Driving to Ukraine

Old May 30th, 2005, 09:13 AM
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Driving to Ukraine

Hi everybody,
I'm a newcomer on this site, and I am looking for people who have experienced driving from Western Europe to Eastern Ukraine (Kharkiv).
I already know the country as I lived there a couple of years some time ago, but never drove there for such a long trip.
Any advice about that ?
Also, I am planning to sleep in Lviv, any suggestion for a decent and cheap hotel ? Does Lviv-Kharkiv seem feasible in one day ?
Thanks in advance for your insight
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Old May 30th, 2005, 10:25 AM
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Are you talking about driving a car that you own or one that you rent? I bet there isn't a rental company that would allow their cars to go from western Europe into the Ukraine. You might want to check into this before proceeding.
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Old May 30th, 2005, 10:43 PM
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You're right, but I already own the car.
I checked out the road map yesterday night, it's around 3000 km, which I plan to complete in 3 days.
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Old May 31st, 2005, 04:47 AM
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I drove into Ukraine as far as Lviv about 10 years ago. Wide easy roads. Cops stopping me often to check my personal and auto papers.

Lviv to Kharkiv is well over 1,000 km. I would take a layover in Kiev.

Stayed at Hotel Sputnik in Lviv. It was relatively new, clean, and very reasonably priced compared to the ripoff tourist hotel prices in Kiev.

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Old May 31st, 2005, 05:17 AM
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>it's around 3000 km, which I plan to complete in 3 days.

Are you sure? You will have to **average** 100kph for 10 hrs a day.

Even on US roads it's not easy to do that.

www.viamichelin.com suggests 12 hr from Lviv to Kharkiv.

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Old May 31st, 2005, 08:51 AM
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hopscotch > thanks for the tip about the spoutnik hotel, will check it out on the net
ira > I know it's a long drive, and am still not too sure I will do it in 3 days, the thing is I want to limit the hotel expenses, and Kiev is just unaffordable for me !
My concern is the quality of the roads, and the gas : is standard diesel easily available ?
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Old May 31st, 2005, 02:13 PM
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It's the Sputnik, not spoutnik. Remember that little ball that went around the earth in 1956? I would be surprised if the hotel has a web site.

The gasoline question is a good one. I bought enough gasoline in Poland to get to Lviv and back. I didn't try to buy gas/petrol/benzin in Ukraine. The following year I drove up from Istanbul through Bulgaria and Romania. I carried enough jerry cans of non-lead gas, but it turned out to not be necessary.

I guess you don't want to fly to Kharkiv and you only have three days. This will be a killer drive.

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Old Jun 1st, 2005, 12:55 AM
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Thanks for your tips about gas, I will try to get updated information on the availability of the supply.
I know it's going to be a killer, it's just been in my mind for such a long time that I want to do it at least once, maybe I will regret it and won't do it ever again !
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Old Jun 1st, 2005, 02:13 AM
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Hi K,

>...maybe I will regret it and won't do it ever again !<

Whether you regret it or enjoy it, this is the sort of thing that one does once.

>...I carried enough jerry cans of non-lead gas,...<

Excellent advice.

Also bring enough food and water.

Don't forget a compass.

Let us know how it worked out.



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