Does anyone have any suggestions on a possible travel direction to these Ukrainian cites? One to the other in any particular order. Is flight the best way to go or fly into one city and train to the other? Places that you liked to stay at and would recommend, sites to see etc. Just have heard so much about the Ukraine that I am thinking of visiting and any other cities that you liked would be appreciated too.
Thanks,
Dan
Dan:
I am not fully sure what advice you are asking for? Are you asking about best way to get from Denver to one of these cities - or are you looking for the best way to travel between Odessa and Kharkov? I'm curious as to how you picked these 2 cities to hit in Ukraine?
We were in Ukraine last year - only Lviv and Kyiv. Keep the following in mind: distances are vast and train travel though very cheap including a sleeper with sheets etc. takes a lot of time. Airfare by the two local carriers Ukranian Airline and Aerosvit were fairly cheap if booked ahead of time. Train tickets can be booked online and picked up at any of the stations - however, the website is in Ukrainian. We were lucky that my wife knew someone from Ukraine who helped us book the tickets. I do know that there are quite a few Russian/Ukrainian immigrants that live on the East side of Denver/Glendale area if you go this route.
I am very happy to reply to this thread because I visited Ukraine last year and it is now one of my favorite cities in Europe.
Please visit Kiev! This is essential. It is a big city in Ukraine, but for Americans who are used to capitals like Chicago, New York, etc., it feels small, so you don't have the worry about rushing around and doing everything before your time runs out. Things to do in Kiev:
- go to all the churchs - St. Sophia, St. Michael, St. Andrei, St. Volodymyr (my favorite).
see the botanical gardens if you go in the summer/spring. There is a small one and a large one - even if you don't generally like gardens, these are a must see - so beautiful.
go on Andreevsky Spusk - lots of nice souvenirs and fun atmosphere
see an opera - not expensive at all and good quality music
eat the food. Ukraine is very cheap and the food is number one in all the countries I've visited. I loved this chain restuarant called "Puzata Hata" which is cafeteria style and $4 can get you a very tasty meal, plus lets you try out all the native food.
I also went to Odessa. Kiev to Odessa is one night on the train and it's not far (9 hours?). (Kharkov is close to Kiev, but in opposite directions).
In Odessa, I stayed at a great hostel called I think "The Front Page Hostel" or something to do with newspapers. It was right downtown, super-friendly owners (one a Brit, one American), very clean and I meet a lot of very nice travels. I HIGHLY recommend this hostel.
What to do there - well, in Odessa, basically see everything that the guidebooks say. There's not a lot to do tourist-wise, but the beaches are very nice. There is the Pushkin Museum, Ptomekin steps, Deribasavski Street. There is a huge food market there - the oldest in Ukraine I think. It's definitely worth a visit.
Personally, I would just take the train everywhere, since it's cheap and if you take overnight trains you don't even notice hte time.
Oh, and, if you go to Kiev, be sure to visit the Lavra. The churches are beautiful and there is a really fun microminature museum.
One thing to be aware of - you may not get any sleep on the train as was the case with my wife and I while my kids slept well. It all depends - the Ukrainian trains are long and rattle and jerk all night long.
