Where to stay in Kyiv?

[JKMac 0]

Hello,

My fiancee has her K1 interview on October 22. She will be traveling from Poltava to Kyiv probably on the 20th. Are there any good hotels or apartments near the embassy? She does not know Kyiv well and she is very worried about where she will stay. Any advice from people who have been through the process would be most welcome.

Edited September 26, 2008 by JKMac

[togetherforever 0]

Hello,

My fiancee has her K1 interview on October 22. She will be traveling from Poltava to Kyiv probably on the 20th. Are there any good hotels or apartments near the embassy? She does not know Kyiv well and she is very worried about where she will stay. Any advice from people who have been through the process would be most welcome.

Apartments will be much more cheaper than hotel rooms as far as I know. You can check www.rentapartments.com. It has a russian version. They can meet you and take you to the apartment. It's better to contact them on the phone.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Hello,

My fiancee has her K1 interview on October 22. She will be traveling from Poltava to Kyiv probably on the 20th. Are there any good hotels or apartments near the embassy? She does not know Kyiv well and she is very worried about where she will stay. Any advice from people who have been through the process would be most welcome.

Apartments will be much more cheaper than hotel rooms as far as I know. You can check www.rentapartments.com. It has a russian version. They can meet you and take you to the apartment. It's better to contact them on the phone.

There are lots of good apartments for rent. Kiev is expensive as far as apartments and hotel rooms go, but you can get a decent one room flat for about $65 a night in downtown. Here is the number of the rental agency I have used many times...

Apartment rental 011-38-044-234-56-37

Kiev has a good public transportation system, there is no problem getting about for low cost. If it is raining or you want a quick response, call a private driver, about 1/2 cost of taxis. Here is a driver my wife (Almost said "fiancee" but not the case anymore!) and I have used. He is a very nice young man and gives good service, but call him maybe a week before and give him your plans so he will stay available for you, or at least be a few minutes away if you need him....Sergey, driver 011-38-067-158-00-60

The downtown area of Kiev is very safe (in my opinion) night and day. We have walked all over that city until all hours of the night and had no problems, ever. There is nothing like Kreschatik street on a warm Saturday night! Many shops are open late and you can have a good time shopping and eating until at least midnight.

If she has not yet had her physical, the best way there is to take the little bus, number 198, from the front (old part) of the train station to the end of the line (about 20-25 minutes ride) the clinic is right there at the end of the line and there is always a little bus waiting to go back to the train station when she comes out. From the train station you can go anywhere. All buses and metro go to the train station.

Pay your visa fee the day before (or two days before) at ProCredit Bank and avoid the lines early in the morning, OR allow at least 1/2 hour to wait in line the morning of the interview. If the weather is not good, don't hurry to the consulate, you will be waiting outside until your appointment time and will be allowed in promptly at the interview time. They will gladly let you stand in the rain if you are early. If the weather is good, no worries.

That is about all, Kiev is a great city, not my favorite in Ukraine, but very nice nonetheless. It has the best transportation, shopping, parks, entertainment, and historical sites, but it is big, busy and relatively expensive compared to other Ukraine cities.

Good luck, just get all your documents ready, have exactly what they ask for in the packet 3 and you will be fine. The people at the Kiev consulate are friendly, helpful and the interviews there are usually without even a question if all your papers are in order. You can check my review of our interview for additional experience and thoughts.

Gary

Edited September 28, 2008 by Gary and Alla

[JKMac 0]

Thanks to everyone for your replies. They are greatly appreciated!

[1HappyGuy 45]

I would definitely shop around. Apartments are getting more expensive in Kyiv and landlords can be quite troublesome. I know of some landlords that want to hold a passport until the tenant vacates and pays all rent, so be sure to ask about this up front. Obviously she will not want to give her international passport since she's hoping for a visa to be placed inside. If you want to make her feel really good, I can recommend the Hotel Rus. It is in the center of the city with pretty good service. It is a favorite of many foreign visitors.

[Brad and Vika 129]

I would definitely shop around. Apartments are getting more expensive in Kyiv and landlords can be quite troublesome. I know of some landlords that want to hold a passport until the tenant vacates and pays all rent, so be sure to ask about this up front. Obviously she will not want to give her international passport since she's hoping for a visa to be placed inside. If you want to make her feel really good, I can recommend the Hotel Rus. It is in the center of the city with pretty good service. It is a favorite of many foreign visitors.

What is the cost? Come to think, I can probably figure that out myself. Thanks for the recommendation.

[1HappyGuy 45]

Brad,

I just checked on the Hotel Rus. A single room runs between $145 and $165 (702 to 806 hrivna) a night. Although, I would recommend you have her call to check. I have seen hotels that have one rate for foreigners and another for domestic visitors.

[Brad and Vika 129]

Brad,

I just checked on the Hotel Rus. A single room runs between $145 and $165 (702 to 806 hrivna) a night. Although, I would recommend you have her call to check. I have seen hotels that have one rate for foreigners and another for domestic visitors.

We are in Odessa now, but I passed the info. along to Vika. I will also take down the apartment/driver numbers above. We tend to split our time between hotels and flat rentals, so the information is appreciated. I like hotels because generally I have found fewer problems with the amenities. Right now we are staying at Odessa Executive Suites, and having a typical experience in Ukraine. Nice place, great location, but fixtures that don't always work. Our TV shorted out two days ago, but hey, I didn't come all this way to watch tv anyhow.

Cheers

[1HappyGuy 45]

Ukraine is beautiful in autumn. Enjoy your trip!

[Brad and Vika 129]

Ukraine is beautiful in autumn. Enjoy your trip!

Cheers. We are having a great time. Dinner tonight at a traditional Ukrainian restaurant, walk around town at dark, etc. We went to a club to hear a guitar Jazz duet that we could hear from the street. Off to Kherson and family tomorrow. Vika's uncle even changed his scheduled, state sponsored "rest and health" visit to the resort sanitorium to make time for us. I continue to be impressed with how much her family wants to know me better.