TRAIN TRAVEL IN UKRAINE
The best and most popular way to travel in Ukraine is by train. Trains are cheap though slow and not very comfortable. For example, a train from Odessa-Kiev cost around $10 one way, always travels overnight, and is approximately 12 hours. Prices for foreigners and Ukrainians are the same.

Most trains are overnight. Trains for inter-city travel don't have seats--they have beds on which you sit on during the evening and morning and which you sleep on at night.

Buying a ticket in Odessa
A passport is required for all train ticket purchases. The person does not have to be physically present to be issued a ticket (i.e. one person can take another person's passport to the train station to purchase tickets)

In Odessa, Tickets within Ukraine are purchased in the first room to the right of the entrance.

International tickets are purchased in a newly remodeled room on the west side of the train station ("?" on the map), there are two ways to find it:

• As you enter the train station, turn right, in the second newly remodeled room, turn left down a corridor, walking past a pharmacy on your left. The double doors are directly in front of you. The ticket counter for international tickets is in the back of the room, cashier 5 "Мiжароднi Каси".
• The second entrance is from the outside. As you walk into the main entrance of the train station, turn right, in the next room, go left and outside to the train platforms. Outside, go through the first door on the right into a hallway, the double doors are down the hallway and on the left. The ticket counter for international tickets is in the back of the room, cashier 5 "Мiжароднi Каси".

Advanced tickets are also purchased in this room.

For a shorter wait in line, tickets within Ukraine can be purchased in the same room as for International tickets for a small charge of around 5 Hryvna per ticket.

Four Classes of Train Travel

Train wagons (cars) have four classes:

First-class wagon
Has three names:

• Luks (люкс)
• spalny vag-on (спальни вагон)
• The abbreviation S.V. (es veh/CB)
  

First class wagons have two people per compartment, better quality bedding, reading lamps, tablecloths, often air conditioning, and better furnishings. Not all trains have first class.

Second-class wagon, kupeigh (купе)
First class wagons have four people per compartment. Two people sleep below and two people sleep above. They are similar to first class cars but more run-down. Be warned: second class wagons usually have a group of intoxicated men who are noisy all evening.

Third-class wagons, plats-kart (плацкарт)
Third-class wagons have no closed compartments. An open hallway runs the length of the wagon with four beds on one side, and two beds on the other side, parallel with the hallway. Traveling in third class is the best way to socialize and meet new people.

Fourth-class wagons, obshey vagon (обшей вагон)
Fourth-class wagons are only available on limited routes, they have only seating and no beds.

In the second and third class wagons, it is usually best to ask for the bottom bunk.

The bottom bunk has the advantage of being able to sleep directly above your luggage in a bottom bunk and not having to struggle to climb out of bed. Although some women feel safer on the top bunk.

You can ask for the bottom bunk by saying:
Ya Hachu nejznu-yu polku (Я хочу нижнюю полку).

Because of the noise through out the night from people going to smoke and use the toilet, the worst place in the wagon is near the bathrooms, on either end of the wagon. Ukrainians know this, and these tickets are usually sold very last.

Before leaving the train station, check to make sure your ticket is correct.

Train Ticket

Odessa tickets forms are in both Russian and Ukrainian. The ticket is printed in Ukrainian. Ukrainian train tickets are ridiculously complex, filled with a lot of numbers you don't need, and so complex that even most Ukrainians do not understand.

************************************ TICKET HERE***********************

Packing for the train

Bring the following:

• Toilet paper (usually not available in the toilets)
• Food and beverages for entire trip. Food vendors who travel from wagon to wagon are becoming more common on train rides, but are still rare.
• Many Ukrainians bring sandals because the floors of the toilets are usually wet.
• Toiletry supplies
• Comfortable clothing to sleep in.
• Reading materials
• Money belt or pouch

Catching the train

Allow about 30 minutes before the train departs to find your platform and wagon. Trains are usually punctual.

Numbers for the cars/wagons are listed in either the first or last window of the each car.

You must show your ticket to the conductor at the foot of the stairs. Occasionally he will ask to see your passport.

Be careful to watch your items in the wagon before the train leaves.

On the train

Shortly after departing the train station, the conductor will come into your compartment and ask for your ticket. She will usually tear a small part of the ticket and then put the ticket in a pouch. She will then collect money for sheets. Sheets cost around 5-10 Hryvna. After collecting all of the money and tickets, the conductor will return with your sheets. Sheets have a top sheet, bottom sheet, pillowcase, and towel. You then make the bed with the mattress and pillow that is already in the compartment. First class already has the bed made for you. If a blanket is not available, you can ask for one.

Often the conductor will return and suggest tea, available for less than a Hryvna.

Windows are usually sealed shut permanently. Occasionally the conductor can open the windows with a special key.

Toilet facilities

Because the waste from the toilet drops directly on the tracks, the toilet is usually locked for the first and last 15-30 minutes of the journey. The toilets are also often locked when approaching most train stops and will remain locked for 5 to 10 minutes after stopping.

Most wagons have two toilets on each end. Toilets are often dirty, and by the end of a journey the floors are wet with water.

The sink's on-switch is located below the spout. To turn on the faucet, press the lever upward towards the spout.

Etiquette

• Share your food and beverages with others.
• Leave the compartment if people of the opposite sex are changing.
• Ukrainians are very persistent when the want you to drink with them. But if you do not feel comfortable drinking, don't.

Safety Tips

Lock the door below the handle. Some compartments have a metal flap, located near the top of the door. When you lower this flap, it makes it nearly impossible to open the door from the outside.

Use a money belt or pouch under your clothes and keep your passport, money, and credit cards with you at all times.

If you feel uncomfortable in a compartment, do not hesitate to ask the conductor to move you.

International Travel

When traveling to a neighboring country, the train usually stops for up to an hour on both sides of the border. Often you will be singled out as a rich foreigner by being harassed to purchase unneeded health insurance (when entering Ukraine) or asked to pay a bribe (when leaving and entering Ukraine and Moldavia). When leaving and entering the CIS the train wheels are switched to a different track size. [The different track size was intentional, it was set up to prevent invasions by railway.]

Wakeup Call

The conductor will usually knock on your door around an hour before arrival. Usually the conductor offers tea again. Fold up your mattress, pillow, and blanket and return the sheets to the conductor' compartment, located in the front of the wagon, next to the toilet.

Below is the train schedule that was accurate for January 2002. Train schedules change extensively from one year to a next, so these schedules should be seen as a rough guide only. Many trains may pass through the town that you want to travel to. For example the Moscow train which passes through Kiev. When buying a ticket the rail station cashiers usually do not give this information unless asked.

In Odessa, call 005 for exact times.

*During the trip, the wagon that the passengers are in will be disconnected from the original train, then reconnected to another train.

Russia (Rossiya/Россия) Ukraine (Ukraina/Украина)