Traveling to Kyiv during war: What you need to know

Booking spontaneous trips within minutes using a single platform is a distant memory for those wanting to come home or visit Ukraine.

Over 20 million people have passed through the Ukrainian border in the first half of 2026, the Ukrainian State Border Guard Service revealed on Aug. 5, setting the year on track to be the busiest since the beginning of the full-scale war.

Yet reaching Ukrainian cities remains a complicated task since the complete shutdown of the country's airspace in February 2022, leaving only two options for travel: by road or by rail.

What was once a simple flight away is now a completely different type of odyssey. The Kyiv Independent explains the easiest ways to get to Kyiv during the war and what to consider when traveling.

Main routes

For those traveling from more distant locations, the easiest way to get to Kyiv is to first fly to Poland or Moldova and then take a train or bus. However, direct trains and buses are also available from dozens of cities across Europe.

Since the onset of Russia's full-scale war, most people have been heading to Warsaw as the first leg of their Kyiv journeys, owing to the Polish capital's large international airport and Poland's developed road and railway networks.

But with the full-scale war approaching its fifth year, Polish border crossings, train stations, and airports have become overloaded with travelers.

Recently, Moldova's capital, Chisinau, has become a substitute for crowded Poland. Its airport offers low-cost flights to destinations across Europe, as well as direct bus routes to and from Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.

Another popular alternative is Budapest. Like Chisinau, the city's airport is well connected and offers trains and buses to Kyiv and several other Ukrainian cities.

Transport options

Due to the constant threat of Russian attacks, it is only possible to reach Kyiv by land. Despite the war, there are ways to travel comfortably and efficiently.

The daily Warsaw sleeper train remains the most popular and takes about 14 hours, depending on border wait times.

But since direct tickets between Warsaw and Kyiv sell out very quickly, the Polish border towns of Przemysl and Chelm have become important travel hubs. Travelers often use them as stopovers for trips from the airports in Warsaw, Krakow, or elsewhere.

A journey to Kyiv from Przemysl or Chelm usually takes around 10-11 hours. Traveling through these stopover cities sometimes requires buying separate tickets for the Polish and Ukrainian legs of the trip, however.

One complication of traveling via Poland is that Ukrainian trains do not use the standard European track gauge, so passengers have to switch trains before crossing into Ukraine.

Upon reaching the border, passengers must leave trains operated by European carriers and continue their journey with Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways), Ukraine's state-owned and sole passenger train operator.

Luckily, Ukrainian tracks extend to the Polish border towns of Przemysl and Chelm, meaning passengers can board a Kyiv-bound Ukrzaliznytsia train already there.

Traveling by train from Budapest entails similar challenges.

On the direct route, the train makes a technical stop at the Ukrainian border town of Chop, where it either swaps wheels to match the Ukrainian track gauge or passengers switch trains at border control.

On average, the entire journey from Hungary's capital takes around 18 hours.

On the other hand, Moldova uses the same tracks as Ukraine, allowing direct train service from Chisinau without additional stops. Direct sleeper trains take upwards of 17 hours and run daily to and from Kyiv.

While train travel may be more comfortable, bus travel offers greater flexibility in passenger capacity and departure times.

Companies like FlixBus, which operates double-decker buses, offer over 10 daily trips from Warsaw, with an estimated journey time of 13 to 18 hours. They also offer direct bus connections to Kyiv from other cities across Europe.

Another popular option for road travel is a smaller minibus that seats up to 10 passengers and offers more comfortable recliner seats, blankets, and even onboard amenities like Wi-Fi.

Companies advertising luxury travel operate these minibusses and have their own preferred border crossings, departure days, and stops along the way. Depending on these factors, journey time may last anywhere from 11 hours.

Buying a ticket

Planning ahead is crucial, yet it can be difficult during wartime.

Ukrzaliznytsia mostly opens ticket sales at 9 a.m. local time 20 days before the departure date, though some tickets may go live 30 days in advance.

Tickets for Ukrainian trains can be purchased on the Ukrzaliznytsia website or mobile app, but all international routes require identity verification through Diia — Ukraine's digital state system — or, for foreigners, identification via a bank account.

For foreigners who do not live in Ukraine and don't have a bank account there, buying international tickets online via Ukrzaliznytsia requires some additional steps.

They must first verify their identity through the app by submitting photos of themselves holding a passport and of their passport next to a security code generated by the app. Only then can they purchase the tickets.

For some cross-border trips to Ukraine, travelers can also buy tickets on the websites of Ukrzaliznytsia's international partners, such as the Czech carrier RegioJet or Polish Railways.

Train tickets from Poland range from $50 to over $110 (about Hr 2,700 to 6,000), depending on the type of ticket and the timing of booking relative to departure.

Simple seats tend to be cheaper than sleeping berths, though the latter is much more comfortable for long cross-border travels.

Train tickets from Chisinau cost between $55 and $80 (roughly Hr 2,500 to 3,600), also depending on ticket class and booking time.

For those traveling from Budapest, a ticket to Chop costs less than $15 (usually under Hr 500), and the next train bound for Kyiv costs from $40 (Hr 1,815).

Bus ticket costs vary more depending on the carrier. FlixBus offers a trip from Kyiv to Warsaw "for as little as $54.98," but this requires advance booking.

Tickets for private minibusses tend to be more expensive, with some companies charging over $150 for transfers between Warsaw Airport and Kyiv.

Traveling in wartime

Travel during war changed dramatically, forcing both carriers and passengers to adapt. Wartime conditions can unexpectedly prolong travel time.

Before the full-scale war, an hour-long queue at the airport border control seemed tedious; it is now considered lucky to cross the Polish-Ukrainian border within two to three hours. Such unpredictability affects how travelers plan for connecting flights and trains.

Crossing Ukraine's state border requires a passport, but citizens of most countries across Europe, North America, and elsewhere can stay in Ukraine visa-free for up to 90 days.

Once in Ukraine, another unpredictable element complicates the journey — Russian strikes and air-raid alerts.

For trains, an air-raid alert means an emergency stop and mandatory disembarkation. Ukrzaliznytsia adopted these rules after Russian drones repeatedly struck civilian passenger trains. Passengers are often left standing in fields, sometimes in the middle of the night and without a shelter nearby.

Buses, on the other hand, are not required by law to stop during air raid alerts. However, the risk of a Russian strike is always present — another factor travelers must take into account when planning their journey.