Ukraine train tickets online
Attention! To find a tickets for searching direction, you should to put the right name of departure and arrival station. Look on examples below:
Kyiv – (capital of Ukraine)
Odesa – (with one S)
Chisinau – (capital of Moldova)
Lviv – (western Ukraine)
Kharkiv – (eastern Ukraine)
Chernivtsi
For your comfort push the button of searched Ukraine train below:
How to read Ukraine train tickets
Ukrainian railways still do not issue tickets in English. It is also quite difficult to find necessary information in them, since completely unnecessary things are indicated in capital letters, but important stuff – with small letters. However, see below for the location of useful information you need to know, when boarding train in Ukraine.
- Yellow line – indicates the train number. You will see this number on a board of trains inside any train station. Usually conductor checks this number when one take the train, so you can’t get into wrong train. Just keep this in mind.
- Blue line – indicates the number of your car in the train. Everything simple, each car has its own number, which is usually located near the door.
- Red line – this number is your seat place. An ordinary train car in Ukraine has 54 seats. Some of them will be yours. Intercity trains have another number of seats.
- Green line – shows time of departure.
- Purple line – time of arrival.
- From – this position is city of departure.
- To – city of arrival.
Online booking service of ukrainian railways is fastest way to find suitable train tickets for traveling over Ukraine. Train booking is available for every internet user. When booking tickets, you select desired travel date, destination and enter your details. After that, ticket can be paid with any credit card. After payment online, system will send it to your email address. There is no need to print a ticket, just download it to your phone and show when you board the train. Don’t forget to get passport! Without passport you can’t board the train in Ukraine.
Ukraine train tickets hunting tips
Despite that train is most popular transport, sometimes to get a ticket become a problem.
- Book tickets in advance! Availability of tickets depends on season. In summer, book train ticket is much more difficult, especially towards Odessa. This is not surprising because many people go on vacation. Main rule for summer time: book tickets far in advance. Maximum pre-booking time is 45 days.
- If you want to book upper seat in compartment, remember: all lower sits have odd numbers. All upper sits have even numbers.
- Сhoose your sit in the middle of train car! Middle seats mean maximum distance from toilet, so you won’t be disturbed by smell.
- Can’t get a ticket? If there are no tickets, it makes sense to wait until next morning. New tickets are available at 8 am, when online booking system restarts.
- How to buy cheap train ticket? Price varies depending on the day of week. Friday, Saturday and Sunday departure tickets always have higher price. Same thing happens during holidays in Ukraine. Train tickets are more expensive during New Year, Easter or Christmas time. On Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, train tickets price is always low.
- Holidays’ fever. It is always a problem to buy Ukraine train tickets during holidays or week before. Main holidays in Ukraine are Easter, New Year, Christmas and first dates of March.
Ukrainian railways tickets. Price comparison
In terms of comfort and price, railway tickets in Ukraine are divided into three classes:
- First class, local name – SV. Most expensive tickets of ukrainian railways. First class is coupe for two people with private toilet and higher level of service. Regular train ticket of this class may cost $40-50.
Attention! When checking out video below, keep in mind that first class may vary slightly depending on the train route.
- First class, local name – SV. Most expensive tickets of ukrainian railways. First class is coupe for two people with private toilet and higher level of service. Regular train ticket of this class may cost $40-50.
- Second class, local name – Coupe. Second class means coupe for 4 people. The compartment is closed with large beds and private light over for each place. The top price of second class ukrainian railways tickets is $20. Usually such ticket costs less.
Attention! In the video below shows regular car of Ukrainian trains. Depending of the route, second class could be better. For example, second class of Kiev – Odessa train much better, because of new train.
- Second class, local name – Coupe. Second class means coupe for 4 people. The compartment is closed with large beds and private light over for each place. The top price of second class ukrainian railways tickets is $20. Usually such ticket costs less.
- Third class, local name – Plazcart. Cheapest regular train ticket between big cities in Ukraine. Considered a lower service. Third class is an open compartment for 4 seats and small compartment for 2 seats in front of it. This means that there are 5 people around you. The top price for such ticket is $12, but usually a little less.
Attention! In the video below described most cheapest type of car – Plazcart, which mean 3rd class.
International connections with ukrainian railways
Today, several Ukraine trains depart to Europe. Using train service, you can get from Ukraine to nearest countries of european zone, such as Austria, Moldova, Poland, Lithuania, Estonia. Also there is railway connection with Russia and
Belarus.
- West. Main western city of Ukraine is Lviv. From here you can easily get to Warsaw, Krakow or Pshemysl in Poland. This is a good way to start a trip over Ukraine, since Lviv one of most beautiful city. Also there is International airport with many low cost air companies.
- South. Odessa is a main southern city of Ukraine, that located closer to the border with Moldova. Many tourists choose this direction, because in Chisinau (Moldova) located big airport with low cost connections over Europe. From Chisinau it’s easy to buy Ukraine train tickets and travel to Odessa. Also, from little city near Odessa, you can get Georgia by sea trip.
- Central. Here located Kiev – capital of Ukraine. Kiev have train connections with Austria, Poland, Lithuania, Estonia. Also from Kiev you easily can get to Minsk (Belarus) and Moscow or St. Petersburg (Russia). Besides, there is new special train that connects four capitals: Kiev-Minsk-Vilnius-Riga.
- East. General city here is Kharkiv, that located closer to the border of Russia. This is a suitable point, when you prepare to travel Russia by train. From Kharkiv starts trains to St. Petersburg, Moscow, Belgorod, Rostov on Don and others.
Ukrainian railways advantage
Today, Ukraine train is most appropriate way to travel around the country. Since country has very large territory, traveling by train in Ukraine became cheapest and most suitable option. Simple fact, regular Ukraine train will take you from South to North and from West to East in just one night. Therefore, it is not surprising why not only local residents, but also many tourists prefer this type of transport for traveling.
Ukraine train types
There are only two types of train in Ukraine. Train tickets, meanwhile, differ in price and convenience. Most of the trains are night ones, but still we have day ones. Night trains are very suitable, since you don’t lose day time. Day train isn’t so popular, but if there are no other options, it is better then nothing. Despite such big difference in comfort, they practically do not differ in price. It depends of other reasons.
Intercity train. Ukraine railways service
Exept regular night trains there is one more option – Intercity. This is a special fast train that connects big cities with the capital of Ukraine. Intercity train working only between Kiev – Lviv, Odessa – Kiev and Kharkov – Kiev. Main advantage of intercity train – speed. Since the road to Kiev takes around 6 hours, there are only seat places in it. Intercity is a modern train, which differ higher quality of comfort and cleaness. Also on this trains working only young english speaking staff. So it’s suitable for tourists. Remember, intercity has only 2 types of tickets: first class and second one. The only difference is that first class has two seat places near each other, not three like in second one.