If you are traveling to Kiev, Ukraine for the first time, you are in for an experience. From the first moments of breaking through the clouds, you will notice a land of nature and beauty. Kiev is a very green country. 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.
Delta and a few other carriers are allowed to use the tarmacs, all other planes must park away from the terminals. Passengers are bused to and from the main terminal. It is a short bus ride to Terminal B, the main international center.
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.
The passport control line can be long, so try to be polite and patient. Be serious and keep all joking to a minimum while waiting in line. Be respectful and answer all questions fully to the officers. If you can't speak Ukrainian or Russian, the officers do know English.
Once you make it through passport control, you will see the baggage claim area. Digital readouts will tell you where your baggage is located. It is a small area and impossible to lose track of your baggage. Boryspil is like all airports. There is not much difference in their baggage claim area.
If your baggage cannot be found, you can easily find the lost baggage office. Surprisingly enough this is one of the best lost baggage offices I ever had the pleasure of doing business. In the seven times traveling to Kiev, I have only had to use the lost baggage service once. They speak very good English and immediately tracked down my lost luggage. The representative was very professional and had all the necessary phone numbers available to call Delta Airlines in New York. Apparently my luggage was sitting in New York and never made it onto the plane. The Boryspil Airport baggage claim service was great and had my baggage in my hands the very next morning.
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.
There are four different money exchange booths in the international terminal. The airport has the worst rates, so only exchange a small amount of money. Wait until you get to the center of the city to do your large exchange transactions. I tend to only exchange two hundred dollars at the airport. This covers my taxi, food and any other little thing I would like to buy while in the airport. Just as easy as it is to find an exchange booth in the airport, you will have the same luck in the center of the city. These exchange booths are everywhere. The US Dollar, Euro and Russian Ruble are accepted everywhere.
Take only new money with you. Exchange booths will not accept old or money that has been wet. Since it is impossible to know if a dollar bill has ever been wet, it is important to only take new bills. All exchange booths will put your money under an ultraviolet light. Money that shows wet spots will not be 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 your trip to the Ukraine!
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.
Delta and a few other carriers are allowed to use the tarmacs, all other planes must park away from the terminals. Passengers are bused to and from the main terminal. It is a short bus ride to Terminal B, the main international center.
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.
The passport control line can be long, so try to be polite and patient. Be serious and keep all joking to a minimum while waiting in line. Be respectful and answer all questions fully to the officers. If you can't speak Ukrainian or Russian, the officers do know English.
Once you make it through passport control, you will see the baggage claim area. Digital readouts will tell you where your baggage is located. It is a small area and impossible to lose track of your baggage. Boryspil is like all airports. There is not much difference in their baggage claim area.
If your baggage cannot be found, you can easily find the lost baggage office. Surprisingly enough this is one of the best lost baggage offices I ever had the pleasure of doing business. In the seven times traveling to Kiev, I have only had to use the lost baggage service once. They speak very good English and immediately tracked down my lost luggage. The representative was very professional and had all the necessary phone numbers available to call Delta Airlines in New York. Apparently my luggage was sitting in New York and never made it onto the plane. The Boryspil Airport baggage claim service was great and had my baggage in my hands the very next morning.
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.
There are four different money exchange booths in the international terminal. The airport has the worst rates, so only exchange a small amount of money. Wait until you get to the center of the city to do your large exchange transactions. I tend to only exchange two hundred dollars at the airport. This covers my taxi, food and any other little thing I would like to buy while in the airport. Just as easy as it is to find an exchange booth in the airport, you will have the same luck in the center of the city. These exchange booths are everywhere. The US Dollar, Euro and Russian Ruble are accepted everywhere.
Take only new money with you. Exchange booths will not accept old or money that has been wet. Since it is impossible to know if a dollar bill has ever been wet, it is important to only take new bills. All exchange booths will put your money under an ultraviolet light. Money that shows wet spots will not be 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 your trip to the Ukraine!
About the Author:
Art Saborio is a Fiance K1 Visa Professional. 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
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