Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Hungary
BUS
One Vienna-bound bus a day leaves Kyiv's Dachna bus station, stopping in Budapest
(600uah, 19 hours) en route.
CAR & MOTORCYCLE
The main road crossing is between Zahony and Chop. Follow the E573 (M06) from
Debrecen and Nyíregyháza. Other major crossings are Beregsurány-Luzhanka and
Tiszabecs-Vylok.
TRAIN
Chop, 22km southwest of Uzhhorod, is the international junction for trains between
Ukraine and Hungary. Because the two countries use different rail gauges, services have
a long stop while the carriage bogies are changed to a different gauge. Note that if com-
ing from Budapest, you'll generally save money by buying a domestic ticket as far as
Zahony, then a short international ticket to Chop, and purchasing a domestic train ticket
onwards.
»
Kyiv-Budapest
24 hours, one daily
»
Chop-Budapest
six hours, one daily
»
Lviv-Budapest
14 hours, one daily
Moldova
The unofficial republic of Transdniestr bordering Ukraine for some 500km causes only
minor irritation to travellers these days. The 24 hours you have to cross into Moldova
proper are more than enough time. It's another matter if you want to hang around in the
'capital' Tiraspol, which has become an odd kind of I've-been-there tourist attraction in re-
cent years.
EU and US citizens, Canadians, Swiss and Japanese don't need visas for Moldova.
However, Australians, New Zealanders, South Africans and others do.
BUS
There are at least 10 buses per day from Odesa to Chişinău via Tiraspol, and two via
Palanka (100uah, five to seven hours). The latter avoid Transdniestr.
CAR & MOTORCYCLE
Most of the dozen border crossings between Ukraine and Moldova enter Transdniestr. To
get into Moldova without going through the breakaway republic, you'll need to come up
