We would like to give you some
additional information about our city and Ukraine. Hope this information will help you to
prepare for your trip more properly.
- Language.
In Ukraine people speak two languages: Ukrainian and Russian. Most of the people do not
know English. Before coming to Ukraine we advise you to learn some basic phrases that
could help you to communicate in the shops or other places. It is also a good idea to take
a book with simple Russian/Ukrainian phrases.
For the first 2-3 days we recommend you to take one of our interpreters as a guide and
personal assistant. She will help you to research the city and make your stay comfortable.
- Your
Passport. Always carry your passport with you when you are in Ukraine. Do not give
your passport to anyone, except our workers in special cases (for different paperwork,
buying tickets etc.).
- Exchanging Money.In
Ukraine we use Ukrainian currency called Hryvnya to make payments for products and
services. So, if you have US dollars you should convert them into Ukrainian currency. You
can exchange the money for Hryvnya in the banks or at the market. You can get the best
exchange ratio if you exchange the money in the market. There the exchange ratio is about
2% higher than in the local banks. But exchanging money in the markets can be dangerous
and you risk to be cheated. We recommend you to exchange the money in the market if you
have a Ukrainian friend with. It is better to give the money to your Ukrainian friend to
exchange it. If you are alone and do not have a friend, we highly recommend you to
exchange the money at a bank or bank affiliates.
- Credit Cards and ATMs. There are many ATMs
in our city and you will not have any problems cashing the money using ATMs. As for the
shops and restaurants, some of them accept credit cards, but most of them do not. So, if
you plan to go to a shop or restaurant, take cash with.
- Traveler's
Checks. Not all the banks accept traveler's checks in Ukraine. We have a few banks
that can offer you such a service. Ask any worker of the agency to what bank you can go to
cash the checks. The banks charge 3 % for cashing traveller's checks and it usually takes
about 40-50 minutes because of much paperwork and lines in the bank.
- Transportation.
We have the following public transportation in Vinnitsa: trams, trolleybuses, buses,
minibuses and taxi. There is no underground in the city. The most popular types of
transportation in the city are minibuses and trams. Buses are not widely used in Vinnitsa.
If you are with a lady, we advise you to take a taxi.
- Crossing a road. Be careful when you cross the road on
the pedestrian crossing. Most often cars will
not stop and will not allow you to cross the road.
Do not expect a car to stop if your cross the
road and there are traffic lights. It is better
to wait till the car goes by and then cross the
road. Otherwise you risk to be hit if the car
does not stop.
- Water.
We do not recommend you to drink water from our water pipes. We recommend you to boil it
before usage or better go to the nearest shop and buy a mineral water to make tea or
prepare some food. In our shops most of the water is with the bubbles, so if you do not
like this type of water you can buy a big bottle of water (5 liters) and use it for making
food and tea. The water in big bottles is without bubbles. They also sell water with
bubbles in smaller bottles, so ask the seller if the water you want to buy is really what
you want.
- Hot
water. For many people coming to Ukraine it is unusual when there is no hot water and
people cannot have a shower. In summertime they often turn off hot water, so be ready for
this. In our apartment we have a water heater that will provide you with hot water 24
hours a day.
- Hotels.
There are about 9 hotels in our city. Most of the hotels are old fashioned and have not
been rebuilt since the Soviet Union time. We have only two hotels that we can recommend to
men coming to Vinnitsa. They are 3 star hotels "Zhovtneviy" and
"Podillya". The lowest price for a room is $30.00 per night. Some rooms have a
conditioner. Hotels are located in the center of the city.
- Apartment.
Most of the men that come to Ukraine prefer to stay in an apartment. We offer a new modern
2 room apartment in the center of the city with a water heater, stove, satellite TV,
phone, conditioner, washing machine. Apartment makes the stay in Ukraine more comfortable
and pleasant. The price for the apartment is $35.00 per night. For long periods of stay
discounts are possible. Click here to see the
photos of the apartment.
- Electric
Power. The voltage is 220 V Sometimes
they can switch off the electricity, but again this happens very rarely, may be 1-3 times
a year. If the electric power disappears, do not be afraid, they will turn it on within
next 15 minutes or at worst within next 3 hours.
- Street
Phones. If you would like to use street phones, you will have to buy a phone card to
use them. The price for the phone card depends on its value. A card for 60 minutes will
cost about $1.10. The street phones can be
used for local and long distance phone calls. You can buy phone cards at post offices, in
kiosks, shops and supermarkets.
- International
calls. If you would like to make an International call, we recommend you to use a
prepaid phone card for International phone calls. The regular rates for long-distance
phone calls are high in Ukraine, for example 1 min to USA is $2.50. Using prepaid phone
cards will save you much money. If you use a phone card, 1 min to US would cost you only $0.30-$0.35 You can buy the prepaid phone card
for long distance phone calls at the central supermarket on the first floor and in other
shops of the city.
- Shops
and markets. There are many shops and a few markets in the city. In Ukraine people
mostly use markets to buy water, meat, food, clothes and many other things. We have 3 big
markets in the city: the Central Market, Urozhai and Yunost'. In the markets the prices
for the products and goods are usually lower than in shops and supermarkets and you can
also bargain with the seller for the best price.
- Theaters
and Cinemas. We have 2 cinemas and one theatre in the city. The first cinema is called
after a famous Ukrainian writer Kotsyubinskiy. This is a modern cinema with two cinema
halls: green and red one. The cinema is located in the main street of the city called
Sobornaya street. The price for a ticket is $2.00 The films they show in the cinemas are
in Russian. The second cinema is the
"ULTRA". This is a digital cinema with the DOLBY surround. We also have a very
nice and big theater in Vinnitsa called after Russian dramatist Sadovskiy.
- Crime
rate. Some foreign newspapers or TV say that it is very dangerous to come to Ukraine.
During our 4-year experience in the travel and dating business we have not had any
incidents and everybody returned home safely. We have crimes in Ukraine, but not as much
as people say abroad.
- Ukrainian
Money and Customs. If you leave Ukraine and still have some Ukrainian currency
(hryvnya) - leave the money to your lady - you are not allowed to take Ukrainian money
abroad and they will take it at the customs or you will have to change it for USD at the
airport rate that is not a good one.
- Presents.
When you are coming to Ukraine, it is recommended to bring some presents to the lady and
people whom you intend to meet in Ukraine. These are not necessarily expensive presents,
but some candies, souvenirs or stuff like this.
- Money.
In Ukraine men pay for everything. If you go to a restaurant, take a taxi, etc. you have
to pay for everything.
- Money
for the lady. If you like the lady and you go back to your country, it is recommended
to give the lady some money ($50.00-$100.00)
- Airport.
When you arrive at the airport and the person that was going to meet you is not there -
try to use the phone and find out what has happened and why he or she is late. Avoid
talking to taxi drivers at the airport as they will cheat you not only on the transfer
price, but even on the mobile phone calls. They can charge you up to $10.00 per 1 minute
for using their mobile phone. Go to the inquiry booth, ask for a phone card and make a
call from the phone booth.
- Winter.
We have cold and snowy winters. The temperature can be down to - 27 C and we have much
snow. When you plan to come to Ukraine in winter, take warm clothes and a hat with. Our
streets are not cleaned from the snow properly, so walking in the streets can be very
slippery in wintertime.
The
Most Popular Cafes, Restaurants and Nightclubs in Vinnitsa
We have many cafes, restaurants and nightclubs in
our city. Here is the list of the most popular ones:
- Restaurant
"Izhko" The restaurant is located in the center of the city, near our office
and the biggest supermarket in Vinnitsa. The restaurant offers Ukrainian food. One can
have a nice lunch for $5.00 only. This is a self-service restaurant. You can use it if you
wish to have a quick meal.
- Restaurant
and Night Club "Metro". It is located in the same area, but offers much
better food. In a daytime it can be used for meetings with women and at night you can take
your lady there and have a dance till 4 a.m. The average price for a lunch is about $15.00
for 1 person.
- Restaurant
and Night Club "Europa". The
restaurant is located in our picturesque central park and 5 minutes walk from our office
or apartment. In summer it offers tables outside. This is the ideal place to meet with a
lady. We highly recommend you to visit it. The food is very delicious and at night you can
enjoy music and dance with your lady.
- Restaurant
"Versal" The restaurant is located about 5 km outside the city. This is a
new restaurant with a very nice design and good food. Highly recommended.
- Night
Club "Kursal" This is one of the best night clubs in the city with nice
music. It is recommended if you like to dance till the morning. Working hours are from 6
p.m. till 6 a.m.
- Cafe
"Taras Bulba" The cafe is made in Ukrainian style and offers Ukrainian
dishes. If you visit Vinnitsa, we recommend you to visit this place. You will hear live
Ukrainian music and get Ukrainian homemade moonshine for free! Perfect place for a
romantic evening and private talks.
- Restaurant
"777". One of the best restaurants in the city. Nice food and live music.
You can also sing songs if you like.
- Restaurant
"Shanghai" Chinese restaurant with many Chinese dishes.
- Night
club "Sport Time" Modern night club in the center of the city. Very
comfortable and nice looking. Good for spending evenings and for people who like active
lifestyle.
If you visit a restaurant or cafe, the tips are
usually already included in your bill. They usually add about 10-15% from the order as
tips, but in any case, if you wish, you can leave some tips in the amount of 10-15
hryvnyas.
Airports in Ukraine
We have an airport outside Vinnitsa, but it is old
fashioned and not working for more then 10 years. So, when you plan your trip to Ukraine,
you should consider the following airports in Ukraine:
- Boryspil
Airport in Kiev. Boryspil airport is the largest and most popular international
airport in Ukraine. Boryspil is located 20 km away from the capital of Ukraine - Kiev and
300 km away from Vinnitsa. This is the only modern airport in Ukraine rebuilt in 2000 and
mainly for the International flights. The customs and workers at the airport speak
English. You can also use baggage carts for free. The average time to get to Vinnitsa from
Boryspil airport is 4 hours by car. We offer transfer service by car for $100.00. Boryspil airport is the closest airport to our
city and we advise you to use it when you plan your trip to Ukraine.
Contact
information:
Airport website: http://www.airport-borispol.kiev.ua/
Tel: + 380 44 296 7243, 296 7609, 490 4777
- Odessa
International Airport. The airport in Odessa is the second largest airport in Ukraine,
but it is not so close to Vinnitsa as Boryspil airport. Odessa airport is located 450 km
far from Vinnitsa and it usually takes about 7-8 hours to get to Vinnitsa by car. If you
cannot get a flight through Boryspil airport in Kiev, then consider Odessa to be your
second choice. We offer transfer by car from Odessa to Vinnitsa for $160.00
The main structures of the Airport (runway, aircraft parking lots, passenger terminal
complex, service and engineering facilities, cargo terminal, etc...) have been built
between 1960 and 1961. The air terminal complex serves Ukrainian and international
passengers.
Contact
Information:
Airport website: odessa-ukraine.hypermart.net/air.htm
Tel.: +380 482 379800, 499715
- Lviv
International Airport. This airport is rarely used by tourists. Use it if you plan to
visit western part of Ukraine. The airport is old fashioned and can serve only 300
passengers per hour. The airport is located 480 km far from Vinnitsa. We offer transfer
service from Lviv airport to Vinnitsa for $170.00
Contact
Information:
Airport site: avia.lviv.ua/www/schedule.html
Tel.: + 380 322 692316, 692216
Other
airports in Ukraine are in Simferopol, Kharkiv, Donetsk and Ivano-Frankivsk |
