Travel tips

Customs

Travelers crossing the Ukrainian border must complete a customs declaration only if they are carrying more than 1,000 USD and/or 10,000 UAH (or the equivalent in any other currency) and/or declarable goods. Those carrying more than the mentioned above amount must have an A1 bank reference form. If you have less than 1,000 USD and no declarable goods, you only need to inform a customs officer verbally. Officers have the right to inspect your bags at any time.

Arriving by Plane

Located 34km east of Kyiv, Boryspil airport is a small but modern facility. Foreigners are supposed to receive registration cards when they come to Ukraine. You are strongly advised to save these registration cards because it is required upon leaving the country.

Language

The country’s official language is Ukrainian, but Russian is also widely spoken. It depends on the region of the state. If you a guest of Kyiv you may feel free address yourself to people in English.

Money

The national currency is the hryvnia (UAH). Paper bills carry denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 50, 100 and 200 UAHs. Another word to the wise: there are two versions of the 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 UAH bills, and both are accepted everywhere. There are 100 kopecks in a UAH, with 1, 2, 5, 10, 25 and 50 kopeck coins. You’ll have no problem finding currency exchange points, but rates are better from central street kiosks. ATMs have become plentiful in Kyiv, and many hotels and restaurants now take Visa and MasterCard - American Express is not very popular.
Most banks are open to public from 9a.m. to 3p.m with a lunch hour from 1 to 2 p.m. and are closed on Saturday, Sunday.

Electricity

Ukraine supplies its residents and visitors alike with electrical current of 220 volts AC, 50Hz.

Water in Ukraine

It's not recommended to drink tap water unless you boil it. The better choice will be to just buy bottled water for drinking. You should be aware however that some bottled water from the smaller Kiosks can be counterfeit. The brand BonAqua seems to be the best bet as far as getting the genuine product. Water Wells (byuvyet) are located throughout Kiev and are popular especially with the Seniors of the City. They are usually built in a park like setting with several old style hand pumps to accommodate whoever may want to fill up from their favorite Aquifer. Information concerning each Well is posted onsight.

Smoking

Just recently Ukraine outlawed smoking in most public places and the workplace, except in specially designated areas. It is the responsibility of each company to provide a designated area for all smoking patrons or personnel. Smocking is allowed in most of the bars, restaurants and cafes. If you can’t stand smocking, ask for the special non-smocking area.

Tipping

Kyiv tipping culture is developing slowly. While no general rule exists yet, most restaurant-goers leave around 5 - 10% of their bill. Some places include a service charge of five to 10 per cent, so read the fine print or ask. Tripping is also welcomed for the guides and the drivers as well.

Culture

Kyiv hosts some great performances in a range of artistic fields, such as opera and ballet, classical music and art exhibitions. Kyiv is also famous for its theatres. A big plus is that you can visit such high-quality events for much less than in the rest of Europe. Films are usually dubbed in Russian without English subtitles. Some cinemas show recently released films in English.

Food & Drink

You can choose from a vast range of options of local and international cuisine that rivals many Western European cities. The prices at some new, trendy restaurants in the centre are rising accordingly, but an evening dining out at most places will still cost less than you would expect to pay for the same level of service and quality at home. When the weather warms up sufficiently, many of the cafés and bars around the centre set up outdoor seating. Please ask your travel agent for a restaurant recommendation. Ukrainian cuisine restaurants become more and more popular with traditional Borsch – red and green, several kinds of Ukrainian Vareniki (dumplings) stuffed with potatoes, mushrooms, all kinds of meat or cheese, Golubtsy (cabbage rolls) - cabbage leaves stuffed with rice, meat, carrot and fried onion, usually served with sour-cream, jellied meat with horse-radish, suckling pig, stuffed fish and plenty of other Ukrainian specialties. Ukrainian cuisine is rich of natural components grown in the fertile Ukrainian Tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet onion, lettuce, peaches, watermelons, apples, grapes - all vegetable and fruits produced in Ukraine taste marvelous.

Public Transportation

Most Ukrainian cities have extensive public transport system which operates from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. Buses, trams and trolleys are rather slow, but it is a cheap way to travel within cities. Prices range from 50 kopecks to 2 UAHs.

Nightlife

Kyiv is presented variety of the night bars and night clubs. The biggest entertainment center of Kyiv is “Arena City” that is a kind of bar, restaurant and club scene at the heart of the city centre, but don't be surprised if you encounter more of your own countrymen than Ukrainians there. On weekends and holidays, the main street of Khreschatyk and the Podil district are closed to automobile traffic, making them Kyiv's most active scenes for nightlife.

Sightseeing

Kyiv's sightseeing list is topped by its famous gold-domed churches and cathedrals, magnificent sanctuaries of worship that impress with their history and art. Since everybody needs souvenirs to take home, God kindly created Andriyivsky uzvis. Next are the city’s museums, historical monuments, and finally a wonderful open-air museum on the edge of the city limits. While it is more of a summer hang-out, the attractions of the Hydropark ranging from clubbing to table tennis have began to open as the weather improves. Kyiv has the highest number of square kilometers of park per resident in Europe, lined with benches and dotted with monuments. Spring is generally mild, so there should be plenty of opportunity to enjoy the outdoors and the central squares.