukrainian Railways site booking.uz.gov.ua/en (see the advice below) or you may find it easier to use Omio.com (formerly GoEuro.com) which connects to UZ's ticketing system to sell in plain English. A number of seat61 correspondents have successfully booked tickets this way, using UK or other foreign credit cards.
How to buy tickets by phone
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It's better to book online. But you want to book by phone, the best agencies to call for this trip are:
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Deutsche Bahn's UK phone line on 00 49 (0)30 311 68 29 04, lines open 08:30-20:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday UK time, 1.5% fee for phone bookings. 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.
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A note about booking westbound trains from Kyiv back to Warsaw: All the outward reservations from London to Kyiv can easily be booked from the UK. However, for the return journey, the sleeper reservation from Kyiv back to Warsaw is sometimes difficult to obtain from outside the Ukraine. Deutsche Bahn can sometimes book your return train from Ukraine using a small allocation of berths for the return Kyiv-Warsaw journey held on the German reservations system, 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 back to London. You can easily book the return leg at the reservations office when you reach Kyïv or by contacting reliable Polish train travel agency www.polrail.com in Warsaw who can easily book tickets back from Kyiv to Warsaw or Berlin, and either send them to you for a fee or (if your outward journey arrangements permit) you can pick them up in Warsaw on your eastbound journey from the Polrail agency desk at Warsaw Centralna open 08:00-20:00 Mondays-Fridays, 08:00-14:00 Saturdays, closed Sundays & holidays. Yet another possibility is to ask local travel agency www.arktur.ua to buy Kyiv-Warsaw/Berlin tickets for you.
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Buy a special add-on ticket from almost any station in Britain to London International (St Pancras)
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To buy onward tickets from Kyiv to Odessa & other Ukrainian cities, see the section below
What's the journey like?
1. London to Brussels by Eurostar
Eurostar trains link London & Brussels in just 2 hours, travelling at up to 300 km/h (186 mph). There are two bar cars, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi. Standard Premier and Business Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00). There's a 30-minute minimum check-in as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train. More information about Eurostar including check-in procedure. St Pancras station guide. Brussels Midi station guide & short cut for changing trains in Brussels.
2. Brussels to Cologne by ICE3
Germany's superb ICEs have a bistro-restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. In 1st class, bistro orders are taken at your seat. 50 minutes after leaving Brussels the ICE calls at Liège, where you can admire the impressive station designed by celebrity architect Santiago Calatrava. As you approach Cologne Hbf you'll see the twin towers of Cologne Cathedral on the right, next to the station. More information about ICE3. Brussels Midi station guide. Cologne Hbf station guide.
3. Cologne to Berlin by ICE2
ICE2 trains have a restaurant car, bar car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. In 1st class, bistro orders are taken at your seat. Immediately after leaving Cologne Hbf, the train crosses the Hohenzollern bridge over the Rhine. It passes through the industrial Ruhr via Wuppertal & Hamm. After leaving Hannover, the train passes non-stop through Wolfsburg - look out for the original Volkswagen factory on the left, built in 1938. The train then travels at up to 280 km/h (174 mph) on the high-speed line to Berlin Hbf, where it arrives at the low-level platforms. More information about ICE2. Cologne Hbf station guide. Berlin Hbf station guide.
4. Berlin to Warsaw by EuroCity train
These comfortable air-conditioned trains have a restaurant car. See the Berlin-Warsaw EuroCity page for more photos, tips & information.
5. Warsaw to Kyiv by Kyiv Express
The Kyiv Express has modernised Ukrainian sleeping-cars with 2-berth & 3-berth compartments. All bedding is supplied, and washrooms and toilets are at the end of the corridor. Berths convert to seats for daytime use. A smartly-uniformed Ukrainian railways sleeper attendant travels with each car. There's no dining-car, so take a picnic and your own supplies of wine or beer. Photos courtesy of www.andybtravels.com. See Tim Richards excellent blog entry about of the Kyiv Express.
Option 2, London to Lviv & Kyiv via Krakow
It's possible to reach Lviv & Kyiv via Krakow, using a comfortable air-conditioned Polish Intercity train from Krakow to Przemysl on the border, then a Ukrainian train from Przemysl to Lviv, Kyiv or even Odessa. Because there are lots of seats, this route often has availability when the direct sleeper trains from Warsaw, Vienna or Budapest to Ukraine are typically sold out weeks ahead.
London ► Lviv & Kyiv
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Day 1 & 2, travel from London to Krakow as shown on the London to Poland page.
You travel from London to Berlin on day 1, stay overnight, then travel from Berlin to Krakow on day 2.
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Stay overnight in Krakow - ideally longer so you can see the city! 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 here.
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Day 3, travel from Krakow to Ukraine on one of two fast air-conditioned daytime connections:
Leave Krakow Glowny at 05:59, change at Przemysl (arrive 09:06, depart 09:35) and arriving Lviv at 12:27 & Kyiv at 19:57.
Leave Krakow Glowny at 09:35, change at Przemysl (arrive 12:10, depart 13:45) and arriving Lviv at 17:24 & Kyiv at 05:01.
Leave Krakow Glowny at 16:38, change at Przemysl (arrive 19:19, depart 20:28) and arriving Lviv at 00:05 & Odessa at 12:55.
Leave Krakow Glowny at 19:15, change at Przemysl (arrive 22:04, depart 23:26) and arriving Lviv at 02:20 & Kyiv at 09:58.
The Krakow-Przemysl trains are comfortable Polish Intercity trains.
The 09:35 Przemysl-Lviv-Kyiv train is a smart air-conditioned Ukrainian Intercity train, introduced in 2016. All the other Ukrainian trains are sleeper trains with platskartny, kupé 4-berth and (usually) spalny vagon 2-berth.
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 Polish Railways www.intercity.pl. Or you can cheat and check times from Krakow to Lviv or Kyiv all in one go using the German Railways all-Europe timetable at int.bahn.de.
Kyiv & Lviv ► London
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Day 1, travel from Kyiv to Krakow on one these daytime connections:
Leave Odessa at 14:45 or Lviv at 03:08, change in Przemysl (arrive 05:53, depart 07:16) and arrive Krakow Glowny at 09:50.
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 Polish Railways www.intercity.pl.
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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, travel from Krakow to London as shown on the London to Poland page. You travel from Krakow to Berlin on day 2, stay overnight in Berlin, then travel from Berlin to London on day 3.
How much does it cost?
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London to Brussels by Eurostar starts at £52 one-way or £78 return in standard class, £97 one-way, £140 return standard premier (1st class).
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Brussels to Berlin starts at €27.90 each way in 2nd class, €69.90 each way in 1st class.
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Berlin to Krakow starts at €27.90 each way in 2nd class, €39.90 each way in 1st class.
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Krakow to Przemysl costs around €12.
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Przemysl to Lviv costs around €9, Przemysl to Kyiv costs around €26.
How to buy tickets
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Step 2, book the Krakow-Przemysl-Kyiv tickets through reliable Polish ticketing agency www.polrail.com. Tickets can be collected in Krakow or for an extra fee, sent anywhere worldwide.
Alternatively, you can book the Krakow to Przemysl train at the Polish Railways website www.intercity.pl, then book the train from Przemysl to Lviv or Kyiv at the Ukrainian Railways website, booking.uz.gov.ua/en (to access it, you may need to select Ukrainian IP address on your VPN). In both cases, you print your own ticket.
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To buy onward tickets from Kyiv to Odessa & other Ukrainian cities, see the section below.
Option 3, London to Lviv & Kyiv via Vienna
This is a convenient and comfortable option which can easily be booked online. It takes 2 nights. See Ukrainian news report showing the new Vienna-Kyiv sleeping-car service. This route is very comfortable, but there are just two or three sleeping-cars and under current circumstances they usually leave fully-booked - so book early!
London ► Lviv & Kyiv
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Day 1, travel from London to Vienna using any option shown on the London to Austria page.
For example, you can travel from London to Vienna on high-speed trains in a single day and stay overnight. Or you can take an afternoon Eurostar from London to Brussels and catch the 3-times-a-week Nightjet sleeper train from Brussels to Vienna overnight in comfort. Either way, you then have the best part of Day 2 to explore Vienna.
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Day 2, travel from Vienna to Ukraine by direct sleeping-car, leaving Vienna Hbf at 16:42 every day & arriving Lviv 09:20 & Kyiv 16:03 next day.
Introduced in 2017, there are two Ukrainian sleeping-cars with comfortable 1, 2 & 3 berth compartments with washbasin, see the photos below. At Chop on the other side of the border the through sleeping-car is jacked up to have its wheelsets changed from European standard gauge (4'8½") to Russian gauge used in Ukraine (5'). A restaurant car operates between Vienna and Zahony (on the Ukrainian border just before Chop), treat yourself to dinner.
Kyiv & Lviv ► London
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Day 1, travel from Kyiv to Vienna by direct sleeping-car, leaving Kyiv at 13:25 & Lviv at 20:12 every day, arriving Vienna Hbf 11:21 next day.
The sleeping-car has 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin, see the photos below. At Chop on the border with Hungary the through sleeping-car is jacked up to have it's wheelsets changed from Russian gauge used in Ukraine (5') to European standard gauge (4'8½"). A restaurant car operates between Zahony (on the Ukrainian border just after Chop) and Vienna, treat yourself to breakfast.
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Day 2, travel from Vienna to London using any option shown on the London to Austria page.
For example, you can travel from Vienna to Brussels overnight by 3-times-a-week Nightjet sleeper train then take a morning Eurostar to London (Day 3 from Kyiv).
How much does it cost?
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For fares between London & Vienna, see the London to Austria page.
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Booked through oebb.at:
Vienna to Kyiv costs €80.50 in a 3-berth sleeper, €90.50 in a 2-berth sleeper or €152.90 in a single sleeper.
Vienna to Lviv costs €62.10 in a 3-berth sleeper, €70.10 in a 2-berth sleeper or €119.30 in a single sleeper.
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Booked through Polrail:
Vienna to Kyiv costs around €138 in a 3-berth sleeper €149 in a 2-berth sleeper, or €241 in a single-berth sleeper.
Vienna to Lviv costs around €120 in a 3-berth sleeper €129 in a 2-berth sleeper, or €207 in a single-berth sleeper.
How to buy tickets
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Step 1, book from London to Vienna as shown on the London to Austria page.
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Step 2, book the train from Vienna to Lviv or Kyiv online at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at. This will only book one-way or round trip starting in Vienna because tickets need to be collected from an ÖBB station in Austria. They cannot be collected in Ukraine. Booking this way you pay no fee or mark-up, just the official fare. Book well in advance as this sleeping-car has become popular!
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If you have any problems or want a one-way ticket starting in Ukraine, you can also book the Vienna-Kyiv train via reliable agency www.polrail.com, with tickets posted or couriered to you for a small fee. Polrail are based in Poland so charge in zlotys, but as they have access to Ukrainian ticketing system they are good for booking this train.
What's the journey like?
Train travel in Ukraine
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Kupé. Lockable 4-berth compartments. This is an older train - newer coaches have more modern compartments. Courtesy David Smith |
Platskartny. 54 bunks per coach, arranged open-plan in bays of 4 (left of photo) & longitudinal bays of 2 above & below the window (right of photo). Courtesy David Smith |
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Spalny vagon 2-berth, with two lower berths. This is on the overnight Lviv to Kyiv train. Courtesy of Tim Makins |
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Classic Ukrainian sleeper trains offer the normal 'Russian' range of sleeping accommodation:
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Spalny Wagon 2-berth compartments (1st class). Some trains have Russian-style compartments with both beds at the lower level, other trains use European-style cars with an upper and lower berth plus a washbasin.
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Kupé 4-berth compartments (2nd class), 9 compartments per coach. Toilets and washrooms are at the end of the corridor.
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Platskartny open-plan dormitory cars (3rd class). Bunks are arranged in bays of four on one side of the aisle, in bays of 2 alongside the coach wall on the other side of the aisle, 54 bunks per coach.
Whichever class of travel you choose, each coach is looked after by a pair of attendants called a provodnik (male) or provodnitsa (female). The provodnik will check your ticket at the door to the sleeper when you board. Shortly after departure, the provodnik will come round to take your ticket. You may be asked if you would like a glass of black Ukrainian tea ('chai') - this costs about 10 Hyrvnia, about 30p/€0.35. Bedding (two sheets, pillowcase and towel) is then handed out in sealed packs - blankets and mattresses will already be stacked in your compartment. After a few journeys, you will become quite proficient at making up your bed!
A samovar with unlimited free hot water is available at the end of the corridor - pack some tea or coffee, sugar, cuppa soups or water-based drinking chocolate and bring your own mug. Most long distance trains have a restaurant car serving drinks, snacks, and inexpensive full meals - reckon on less than £6 for two courses and a couple of bottles of beer.
There is no need to worry about security on Ukrainian trains, it's the way Ukrainians themselves travel, including families and women travelling alone. Just use the same common sense that you would use anywhere, use the locks on your compartment door at night and don't leave valuables unattended. In addition to the normal lock on the compartment door, spalny vagon and kupé compartments have a security latch which stops the door opening more than an inch or two, and which cannot be released from outside. There's also a safe place for your bags at night - if you have a bottom bunk, there is a metal box underneath the bunk which you can only get to by lifting up the bunk - in other words, for anyone to get to your bags, they will have to shift you off your bunk first!
Fast InterCity+ trains
Fast air-conditioned day trains branded InterCity+ (IC+) now link a number of Ukrainian cities, in addition to the traditional overnight sleeper trains. These InterCity+ trains have 1st & 2nd class and a bar counter. For example:
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Kyiv to Lviv: There are two fast intercity+ trains, one early morning and another early evening taking as little as 4h59, fare around 590 UAH in first class, about €18. There's also an afternoon IC train (without the '+'), which consists of older stock but with a modernised interior. There are several classic sleeper trains taking almost 8 hours, the best sleeper to take is train 91 (Kyiv-Lviv) & 92 (Lviv-Kyiv) which has 2-berth (lux) sleepers and 4-berth (kupé) sleepers.
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Kyiv to Odessa: There's one fast InterCity+ (IC+) train leaving Kyiv late afternoon and taking 6h56, fare around 670 UAH in 1st class, about €21. There's also a classic overnight sleeper with 2-berth (lux) and 4-berth (kupé) sleepers.
To check train times use Omio.com (easy to use, small booking fee) which connects to UZ's ticketing system, or Ukrainian Railways website booking.uz.gov.ua/en.
How to buy tickets
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Booking opens 45 days or now sometimes 60 days in advance for any journey within, or originating within, Ukraine.
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It's now easy to buy tickets online, as shown below. Alternatively, you can buy tickets in person at any Ukrainian railway station. If your Ukrainian or Russian isn't up to scratch, write down your requirements, using the Cyrillic (Russian) script if you can. Alternatively, to avoid the queues and any language hassles, you can book rail tickets through travel agencies, for example those located in the lobbies of certain major hotels.
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The internet ticket collection window at Kyiv station. Note the break times, so don't leave it till the last minute to collect tickets & find them closed! Though for many front-rank trains you'll now get a print-at-home e-ticket, so no need to collect. Courtesy of David Aspa. |
Option 1, buy at Omio.com
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Omio.com has a direct connection to UZ's ticketing system so can sell Ukrainian domestic train tickets in plain English with a small booking fee. You may find this easiest to use this.
Option 2, buy at booking.uz.gov.ua/en
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You can book Ukrainian train tickets direct from Ukrainian Railways (UZ, www.uz.gov.ua) at booking.uz.gov.ua/en.
Tip: You may need to use a VPN set to a Ukrainian IP address, at the time I write this UZ have restricted access to their website to Ukrainian IP addresses.
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It has a few quirky translations, but it's the cheapest way to buy tickets as there are minimal fees. Remember that Kyiv in Ukrainian is Kyiv. Suite / First-Class Sleeper means beds in 2-berth Spalny Vagon sleepers. Coupe / Coach With Compartments means beds in 4-berth kupé sleepers. Berth/Third-Class Sleeper means Platskartny open-plan bunks. InterCity trains are clearly marked in the search results.
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At the end of the booking you might get a print-at-home e-ticket for some trains which you can just print and board the train, or for other trains you might get a voucher which must be exchanged for a ticket at the station before departure, for example in Kyiv main station there's a collection counter at window 12, hall 4 in the old wing of the station, with a self-service collection machine installed there too. Just read the confirmation page carefully to see what you have to do once you have made your booking.
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Several seat61 correspondents have successfully used this to book tickets, using UK or other non-Ukrainian credit cards. Feedback if you use this service would be appreciated!
Kyiv station
Kyiv has one main central station, usually known as plain Kyiv, officially Kyiv Passazhyrsky, often abbreviated to Kyiv-Pas, see map showing location. It's one big central station but it has two terminal buildings, one each side of the tracks. The classic station building on the northern side of the tracks was built in 1949. The terminal on the southern side (sometimes misleadingly referred to as Kyiv southern station) is a striking glass-and-steel building dating from 2002. You'll find all the usual main station facilities at Kyiv-Pas. The metro station for Kyiv-Pas is called Kyiv Vokzalna.
Ferries from Ukraine
Various ferries used to run between Istanbul and Odessa, appearing and disappearing. Further feedback always appreciated!
Istanbul - Odessa ferry: www.ukrferry.com
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Sails twice a week between Istanbul (= Haydarpasa, on eastern side of the Bosphorus) and Odessa (= Chernomorsk, just south of the city), a 23 hour voyage across the Black Sea.
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Departure from Odessa on Tuesdays & Fridays, usually evening. Departure from Haydarpasa on Thursdays & Sundays, usually midday. You can check this at www.ukrferry.com although it takes a bit of effort. The English selector is top left.
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The company is Ukrferry and the vessels are the Vilnius Seaways & Kaunas Seaways with a range of cabins available, fares from $90 with bunk in a shared 6-berth, deluxe private cabins also available.
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This ferry is operating in 2017 and taking foot passengers, you can contact them to check the current status. Feedback appreciated!
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Traveller Silvan Wyss took this ferry in July 2017:
"I booked the ferry some weeks in advance and paid 2580 UAH (€85). The online booking tool on www.ukrferry.com works quite smoothly and some moments after payment I had the confirmation in my spamfolder. Foot passengers have to check-in in an office building some kilometres from the actual port in Chornomorsk and the time for that seems to be 2pm no matter when the ship actually leaves. After some waiting me and around 15 fellow passengers were brought to the port by minibus. Here I had to go through customs and passport checks which included some waiting in not very welcoming rooms without windows. Finally at around 5pm I arrived in my cabin which I shared with another passenger, with the scheduled departure at 9pm.
During the 27 hour trip the restaurant served four meals without any choice, you just have to eat what they cook but this was perfectly OK. Apart from that there is a duty-free shop selling spirits and a bar selling drinks and some crisps at some times during the sailing. The cabin was nice with a small but very clean washroom. All information aboard the ferry, whether written or spoken is in Russian only. Foreigners sometimes really had to fight for some info in English.
While the actual cruise could be described as "boring", sailing through the Bosphorus late in the evening was very nice. Turkish immigration was rather weird with some officers entering the ship and controlling the passports in the bar area. After some more waiting time, foot passengers were then guided out of the ship and finally left alone in the middle of the desert of Haydarpasa port. Not that nice at around 1am. I decided to walk to Kadiköy, other travellers may prefer a taxi here.
Did I like it? - Well, yes. the journey itself was very nice. However, all the procedures before and after are very time consuming with little or no information and medium friendly staff. After all, it seems as if foot passengers are rather tolerated than actually welcome.
Would I recommend it? - Yes! To everyone who has the time and wants to experience something different.
Definitely
invest in a good guidebook. For the serious
independent traveller the best guidebook is probably the Lonely Planet
or Rough Guide.
Buy
Lonely Planet Ukraine online at Amazon.co.uk
European Rail Timetable & maps
The
European Rail Timetable
(formerly the Thomas Cook European Timetable)
has train & ferry times for every country in Europe plus
currency & climate information. It is essential
for regular European train travellers and an inspiration for armchair
travellers. Published since 1873, it had just celebrated 140 years of
publication when Thomas Cook decided to pull the plug on their entire publishing
department, but the dedicated ex-Thomas Cook team set up a private venture and
resumed publication of the famous European Rail Timetable in March 2014.
You can buy it online at
www.amazon.co.uk (UK addresses) or
www.europeanrailtimetable.eu (shipping worldwide).
More information
on what the European Rail Timetable contains.
Rail Map Europe is the map I recommend, covering all of Europe from Portugal in the west to Moscow & Istanbul in the east, Finland in the north to Sicily & Athens in the south. Scenic routes & high-speed lines are highlighted. See an extract from the map. Buy online at www.europeanrailtimetable.eu (shipping worldwide) or at www.amazon.co.uk (UK addresses).
Hotels in Kyiv & Ukraine
In Lviv: The George Hotel
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In Lviv, look no further than the classic & excellently-located George Hotel. Wonderful - and cheap by western standards, doubles from £36.
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For something upmarket and still inexpensive go for Lviv's Grand Hotel, also classic and well located, around £90 a double.
Backpacker
hostels
www.hostelworld.com: If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels. Hostelworld offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in Copenhagen and most other European cities at rock-bottom prices.
Travel insurance & other tips
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Always take out travel insurance
You should take out travel insurance with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover from a reliable insurer. It should cover trip cancellation and loss of cash & belongings up to a reasonable limit. These days, check you're covered for covid-19-related issues, and use an insurer whose cover isn't invalidated by well-meant but excessive Foreign Office travel advice against non-essential travel. An annual policy is usually cheapest even for just 2 or 3 trips a year, I have an annual policy with Staysure.co.uk myself. Don't expect travel insurance to bail you out of every missed connection, see the advice on missed connections here. Here are some suggested insurers, I get a little commission if you buy through these links, feedback always welcome.
www.staysure.co.uk
offers enhanced Covid-19 protection and gets 4.7 out of 5 on
Trustpilot.
www.columbusdirect.com is also a well-know brand.
If you live in the USA try
Travel Guard USA.
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Get an eSIM with mobile data package
Don't rely on WiFi, download an eSIM with a European mobile data package and stay connected. Most newer mobile phones can download a virtual SIM including iPhone 11 & later, see device compatibility list. There's no need to buy a physical SIM card! Maya.net is a reliable eSIM data retailer with a 4.5 out of 5 Trustpilot rating and a range of packages including unlimited data.
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Get a Curve card for foreign travel
Most banks give you a poor exchange rate then add a foreign transaction fee on top. A Curve MasterCard means no foreign transaction fees and gives you the mid-market exchange rate, at least up to a certain limit, £500 per month as I write this. The money you spend on your Curve card goes straight onto one of your existing debit or credit cards. And you can get a Curve card for free.
How it works: 1. Download the Curve app for iPhone or Android. 2. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve MasterCard - they send to the UK and most European addresses. 3. Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app, you can link up to two cards with the free version of Curve, I link my normal debit card and my normal credit card. 4. Now use the Curve MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, exactly like a normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance in your own currency onto whichever debit or credit card is currently selected in the Curve app. You can even change your mind about which card it goes onto, within 14 days of the transaction.
I have a Curve Blue card myself, it means I can buy a coffee on a foreign station on a card without being stung by fees and lousy exchange rates, just by tapping the Curve card on their card reader. The money goes through Curve to my normal debit card and is taken directly from my account (in fact I have the Curve card set up as payment card on Apple Pay on my iPhone, so can double-click my phone, let it do Face ID then tap the reader with the phone - even easier than getting a card out). I get a little commission if you sign up to Curve, but I recommend it here because I think it's great. See details, download the app and get a Curve card, they'll give you £5 cashback through that link.
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Get a VPN for safe browsing. Why you need a VPN
When travelling you may use free public WiFi which is often insecure. A VPN encrypts your connection so it's always secure, even on unsecured WiFi. It also means you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geoblocking which a surprising number of websites apply. See VPNs & why you need one explained. ExpressVPN is a best buy with a 4.7 out of 5 Trustpilot ranking which I use myself - I've signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate, and if you go with expressvpn.com using this link you should see a special deal, 3 months free with an annual subscription. I also get some commission to help support this site.
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Carry an Anker powerbank
Tickets, reservations, hotel bookings and Interrail or Eurail passes are often now held on your mobile phone. You daren't let it run out of power, and you can't always rely on the phone's internal battery or on being near a power outlet. I always carry an Anker powerbank which can recharge my phone several times over. Buy from Amazon.co.uk or Buy from Amazon.com.
Touring cities? Use hill walking shoes!
One of the best things I've done is swap my normal shoes for hill-walking shoes, in my case from Scarpa. They're intended for hiking across the Pennines not wandering around Florence, but the support and cushioning for hiking works equally well when you're on your feet all day exploring foreign cities. My feet used to give out first and limit my day, now the rest of me gives up before they do!