 | WARNING: Due to the outbreak of the infectious disease COVID-19 (see coronavirus pandemic), caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2, also known as coronavirus, there are travel restrictions worldwide. It is therefore of great importance to follow the advice of the official bodies of Belgium and Netherlands to be consulted frequently. These travel restrictions may include travel restrictions, closure of hotels and restaurants, quarantine measures, being allowed to be on the street for no reason and more, and can be implemented with immediate effect. Of course, in your own interest and that of others, you must immediately and strictly follow government instructions. |
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| Location | |
.jpg/250px-Europe-Ukraine_(disputed_territories,_2).jpg) | |
| Flag | |
 | |
| Short | |
| Capital | Kiev |
| Government | Republic |
| Coin | Hryvnia (UAH) |
| Surface | total: 603,700 km2 water: 0 km2 country: 603,700 km 2 |
| Population | 44.854.065 (2012) |
| Language | Ukrainian (official), Russian |
| Religion | Ukrainian Orthodox, Ukrainian Catholic (Uniate), Protestant, Jewish, Muslim |
| Call code | 380 |
| Internet TLD | .ua |
| Time zone | UTC 2 |
 | WARNING: Crimea was taken by Russia in March 2014, and parts of eastern Ukraine have been raging since then. Consult here the current travel advice from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. You can find the current travel advice from the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs here consult. There is also detailed information about safety on this one US website |  |
Ukraine (Ukrainian: Україна, literally "Border Country") is the largest country (by area) that is completely Europe is. Three major rivers cross the country: the Dnieper (Dnipro), the Dniester (Dnister) and the Donets.
Regions
| Central Ukraine The political, economic, and cultural center of Ukraine, centered around the capital Kiev |
| Crimea A peninsula that primarily serves as Russia's favorite beach destination, with some pretty Black Sea coastline and a mountainous interior. In 2014 Crimea was taken by Russia. It is strongly advised not to travel here. |
| Western Ukraine Historically controlled for centuries by non-Russian European countries (eg Poland, Lithuania, Austria, Romania, former Czechoslovakia and Turkey); hence you can find Central European architecture, cuisine, language and religion here |
| Eastern Ukraine The heavily industrialized and russified coal mining region of the Donbass. It is home to major Soviet cities and much of the country's Russian population. Civil war has been raging in parts of eastern Ukraine since 2014. Do not travel to these areas. |
| Southern Ukraine The popular Ukrainian Black Sea coast (though not as popular as the Crimea), best known for its beautiful city Odessa |
Towns
- Kiev (2.6 million inhabitants)
- Kharkiv (1.5 million)
- Dnipropetrovsk (1.1 million)
- Odessa (1 million)
- Donetsk (1 million)
- Zaporizhzhya (800.000)
- Lviv (700.000)
- Ivano-Frankivsky (220.000)
Other destinations
Chernobyl: The nuclear disaster and the permanent radiation has forced the government to evacuate a very large area around the nuclear reactor. Nature has therefore been given free rein here and since then a rich fauna and flora has developed.
Info
Passport and Visa
Dutch and Belgians can stay in Ukraine for 90 days without a visa.
Geography
Ukraine is the largest country located entirely in Europe. A significant part of Ukraine is flat land, where wheat, grain and barley are grown.
Arrive
From airport Amsterdam, SchipholIn any case, companies regularly fly to the capital.
And also from the airport of Brussels Airport different flights can be booked.
For flight information to other cities in the country, see the articles for that city.
By train
Despite the rise of budget airlines, train travel can still be a cheap, fast and certainly more convenient option for transportation. Because train stations are often located in the city centres, the train on the medium distance (for example Enschede - Paris or Bruges - Wolfsburg) can compete very well with the plane.
Currently in Belgium and at the Deutsche Bahn online only to order tickets for the neighboring countries of Belgium, resp. Germany and a number of easily accessible cities further on. Other tickets can only be purchased by telephone or at the counter, or of course in the country concerned. The latter is often much cheaper. Also keep an eye out for the many Sparpreis offers at the Deutsche Bahn, which can be very advantageous for a travel route to or via Germany.
However, it is quite possible to train journey map out from home. The two sites listed immediately below provide information not only about journeys from the Benelux, but also about all train connections throughout Europe and in the Russian part of Asia, e.g. between Moscow and Madrid. It is about this the site of the Belgian railways and the Dutch site of the Deutsche Bahn.
NS Hispeed only offers information about travel between the Netherlands and a few large foreign cities. As a rule, this information is also limited to trains that run directly to or from abroad (i.e. no connections between Utrecht and Paris or between Rotterdam and Germany, because there is always a transfer within the Netherlands). To plan trips within the Netherlands, it is best this website use.
NS Hispeed sells online a small range of journeys departing from the Netherlands to other countries (one-way and return journeys), and a very limited number of routes from abroad to (other) foreign countries (one-way and return journeys). You can book other trips by telephone via the Telesales department (0900-9296, €0.35 p.m.) and at the counters in the Tickets and Service shops at the (medium) large stations. This is the online International counter of the Dutch railways.
Smoking is prohibited on the train in all European countries.
By car
It is perfectly possible to travel to Ukraine by car. The distance is for most of us quite large: the capital Kiev is about 2300 km and you are not even halfway through the country. The most common route is via Germany to Poland via Lviv to Kiev, but the route Germany --> Austria --> Slovakia/Hungary is also an excellent route. Be aware of bad roads in Poland and Ukraine. These roads are also being modernized at a rapid pace.
By bus
Every Saturday a Eurolines/Lviv Inturtrans bus departs from Amsterdam to Lviv and Kyiv.
By boat
There are ferries [1] to Crimea and/or Odessa from Istanbul, Varna and Georgia.
Travel around
Please be aware that all foreigners are subject to stricter police control when traveling by public transport. Be prepared to show your passport and other official papers and have the embassy/consulate phone number ready in case you have to deal with a corrupt official. Failure to show the necessary official documents during a check will result in a large fine.
The fastest way to travel between the major cities is the so-called marshrutka: the minibuses that follow certain routes, just like the regular buses do.
Every city has an intercity bus station from which buses depart to most major cities in Ukraine. Rates and quality of service vary widely.
Language
The official language is Ukrainian, in the border areas also Romanian, Polish and Hungarian spoken. Russian is closely related to Ukrainian and is the most widely spoken language in the east and south of the country. In the west, however, many Ukrainians will refuse to speak Russian.
Most young people also understand and speak English, although it is a good idea to learn some Ukrainian and/or Russian before traveling to Ukraine. Recognizing the Cyrillic alphabet is a must as everything is written in Cyrillic.
To buy
The national currency of Ukraine is the Hryvnia. In the big cities you will find exchange offices where you can exchange euros.
Attention: It is forbidden to pay with foreign currency in Ukraine! Historical objects are not allowed to leave the country and are strictly checked at the customs posts. So inquire in advance whether certain objects are allowed to cross the border.
Food
The food is the most expensive in Kiev, but if you look carefully you can even eat in the capital for a decent price.
Going out
The nightlife in Kiev is quite cozy and affordable. Also don't forget to go to the opera if you like it.
LaurensDols Bar - The coziest bar on the main street of Kiev. This bar goes on until the late hours. Please note that you must be on the guest list to enter.
stay overnight
Outside of Kiev, western tourists can sometimes be faced with unpleasant surprises, because in Ukraine still different standards apply than in Western Europe. The cheaper the hotel, the greater the chance that people will be dissatisfied with the accommodation.
On the other hand, there are also a number of 5-star hotels in Kiev, Donetsk and Lviv where one can stay at relatively democratic prices.
Another option is to rent an apartment in advance via the internet.
To learn
To work
Safety
Health
respect
Contact
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