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City transport
A plethora of mass transit options are available to get you around Kyiv. But despite the trolleybuses (electric buses), trams (streetcars), buses, the metro, microbuses and minivans, it's still not enough to prevent frequent overcrowding. Don't take the jostling personally, don't inhale too deeply but do give up your seat to the elderly and mothers with children. Public transport starts running around 05:45 and closes down a bit after midnight.
Metro
Ukraine boasts a very convenient, safe, and inexpensive metro system in three cities: Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Dnipropetrovsk. In Kyiv, you can buy tokens at any metro station. The price of one token is 50 kopiykas, and it allows you to transfer from line to line. If metro is going to be your most frequently used transportation type, it is reasonable to purchase a monthly metro pass at a price of 25 Hryvnias.
The jewel of the transport system, the metro is both cheap and efficient. While traffic snarls vehicles above ground, underground trains deliver passengers in a more timely and reliable fashion. And thought-provoking Soviet designs inside stations help pass the time away waiting for the next train. Life isn't perfect, though, and neither is the metro. Personal space can become alarmingly tight at almost any time of the day, but especially at rush hour and at night when trains run less frequently. One ride costs 50 kopecks, for which you receive a green plastic token to insert into a machine. Wait a second for the red light to turn green so the jaws of death don't maim you, and proceed on your merry way. Tokens can be bought from cashier windows, or many stations have 1 and 2hr bill machines which dispense the appropriate number of tokens. Monthly passes are also available through the first of the month from the same windows and also street kiosks.
Trolleys/Buses/Trams
These tend to be crammed tight with people but provide a good and cheap way to travel around the city. These are favored by schoolchildren, the working classes and babushkas and dedushkas. They won't get you anywhere in a hurry, but they do provide an intriguing look into everyday Ukrainian life. Single tickets for trolleys, trams and buses cost 50 kopecks. They can be purchased from street kiosks near stops or from conductors on board. Sometimes there is no conductor, in which case you can buy a ticket from the driver. You should immediately validate your ticket using one of the many punching gadgets around you. If not, you risk being intimidated by not one but two roaming inspectors into paying the 10hr fine. All tickets are good for only one journey, and monthly passes can be bought at kiosks. The monthly passes are available at a price of 17 hryvnias per month.
Microbuses and minivans
All forms of transit make scheduled stops except for microbuses and minivans. These privately-owned route taxis are called marshrutkas, meaning they can stop anywhere along their specified route. Just flag it down as you would a taxi, then tell the driver where to let you out when you've had enough. Many run the same routes as trolleys or buses and use the same numbers. Otherwise, try to read the main stops posted on the vehicle's windshield or side window before it speeds by you. Fares are paid on board and are usually 75 kopecks or 1hr. You don't have to punch your ticket, and there are no monthly passes.
Taxi
Although you can order a taxi by dialing 0-58, there is little need in doing so. Private cars and taxis swarm city's streets. To hail a car, you can simply put out your hand, and a car will stop. Private cars, the cars driven by locals who sometimes act as taxi drivers, cost significantly less than official taxis. Although it is the most common way of getting a ride besides public transport, you should be careful and use common sense. Most drivers do not speak English. Agree on a price beforehand.
Recommended taxi companies:
| Avtosvit-Taxi |
Tel: 247 00 00 |
| Elite-Taxi |
Tel: 238 82 38 |
| Kyiv-Taxi |
Tel: 459 01 01 |
| Taxi-Blues |
Tel: 296 42 43 |
| Tvist |
Tel: 238 20 30 |
| Art |
Tel: 229 85 43 |
| Blits-Taxi |
Tel: 211 44 44 |
| Euro-Taxi |
Tel: 246 10 36 |
| Express-Taxi |
Tel: 239-1515 |
| Taxi Plus |
Tel: 451-7227 |
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