Kyiv Getting there & around

Getting around

Public transport

Kyiv’s metro is clean, efficient, reliable and easy to use if you read Cyrillic. Many of the stations are several dozen stories underground, requiring escalator rides of seven to eight minutes! Trains run frequently between around 6am and midnight on all three lines. Blue-green plastic tokens (zhetony) costing 50 kopecks (good for one ride) are sold at kiosks at metro station entrances.

Buses, trolleybuses, trams and many quicker marshrutky serve most routes. Tickets for buses, trams and trolleybuses cost 60 kopecks and are sold at street kiosks or directly from the driver/conductor. Marshrutky rides cost from 1uah to 2uah.

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Car & motorcycle

Car

All the major car rental players and various minor ones are represented in Kyiv. The following had the cheapest weekly rentals when we came a-calling.

Sixt (490 8158; www.sixt.ua; vul Dmytrivska 46)

Smart (491 8424, 8-067 230 3888; www.smart-car-rent.kiev.ua) Call for free delivery.

Sun Service (8-067 470 5596) Call for delivery.

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Local transport

Taxi

Taxi prices in Kyiv have quadrupled in recent years but remain cheap by world standards. Expect to pay 20uah to 30uah for short (less than 5km) trips within the centre. Very important: always agree on the price before going anywhere.

Taking standing taxis from outside hotels inevitably incurs a much higher price, so have your hotel call a metered taxi or try to flag one down on the street (although this is getting more and more difficult). Unofficial ‘cabs’ are still pretty common in Kyiv and are the cheapest option if you speak a little Ukrainian or Russian. Try calling or texting Shanson (588 2828, 8-067 920 2424) or Radio Taxi (249 6249, 8-067 405 6249).

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