In this article, I will cover getting to Kyiv by train!
A-Z Kyiv Guide is a series of articles to give you the best tips for traveling to Ukrainian capital
First of all, for the complete guide to using Ukrainian Railways check my other article Ukrainian Railways Guide: train types, online booking and tips
The main railway station of Kyiv is Kyiv Passazhyrsky Railway Station
In fact, there are two entrances to it, – Centralnyy (Central) and Pivdennyi (Southern)
So if you’re seeing that the trains or buses are arriving at Pivdennyi station, now you’ll know that it is the same railway station.
Going from the Kyiv Railway Station to the centre
(Getting to Kyiv by train)
Metro station Vokzalna is situated right next to the entrance to the Centralnyy Railway Station.
Here is Kyiv Metro Map for your convenience:
I prepared a Kyiv Metro Map Guide to help you out! So you can also check it out.
Getting to Kyiv by train from Europe
(Getting to Kyiv by train)
Train travel is comfortable and relatively quick. Arriving in Kyiv by train is a good option. However, there are not that many really comfortable and cheap options to do that from Europe. Let’s explore what train routes we have and what is the best.
Old school night trains coming from the European capitals
Direct night trains to Kyiv go from following cities:
- Bratislava
- Bucharest
- Warsaw
- Budapest
- Chisinau
For more information and schedules go HERE
Pros:
+ Direct connection
+ Long romantic train journey
+ Good old Soviet atmosphere (I mean, there are people that love it, right?)
Cons:
– Good old Soviet atmosphere
– Very high price
– Uncomfortable old trains
– Very long duration of a trip
– Impossible to book online
As you can see there are more cons to taking such a long-haul train. But still such option is there and it’s good to know about it.
Intercity Przemysl-Kyiv
So far Intercity train from Przemysl (Poland) to Kyiv is the most comfortable and the quickest train connection of Europe with Ukraine!
It goes daily and the timetable is:
Premysl dep. time: 14:26
Kyiv arrival time: 22:21
The price of Premysl-Kyiv train: approx. 15 EUR
The only drawback here is that you can’t buy tickets online and you have to do it either at the ticket desk on the railway stations of Poland or in Ukraine.
Nevertheless, it is a great way to avoid the long border crossing and overall nice train experience.
To get to Przemysl from Krakow and other Polish cities check Polish Railways website
Domestic trains
Kyiv is the central railway hub and the heart of Ukrainian railways. That’s why many of the train routes go through Ukrainian capital.
To check timetables and book a train ticket for domestic Ukrainian trains go HERE
Don’t forget to check my Ukrainian Railways Guide: train types, online booking and tips for detailed info on booking tickets online
(Getting to Kyiv by train)
Check out other articles of A-Z Kyiv Guide series:
- Getting to Kyiv by plane: airports guide
- Kyiv Public Transport Guide: Essentials
- TOP 5 Theaters in Kyiv, Ukraine
- Kiev Metro Map Guide: travel tips
- 3 great cheap eats in Kyiv, Ukraine
- Top 5 Beautiful Churches of Kyiv, Ukraine
Thank you for reading!
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Pavlo is an experienced travel writer published by CNN, BBC, The Guardian, The Independent, The Irish Times, Time Out, DK Eyewitness and Lonely Planet. He’s been writing about Poland for 9+ years.