Baggage
Please, travel lightly! We recommend you bring one moderately sized suitcase and one carry-on bag or small pack. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU BRING ONLY WHAT YOU CAN EASILY CARRY YOURSELF, if you bring too much, you might have to leave some of it with the staff so you can be more mobile!!
Housing
During your time overseas, depending on your outreach team, housing may be in hotels, student dorms, schools, the home of nationals, and occasionally in tents.
Money
Bring cash in 20's, 50's and 100's. The most widely accepted foreign currencies are the U.S. dollar, the Euro, Canadian,and British pound. Make sure that the bills are newer ones and have no markings on them. Use a money belt, or hidden pouch to carry your money: only keep a small amount (what you could spend in one day) in your wallet or purse. Never leave money or passport or visa in your room; always bring them with you. Avoid pulling out a wad of money in public! Never exchange money with strangers on the street, it is illegal and could be dangerous. Exchange money in the kiosks or banks. They are readily available. For the latest exchange rate check the web page of the Bank of Ukraine
The currency of Ukraine is the Hrivna. The current exchange rate is approximately $1 USD to 7.95 Hrivnya. It is forbidden to leave the country with large amounts of Hrivnyas, so change them back into hard currency or spend them before you leave.
Communication
E-mail
There are a lot of Internet cafes in the major cities of Ukraine where you can use a computer connected to the Internet for about 1 US per hour. There is no Internet access in the remote parts of Ukraine.
Tel/Fax
You can call overseas from any post office in Ukraine. The rate is very high though (about 2 USD per minute to call US or Canada). There are services available for calling cheaper using long distance phone cards (MCI for example), you have to check with your team coordinator to see if the cards work here. Check with your long distance prepaid phone card company (like MCI and AT&T) for their overseas access numbers.
Some post offices provide fax services, you can both, send and receive faxes.
Mail
Mail takes up from 2-4 weeks to reach Eastern Europe from the U.S. We recommend that you not have any mail sent to you. For emergencies, your outreach leader will provide a contact that can assist your family on knowing your location.
Laungry
Laundry facilities are not always available in this area so chances are that you will be hand-washing your clothes in a sink or bathtub. Detergent is readily available in any of stores or markets. Or you can make a deal with floor maids if you stay in hotel.
Clothing
We suggest you economize your wardrobe, bring color-coordinated clothes that "layer well". The clothes you bring will vary to the climate and the type of ministry you will be involved in. We do suggest you bring at least one church outfit, preferably one that does not need much care. (Men: suit jacket, tie. Women: Dress or skirt. Also bring a head covering just in case you plan on visiting a church that requires you to wear one.) In Ukraine, you will find that most people dress up most of the time. Of the few clothes they own, they are of good quality, and are cared for immaculately. If you show up in sweat pants, you may feel a little underdressed! Jeans are popular and convenient.
Rest Rooms
We recommend that you always carry your own supply of toilet paper with you, as it is rarely supplied. Public rest rooms tend to be anti-sanitary. There are pay toilets in large department stores, some restaurants, bus depots and train stations. The cost does not normally exceed 1UAH ( approx.. $ 0.15 USD)
What to bring
• Good walking shoes
• Notepad or journal and pen
• Security pouch for valuables
• Rain gear, folding umbrella
• Flashlight and batteries - streets are not always well lighted
• Thongs for shower use
• Alarm clock
• Travel sewing kit
• Supply of basic medicines (aspirin, cold medicines, small first aid kit, vitamins, etc.)
• Hair dryer, travel iron, small coffee maker etc. (with 220v capability)
• Swim wear
• Water purification tablets or filter (for outlying areas) In the cities and towns, it is sufficient just to boiling water.
• Travel mug, water bottle
• Cards, small board games or other activities
• Stroller for young children
If you don't want to cary too much - most of this stuff can be bought here.
Travel
Kiev is linked with most major European cities and a few in North America. Most international flights go to the Boryspil International Airport in Kiev, about 40km (25mi) southeast of the center. The airport at Lviv, about 8km (5mi) west of its center, has connections with Warsaw, Prague, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London and Chicago. Odessa's airport is about 12km (7mi) southwest of downtown, and has flights to and from Vienna and Moscow.
International trains enter Ukraine from seven countries at more than 10 locations. As long as you've got a visa, border crossings are pretty straightforward. Most major Ukrainian cities have daily services from Moscow; it's 15 hours to Kiev and 28 hours to Lviv. You can go between Kiev and Berlin (26 hours) via Warsaw (16 hours) and Brest (10 hours). The station is on the western fringe of downtown Kiev. Lviv has rail connections with most major Eastern European and Russian cities; the station is 3km (2mi) west of the center A few buses a day head into Russia from Kharkiv; it takes 20 hours to reach Moscow from Kharkiv by bus.
You can travel by ship between Odessa or Yalta and various cities on the Black Sea and Mediterranean. The main year-round destinations are Haifa (Israel), Limassol (Cyprus), Piraeus (Greece) and Port Said (Egypt). The most frequent and reliable is the Odessa to Istanbul route. It's also possible to sail down the Danube River between Odessa and a number of Eastern European river ports. There's a car ferry running between Kerch, at the eastern tip of Crimea, and the Russian ports of Temryuk, Anapa and Novorossiysk.
All official land border crossings into Ukraine are unrestricted, though they'll always go more smoothly if you have a visa ahead of time rather than relying on getting an emergency visa at the border, especially when entering from Russia.
Getting Around
Getting between major Ukrainian cities is best done by train. They're frequent, cheap and often a convenient night's journey. If you want to save a few Hrivna and don't mind the extra time, buses serve almost every city and small town; they're best for short trips outside main cities not served by trains. Buses are always dirty and overcrowded, but there's no better way to mingle with the locals than on a bumpy, overheated ride through the countryside.
With fuel hard to come by, spare parts rare, road conditions rugged and getting lost inevitable, driving in Ukraine is not recommended for the faint of heart. Cars can be rented at a few major hotels in Kiev and at a handful of agencies in the major cities. You'll need an International Driving Permit; driving is on the right.
IMPORTANT
REGISTRATION IN UKRAINE
If you are staying in Ukraine longer than three months, you will have to be registered at the appropriate institutions which should be known to your hosts.
