Numerous trains connect Kiev to neighbouring countries and beyond. It’s one of the most exciting ways to arrive in the city.
International trains arrive at Kiev Train Station in the city centre. Vokzalna Metro Station is next to the station.
The table below shows some of the options available.
| From | Stops Include | To |
|---|---|---|
| Bratislava | Trnava, Trencin, Zilina, Poprad, Spisska Nova Ves, Mukachevo, Lviv, Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi, Vinnytsia, Kiev | Moscow |
| Budapest | Lviv, Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi, Vinnytsia, Kiev | Moscow |
| Chisnau | Vinnytsia, Kiev | Moscow |
| Kiev | Chernihiv | Minsk |
| Kiev | Moscow | |
| Moscow | Konotop, Nizhyn, Kiev, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi, Ternopil | Lviv |
| Moscow | Konotop, Kiev, Vinnytsia | Odessa |
| Moscow | Konotop, Kiev, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi, Ternopil, Lviv, Chernivtsi, Bucharest | Sofia |
| Odessa | Vinnytsia, Kiev | Minsk |
| St Petersburg | Chernihiv | Kiev |
Travellers should be aware of visa requirements on their route. Most people will be aware that a Russian visa will be required for this journey from Kiev to St Petersburg. What is not immediately obvious is that this train passes through Belarus. Most nationalities will need to obtain a Belarusian transit visa.
Kiev Train Station Timetable – Ukrzaliznytsia Website
A full timetable of trains to Kiev can be obtained by visiting the timetables section of the Ukrzaliznytsia website (choose Kyiv-Pas from the ‘Timetable for Each Station’ drop-down menu).
Only direct trains to Kiev are listed in the table above and on the Ukrzaliznytsia website.
Ukrzaliznytsia do have an online booking facility, although at the time of writing it doesn’t seem to handle international bookings.
Deutsche Bahn Website
The best place we’ve found to research more complex routes is the Deutsche Bahn (German Rail) website.
After choosing your start and end points various connections are shown. Click on one to see the journey time, details of border crossings etc. There’s also an option to show a map of the route the train will take, which is particularly useful for researching visa requirements.
Online booking for international train journeys to Ukraine is not currently available. However if you click the fares button, a message will appear saying that tickets can be purchased by calling the Deutsche Bahn ticket office.
Purchasing Tickets in Kiev
Tickets can be purchased in person at Kiev Train Station and the Central Ticket Office. There are special counters for international train tickets.