Where is Kiev?

Where is Kiev? Well it’s not in Russia as many believe. It’s the the capital city of Ukraine, the second largest country in Europe (after Russia) and is situated in the northern part of the country, around 55 miles from the border with Belarus.

The Dnipro river runs south towards the Black Sea, dividing the city in two. The Right Bank, is the oldest part of the city and is home to most government offices, major hotels, and tourist attractions. The Left Bank is mainly residential. The Right and Left Banks are confusingly named from the perspective of someone looking south, meaning that the Right Bank is west of the Dnipro and the Left Bank in on the eastern side.

The city has two airports, Boryspil (KBP) and Kyiv International Airport (IEV). Most international flights arrive at Boryspil, around 19 miles east of the city centre. Kyiv International Airport (Zhulyany) is smaller but nearer to the centre.

Flight times from a selection of cities are shown in the table below:

CityAirportAirlineFlight Time
AmsterdamKBPKLM2 hours 45 minutes
BeijingKBPAerosvit9 hours 25 minutes
Berlin (Tegel)KBPUkraine International Airlines2 hours
BrusselsKBPUkraine International Airlines2 hours 55 minutes
DubaiKBPUkraine International Airlines5 hours 20 minutes
IstanbulKBPAerosvit2 hours 5 minutes
KatowiceIEVWizz Air1 hour 35 minutes
London (Gatwick)KBPUkraine International Airlines3 hours 20 minutes
London (Heathrow)KBPBritish Airways3 hours 15 minutes
London (Luton)IEVWizz Air3 hours 10 minutes
Milan (Bergamo)IEVWizz Air2 hours 35 minutes
MunichKBPLufthansa2 hours 20 minutes
New York (JFK)KBPAerosvit9 hours 50 minutes
Paris (Charles de Gaulle)KBPAir France3 hours 5 minutes
PragueKBPAerosvit2 hours
RigaKBPAir Baltic1 hour 50 minutes
Rome (Fiumicino)KBPUkraine International Airlines3 hours
TallinnKBPEstonian Air1 hour 45 minutes
ViennaKBPUkraine International Airlines1 hour 55 minutes
WarsawKBPAerosvit1 hour 25 minutes
ZurichKBPUkraine International Airlines2 hours 35 minutes

There are numerous bus stations in Kiev and various companies offering services to international destinations.

Ecolines operates from the Central Bus Station on Moskovska Square (near Demiivska Metro Station) and offers routes throughout Europe. Passengers should note that northerly routes to Moscow and destinations in Latvia and Estonia (Riga, Tallinn etc.) pass through Belarus. Most travellers, with the exception of those holding a CIS passport, will need to obtain a transit visa to pass through Belarus. They are expensive and a pain to apply for.

Eurolines also offers regular bus services from many European cities to Kiev and other destinations in Ukraine.

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