 Two-bed compartment in the sleeping car | |
| Ukrainian railways | |
| Employee | approx. 376,000 |
|---|---|
| ukr .: | Українські залізниці |
| soot.: | Украинские железные дороги |
| Internet | www.uz.gov.ua |
| Network plan | www.bueker.net |
Preface
Traveling by train in Ukraine? Yes where if not here! - Or the visa-free training camp for them Trans-Siberian
The Ukraine is twice the size of Germany, and therefore (apart from the European part of Russia) the largest country in Europe. Because of its size, this country is predestined for excessive rail travel. The feeling of a vacation that is already beginning on the way, unfamiliar to most Western Europeans, will simply grasp everyone here - the comfortable long-distance trains, which mostly run overnight, have already cast a spell on many travelers. Some have called it "The Discovery of Slowness", so just set out on your own and convince yourself that this description definitely falls short! The way is (also) the goal!
Which trains are running?
In Eastern Europe there are timetable changes twice a year. So there is always a summer (June to September) and a winter (October to May) schedule. This timetable is also transmitted to the Western European railways and can therefore also be traced on the ÖBB and DB websites. Unfortunately, the entry into the databases often takes place very shortly before the start of a timetable period, so that running trains may not be visible. The railroad counter of trust helps in any case.
In addition, there are many lower-class trains (which do not have to affect the quality!) And regional trains that do not appear in the international timetable media. The Ukrainian railway itself offers one Timetable query on their website. Please note that connecting connections must be selected explicitly if no direct connections are found.
Train types and wagon classes
In addition to the S-Bahn-like local trains called "Elektritschka", the Ukrainian Railways differentiate between so-called branded trains (фирменный), which have a certain name, express trains and passenger trains. Overall, higher-quality trains always have lower train numbers and consist of wagons with the higher-quality classes.
A distinction is made between the carriage classes Ljuks (two lower beds), Kupe (two lower and two upper beds) and Platzkartnyi couchette cars (like Kupe with shorter couches, but without compartment doors and two couches arranged one above the other in the direction of travel). Seating carriages are extremely rare and are called obshschi.
Due to the broad gauge used in Ukraine (as well as in the rest of the CIS) as well as the elevated platforms in Germany, so-called RIC cars are used in international traffic to Western Europe, which can be re-gauged. In the direction of Hungary this happens in Tschop and in Mostyska or Jagodyn in the direction of Poland. Here, compartments are provided with three beds, one above the other, which can be used in different configurations. (Single / double / triple). There is also a wash basin in these compartments. All wagons of higher quality and / or to Western Europe are air-conditioned during the journey with some windows in the corridor that can be opened for photography.
Tickets and reservations
Ticket and reservation are only sold together on site, as reservations are required for all long-distance trains anyway. In this country, however, both travel and bed tickets can be purchased separately in accordance with the international tariff.
If two-way compartments are to be booked, a so-called class change must also be purchased for cross-border journeys to and from Western Europe, as a first-class ticket is required in the Ukraine (but not in the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia). This means that the second class ticket is issued from the departure station to the destination station, plus the change of class from the Ukrainian border station to the destination station. A normal 1st class ticket can of course be used for journeys within Ukraine.
The advance booking period starts (i.e. the first day of booking) on most international connections 92 days before departure, especially during the holidays and public holidays. Certain trains have shorter (60 days partly within the CIS, 45 days within Ukraine) advance booking deadlines.
Ukrainian ticket offices also have some special features. At many train stations only tickets for the current day are sold, so in order to purchase tickets in advance you may be referred to a special counter in the city center. It is sold at countless different counters - for international tickets, pensioners, invalids, etc., which is why patience and trial and error may be required. If in doubt, you can use any switch and have yourself referred to if necessary. In addition, each ticket office takes its break individually (break times are posted).
In some cases in the past, the passport was required in order to put the name of the traveler on the ticket. Any document with your own name in Cyrillic letters, if available, can be an advantage.
You can also buy tickets without language skills: Simply take a printout of the connection you want from the Internet and note the date. The only query will be the car class.
You can also go to the English side of the Ukrainian railways Online ticket to buy. You just have to print it out and take it with you.
Reservations from Western Europe
Contrary to popular claims, all trains, including those in an east-west direction, can be booked from Western Europe. Since the whole thing is unfortunately not that everyday, many railway employees do not know about the peculiarities and often give up too quickly. In order to save a lot of running around and disappointments, it is advisable to contact a competent railway agency. e.g. the Railway Agency Schöneberg. Tickets and reservations can be sent by post.
Inexpensive domestic travel for rail travel through Ukraine can be obtained from Trident journeys, a proven specialist for all questions about traveling in Ukraine.
Prices
In principle, no generally valid statement can be made about fares, as there are often allotmented saver fares that are of course only available if you book sufficiently early. In addition, savings can be made in many ways if one ticket is issued for the entire journey.
In the train
The Provodnitsa (conductor) checks and collects travel and bed tickets as soon as you get on. Tickets are handed out again before disembarking, together with a personal note on the disembarkation.
Bed linen is included on all higher-quality trains, and always if international tickets are used. The second rule is not familiar to the conductors accompanying every sleeping car in individual cases. You may be asked to pay a small fee. Drinks and small snacks such as biscuits are available from the conductors for a fee, hot water is always available free of charge in a boiler.
Toilets and washrooms are located in the front and back of each car. Showers are seldom available - a washcloth you bring with you will do a good job. If you can't see how the faucet works, look for a small pen on the underside of the faucet. This is pressed in, and it is up and running.
Even if smoking is now a legal requirement in Ukraine, in reality people still smoke in the vestibules at the end of the car.
The timetable for each train is posted in the aisle for both directions. Here it is noted how long a stop lasts, so that you can get out in peace under certain circumstances. For longer stays, pensioners and housewives often come by train to sell food (often whole meals) and drinks, but if you urgently need something, you are more likely to find something on the platform. If you want to get off for shopping on the way, you should firstly always make sure that the conductors are informed (unless they are on guard in front of the wagon door and watch who gets out), and secondly not to move too far from your own car. Since each conductor only lets "his" passengers on board, a long excursion can quickly become dangerous. In any case, shopping like this will be an experience - perhaps the most authentic way of getting to know the local cuisine!
In some trains with an open toilet system, the so-called "sanitary zone" continues to prevail. This means that the train toilets are locked for a certain time before and after larger cities / settlements in order to avoid soiling the tracks in the station area. In this case, a corresponding plan with times and stops is posted on the toilet doors. Since closed toilet systems have found their way more and more into the Ukraine, this is no longer the case on every train. To be on the safe side, however, you should inform yourself about this after starting to avoid surprises.
International train connections in detail
From the German-speaking area
As of 08-2013
There are currently no through coaches in Ukraine, but there are still transfer connections to the following trains
| DB query (note traffic days) | Days of traffic |
|---|---|
| Krakow - Lemberg (Lwow) | Every day |
| Warsaw - Kiev | Every day |
| Belgrade - Budapest - Kiev - Moscow | Every day |
| Pressburg (Bratislava) - Lviv - Kiev - Moscow | Every day |
One part of the train runs daily from Vienna to Kiev (Vienna ─ Budapest ─ Lviv ─ Kiev) (timetable 2020).
