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Airports and flights to Ukraine.
Flights to Ukraine. Currently 537 Ukrainian airports accept regular flights within Ukraine. But only eight of them handle both domestic and international flights: Kiev, Odessa, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Lvov, Simferopol, Dnepropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhya.
Click the diagram below to see the airports and lists of the international flights to Ukraine available at those airports. You can see that most of the international flights arrive to Kiev.
In many cases the easiest way to reach your destination in Ukraine is to book a flight to Kiev first and then to book an additional connecting flight through Aerosvit or Ukraine International Airlines.
Kiev has two airports: "Borispil", which is located 40 kilometers from the city center and "Kyiv"(Zhulyany), located 7 kilometers from the city. 99% of international flights to Kyiv arrive at "Borispil".
You can find a complete list of flights to and from Kyiv at "KiyAvia" website.
You have two options once in Kiev if you decide to travel by plane to other destinations in Ukraine.
From airport "Borispil"(KBP) you can reach many cities within Ukraine and the former Soviet Union. For complete information about flights to Ukraine and services available at the airport visit the Airport "Borispil" site.
Airport "Kyiv"(Zhulyany) (IEV) handles mostly domestic flights. To continue your flights to Ukraine from "Kyiv" airport, please remember to allow at least 4 hours between the flights for changing between the airports.
To continue your flights to Ukraine from "Kyiv" (Zhulyany) you can:
Either take a shuttle bus from "Borispil" to airport "Kyiv". You can find the shuttle schedule at the Airport "Borispil" website.
Or take a bus from "Borispil" to Central Railway Terminal of Kyiv. The ride is about 50 - 60 min and runs 2-3 times per hour. The fare is about 10 UAH ($2 USD-2007). Then at the Central station take trolleybus # 9 to stop "Airport "Kyiv", about a 35-40 min trip.
Both variants are cheap, but somewhat time consuming. A taxi is the most convenient way for traveling between airports, but also will be more expensive. The standard price is about 100-150 UAH ($20-30 USD - 2007)). You can either order a taxi by dialing 0-58 or to walk up to the taxi order desks at the airport, which are open 24 hours a day. They are located to the left from main entrance of "B" terminal.
Inter-city transportation.
Your flight to Ukraine is over, but you have not reached your final destination yet. What are your possible choices?
Use the extensive rail network. You can reach almost all destinations in Ukraine by railways. In Kiev, the railway station is located not far from Kiev center. "Polit" express buses will drop you at Kiev's main railway station in about 1 hour. Timetables for trains throughout the countries of the former Soviet Union you can find here at "Ukrzaliznitsa" site (in Russian and Ukrainian).Or you can...
Experience the comfort of the private bus services.The best-known of these are AutoLux and GUNSEL .
Some "street wisdom" tips.
Crime in Ukraine is relatively low as for western standards. But foreign tourists need some sort of "acclimatization" experience to feel comfortable in Ukraine. Use your common sense to make your visit to Ukraine enjoyable and safe. After your flight to Ukraine is over, and you are ready to leave the airport, "Borispil", please, be aware:
It is about 30- 40 yards from the main entrance of terminal "B" to the bus stop or the parking lot. You will be asked many times whether you need some help with your bags. All those people are "private money hunters". Remember about this distance in case you decide you need their help.
To get a taxi ride from the airport is not a problem. There are two types of taxis: official, (are clearly marked with a dome light) and private. Private taxis are simply any local drivers who sometimes act as taxi drivers. They usually charge significantly less than official taxis.
As a rule taxi drivers do not speak English. Unless you speak the language, show a note with the destination written in Ukrainian or Russian, and ask the price before you sit in a taxi. Be sure not to get into a car containing two or more people. Normal precaution should be taken in the evenings.
Keep in mind taxis usually accept dollars and Euros. However it is not a bad idea to change about $30 at the airport. Don't change any more than that! Exchange rates are better in the city centre. Also don't change money with strangers in the street. Illegal currency exchange in Ukraine is a criminal offense.
While planning your visit to Ukraine, remember that the country is still largely a cash economy. You will need to carry paper money, since credit cards are not easily accepted. A safe way to carry your money is with money belt that can be worn under your clothes.
Yahoo Currency Converter tool will help you to plan your flight to Ukraine financially. Xe.com is also a website that calculates currency conversions.
Check the weather for your flights to Ukraine. Weather Informer from GISMETEO.RU (mouse over text) is a good adviser about packing your suitcase. Keep your suitcase light!
Weather Details for Today and 15-Day Forecast for Kiev you can find here .
Now you have a lot of information and homework to do to be ready for your flights to Ukraine. Don't hesitate to visit Ukraine.Recently I heard somebody's wise advice about flights to Ukraine:
