Ukraine, located in Eastern Europe, borders Russia, Belarus, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Moldova. With the numerous countries that Ukraine borders, it is considered an important hub in Eastern Europe, especially for its easy access to Asia. Being a very large country, it also borders the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. Ukraine is a popular tourist destination for both Europeans and those from North America. One of the most interesting things about Ukraine is that it has nearly five hundred cities that are at least nine hundred years old. This is apparent in vast array of architectural styles of Ukraine. Ukraine has approximately 46.7 million people in its population. Most of these people speak Ukrainian, but Russian, Romanian, Polish, and Hungarian are also widely spoken.
Ukrainians are generally warm, welcoming people with a positive attitude toward tourists. Most Ukrainians dress casually, but will dress up for special events such as going to a restaurant or to see a movie. When visiting a Ukrainian in their home it’s considered polite and smart to bring along a small gift, this can include something to go along with a meal or flowers. Service in restaurants and hotels is usually included in the price, thus making tipping an uncommon practice. It’s important for Americans to know that in Ukraine the electrical outlets are 220 volts with a 50Hz frequency. They use the standard European round pin attachment plug as well. This means that if an American were to plug in an electronic from back home, it’ll probably break (if they can even get it in the plug) so it’s important to bring along proper attachments for their electronic items.
Some popular attractions in Ukraine include the St. Sophia Cathedral which is nearly nine centuries old. It is considered an architectural marvel in the Ukraine. The Kiev-Pecharsk Lavra is a monastery in a cave and its usage as such dates back to the 11th century. Other attractions include the Great Patriotic War Museum and the Statue of the Motherland in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine.
To reach Ukraine by air, the Ukrainian International Airlines services, in collaboration with Austrian Airlines, services flights daily from many large European cities such as Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Brussel, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Lisbon, London, Madrid, Milan, Paris, Rome, Rotterdam, Vienna, and Zurich. Air Ukraine is another option, but they do not service quite as many cities. Boryspil State International Airport is the airport tourists are likely to fly into as its the largest airport and is located just 25 miles from Kiev. To reach Ukraine by sea there are ferry services from Russia and Georgia. Major ports are Izmail and Odessa which are on the River Danube. There are also ports on the Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea, one of which is Sevastopol which brings visitors in from Istanbul, Turkey. For those interested in traveling by rail there are two main stations Kyiv and Lviv which can be reached from Moscow, Berlin, Budapest, Warsaw, and Bucharest.
Duty free items include up to 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g tobacco and one liter of spirits of over 22% alcohol content or two liters of wine or 32 liters of beer and any goods for personal use with a total value of €200. Things that are not allowed to cross borders include narcotics, firearms, ammunition, weapons, meat and dairy products, eggs, plants, endangered species, fireworks, or any alcoholic beverages with an alcohol content over 60%. It’s important to find out, before purchasing something, whether or not it can be carried across the border.
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