Ways to enter Ukraine during the Rashist slaughter

I entered Ukraine for the first time on October 25, 2022, and reached Kyiv on October 27. I thought it was a good idea to write about various ways to enter Ukraine on my Ukraine visit anniversary, based on my own two trips, because I had seen people, including Ukrainians, offering wrong directions, so I posted here initially in 2023. I updated it in 2025 after my 4th trip to Ukraine.

Two important points first:

1. The USG is against its citizens traveling to Ukraine, understandably. I went there to bring donated items requested by people on the frontline for my first three trips.

2. A train is usually the best choice for a quick and comfortable border crossing.

Routes from five different countries based on my own experience.

1. Poland.

A. Warsaw route.

The direct train from Warsaw to Kyiv (16:49CET to 10:45EET) is probably the most convenient.  The train had its gauge changed (standard to wide) at Rymachi. 

I have not taken this 18-hour overnight, but I took this train the other way - Kyiv to Warsaw - on 2025-03-25 (20:21 - 9:15). It was a good experience. The train has only one class, and there are three berths in each compartment. It was a bit crowded, but well manageable even with my two suitcases. 

B. Przemyśl route.

Przemyśl- Kyiv (8:49CET to 20:10EET. duration: 10:21) is a very comfortable modern train. There is not gauge change. There are two drawbacks for this train:

1. You spend a precious day sitting in a comfortable train instead of touring the beautiful country.
2. Getting to Przemyśl is not convenient if you arrive in Warsaw. The train from Warsaw to Przemyśl arrives at 12:03. This means that you will have to stay overnight to catch the Przemyśl - Kyiv train the next day. 

I have not taken he Przemyśl - Kyiv express to enter Ukraine, but I exited Ukraine for Warsaw by taking the train the other way - Kyiv-Przemyśl, and then a 6-hour overnight bus (taking a train would require waiting till the next day and a long ride with a detour to Kraków). 

I still do not understand why so many people take this Przemyśl route. I did it because I was already in Lviv, so I boarded it at its last stop in Ukraine.

2. Hungary

Ukraine launched a new Budapest-Kyiv train in December 2024 (22:40CET - 19:11EET. Duration: 20:31). The train has first-class seats in 2-berth compartments.

I took the Budapest route in October 2022 and I wrote a separate post for this route a while ago. Budapest is a beautiful city, very friendly to tourists. 

For the route that I took in 2022, one can take a very comfortable inter-city train at 7:23 (CET) and reach Chop in Ukraine at 13:40 (CET), with no gauge change, then catch an overnight train (14:24 - 7:38, duration: 17h 14m) to reach Kyiv the next morning. The train travels through the beautiful Skolivski Beskydy National Park.

3. Romania

A. Train route.

Cluj-Napoca is the 2nd largest city in Romania, and it has flights from many European cities. You can take an early train (3:35) to reach the border town Valea Viseului, then take a scenic express train ride to Rakhiv, Ukraine, in the afternoon.

I took this route in March 2023.

It is a new service started in January 2023. We all know why Ukraine reopened a railway route to Romania at this juncture.

Many trains to Kyiv stop at Rakhiv, so you can pick one to reach Kyiv the next morning. Rakhiv looks like a very nice town.

B. Southern bus route.

Likebus frum Ukraine runs two trips from Constanta, Romania to Odesa, Ukraine. I took the evening one (19:10 - 6:10, duration: 10:00) in March 2025. It is a comfortable long ride. I was surprised that there are no bridges over Danube. The bus has to use a ferry to cross Danube to enter Ukraine. It was a long wait.

4. Moldova

Chisinau has many flights from other European cities. Kyiv-Chisinau Express was restored last year after 24 years of hiatus (17:34 - 12:05: duration: 18:31).  You can fly to Chisinau and reach Kyiv the next morning via this train.

I have not taken this train to enter Ukraine, but I took it to exit Ukraine in March 2023. If offered me an opportunity to visit lovely Chisinau for two days.

When you take a train to cross a border, the border check of the exit country is always done on the train, but the border check of the entry country may be done after you get off the train. Ukrainian officers are very efficient and friendly.

5. Slovakia

There are so many buses from Kosice to Uzhhorod that one can just go to the Kosice Central Bus Station that is adjacent to the nice modern train station anytime to hop on a bus. The journey goes through the beautiful countryside of Slovakia and takes about 4 hours. The border crossing takes only about 30 minutes for buses. I saw a few km long truck line. I suspect it takes many hours for a truck to cross the border.

Except for areas near the frontline, Ukraine is safer than many US cities such as Baltimore, Chicago, San Francisco, Detroit, and DC...