Ukraine Travel 2014
 

I am traveling to Europe in early August and after a couple of weeks spent in Berlin my friend and I were thinking of traveling east for a short period. I was wondering if Ukraine would still be safe to travel to as a foreigner (considering the large amount of unrest in the country) and would it be safer to maybe stay in the western part of the country or should I scrap the whole idea of visiting the country? Any feedback would be appreciated.

Safe for a traveler. If you see a protest or crowd gathering, best not to linger unless you like to live dangerously.

Thank you for the reply. Ukraine was a place that I really wanted to visit when I first started planning my trip and I was put off after all the news surrounding it. I will definitely try visiting it When I'm over there.

If I didn't have other plans this year, I would be heading to Kiev.

I was just looking up traveling for Ukraine, apparently Australians can't enter, without a visa, this may make my trip a bit harder than I thought...

If I were a traveler I would stick with Central Europe (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, etc) and/or the Baltic states instead.

IMHO there are too many chances for serious unrest in the Ukraine. It may be safe - or there may be areas that are very chaotic - with major disturbances to travel at a minimum - and very dangerous situations at worst.

Many years ago some friends of mine were traveling in Latin America when a local revolution broke out. All but one left immediately. One guy stayed because he wanted to "experience it" - and he ended up caught in a street demonstration - and in custody for several weeks under very unpleasant conditinos until his parents were able to get him released through the efforts of the American embassy.

You may want to watch carefully what the situation is - since we don't really know now what the situation may be then. But I would be very cautious walking into a potentially risky situation.

Nobody here knows what the situation anywhere in the Ukraine will be in August -- just like nobody here knew this morning that the mayor of Ukraine's second largest city would have been shot by this afternoon. The problem of camera wielding tourists traveling in highly unpredictable and often suddenly violent situations is that they (and their cameras) can get mistaken for something they are not. Many people in the Ukraine are now playing for keeps and for them the fight is existential. Even in the midst of all out war most places are mostly calm except for the places where people are getting killed and captured and disappeared.

If you see headlines in July about how remarkably well everything turned out in the Ukraine despite the troubles of Spring then that would be encouraging. But as of today, things appear to be getting worse, not better, so you might want to consider different vacation fun.

I completely agree with sandralist. Nobody know what will happen in August. We, the locals will keep you updated.

Smoko

Do you use the DFAT website smarttraveller.gov.au ?

The current info for Ukraine is "reconsider your need to travel" with Crimea being "do not travel". I think "do not travel" can have implications if you need to claim on insurance.

The website is updated as the situation changes.

In any case, hopefully things will improve by August.

My son's in-laws are supposed to be traveling back to Moldova/Ukraine at the end of August to tie up some family business. I am now concerned about their trip home. They are in constant contact with friends at home through skype and their day to day intel is very different from what we hear in the States. (Not as dramatic) Will stay posted but in light of very recent events, I would skip Ukraine for now.

Moldova, I'd skip most years, all a bit too criminal government.

Odessa is safe to travel now (thanks God). So, welcome to X-Mas and New Year holidays!

Good afternoon!
I understand that my post in this thread out of place, but I don't know who can answer ... I want to get married in Odessa (I live in Poland). Is it safe to go there?In the Event-agency Perepoloh convince me that all is quiet and we can go. but I still get nervous...