UK, EU, Swiss & US citizens no longer need
a visa for stays of up to 90 days. This visa-free
arrangement was introduced in 2005, but has now been
extended indefinitely. To check this, see the
Ukrainian embassy website ay
www.ukremb.org.uk.
Page last
updated:
26 June 2009. Train times valid
from 14 June to 12 December 2009.
Travel to Ukraine by train...
Above: Kiev, Ukraine
It's easy to travel by train from
London to Ukraine. It's also safe, comfortable, affordable and
best of all (unlike yet another flight) an adventure. Eurostar and German Railways link London
with Berlin, then there are daily sleeper trains from Berlin
& Warsaw to Kiev. There are even direct sleeping-cars several times
a
week from Berlin to Odessa & Simferopol in the Crimea. This page will tell you
train times, approximate fares, and how to buy tickets.
It's safe & easy
to travel from London to Kyïv (Kyïv in Ukrainian, Kiev in
Russian) by train, using Eurostar to Brussels, Thalys to
Cologne, the 'Jan Kiepura' sleeper train overnight to Warsaw,
then the 'Kiev Express' overnight from Warsaw to Kyïv. Or
take Eurostar to Paris, the City Night Line sleeper train
overnight to Berlin, then a direct Berlin-Kyïv sleeper train called the
'Kashtan'. The journey can be booked in the UK with one
phone call, and is an adventure in itself. Either way,
the journey takes 2 nights.
Train times
London ► Kyïv (option 1, via the Warsaw-Kiev
Express)
Day 1: Travel
from London to Brussels by
Eurostar,
leaving London St Pancras at 14:34, arriving in
Brussels Midi at 17:33.
Day 1: Travel from Brussels to Cologne
(Köln in German) by high-speed
Thalys
train, leaving Brussels
Midi at 18:59 and arriving in
Cologne Hauptbahnhof at 21:15.
Day 1:
Travel from Cologne to Warsaw overnight on the 'Jan Kiepura'
EuroNight sleeper train, leaving Cologne at 22:28 and arriving
at Warsaw
Centralna
at 10:35 next morning. The Jan Kiepura has modern
air-conditioned Polish
sleeping-cars (1 & 2-bed deluxe rooms with private toilet
& shower plus TV/DVD player, 1, 2 & 3-berth standard rooms
with washbasin, hot shower at end of the corridor, CCTV
security, highly recommended),
couchettes (basic sleeping accommodation in 4-berth & 6-berth
compartments) & reclining seats (not recommended). The sleeper fare
includes complimentary toiletries pack and morning tea or
coffee and croissant. There's no restaurant car in the
evening, so take you own picnic
and bottle of wine aboard, but a restaurant car is attached
for breakfast. Spend most of the day exploring Warsaw.
Day 2: Travel
from Warsaw to Kyïv on the 'Kiev
Express' leaving Warsaw Centralna
at 16:45 and arriving in Kyïv at 10:27 next morning (day 3
from London).
The 'Kiev Express' has a Polish sleeping-car with 1st
class 2-berth compartments with washbasin, and several
Ukrainian 2nd class sleeping-cars with 4-berth compartments. There is
a buffet car serving tea, coffee, beer and snacks, but
it's always a good idea to take your own supplies of food,
water and wine or beer. Late at night, the train is shunted into the gauge-changing shed at Yagodin (the Ukrainian frontier point) and jacked up to
have its wheels changed from standard European (4'
8½") gauge to Russian 5' gauge. You remain on
board while this is done.
Train times
London ► Kyïv (option 2, via the Berlin-Kiev Kashtan)
This option only takes
a bit longer, involves fewer changes of train, gives
you a full day in Berlin, and can sometimes be easier to book
because UK agencies such as DB's UK office can easily make you
a sleeper reservation from Berlin to Kiev, but sometimes have difficulty booking the Warsaw-Kiev
train.
Day 1: Travel from
London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving
London St Pancras at 15:29, arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 18:56.
It's a
10 minute walk
from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est. By
all means take an earlier Eurostar if you'd like to spend
some time in Paris, or if it has cheaper seats available.
Day 1:
Travel from Paris to Berlin
by the City Night Line sleeper train 'Perseus', leaving
Paris Gare de l'Est at 20:20 and arriving at Berlin (Hauptbahnhof)
at 09:02 next
morning. This train runs on Mondays, Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays
until 26 March 2009, then daily from 27 March to 2 November 2009, then
on Mondays, Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays again. The 'Perseus' has sleepers, couchettes, seats
and a bistro car, see the photos & information below
or click for more pictures and information about this train.
Spend the day exploring Berlin.
Day 2: Travel from
Berlin to Kiev on the 'Kashtan', leaving Berlin
Lichtenberg station (a few minutes from Berlin
Hauptbahnhof by frequent S-bahn local train) at 21:39
daily, travelling across Germany and Poland and arriving in Kyïv at
21:12 next day (day 3 from London). The Kashtan has comfortable Ukrainian
2 & 3-berth sleeper compartments with washbasin. A Ukrainian
buffet car is attached to the train
between Kovel (just beyond the Ukrainian frontier) and
Kyïv, serving snacks and drinks, but it's always wise to
take your own supplies of food, water and wine or beer.
The train is shunted into the gauge-changing shed at Yagodin
(the Ukrainian frontier point, reached at 10:48)
and jacked up to have its wheels changed from standard
European (4' 8½") gauge to Russian 5' gauge. You
remain on board while this is done.
From 19
October onwards, the timetable of the Kashtan will change.
It will leave Berlin Hauptbahnhof at 15:15, reaching the
Ukrainian frontier at Yagodin at 06:18 next morning and
arriving Kiev at 16:48.
Introducing the Paris-Berlin City Night Line
sleeper train...
The Paris-Berlin
overnight train is one of the
German Railway's excellent 'City Night Line' sleeper trains. It
has brand-new sleeping-cars
(1, 2 & 3-berth deluxe rooms with private shower &
toilet, 1, 2 &
3-berth standard rooms with washbasin, shower at
the end of the corridor, all rooms with power points for
mobiles & laptop computers),
modern air-conditioned couchettes (choose between a berth in
a 4- or 6-berth compartment), ordinary seats (not
recommended, as a couchette is far better) and a bistro-restaurant
car. Inclusive fares are charged covering
travel plus sleeping accommodation. The
sleeping-car fare includes a light breakfast in the
restaurant car.
Click for more pictures and information about this train.
1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper: The most comfortable &
civilised option, with proper beds & washbasin.
4-berth couchettes: Ideal for families,
much more space per person than 6-berth couchettes.
6-berth couchettes: A very economical
option, far better than a seat for just a few euros
more...
Bistro-bar car:
The bistro
car serves meals, snacks & drinks in the evening,
breakfast in the morning.
Introducing the
Jan Kiepura sleeper train from Cologne to Warsaw...
1, 2 or 3
bed sleepers: The EuroNight 'Jan Kiepura'
has two modern air-conditioned Polish sleeping-cars,
with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments, either deluxe with shower & toilet or standard with washbasin...
3-bed sleeper with beds
folded out... Photo courtesy of Tobias Köhler.
3-bed sleeper with beds
folded away. Photo courtesy of Tobias Köhler
4-berth couchettes: Ideal for families.
Much more space per person than 6-berth couchettes.
6-berth couchettes: A very economical
option, far better than a seat for just a few euros
more...
Above: The
Jan Kiepura also has two couchette cars, with 4 & 6
berth compartments. There are toilets &
washrooms at the end of the corridor...
Introducing the Kiev Express
fromWarsaw to Kiev & the Kashtan from Berlin to
Kiev...
The 'Kiev Express' from Warsaw to Kyïv. Nearest
the camera is a Ukrainian sleeper (one of seven) with
2nd class 4-berth compartments. Behind it is the
Polish sleeping-car with 1st class 2-berth compartments.
Above: A 2nd class 4-berth sleeper on the 'Kiev
Express'.
The 'Kashtan':
A modernised Ukrainian sleeping-car with 2- & 3-bed
compartments on the Berlin-Kiev 'Kashtan'.
Train times Kyïv
► London (option 1, via the Kiev-Warsaw Express)
Day 1: Travel from
Kyïv to Warsaw on the 'Kiev Express' leaving
Kyïv daily at 15:31 and arriving at Warsaw Centralna at
08:20 next morning (day 2). Sleeping cars (2-berth 1st class
& 4-berth 2nd class) and a buffet car
are available.
Day 2: Travel
from Warsaw to Cologne on the 'Jan Kiepura' sleeper
train,
leaving Warsaw Centralna at 17:55,
arriving in Cologne at 06:14 next morning. The Jan
Kiepura has modern
sleeping-cars (1, 2, & 3-bed standard
rooms with washbasin, 1 & 2-bed deluxe rooms with
private shower & toilet, highly recommended),
couchettes
(basic sleeping accommodation in 4-berth & 6-berth
compartments) and reclining seats (not
recommended). There's a restaurant car in the
evening for dinner, with waiter-served meals at
affordable prices, alternatively feel free to take you own picnic
and bottle of wine aboard!
Day 3: Travel from
Cologne to Brussels by high-speed
Thalys
train, leaving Cologne daily at 07:45, arriving
Brussels Midi at
10:01.
Day 3: A
Eurostar
leaves Brussels
Midi daily at 11:29
and arrives London St Pancras at 12:26.
Train times Kyïv
► London (option 2, via the Kiev-Berlin Kashtan)
Day 1: Travel
from Kyïv direct to Berlin on the 'Kashtan', leaving Kyïv daily at
09:24 and arriving Berlin Lichtenberg station at 07:15 next
day. Berlin Lichtenberg is a few minutes from
Berlin Hauptbahnhof by frequent S-bahn suburban train. The Kashtan has modernised Ukrainian sleeping cars with
2- and 3-berth
compartments with washbasin, and there is a buffet car
between Kyïv and Kovel. From 19 October
2009 onwards the Kashtan's timetable changes, it will leave Kiev at 09:24
and arrive at Berlin Hauptbahnhof at 09:00 next morning.
Day 2: On Mondays-Fridays
or Sundays, you can travel
from Berlin to London by day, leaving Berlin Hauptbahnhof at
10:40, changing at Cologne & Brussels to arrive
back in London the same day at 19:56 (no Eurostar
connection on Saturdays). Or spend the day in Berlin
and take the sleeper to Paris then a Eurostar home,
see the London
to Germany page for details of all option between
Berlin & London.
How much does it
cost?
Each train is
ticketed separately, so add up the price for each leg of the
journey:
You can't book trains to Kiev online, so the easiest way to buy tickets is to click the button below (or
click here).
A booking form will appear which lists
all the
specific trains you
need to book. Fill in the form & email it to
sales@europeanrail.com. European Rail will make
the reservations and call you back to confirm the cost.
Assuming you're okay with the cost, you
can give them your credit card details & they'll
send you the tickets. European Rail is an experienced
agency whose staff are used to making more exotic bookings
like this. They are equipped with the German Railways
reservation & ticketing system, so have access to all the
cheap Saver fares for travel via Germany. They charge a £25
booking fee which includes postage to any UK address, or
they can send to any address worldwide if you pay the
courier fee. Seat61 gets some commission if you buy
tickets using this form. You will have to book the first leg of your return
journey when you get to Ukraine, because trains originating
in Ukraine cannot be booked from the UK. But you can
still pre-book the remainder of the return journey, and
benefit from a Saver return fare for the basic travel ticket.
Alternatively, you can book westbound train tickets from
Ukraine back to western Europe using the
Real Russia online system here. Remember that you
can't book until 60 days before departure.
How to buy
tickets, the full story...
You need to buy
tickets by phone or using the booking form above, as you cannot book this journey online.
Remember that reservations open 60 days in advance and you
can't book until reservations open! The best agencies to
call for this trip are:
www.europeanrail.com
on 020 7619 1083, lines open 08:30-18:00
Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday. You can
use this special booking form, just email it to
sales@europeanrail.com (Seat61 gets some
commission if you buy tickets using this form).
European Rail is an experienced London-based booking agency
equipped with the German Railways reservation system and
whose staff are familiar with bookings like this. When
they get your form, they will make all the reservations and call you
back to confirm the price and take your credit card details.
There's a £25 booking fee per transaction.
From overseas
call +44 20 7619 1083, tickets can be sent outside the UK if
necessary.
Deutsche
Bahn's UK office on
08718 80 80 66, lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday,
09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday.
Prices are the same as those charged by European Rail, though
an advantage is that DB don't charge a booking fee,
just a 2% fee for credit cards. However, their staff aren't
always as familiar with more exotic bookings like this, so
make sure you are clear about exactly which trains you want to
book before calling.
All the outward reservations from London to Kiev can easily be
booked from the UK. However, for the return journey, the
sleeper reservation from Kiev back to Warsaw or Berlin may be
more difficult to obtain from outside the Ukraine.
Deutsche Bahn sometimes hold a small allocation of berths for
the return Kiev-Warsaw/Berlin journey on their computer, but
not always. If they are unable to book this part of the
return journey for you, simply ask them to book the section
from Warsaw or Berlin back to London and (if you like) sell
you an open ticket for the Kiev to Warsaw or Berlin section.
You can easily book the return leg at the reservations office
when you reach Kyïv. Alternatively, you can book
westbound train tickets from Ukraine back to western Europe
using the Real
Russia online system here.
If
Krakow has become the new Prague, then Lviv is the new
Krakow... Lviv (spelt Lviv in Ukrainian, Lvov in
Russian) is a beautiful city that escaped most of
the ravages of world war 2. For accommodation in Lviv,
whether your budget is 1 star or 5 star, check out the faded
grandeur of the excellent and historic George
Hotel. This is the place to stay in Lviv, from
just US$27 per night.
The quickest and
easiest route from the UK to Lviv is via Krakow, using a new
daily Krakow-Lviv sleeper train. Why not stop off in
Krakow and see two great cities this way? Train times
via Prague are also shown below, although you arrive in Lviv
late at night this way. Why not go out one way and back
the other? There are direct trains from Vienna to Lviv
too, also shown here.
Train times
London ► Lviv (via Krakow)
This is probably
the quickest and easiest route, with good connections from
London...
Travel
from London to Krakow as shown on the London
to Poland page. If you take the 15:29 Eurostar to
Paris, the City Night Line sleeper train from Paris to
Berlin and the EuroCity train 'Wawel' from Berlin to
Krakow, you can connect with the train from Krakow to Lviv
the same evening. But why not stop off for a day in
Krakow?
A direct
overnight train called the 'Georgij Kirpa' with modern sleeping-cars with
comfortable 1, 2, &
3-bed compartments (some with private shower & toilet) leaves Krakow daily at
22:39 and arrives Lviv at 06:02 next day.
Train times Lviv
► London (via Krakow)
Travel
from Lviv to Krakow overnight by direct daily sleeper
train, the 'Georgij Kirpa', leaving Lviv
at 23:59 and arriving Krakow at 05:25
next day. The sleepers have comfortable, carpeted 1 2 & 3 bed
compartments with washbasin, plus some deluxe compartments
with private shower & toilet.
Travel
from Krakow back to London using any of the options shown on the
London
to Poland page. The best connection (if you're not
stopping off in Krakow) is to take the morning EuroCity
train 'Wawel') from Krakow to Berlin, the City Night Line
sleeper train from Berlin to Paris and a late morning
Eurostar back to London.
A direct Ukrainian sleeping-car with
comfortable 1, 2, &
3-bed compartments leaves Prague Hlavni station daily at
21:09 and arrives Lviv the next day (24+ hours later) at
23:46. This is a late hour to arrive, but just let
the George
Hotel know you'll be arriving late!
Train times Lviv
► London (via Prague)
Travel
from Lviv to Prague by direct sleeping-car, leaving Lviv
at 07:18 and arriving Prague Hlavni station at 06:54 next day (24 hours later). The sleeper has 1, 2, & 3
bed rooms with washbasin.
Travel from London to
Vienna using any of the options shown on the London
to Austria page. You arrive at Vienna Westbahnhof,
use local transport round to Vienna Südbahnhof.
A
direct Ukrainian sleeping-car with comfortable 1, 2, &
3-bed compartments leaves Vienna Südbahnhof daily
at 12:28 and arrives Lviv the next day at 08:40.
Train times Lviv
► London (via Vienna)
Travel
from Lviv to Vienna by direct sleeping-car, leaving Lviv
at 10:01 and arriving Vienna Südbahnhof at 06:58 the
next day. Spend the day in Vienna. The sleeper
has comfortable, carpeted 1 2 & 3 bed rooms with washbasin.
Travel
from Vienna back to London using any of the options shown on the London
to Austria page.
Krakow to
Lviv costs £40 one-way with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper,
£53 one-way with bed in a 2-bed sleeper, or £84 one-way
with bed in a 2-bed sleeper with private shower & toilet,
if you book in the UK. Bought locally at the station in Krakow, Krakow-Lviv is
costs around 35 euro including a bed in a 3-bed sleeper (20 euro
fare + 15 euro for a berth in a 3-berth sleeper, about 155
Polish zlotys in total in local currency).
Prague to Lviv costs £99
one-way with bed in a 3-bed sleeper, £111 one-way with bed in
a 2-bed sleeper, if you book it in the UK.
However, you
cannot book the sleeper from Krakow/Prague/Vienna to Lviv
online. This can be booked by calling either
Deutsche Bahn's UK telesales office
on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00
Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday), or www.europeanrail.com
on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 08:30-18:00 Monday-Friday,
£25 booking fee, but their staff are more familiar with
booking more exotic journeys like this).
You probably
won't succeed in booking the inwards Lviv to
Krakow/Prague/Vienna sleeper outside of Ukraine, although by
all means ask. So for a return journey, simply book the
whole outward journey from London to Lviv, plus the
Krakow/Prague/Vienna to London part of the return journey, and
simply buy the Lviv to Krakow/Prague/Vienna ticket at the
station when you reach Lviv. This really isn't
difficult.
How to buy
tickets by phone...
You can book all
the trains from London to Lviv via either Krakow, Prague or
Vienna by calling either Deutsche Bahn's UK telesales office
on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00
Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday), or www.europeanrail.com
on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 08:30-18:00 Monday-Friday,
£25 booking fee, but their staff are more familiar with
booking more exotic journeys like this). Before calling,
I suggest writing a clear list of exactly which specific
trains on which dates you want to book.
You probably
won't succeed in booking the inwards Lviv to
Krakow/Prague/Vienna sleeper outside of Ukraine, although by
all means ask. So for a return journey, simply book the
whole outward journey from London to Lviv, plus the
Krakow/Prague/Vienna to London part of the return journey, and
simply buy the Lviv to Krakow/Prague/Vienna ticket at the
station when you reach Lviv. This really isn't
difficult.
Believe
it or not, you can travel safely and comfortably from London to Odessa on
the Black Sea or Simferopol in the Crimea with just two changes, in
Paris and Berlin.
Train times
London ► Odessa / Simferopol / Crimea
Choose a train
service from London to Berlin using the London
to Germany page. The 15:29 Eurostar plus the
Paris-Berlin overnight sleeper is the best option. and it
gives you a morning in Berlin.
For Odessa,
from 3 June to 18 October 2009 a direct sleeping-car with comfortable Ukrainian
2 & 3-berth compartments leaves Berlin Lichtenberg at
21:39 daily except Tuesday & Sunday arriving in Odessa at
09:57 two night later. From 19 October onwards, it will
leave Berlin Hauptbahnhof at 15:15, arriving Odessa at 05:33
two nights later, probably on Monday, Wednesday & Friday,
though exact days of running are to be confirmed.
For
Simferopol, from 3 June to 18 October 2009 a direct sleeping-car with comfortable Ukrainian
2 & 3-berth
compartments leaves Berlin Lichtenberg at 21:39 every
Tuesday & Friday, arriving in
Simferopol at 13:30 two nights later. For connections to
Sebastopol, Balaclava and Yalta, see below. From 19
October onwards it will leave Berlin Hauptbahnhof at 15:15 on
Tuesdays & Fridays, arriving Simferopol two nights later,
exact time to be confirmed.
Train times
Odessa / Simferopol / Crimea ► London
From Odessa:
From 30 May to 14 October 2009, the through sleeping-car leaves Odessa at
18:22 daily except Fridays & Sundays, arriving in Berlin
Lichtenberg at 07:15 two nights later. From 15 October
2009 onwards it will leave around 23:00, probably on Mondays,
Wednesdays & Saturdays, arriving Berlin Hauptbahnhof two nights later at
09:00.
From
Simferopol: From 30 May to 14 October 2009, the through sleeping-car leaves Simferopol
on Wednesdays & Sundays at 15:37 arriving Berlin
Lichtenberg two nights later at 07:15. From 15 October
onwards it will still leave Simferopol at 15:37 on Wednesdays
& Sundays but will arrive at Berlin Hauptbahnhof two nights
later at 09:00.
Travel back to London
using any Berlin-London
service shown on the London to Germany
page. Allow at least 90 minutes for any connections
in Berlin.
Passengers for Odessa or the Crimea can also travel daily with
a change of trains in Kyïv, see the 'London to Kyïv' section
above plus the Train travel in Ukraine
page for
information on how to find train times, fares and how to book.
Above:
The Berlin to Odessa sleeping-car has just arrived in Odessa,
attached to a Moscow-Odessa express. Note the
difference in roof profile between cars built for
use purely in Russia / Ukraine and the sleeper from
Berlin, built for travel into Western Europe...
Above: Your
home-from-home. Carpet,
curtains & varnished wood in the corridor of the
Berlin-Odessa sleeper...
How much does it
cost?
See the section
above for London-Berlin fares.
Fares
Berlin to
Odessa:
£132 one-way, £182 Saver return* with bed in 3-berth
sleeper.
£178 one-way,
£255 Saver return* with bed in 2-berth sleeper.
For 2 people
travelling together: £142 Saver return* in 3-berth, £216
Saver return* in 2-berth (per person).
* = Doesn't
include the 23/42 euro sleeper supplement for the return
leg, as this must be booked in Odessa.
Berlin
to Simferopol:
£168 one-way, £293 Saver return* with bed in 3-berth
sleeper.
For 2 people
travelling together, £253 Saver return* in 3-berth
sleeper, per person.
* = Doesn't
include the 29 euro sleeper supplement for the return
leg, as this must be booked in Simferopol.
It may not be
possible to book 2-berth sleepers on this route,
although by all mans ask.
You can't book trains to Ukraine online, so the easiest way
to buy tickets is to click the button below (or
click here).
A booking form will appear which lists
all the
specific trains you
need to book. Fill in the form & email it to
sales@europeanrail.com. European Rail will make
the reservations and call you back to confirm the cost.
If you're okay with the cost, you
can give them your credit card details & they'll
send you the tickets. European Rail is an experienced
agency whose staff are used to making more exotic bookings
like this. They are equipped with the German Railways
reservation & ticketing system, so have access to all the
cheap Saver fares for travel via Germany. They charge a £25
booking fee which includes postage to any UK address, or
they can send to any address worldwide if you pay the
courier fee. Seat61 gets some commission if you buy
tickets using this form. You will have to book the first leg of your return
journey when you get to Ukraine, because trains originating
in Ukraine cannot be booked from the UK. But you can
still pre-book the remainder of the return journey, and
benefit from a Saver return fare for the basic travel ticket.
Alternatively, you can book westbound train tickets from
Ukraine back to western Europe using the
Real Russia online system here. Remember that you
can't book until 60 days before departure.
How to buy
tickets, the full story...
You need to buy
tickets by phone or using the booking form above, as you cannot book this journey online.
Remember that reservations open 60 days in advance and you
can't book until reservations open! The best agencies to
call for this trip are:
www.europeanrail.com
on 020 7619 1083, lines open 08:30-18:00
Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday. You can
use this special booking form, just email it to
sales@europeanrail.com (Seat61 gets some
commission if you buy tickets using this form).
European Rail is an experienced London-based booking agency
equipped with the German Railways reservation system and
whose staff are familiar with bookings like this. When
they get your form, they will make all the reservations and call you
back to confirm the price and take your credit card details.
There's a £25 booking fee per transaction.
From overseas
call +44 20 7619 1083, tickets can be sent outside the UK if
necessary.
Deutsche
Bahn's UK office on
08718 80 80 66, lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday,
09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday.
Prices are the same as those charged by European Rail, though
an advantage is that DB don't charge a booking fee,
just a 2% fee for credit cards. However, their staff aren't
always as familiar with more exotic bookings like this, so
make sure you are clear about exactly which trains you want to
book before calling.
All the outward reservations from London to
Odessa or Simferopol can easily be
booked from the UK. However, for the return journey, the
sleeper reservation from Odessa or Simferopol back to Berlin may be
more difficult to obtain from outside the Ukraine.
If they are unable to book this part of the
return journey, simply ask the agency to book the section
from Berlin back to London and (if you like) sell
you an open ticket for the Odessa or Simferopol to Berlin section.
You can easily book the return leg at the reservations office
when you reach Ukraine. Alternatively, you can book
westbound train tickets from Ukraine back to western Europe
using the Real
Russia online system here.
Yalta, Sevastopol &
Balaclava...
Sevastopol
is a naval base which was closed to foreigners until 1996. A
pleasant and interesting town, it can be reached by regular local train from
Simferopol, as well as long distance ones from Kiev and
Moscow. The local trains stop at Bachchysaray, where you
can visit the palace of the Tartar Khans who ruled the Crimea
until the 16th century. Approaching Sevastopol, the
trains meander through the hills at the site of the Battle of Inkerman (Crimean war, 1854).
Yalta, the seaside resort and site of the 1945 Yalta conference,
can be reached by scenic trolleybus ride across the mountain
range from Simferopol - the longest trolleybus service in the
world. See the
train travel in Ukraine page
for more information.
Balaclava & The charge of the
Light Brigade, 1854 - Balaclava and the site of the famous
'Charge of the Light Brigade can be reached by bus or taxi
from Sebastopol. See the
train travel in Ukraine page for more information.
What tickets
can this system sell? This system can sell
tickets for any mainline train journey within
Russia, Ukraine, Latvia, Estonia, Belarus,
Lithuania, Kazakhstan and the other ex-Soviet
states. It will also sell tickets for journeys
starting in those countries heading outwards, for
example Moscow to Berlin or St Petersburg to
Helsinki. Reservations officially open 45
days before departure, but Real Russia allow you to
request tickets up to 180 days ahead and they will
contact you for payment when the price is confirmed.
Can
anyone buy tickets using this system? Yes,
you can buy tickets online with a credit card
whether you live in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia,
or wherever.
How
are tickets delivered? Tickets can be
collected free of charge at Real Russia's offices in
Moscow or St Petersburg, or an e-ticket can be
emailed to you so you can collect the ticket from
most main stations in Russia (but not other
ex-Soviet states). Tickets can be sent to UK or
EU addresses for a £12-£15 extra charge, or couriered to
any address worldwide, also for an extra charge.
Who run this
service?Is it reliable? This
service is provided by Real Russia, a reputable
joint UK-Russian company which has got good reports
from users. Real Russia can also sort out your
Russian visa.
Booking tips: Look for a train marked 'Firm'
if there is one. 'Firmeny' trains are the best
'quality' trains, with modern coaches and good
on-board service. 'TBC' means the system
cannot provide a price for that particular train
automatically, but they'll contact you with a cost
by phone or email.
Is
it cheaper to buy at the ticket office?
Real Russia charge the normal Ukrainian Railways fare
plus a 15-23% mark-up to cover their costs (all
agencies charge a mark-up, in fact Real Russia is
one of the cheapest agencies).
There's a 2.5% charge for credit card payments,
but you can easily avoid this by calling their UK office
to pay by debit card when your tickets are
confirmed. The fares shown include the
mark-up, but not the credit card charge. By
all means buy tickets at the ticket office if you're
flexible, but trains can get fully-booked so it's
good to pre-book if you want a specific date and
train.
Find
a hotel
in Kiev, Lviv or elsewhere in Ukraine...
A good guidebook like the Lonely Planet or Rough Guides will
point you at some good hotels in each town or city when you
get there. Alternatively, you can pre-book hotels using
www.hotelscombined.com, just use the search box
below.
This is not a hotel booking website, but a free search tool
which checks all the main hotel booking sites for you (AsiaRooms,
Opodo, Expedia, Travelocity, LateRooms and many others) to
find the cheapest hotel rates on the net. Set up in
2005, it's an amazing system and probably the best place to
start for booking any hotel online in any country, worldwide.
The
Thomas Cook European timetable
has train & ferry times for every country in Europe plus currency
& climate
information. Published since 1873, it costs £13.99.
It's essential for any serious traveller
and an inspiration for armchair travellers. Still
not convinced you need one? More information
on what the Thomas Cook Timetable contains. You can
buy the latest monthly edition online at
www.thomascooktimetables.com with worldwide delivery or
buy it in person from any UK branch of Thomas Cook (ask at the
bureau de change), or from W H Smiths in Victoria or Kings
Cross stations in London.
Or
buy the twice-yearly independent traveller's edition with
laminated cover from Amazon.co.uk:
2009 edition (June to December 2009)
The Thomas Cook Rail Map of
Europe is the best and most comprehensive
map of train routes right across Europe, from Portugal in the
west to Istanbul, Moscow & Ukraine in the east, from Finland
in the north to Sicily & Crete in the south. High speed
&
scenic routes are highlighted. Highly recommended!
Buy online
at www.amazon.co.uk
(worldwide delivery).
See an extract from
the map.
My own book, an essential
handbook for train travel to Europe based on this website called "The
Man in Seat 61", was published in June 2008, and available
from Amazon.co.uk with shipping worldwide.
Travel insurance & health card...
Travel insurance..
Travel insurance is boring, but a necessity, so
never travel without it. Make sure your cover is adequate, at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover,
from a reliable insurer. It should also cover loss of
cash (up to a limit) and belongings, and cancellation. An annual
multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip
policies even for just 2 or 3 trips
a year (I have an annual policy myself). Here are some suggested insurers.
Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these
links.
If you live in the UK, get quotes from
Direct Line,
Columbus Direct & the Environmental Transport Association
(click the banner below).
I've used Direct Line myself and on one occasion, successfully
claimed back the cost of non-refundable Eurostar & trainhotel
tickets to Spain when we cancelled the trip because my mother
fell ill. ETA offer discounts on insurance for
non-flying trips, so give them a try too although I have yet
to use them myself.
Feedback from
using insurance for rail & ferry travel is always welcome!
UK citizens travelling in Europe should carry a European
Health Insurance Card. This replaces the old E111 forms
as from January 2006. The EHIC card is available free
from
www.ehic.org.uk and entitles you to free or reduced rate
health care if you become ill or get injured in many European
countries, under a reciprocal arrangement with the UK's NHS.
If you live in the UK, get quotes from
If you live in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the
EU, see
If you live in the USA or Canada, see