If you are traveling to Kiev, Ukraine for the very first time, it will be an experience. Break through the clouds and you will notice a land of abundance nature and beauty. A landscape of trees covers the countryside. The abundance of rainfall and annual snow makes Kiev a wonder of forests, lakes, rivers and pristine landscapes.
The main international airport hub is Boryspil. It services all domestic and international flights in and out of the Ukraine. Boryspil has a very large runway for all types of aircraft. During soviet times, Boryspil International Airport was used only for military aircraft. Later when the Ukraine claimed independence, it was renamed and converted into a civilian airport.
All flights with the exception of a few carriers such as Delta and Air France park away from the terminal and bus in their passengers. It is a short bus trip to the International Terminal B.
When you get to the terminal, you are greeted with a very old Russian style passport control center. Be prepared for long waits. During peak hours it can take up to two hours to get through passport control. Customer service is not a priority here so ensure you have all your paperwork filled out and ready to go. The last thing you need is to get back in line for a missed document or unanswered question. In the seven times I have been to Ukraine, I have only waited two hours one time. After that bad experience I always booked my flight to arrive very early in the morning or late at night. 9 am to 2 pm are peak hours at Boryspil Airport.
Be polite and patient while in the passport control line. Ukrainian officers are not in the mood for jokes or small talk. Answer their questions fully and respectfully. Officers speak English and will understand you.
Once you leave passport control, you will immediately see baggage claim. Boryspil is like all airports it has digital readouts of incoming flights and matches them with a baggage claim area.
If the airline loses your baggage, there is a lost baggage office that will assist you in tracking down your bags. I have traveled seven times to the Ukraine and only had to use the service once. It was a surprise to me, but the people that worked there were very helpful and spoke very good English. They were immediately able to track down my luggage. The representative called New York for me and found my baggage still there. Apparently my luggage never made the flight.
The next day I was able to retrieve my luggage after being lost the day before. The only interesting thing about it is I had to pay a tip to the attendant to go retrieve it for me. A side note to remember is everything in the Ukraine moves by tips. Give too small of a tip and Ukrainians have no problem in letting you know your mistake. Normal tip fair for getting your baggage reclaimed $6.00. Taxi trip to get back to the airport to retrieve your baggage $55.00. Knowing that you paid the right tip and avoiding the embarrassment of getting screamed at for failing to understand the tip policy, priceless.
Out of baggage claim and ready for the next adventure? Ok great, now let us take a walk up a small incline in the busy heart of the Boryspil Airport! The only thing between you and a hundred or so impatiently waiting family members, friends and taxi drivers is a set of automatic sliding doors. As the swoosh of doors slide open you are immediately impacted with the excitement of the waiting crowd in front of you. Make your way past them and you reach the second level of excitement. Yes, you guessed it, the Ukrainian Taxi Car Drivers! Stay calm and just shake your head back n forth with every question of "Taxi?" No need to say "No" just shake your head back n forth.
Stay clear of the taxi drivers and find your way to one of the many kiosks in the airport that will help you find a taxi. The price is fair and shown to you up front. Taxi kiosks are easy to find and the word "TAXI" is written across them.
If you are exchanging money, there are four different money exchange booths available. The rate at the airport is the worst, if you can wait until you get into the city, then you will get a much better rate. When I travel I tend to only exchange $200.00 USD for a taxi and food. It is very easy to find these exchange booths in the center of the city with much better exchange rates. The US Dollar, Euro and Russian Ruble are accepted everywhere.
Currency that is old is not accepted at exchange booths. It so happened that I learned this lesson the hard way. I was unable to exchange five hundred dollars because of the age of the currency. Ensure you take newer currency that is in good condition. All currency is inspected by eye and then by machine. Any wet spots or torn, worn bills are not accepted.
Traveling to another part of Ukraine? Then it is just a short two minute walk to Terminal A. This terminal controls all domestic flights. There are two booths in this airport that will sell you a ticket to almost anywhere with a landing strip in the Ukraine. Digital readouts help you find your gate in English, but pay close attention to boarding announcements because they are only broadcasted in Ukrainian or Russian. If in doubt ask one of the airport attendants and they will be happy to point you to your boarding area.
Finally, if you want to avoid all the rush and crowds, the VIP service is for you. Terminal C houses a very comfortable environment for anyone that would like to pay $150.00 USD or up for this service. A private coach will come pick you up from your plane. Your luggage will be taken from the plane separately and brought to you. Exit passport control in 15 minutes or less. The services arrival in terminal C range from wireless internet service to fax and phone service all available from the comfort of a environmentally controlled lounge. If you are interested in this service, Google Boryspil Airport and contact the VIP office. All VIP representatives speak English.
Enjoy all that Ukraine has to offer! - 15784
The main international airport hub is Boryspil. It services all domestic and international flights in and out of the Ukraine. Boryspil has a very large runway for all types of aircraft. During soviet times, Boryspil International Airport was used only for military aircraft. Later when the Ukraine claimed independence, it was renamed and converted into a civilian airport.
All flights with the exception of a few carriers such as Delta and Air France park away from the terminal and bus in their passengers. It is a short bus trip to the International Terminal B.
When you get to the terminal, you are greeted with a very old Russian style passport control center. Be prepared for long waits. During peak hours it can take up to two hours to get through passport control. Customer service is not a priority here so ensure you have all your paperwork filled out and ready to go. The last thing you need is to get back in line for a missed document or unanswered question. In the seven times I have been to Ukraine, I have only waited two hours one time. After that bad experience I always booked my flight to arrive very early in the morning or late at night. 9 am to 2 pm are peak hours at Boryspil Airport.
Be polite and patient while in the passport control line. Ukrainian officers are not in the mood for jokes or small talk. Answer their questions fully and respectfully. Officers speak English and will understand you.
Once you leave passport control, you will immediately see baggage claim. Boryspil is like all airports it has digital readouts of incoming flights and matches them with a baggage claim area.
If the airline loses your baggage, there is a lost baggage office that will assist you in tracking down your bags. I have traveled seven times to the Ukraine and only had to use the service once. It was a surprise to me, but the people that worked there were very helpful and spoke very good English. They were immediately able to track down my luggage. The representative called New York for me and found my baggage still there. Apparently my luggage never made the flight.
The next day I was able to retrieve my luggage after being lost the day before. The only interesting thing about it is I had to pay a tip to the attendant to go retrieve it for me. A side note to remember is everything in the Ukraine moves by tips. Give too small of a tip and Ukrainians have no problem in letting you know your mistake. Normal tip fair for getting your baggage reclaimed $6.00. Taxi trip to get back to the airport to retrieve your baggage $55.00. Knowing that you paid the right tip and avoiding the embarrassment of getting screamed at for failing to understand the tip policy, priceless.
Out of baggage claim and ready for the next adventure? Ok great, now let us take a walk up a small incline in the busy heart of the Boryspil Airport! The only thing between you and a hundred or so impatiently waiting family members, friends and taxi drivers is a set of automatic sliding doors. As the swoosh of doors slide open you are immediately impacted with the excitement of the waiting crowd in front of you. Make your way past them and you reach the second level of excitement. Yes, you guessed it, the Ukrainian Taxi Car Drivers! Stay calm and just shake your head back n forth with every question of "Taxi?" No need to say "No" just shake your head back n forth.
Stay clear of the taxi drivers and find your way to one of the many kiosks in the airport that will help you find a taxi. The price is fair and shown to you up front. Taxi kiosks are easy to find and the word "TAXI" is written across them.
If you are exchanging money, there are four different money exchange booths available. The rate at the airport is the worst, if you can wait until you get into the city, then you will get a much better rate. When I travel I tend to only exchange $200.00 USD for a taxi and food. It is very easy to find these exchange booths in the center of the city with much better exchange rates. The US Dollar, Euro and Russian Ruble are accepted everywhere.
Currency that is old is not accepted at exchange booths. It so happened that I learned this lesson the hard way. I was unable to exchange five hundred dollars because of the age of the currency. Ensure you take newer currency that is in good condition. All currency is inspected by eye and then by machine. Any wet spots or torn, worn bills are not accepted.
Traveling to another part of Ukraine? Then it is just a short two minute walk to Terminal A. This terminal controls all domestic flights. There are two booths in this airport that will sell you a ticket to almost anywhere with a landing strip in the Ukraine. Digital readouts help you find your gate in English, but pay close attention to boarding announcements because they are only broadcasted in Ukrainian or Russian. If in doubt ask one of the airport attendants and they will be happy to point you to your boarding area.
Finally, if you want to avoid all the rush and crowds, the VIP service is for you. Terminal C houses a very comfortable environment for anyone that would like to pay $150.00 USD or up for this service. A private coach will come pick you up from your plane. Your luggage will be taken from the plane separately and brought to you. Exit passport control in 15 minutes or less. The services arrival in terminal C range from wireless internet service to fax and phone service all available from the comfort of a environmentally controlled lounge. If you are interested in this service, Google Boryspil Airport and contact the VIP office. All VIP representatives speak English.
Enjoy all that Ukraine has to offer! - 15784
About the Author:
Art Saborio is a Fiance K1 Visa Specialist. His free series, "A Quick-Start 7 Step Guide to Guaranteeing Your Foreign Fiance a Visa" is currently available at http://www.k1visaexperts.com/k1success.html. While you are there, also take a look at his very informative must read articles http://www.k1visaexperts.com/blog