Posted by Sue Shuttleworth on June 17, 2000 at 19:25:40:
In Reply to: touring the Ukraine during the summer of 2000 posted by Pete Cruz on April 20, 2000 at 16:53:05:
: I'm planning to tour around the Ukraine this coming summer and would like any advice that people living there could give me relating to train travel, hotels, money requirements, food, safety, language problems, meeting people of the country especially some charming ladies, evenings out etc. and anything else that would help to make a good visit.
: All responses would be appreciated.
We have just come back from a two and a half week speedy trip to The Ukraine in our own vehicle with a roof tent. Apart from three hour border crossings both ways (Poland -Ukraine, Ukraine - Hungry), aggressive policeing of 40kph speed within the villages and towns, lack of camping sites (camping in The Ukraine means small holiday chalet type buildings to stay in) we had a wonderful trip, staying with friends for 2 days in Kiev, then traveling to Odessa and then onto Yalta. The main difficulty is the lack of anyone who can speak English, our problem not theirs, but as so few travels are seen the locals do no seem to realise that you may need a little help, especially at customs, or police and army check points. We were fined two times while there by the police, one a 'trumped up' charge about over taking coming up to a junction (but the sign was infront of where they stopped us, and the truck we had overtaken was pulling into the side of the road as thepolice had stopped them - and then immediately let them go again as soon as they had stopped us) and also for stopping at a road sign trying to decioher from our various maps which way to go. The Carpathian mountains on the way to Hungry were very different to the plains of the rest of the country. I hope you have a wonderful trip.