Most popular car hire locations in Ukraine
Mini Guide to Ukraine
The country is the second largest in Europe and has in the past been an influential country although its position at the frontier of Europe led to many attacks from the east, some of the more successful devastating the country. Two droughts and famines, the last at the end of the Second World War, also served to further damage it. After the fall of communism, the country suffered some political turmoil with corruption, poisonings and more, adding spice to its political scene and leading to fears over the stability of the country. On a brighter note, many tourism chiefs are touting the country, and especially the cities of Kiev and Lviv to be the next Czech Republic-style success story and the arrival of Euro 2012 tournament put the country on the global scene and was widely viewed as a great success.
How do I get to the Ukraine?
The best way is to fly into the main international airport outside Kiev. Flights from most of Europe and some of the Middle East land at the airport. Whilst big operators fly into Kiev from the UK, it’s possible to get cheaper flights with budget carriers such as Wizzair and the Ukrainian carrier AeroSvit. Sometimes it can be cheaper to get a budget flight into a neighbouring country and then take a connecting budget flight into Ukraine, for example with AirBaltic.
What is There to See and Do in Ukraine?
Visitor numbers to the Ukraine have dropped by over 50% since the peak of 23 million in 2012, visitors are primarily from easter Europe, however the country is regaining popularity with western Europe as political tension is subsiding. You may not think of Ukraine as a ski resort, however the Carpathian mountains provide outdoor pursuits and sports all year round. Bordering the Black Sea, Ukraine is an increasingly popular location during the summer months bringing tourists to the country. EU citizens benefit from visa free travel to the country and prices remain low making it an appealing destination for those on a budget wanting to sample eastern Europe.
Eating out in Ukraine?
The Ukraine is not a place to lose weight for the cuisine is heavily dependent on meat and fat, with dumplings, meat soups, potato pancakes and plenty more filling food being top of the menu. The restaurateurs all want to see you go away completely full so you’ll have dish after dish brought out until you can work out what ‘no more’ is in Ukrainian.
Ukraine Factfile
- Ukraine, jointly with Poland hosted the 2012 Euro football championship finals
- The country is the second largest in Europe after European Russia
- Ukraine’s autonomous region of Crimea was the scene of the ‘Charge of the Light Brigade’
- The world’s worst nuclear accident took place in the Ukrainian city of Chernobyl
- The infamous Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev was formerly the leader of Ukraine