"The Idiot's Guide to Simple Travel in Ukraine"

“The Guide”

While I have given several places over to comments about the transportation systems in Ukraine in previous editions of the “Ukrainian Chronicles,” none have been done together. I thought it might be interesting to all, and hopefully of help to people planning to travel here, if I simply did a set of articles, concurrently, on the entire system. We’ll title it after the famous American “how-to” books and call it “The Idiot’s Guide to Simple Travel in Ukraine,” with no apologies to the originators of those books, either, since the “idiot” is me.

Travel on foot

The most common, everyday travel in Ukraine is on foot. Whether in a village or a big city, whether you drive a car or take public transportation, at some point you most likely will be walking to get somewhere. Very often a day may require you to walk as much as 5 kilometers during your going and coming. Knowing your way around, or being able to find it, can be challenging even with a good map.

Ukrainians, and all Eastern Europeans, take walking as a normal part of life and they walk at a clip that would intimidate even an accomplished Olympic “speed walker.” I am told the citizens of Moscow walk even faster. I have a good long stride and can move effectively, but I am still slow by Ukrainian standards. People are almost always late wherever they go, and thus they “really like to move-it, move-it”.

Streets are marked in many ways and in many places, and there is a building numbering system, sort of. There is a slight problem in that streets can begin and end in the middle of a block, at a bend in the street, or just about anywhere someone decided to end them. As I have found a few times, streets can also begin at the very end of another street and then make a 90 degree turn. So, you have the beginning numbers of buildings for the street literally starting on a street going in an entirely different direction and with an entire different street name. Locals will be your best source of help there, and in this country, believe me, even the locals ask other locals for directions ALL THE TIME..they have to, for all the reasons given here. One good thing, however, is generally speaking; even numbers are usually on one side, and odd numbers on the other, at least until the middle and inside the middle of the block.

There is also the added factor there are almost always buildings behind the buildings along the street in the main parts of the cities. Those are numbered, too, either with corresponding numbers and alpha sub sets, or separate numbers from the others. Building number 24 on Ulitsa Vladimirskaya (Vladimir Street) may have three buildings behind it that are numbers 24a; 24b; or even 24v and right next to, or in between them might be building 26, none of which are on the street. There are pass-through passageways to buildings behind the main ones, so if your number isn’t on the street side set of buildings, look behind the nearest number and see if it is there. It can often be more like a treasure hunt than finding a street address.

Also, street names are in both Russian and Ukrainian, depending on when the sign was made and put up. Building numbers usually also have the street name above or below the number. A lot of times the names in the two languages are similar. Once again, locals are your best source, so make sure your Russian or Ukrainian is good enough to ask directions and understand them when you get them….or have someone write the address you want down for you on a sheet of paper in Russian or Ukrainian and point to the address and ask “Vi znaete gde est’ eta ulitsa?” (Do you know where this street is?) and pay close attention to hand signals as to where to go. Ask for “how many streets” to go, or “skol’ko ulits ot syuda eto budit?” Then you can get how many fingers they show in response…hopefully not the middle one.

Taxis

The second common transportation in Ukraine is by taxi, privately or corporately owned. Unless you make arrangements for a mini-van, all taxi’s are small compact four door cars, or the ones at the airport or “Vokzal” (train or bus depot) can be small station wagons to carry large luggage. Taxis are used by everyone, local and foreign. I know of some instances where they are used instead of taking a marshrutka or train to another city when there is no airline flight and someone is in a hurry to get there. I even know a couple of people who take one to work every day and pay for a monthly service to do so. Sort of a “lower cost” chauffeur service.

While the taxi fare meters can be found here on many of the newer taxis, those are predominately for corporate clients, or foreigners who don’t know any better. Unlike the USA, and some other countries, here the “metered fare” system is NOT the common method of fare determination. Fare is determined by barter..open negotiation. So, before you run to jump into a taxi (not called a “cab” here), stop and open the door, or proceed to the driver, tell him where you are going, then ASK HOW MUCH THE FARE WILL BE FIRST BEFORE YOU GET INTO THE CAR AND MAKE SURE YOU AGREE ON THE PRICE AND DESTINATION. You can find taxis anywhere in town, usually at any metro station or bus stop even and they all have taxis lights on top…98% of them do.

Taxis from the airport are expensive if you don’t know where to go to get one and the drivers will all but kidnap you as you depart the customs area. There are taxi stands (in buildings marked as “Taxi”) outside the airport on the right side as you exit, and prices are usually less there. Don’t be shy about demanding a better price. More on airport transport will be under airline travel and the airport.