BootsnAll Travel Community

I would like to hear from someone who has been there in the winter time.....

What was the weather situation like for you?

Ukraine Winter Weather
So very much depends on when and where you go. Ukraine is four times as large as the six New England States combined. From west to east, its furthest extent is 1000 miles. Whereas the Crimea and Black Sea coast have very mild winters, the interior can be very cold. In the capital, Kiev, last January the temperature scarcely reached freezing, and a long weekend (Fri 20 to Sun 22 Jan 2006) was fearsomely cold - never once a temperature above minus 20 Celsius, and a stiff north wind, giving more wind chill than most of us can tolerate. That said, even Kiev sometimes gets the odd mid-winter warm spell.

But Yalta (on the Crimea) in February past was quite warm - temps of plus 9 Celsius by day, and even at night never below freezing. But lots of rain.

The southwest of the country (in the Carpathians) can be quite snowy in winter. even in L'viv you might expect about three months of snow cover, and that increases rapidly as you move into the mountains.
Hope this helps.
Nicky
www.hiddeneurope.co.uk

Very well said, Nicky.

I would add that when it gets cold and snowy, then thaws out a bit, then gets cold again, a layer of ice forms on the ground. Walking can become difficult in such a situation. You either go slow, buy "yak traks" (strap-on spikes for your shoes), or get a local to walk arm in arm with you.

Also, make sure that your accomodations have heat and hot water, or plan to wear layers to bed and take showers less often.

This is all worth it, though, to see the way snow freezes on trees, or to eat shashlik and drink vodka in the snow at a winter carnival, or to have a real reason to wear a fur hat (shapka) and a long coat.

Have fun!

Bridget

I've been to the Ukraine a few times in the winter. It all depends on your tolerence for cold weather and snow.

Where are you planning to go and do?

The country is full of great places and keeps going no matter what the weather is. Give us more information and we can probably help you more.

Well, I was planning on going to Lviv mainly. Possibly all the way to Kiev and then working my way back. So, I guess Lviv and the immediate area.

Also, I understand I do need a visa, but can obtain one upon arrival. Is this correct?

Thanks for your help thus far.

If you have an American passport, then you don't need a visa. Getting across the border is pretty easy.

Both L'viv and Kiev can get pretty cold and snowy in the winter. But it isn't unbearable at all. Everything keeps going no matter what. If you are lucky enough to travel in the mountains, it is beautiful. If you can, try to be there for the holidays.

Don't let the weather stop you. It is a great place any time of the year.

Cool no border problems. Do I still need to get a Visa after I arrive in Lviv? Or are you saying that Americans don't need Visas at all?

Any suggestions for little mountain villages/towns near the mountains? I don't mind freezing at all as long as there's a bit of sun here and there.

Yup, no visa needed, easy as. and lviv is an amazing city, but still feels very europian. If you looking to experience the former block, then take a day or two in keiv. It's really a different world. as for the winter, I haven't experienced it yet (and not looking forward to it) but just be prepared for cold. have fun, and when are you coming?

quote:

Getting across the border is pretty easy.

Yes, easy as far as the visa goes. But be prepared for potential delays at customs if you're coming by land from Poland. Depends on your luck, I suppose.

I believe it's 120 km from Przemysl to Lviv ... going there, we did the trip in 3 hours. Coming back, it took closer to 10 hours. It's a smuggler's route -- that's the delay. The traffic backups can be epic.

quote:

Yes, easy as far as the visa goes. But be prepared for potential delays at customs if you're coming by land from Poland. Depends on your luck, I suppose.

The only time I entered Ukraine without long delays was when I flew into Kiev. The shortest time was 4 hours, the longest was 2 days. (We were driving.) It usually isn't bad on the train.

I am genuinely surprised at these reports of long delays going into Ukraine at points of entry. Whilst there may, from time to time, be delays upon leaving Ukraine by private car, these do not generally affect buses or trains. That someone reports having waited two days to get into Ukraine is surprising. Surely not in the last year or two. If you propose to cross into Ukraine by land, just travel by bus or train and then the border delays become irrelevant. They reduce to near zero. But, just for the record, the lines last week at the Kroscienko road crossing point from Poland - on a very scenic route in that gives good access to L'viv - were very short. Three cars to be precise. It took all of four minutes to negotiate both exit from Poland and entry to Ukraine. The return took rather longer - perhaps a dozen cars in line, and perhaps fifteen minutes in all. Entering Ukraine nowadays is usually rather faster than entering the United States. Nor do the Ukrainians treat so-called aliens like criminals. All very civilised.
Nicky
www.hiddeneurope.co.uk

Nicky - Interesting to hear that the times can vary so much.

My trip (the 10 hour wait) was this July, and it was by bus. The wait was not for immigration, and the problem seemed to be more the Polish side than the Ukrainian side. The backup to go through Polish customs and immigration was so bad that it caused a backup on the Ukrainian side. There was literally nowhere for the cars and buses to go.

Some of these delays may be related to Poland now being the EU frontier. Tighter inspections, perhaps?

The Ukrainian officials were quite nice. The Polish were awful. They asked my wife (an EU national) for additional ID, aside from her passport. They asked me (US citizen) for the same -- I told them sorry.

Every single passenger on our bus was a smuggler, including the driver. During our long wait, everyone went to the back of the bus and taped cigarettes to their bodies. Various items were stored throughout the bus. Then, when we got to Polish customs, everyone had to get out of the bus for a search and inspection.

I heard several reports about this but didn't believe it until I had to experience it myself. It was torture, but hey, Ukraine is still worth it!

I generally visit friends near Kiev twice a year. My shortest wait was last fall, 4 hours.

The 2 day wait was because we were bringing in a car. We were told by the boorder cops that we had to wait for the right people to get to the border to let us through - the next day. My friends, Ukrainians, told me that it was to make sure that the boss got all the bribes. But that was 10 years ago.

I'm sure that there are times and places that are easy to cross. I just haven't found them yet.

So, what's the final verdict here? Is the Ukrainian border gonna hang me up for ages if I cross by train from Poland around Lviv?

And if I exit into Hungary via train as well?

If you go by train, the delay is usually shorter than by car. I would expect a few hours.

Part of the delay is because the Ukraine uses a different size railroad track. This means that at the border they have to change wheels on the train.

There are two border crossing points PL to UKR by rail near L'viv. One from Kroscienko to Hirov (2 trains daily) and one from Przemysl to Mostika (minimum 1 train daily throughout the year, but more on certain days). Whether you join a Ukraine bound train at Kroscienko or Przemysl, the routine is the same. The train will trundle to the border, where it will stop - still on the Polish side - for about ten to fifteen minutes. It will then move a mile or so, across the actual border, and then stop again, this time on the Ukrainian side of the border. There it will wait about an hour while the customs formalities are dealt with. Then you continue eastbound. Trains run quite slowly in Ukraine, but I would guess that the border formalities add perhaps 80 minutes to a Przemysl to L'viv journey.

Leaving L'viv for Hungary, the most obvious train (8.29 pm from L'viv) crossing the border at a peculiarly inconvenient hour of the night. About 3 in the morning. I feel this train is best avoided!
Nicky
www.hiddeneurope.co.uk

With respect to the point made about the delays occasioned by gauge changes at the Polish / Ukrainian border, these simply don't apply at the two border crossing points I mentioned. At Kroscienko, the Polish train runs to Hirov in Ukraine, where you disembark, and hop over the platform to the adjacent Ukrainian train which leaves five minutes later. Similarly, if you join the evening train into Ukraine at Przemysl (just after 7 pm, I think), it is already configured in Ukrainian mode so no extra wait for that.

If you cross the PL / UK border further north (eg. at Dorohusk) and use the Berlin to Kiev train, then there you can expect a festival of wheel-changing, as the train is reconfigured for Soviet gauge tracks. That takes about 2 to 3 hours. But if you stick to local trains, then you just change trains at the border (one side or the other) and no delays for the gauge change.

Thanks Nicky! I think I'll be coming from Zamosc, Poland...I guess that will be Kroscienko?

Anyway, sounds like it shouldn't be that bad. Any suggestions about L'viv? Pubs? Neighborhoods? Museums? Hostels? Anything to avoid?

ZAMOSC TO L'VIV
Now you mention Zamosc, that suggests bus as the most obvious route to L'viv. There are direct buses every day from Zamosc to L'viv, usually taking about three to four hours. That includes a stop at the border. By train Zamosc to L'viv is a bit circuitous, involving changes at Jaroslav and Przemysl. Daily from Zamosc at 10.38, long waits at both connection points, gets into L'viv twelve hours later. As to L'viv and its region, check out L'viv Ecotour (www.lvivecotour.com), a really good small company run by the ever-helpful Vladyslav Tsarynnyk ('Slav' for short) who speaks remarkably good English, and offers fine insights into L'viv's cultural and political history. A mega-nice guy! And it is worth buying the Bradt Guide to Ukraine - to my mind, it's the best of the English language guidebooks to the country. Have a good trip.
Nicky
www.hiddeneurope.co.uk

Well, Nicky, I haven't left yet...

I don't have to go to Zamosc. I am going to Krakow to see an acquaintance and could go straight from there I suppose. What is the quickest or most hassle-free route between Krakow and L'viv?

Maybe I can scratch Zamosc and go somewhere else bewteen the two. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for all the help thus far as well.

Ciao!