We had arranged to do a kayak trip with Active Ukraine through all the islands on the Dnieper River but unfortunately had to cancel when we woke up to a miserable rainstorm on the day of our trip. Only thing that can bother you, especially US folks, is getting ripped off. But in January it will be cold with possible snow and ice. Most tourists would head to Kiev which is 100% safe now. In my opinion, nothing says “rob me” like Canon, Sony, or Nikon splashed all over your camera strap. That said, Dnipro and Kharkiv in the east seem to be getting a decent amount buzz these days in Eastern Europe travellers circles, too. And I’d checked a few Eastern Europe traveller’s Facebook groups for opinions about what was — of course — top of mind: is Ukraine safe to travel in right now? I felt 100x safer in Ukraine than I ever feel living here in Frankfurt, Germany. I had a situation when a guy was afraid to sit in a cab with me, but that's a big time paranoia! The border closure will include all foreigners entering by both land and air. Just be simple. I'll let you know in about 2 weeks. For those of you who do think we ARE in fact crazy for travelling to Ukraine right now (I’m sure the blunt pencil Mexico lady would have a thing or two to say to us), let’s just clear up a few things right off the bat. Perhaps they put more emphasis on practicality, less flasher when it comes to dress. So with that explanation of how we travel out of the way, we didn’t feel even slightly unsafe in Kiev in terms of property crime, everyday city crime, or the war in the east: it really did feel to us like a non-issue for us (not in the big picture, ethical, moral and geopolitical terms, but in the every day Is Ukraine Safe to Travel terms). In addition to checking for advisories and getting visa information, you can set up alerts to be notified if a new travel warning is issued. Read the entire Travel Advisory. So…while we can’t decide FOR YOU, what we can offer is thoughts on how we feel travelling here in Ukraine. Hi John, you may as well check British Embassy's "when things go wrong" page - useful! I'm American and never faced any crime because I don't loiter in urban ghettos nor go to waffle house at 1:00am. After a decade of travelling the world together, we’ve picked up a few tricks! Obviously, that’s something only you can answer for yourself. Safe Ukraine Travel for Americans. Barron retired in 2016 to start US Traveler Assist (USTA), a safety and security company that provides American travelers with expert in-country resources and on-the-ground fixers. There are a tonne of cafes and pubs and restaurants to explore. The people were very pleasant and welcoming and I never felt any sense of danger. But there are also some really cool-looking Soviet buildings, built to a massive scale unlike anything we’ve seen before. And with that, I give you our first impressions on the issue, formed from our time Kiev and Lviv, including our opinion on the biggest question you probably have: is Ukraine safe right now for travellers? Note, to use either solution, your smartphone has to be unlocked, which means you 1) either bought it outright and own the phone, 100%, or 2) you have to contact your carrier at home and have them unlock it (policies differ across countries and carriers, but in our experience it’s completely worth doing this!). It's as safe as in California, and may be even safer (I love California, especially Sierra Nevada - lake Tahoe part). Worldwide health advice: don't travel. I think the media coverage of the conflict worries people on a surface level, and if you don’t take the time to understand the geography of the country (BIG!) Thank you, guys, for the nice Kiev review and warm words about Ukraine. The US State Department considers Ukraine a generally safe country to visit, but warns that street crime is a widespread problem. You buy it, install it, and then activate it and load it with credit, but it doesn’t actually do anything until you arrive in a foreign country. Ukrainian yellow and blue are everywhere too…small signs of nationalism, signals that seem to show many Kievans see themselves as firmly Ukrainian. I noticed you posted this question in Mariupol forum. Very homely and open-minded people. Out and about in Kiev, we can definitely tell Ukraine is fighting a war. Cheap. There is such a great lack of information about Ukraine in the world, so you did a good job of spreading positive information with the world! I never had any problems. I'm sure there were some left by Americans among these: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g294473-i3662-k3903466-Ukraine_Trip_Reports_Collection-Ukraine.html#28348864. Stick to major tourist routes, get your credit cards and money in more than one place (keeping everything in one wallet is not smart), have your passport on you at all times, don't pick anything from the ground (a wallet, a plastic bag with money, etc.) What we found when we arrived in Kiev (and Lviv, from where I write this) is anything but the insanity the Internet warned of. Most other countries on this ranking are participants in ongoing international conflicts (e.g., Israel, Pakistan, Afghanistan), or are sites in which extremist groups regularly carry out terrorist attacks (e.g., Mali, Nigeria, Syria). I seek advice to all fellow Americans who have traveled to Ukraine. If you’re prepared for them chances are higher that you’ll fully enjoy … Unless you behave rude and arrogant, most locals won’t even care who you are. A sudden surge in cases throughout the summer prompted the nation to ban all non-essential foreign arrivals and tourists from entering on August 29 th, for at least 30 days. Before our trip to Ukraine, we read the following posts about travel in the country: We also used the Facebook Group Travel to Eastern Europe, the Balkans, Former USSR to crowdsource thoughts from people who had recently travelled through different regions. Filmed by an unknown American tourist, this silent home movie shows a visit to Soviet Russia "after twenty years". Travel is for everyone, and if we can give an honest account of our experiences in a way that encourages our audience to step off the beaten path and travel east past Budapest, then we’re happy. We are not reckless travellers, and we don’t take unnecessary risks. We rely on bloggers all the time in our trip planning stage, but it’s also worth noting we read with a critical eye. Instead of drifting off to dreamland in the beautiful boutique hotel we were staying in, we both spent the four hours between midnight and our alarm clock tossing and turning, fighting each other for the sheets and reaching for our phones, blue light be damned. Curaçao is currently welcoming American tourists from just three states: New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. And there’s a seemingly out-of-place extreme-ish sports culture that includes jumping off bridges and zip lining across the Dnieper River (if you’re into that kind of thing). Criminality: almost no violent crimes. Hi guys! Thank you for the information again. I absolutely love guidebooks, but unfortunately don’t use them that much anymore, because we simply don’t have the space (or extra weight in our luggage) and because we’re going from new country to new country, and don’t have a base. We never stay in a new country more than a day or so without having phone and Internet access. Going along with our cautiously adventurous travel style, we are pretty cautious when we’re in a new place. Worth. While there’s no way I’ll get through all of these, I can dream! Shouldn't have a problem. Thanks for the comment. From the way they dressed, behave, manners.... one can easily see a foreigner. How was your experience in Ukraine? Avoid all international travel due to the global impact of COVID-19. Americans (and most Western Europeans) are different from locals in many ways. Love the People and the place. One of the first things we noticed in the taxi ride from the airport is the number of soldiers out and about — not on patrol, but off-duty soldiers in uniform, or soldiers on a break during their work day — and the number of posters about the military (which we presumed to be recruitment posters, but we don’t know for sure). Ladies, listen up. We’re the travel-crazy couple behind Wandertooth. Located beside Livoberezhna Metro Station in Kiev, this modern, 3-star hotel offers 2 international restaurants, and a 24-hour reception. If you see a logo of the taxi cab on top - no need to fret. It’s one of the ways we earn an income off of this website, and keep the proverbial lights on and laptops whirling. In Ukraine, we bought the “L” data and phone package with Lifecell, which gives us 5GB data, unlimited calls to Lifecell phones, 150 minutes of calling to non-Lifecell phones, and 150 SMS messages within 30 days. A few years ago Ukraine may not have been an obvious choice to visit for a mini-break. It's as safe as any major city. Though Mexican tourism is starting to bounce back, Americans appear more reluctant to return than Canadians and Brits (5.7 million … Ladies, listen up. The ban coming into effect on Saturday will stop tourists from all countries, even low-risk nations, from entering Ukraine. There are the usual beggars in the streets asking for money but nothing threatening. Very valuable information. There are awesome coffee shops everywhere. Most tourists would head to Kiev which is 100% safe now. First, for the disclosure. However it is true that you need to watch out for scams and rip-offs, especially in Odessa where there are some truly shocking scams going on. Despite all the s**t that does happen – and yes, our collective cup does seem to runneth over with poop these days – what we’ve actually seen and experienced on our travels is that places we thought might be scary (Colombia, parts of Mexico, and yes – Ukraine) have turned out to be not scary at all. In addition to Uber, we took the metro in Kiev a few times, which was also quite user-friendly. This probably seems a bit rude, and I expect I’ll catch some angry comments from it. No one speaks English, so if you don’t speak Ukrainian or Russian, good luck! We were very happy to find your blog while we were planning our trip, and even checked out one of the bars you recommended for craft beer :). Topics 1938, Soviet Union, Soviet Russia, Home Movie, Stock Footage. But the truth is, we had no idea what to expect arriving in Kiev and read quite a few accounts from fellow travellers who didn’t exactly paint a positive picture of the place. When we first arrived, we bought 2 Ukranian SIM cards for our phones, each with 5GB of data and a bit of calling and texting. ... Are restaurants safe at night in tourism areas? However, some stone-pelting incidents in 2018 showed that this may no longer be the case. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-47329146', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Ukraine. I always pack light and try not to stand out when I travel to other countries. Frankly, just because a blogger says somewhere is great or safe to visit, doesn’t mean it is and doesn’t mean you should. So while it’s clear there is a war happening, there aren’t any other signs of it in the capital, at least as far as we could see as casual visitors. EN ... By the way, black American tourists will probably be safer in Spain than sightseeing in their own country. What you should know as an American tourist. It’s true, Pakistan is a glorious country (I last visited over 20 years ago) but it isn’t safe at the moment and will not be for a while yet, however these people are writing about how safe Pakistan is, why you should visit right now etc. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. Ukraine’s main point of interest is Chernobyl, the infamous site of a major nuclear disaster that doesn’t exactly scream “tourist … I can’t get my visa crap sorted here in Germany and no better place to spend a few months exploring than Ukraine (and it is easy on the wallet as yall noted!) I exercised reasonable levels of alertness and it was fine. have noticed. Mostly, we like to wander around cool cities; check out art, architecture, people and bars; learn about history and culture; and drink multiple strong cappuccinos in short succession. I'll be visiting Chernobyl and Kyiv. You’ll have to show a state-issued ID to prove you reside in one of the three approved … We are focusing our travels on the West of the country, because it’s the most up-and-coming area for tourism, and so it makes sense we get to know the region and write about it. Basically, we arrived with no idea what to do, and just sort of walked around stumbling upon cool things. Visas - All tourists need to have a visa in order to be able to visit Bhutan which is most of the time issued when entering the country but one can also apply in advance to get their visa approval before … http://ukinukraine.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/when-things-go-wrong and/or check this one out: http://pinterest.com/janeukane/ukraine-emergencies-medical-police-fire-brigades-m. Speaking of prices…some of the prices are actually mind boggling for us. jaw-droppingly gorgeous golden onion-domed church, check Trip Advisor reviews for Active Ukraine here, Private Arrival Transfer: Kiev Boryspil International Airport to Kiev Hotel, Private Arrival Transfer: International Airport Kyiv Zhuliany to Kiev hotel, Private Arrival Transfer: Lviv International Airport to Lviv Hotel, Private Arrival Transfer: Odessa International Airport to Odessa hotel, Travel to Eastern Europe, the Balkans, Former USSR, Borderland: A Journey Through the History of Ukraine, The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine, The Fault Line: Traveling the Other Europe, From Finland to Ukraine, Picnic at the Iron Curtain: A Memoir: From the fall of the Berlin Wall to Ukraine’s Orange Revolution, a great list of classic Ukranian literature, How to Stay in a Hostel in Your 30s, 40s, 50s...And Beyond - Wandertooth, Lviv Golden Horseshoe: Visiting Western Ukraine's 3 Most Famous Castles, We both use DSLR cameras, but we don’t use the original camera strap that came with either camera body. tourist visa : A letter of invitation from a Ukrainian or American tourist agency or a confirmation from a Ukrainian hotel is necessary to qualify for a tourist visa. Obviously, I would be traveling with my girlfriend and keeping a low profile. Like, you should definitely not go to Crimea, Donetsk or Luhansk right now. We arranged our airport transfer through our hotel, but you can also arrange transfers via Viator: Common sense is to not flaunt your expensive gear when you’re travelling, and I think this is good advice in Ukraine. Well ! Alcohol and travel can feel like a natural combo – after all, it’s fun to try some local beers with all the new friends you’re meeting – but it’s far too easy to go overboard and get yourself into trouble. Coffee is cheap. I appreciate setting my mind at ease or letting me know that our safety is an issue when traveling to this country. As a Kiev private guide, I’m really proud to show the city around to my tourists. Exercise increased caution due to crime and civil unrest. Exercise increased caution due to crime and civil unrest. ), Thanks for stopping by, Megan. We also participate in many other affiliate programs. Tags: havana cuba, havana safety. Hope you find these useful and largely setting your mind at ease. I would say, even more, an average Russian would think it’s so cool to meet an American. then it’s simpler to simply paint it with an “unsafe” brush and move along with your day. Basically, our defense strategy is to make them look crappier, which we’ve done with a combination of, Anything by Nikolai Gogol, a Ukrainian widely considered to be the father of Russian literature (which seems strange, but makes sense when you consider most Ukrainians are bilingual in both languages, and. But if you’re looking for something organised to do, they seem to be a good bet (and you can check Trip Advisor reviews for Active Ukraine here – they have tours all around the country). The airline landed at Kyiv’s Boryspil International Airport (KBP) on July 8th, marking the resumption of scheduled services. If he is Afro-American or American Indian, well, then it is obvious, he is not Ukranian....isn´t it ? Compared to much of the world, Havana is a surprisingly safe city, and becomes even more so for visitors and tourists. I use Elite taxi, spacious nice (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? Like Megan and others above, we always feel very safe when we visit Ukraine but you are right to ultimately just present the facts and leave the decision with the individual. These are seriously excellent tips and it is SO nice seeing people write about Ukraine and getting the word out there. Kyiv or Kiev (Ukrainian: Київ) is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine.It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River.Its population in July 2015 was 2,887,974 (though higher estimated numbers have been cited in the press), making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe.. Kyiv is an important industrial, scientific, educational and cultural center of Eastern Europe. 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That case, check out KnowRoaming SIM Sticker, which was also quite user-friendly Ukraine than i ever feel here. Birds ), drinking water review and warm words about Ukraine, if you make the most of your …! Drama and flamboyance of that two-week period, an average Russian would think it s!, how do you expect people to detect you are all there, there really didn t. One speaks English English, most locals won ’ t be naive about risks... Free holiday home-country SIM card aggressive, competitive “ i ’ d classify us “. Also some really cool-looking Soviet buildings, built to a massive scale unlike anything we ’ ll be basing in. Hopefully ) return to Kiev indefinitely next month go, just like you ’ in... 9 weeks in the earlier safety discussions there should have been some replies from your compatriots, too safe... Time, be sure to say hello to reading your other Ukraine posts now i have found website. Reports about the risks of theft and scams there are written by local experts and writers extensive.
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