Travel Information - extensively
revised in September/October 2012
Click to view the current weather
forecast for Tovste.
Introduction
This chapter describes how to get to and from Tovste, Chernivtsi, Lviv and Ternopil by various means of transport –
including airplane, train, coach / minibus, private taxi,
and rental car; as well as information on various accommodation
options in town or within driving distance; and practical
advice to take the guess-work out of routine daily activities.
The advice is based on nearly 15 years of experience travelling in western Ukraine.
Although some of the information is specific to travel in
this area, much of it is relevant or can be applied to other
destinations in western Ukraine. You may also find additional
useful information on various Ukrainian message boards and
chat forums mentioned in the Useful
Links section.
Many people travel to Ukraine as part of pre-arranged package
tours. Typically they are met at the airport by a driver who
takes them to their destination and stays with them throughout
their visit. I have no experience with this kind of travel,
but it obviously offers advantages in terms of comfort and
convenience if one is willing to pay extra for this kind of
personalised service. Tour companies may take you to interesting
places that you would not otherwise know about or be inclined
to visit.
Alternatively, if your budget is limited, with a little advance
knowledge and a spirit of adventure you can do things on the
cheap and still get a flavour of the real Ukraine, whilst
interacting with the local people and their customs.
Air travel
Entering Ukraine via Lviv
Travelers from abroad have a number of options for getting to
Ukraine by air, then taking other forms of transport to reach
Tovste or other cities with reasonable hotel accommodation in
the vicinity. One option is to enter through Lviv (also
known as Lvov or Lemberg, in former times), which is well
served by direct daily flights of several airlines affiliated
with the ‘Star Alliance’: for example, from Vienna
on Austrian Airlines, from Munich on German Lufthansa Cityline,
from Warsaw on LOT Polish Airlines, and from Istanbul on Turkish
Airlines. Lviv is also served by Ukraine International Airlines
from various European destinations; from Kyiv by Dniproavia (an AeroSvit
affiliate), and from Düsseldorf by the discount airline Wizzair.
In anticipation of the UEFA football championships, held in Ukraine and Poland in 2012, Lviv airport opened a brand new, world class terminal building in April 2012. Its gleaming all-glass facades replace the Stalinist-era architecture of its small predecessor, which still stands nearby. The arrival/departure procedure is now very efficient, and passage through customs and immigration is uncomplicated. While the capacity of the spacious new terminal is greatly underutilised at present, Lviv is well placed to fulfil its aspiration of becoming an important gateway to Ukraine in the years ahead.
* * * * *
After leaving the airport, there are a couple of options if you are heading into Lviv
in order to catch a connecting train or, better yet, to stay
overnight to see the sights of this charming city:
(1) Normally, a few unlicensed 'taxi drivers' lurking
around the entrance will approach you with an offer to
take you in their private car for the journey into town –
about 15-20 minutes depending on traffic. The vehicles are generally in good condition, and I have never had any
difficulties with these drivers. The first price they quote
will likely be inflated, but this can be negotiated downward
if one is firm about it. It’s not worth haggling too
much though, as the fare should normally be only about 60-70 Hryvnia
(roughly USD 8-9). Just make sure the rate is agreed and understood
by both parties before setting out. Hotels in the city centre
typically charge upwards of 2-3 times this amount for airport
pick-up.
Meter taxis do exist in town, but you would be lucky to find
one operating out of the airport. I find these meter taxis
to be the least hassle of all and the most economical (in
the order of 40 Hryvnia) for the return journey to the
airport. An extra charge for luggage in the boot offers the
only opportunity for extracting a few more Hryvnia from your
wallet.
(2) In front of the new terminal building, across the road, you will find a stop for a coach service into town. During the 2012 football championships, a large, Western-style coach was operating on this route (no. 48), but the service has since reverted to much older (bright yellow) Soviet era buses. I cannot comment on the service or price, as I have not used it. The sign at the coach stop indicates that its final destination is the city centre, with several stops along the way at the following streets: Vyhovskhoho - Velykoho - Kn. Olhy - Sakharova - Kopernyka - Doroshenka and Svobody Prospect.
(3) Apparently, the old trolley bus – which departed from a stop located
about 40m ahead and to the left of the old Stalin-era terminal building – still operates. It cost only about 2-3 Hryvnia
and was okay if you were not burdened by heavy luggage and knew where you were going. Otherwise the trolley could get rather crowded and uncomfortable since it collects
passengers as it approaches town. It ends up in the centre
of Lviv, but unless you have a map showing where your hotel
is, it is perhaps not so convenient to use this cheap mode
of transport when you first arrive. |
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Lviv is a charming city with a rich history, splendid architecture and a wonderful café culture. It certainly warrants a visit of at least 2 or 3 days. Hotel accommodation is plentiful. I can recommend three hotels
of a fairly good standard where I have stayed in the past:
Hotel
Wien, not far from the theatre and other
attractions; Swiss
Hotel, which is centrally located on Knyazya Romana Str., and the Dnister
Hotel, a larger complex situated at higher
elevation above a park, about 10-15 minutes walk from the
center. All of these hotels have reasonable rates, with good
breakfast included, and English-speaking staff. Check their
websites for current rates and availability. Note that Lviv
hotels tend to have high occupancy during peak tourist season
(e.g. summer and autumn), so it is advisable to book ahead.
If the hotels mentioned above are not available, there are
many others to choose from.
Another good option is to rent one of many private apartments that are advertised through a central booking service at: inLviv.info. Typically these apartments have been renovated in recent years to a high standard, with full kitchen facilities, and cost a half to a third of the price of comparable hotel accommodation. A deposit for one night will likely be requested in advance. Many of these apartments are conveniently located in the town centre, but it should be noted that the buildings in which some of them are situated may be in poor condition.
Entering Ukraine via Kyiv
A second option for entering Ukraine is through the capital
Kyiv (or Kiev), which is well served by many international
airlines and Ukrainian carriers, such as AeroSvit or Ukraine
International Airlines. Until a few years ago, it was possible
to connect from there to Chernivtsi with a domestic flight
using aircraft – such as the Saab 340 or Brazilian Embraer
145, pictured below – operated by smaller affiliates
of Aerosvit, such as Dniproavia.
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With a flight time of about one hour and 15 minutes, the twice daily service was popular and often operated at near capacity. Then, around 2009-2010, the route was inexplicably cancelled. An
inquiry to AeroSvit was met with the ever so informative
Soviet-era response that "the flights were cancelled
due to technical reasons". As far as I am aware, no public explanation was ever given, but a labour dispute with Aerosvit pilots may have had something to do with it. Some years later, an Aerosvit pilot told me that there were not enough aircraft to service this particilar route.
I do not provide a link to the Aerosvit website because I cannot,
in all honesty, recommend this airline to anyone, on account
of countless instances of gross incompetence and indifference
that seem be ingrained in the corporate culture. In any event,
as of September 2012, it appears the only way of reaching
Chernivtsi by air is via Timisoara, Romania, on Carpatair.
There is a daily mid-afternoon flight which returns to Timisoara
each morning.
* * * * *
A few words about Kyiv's Boryspil
Airport. With the increasingly popularity of
travel to Ukraine in recent years, the capacity of the country's
main gateway has become stretched. Expect long queues at immigration
on arrival unless you happen to arrive at a quiet time of
day. More importantly, upon departure for international flights
be prepared for delays and chaos at the security / immigration
checkpoints, as many hundreds of travelers are funneled through
just a few stations during peak hours.
Boryspil has undergone its own modernisation programme in recent years, dispensing with the old domestic terminal and bringing its operations under one roof. Despite this progress, it is still not possible to check bags through from Lviv to their final destination, and to obtain a boarding pass for the entire journey. It is necessary to retrieve your bags and check in again after reaching Boryspil, before proceeding through immigation controls and security. If the connection time is short (i.e. less than 2 hours) and you are passing through Boryspil during a peak period (e.g. during mass movements of Orthodox Jews visiting Ukrainian holy places in September/October), be prepared for a highly stressful travel experience. If memory serves me correctly, on one particular September day when I experienced this mayhem firsthand, Aerosvit inconveniently arranged for six of its fleet of seven 767 aircraft all to depart within a space of about 90 minutes, to destinations around the globe. Only through strategic jostling and good fortune was it possible to reach the departure gate on time! During ordinary times, the connection should be relatively hassle-free.
If you find yourself with a stopover in Kyiv and prefer to stay near the airport, I can highly recommend the Hotel Korona which is less than 10 minutes away by shuttle van. The prices are reasonable and all the services very professional. The 24-hour restaurant has good food, albeit a bit pricy by Ukrainian standards. There are several other small hotels in the vicinity of Boryspil with similar offerings, but I have not used any of them. Judging from numerous critical reviews on tripadvisor.com, the main aiport hotel (walking distance, at about 500m) should be avoided.
As described below, travel to/from Kyiv by train is a pleasant alternative to flying. I have taken the train from Kyiv a few times, and I would recommend it highly, if
only once, because it allows you to soak up the scenery at
a leisurely pace – that is to say, an overnight journey
of some 15 hours or so. In former times, the train used to
pass through the neighbouring country of Moldova; with an
immigation/customs check en route that helped to break up
the monotony of the journey.
From Lviv / Kyiv to Tovste and Chernivtsi, by train
Train travel in western Ukraine is very inexpensive
and, from my experience over the past decade, very punctual
and reliable. You usually travel in an open or closed compartment
that has four berths (i.e. fold-down beds), which are comfortable
for sleeping or just relaxing.
There used to be several trains each day from Lviv to Tovste,
including one leaving mid-afternoon, with journey times ranging
from 6½ to 7 hours or more, depending on the service.
However, the rail service in Ukraine has been greatly cut back in recent years. As far as I can tell, there is now only one fairly
direct connection via Ternopil, leaving shortly before midnight
and arriving Tovste at around 05:40 (total journey time 05:47,
including connection time in Ternopil). There are other trains
that reach Tovste via Chernivtsi, but the journey time is
more than 13 hours. (Note that the straight line distance
from Lviv to Tovste is only about 250 km!)
Securing a ticket in the train station in Lviv can be a bit
of an adventure, made easier if you have done a bit of research
in advance. TIP: I have found that the train
schedules for western Ukraine on the Deutsche
Bahn website (yes, German railway system!) are
generally reliable and very informative. Select the English
language option, and type in Lvov and Tluste
or Chernovcy (note the spellings) in the departure/destination
boxes. Armed with the precise train times and numbers makes
it much easier to deal with the ticket vendors in the Lviv
station, who generally cannot converse in English.
The last
couple of times, purchasing a ticket all the way through to
Tovste was a challenge because the computer system the agents
use in Lviv no longer appears to be aware of the existence
of Tovste. (As a matter of fact, as far as the Ukrainian rail
system is concerned, Tovste still goes by the 1940s era name
of "Tluste", but even knowledge of this anachronism
doesn't help in Lviv.)
From my recent experience, the only option is to purchase
a ticket as far as Ternopil, where it is necessary to change trains
in any case. The cost for the journey between Lviv and Ternopil varies between 25 and 75 Hryvnias in either direction, depending on the origin of the train (and not the quality of service, which is fairly consistent). There are a couple late-night trains from Lviv that arrive in
Ternopil between 45 and 20 minutes before the connecting
train to Tovste, which departs at 02:15 (information correct
as of September 2012). It is advisable to take the first train to have enough time to reach the station building in order to purchase another ticket. Note: the train from Lviv to Ternopil may be fully
booked in advance, so there is a possibility that you will
be denied a ticket if you try to purchase it only on the intended
day of travel. The cost of a ticket from Lviv toTovste has probably doubled in recent years, but is still inexpensive at less than the equivalent of USD 10 for each sector.
The train station in Lviv is a bit dreary and crowded but
one can buy food there, eat in the restaurant, and use the
washroom facilities etc. The queues for tickets can be
long, but they move fairly quickly. You will undoubtedly experience a sense of frustration
when the ticket agents close up shop for about 10 minutes
every hour while they take their scheduled break. Ticket counters 3, 4 and 5 are meant for purchases of short-term tickets (i.e. departures within 24 hours); while counters 7 and 8 are reserved for longer-term ticketing. If you do run into difficulty, a tourist information counter situated to the right of the main entrance has helpful English-speaking staff who (from my experience) will go out of their way to assist. TIP:
It is advisable to travel with food and drink, as there is
little to offer on the train itself, except hot tea. When
booking the train ticket you will be assigned a particular
wagon, compartment and berth.
It is advisable to go to the platform about 20 minutes before
the scheduled departure, since the train usually arrives about
10-15 minutes in advance, and there is always a scramble to
get on board with awkward luggage. As soon as the train pulls
in, try to approach one of the conductors on the platform
who will direct you to the correct wagon, if you haven’t
already figured it out from the ticket. The compartment and
berth number is also written on ticket, but can this can be
a bit difficult to decipher, so ask for help before or after
boarding.
I find train journeys in Ukraine to be pleasant and generally
without unwanted surprises. They're a great chance to catch
up on sleep, paperwork or just enjoy the scenery slip by during
the daytime. To avoid any misconceptions, it should be understood
that the trains are of a rather old vintage but are otherwise
very comfortable. The toilets are, shall we say, rudimentary.
Normally, sheets will be offered for a modest charge, to go
on top of the bedding already in the compartment. The trains’
punctuality is such that there is a good chance that you will
arrive at your destination precisely at the scheduled time,
which is more than can be said for many Western rail systems.
If traveling at night, the cabin attendants will alert you
about 30 minutes or so prior to reaching your destination,
so there is little danger of missing your stop.
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Arriving in Tovste shortly after sunrise
can only be described as enchanting. But unless you happen
to have a welcoming party, hauling one's bags a few hundred
metres from the station over rough track is much less
agreeable! |
I will mention trains departing from Tovste only briefly,
as purchasing a ticket for the return journey is not for the
faint of heart. Normally, one must have a ticket in hand to
get on the train. There is a ticket booth on the ground floor
of the train station, but it opens for only a short time at
unpredictable and highly irregular hours. There is also a
small signaler's (?) office on the second floor which seems
to be staffed 24/7, where one can go in desperation to try
to find out when the ticket booth might possibly open. Once, when the
ticket booth did not open at the appointed time, I found myself
waiting for a train departing after midnight – my only
way of getting to Lviv to catch a flight – with no ticket
in hand. Fortunately, a young Ukrainian found himself in the
same predicament and we managed to locate a conductor who
let us on board. The whole drama played out in less than two
minutes – the duration of the train stop in Tovste –
but hauling luggage down a railway track in total darkness,
in the hopes of finding the one car with a conductor on duty
is not recommendable.
* * * * *
One can also travel by overnight train from Kyiv to Chernivtsi,
a journey of about 13 hours or so, departing early evening
(18:42) and reaching Chernivtsi at 08:16. As a matter of fact,
this is the very same train that passes through Ternopil in
the early hours of the morning and stops briefly in
Tovste at around 05:40. There is also an earlier, quicker
train departing 18:20, arriving Chernivtsi at 05:40 (all information
correct as of September 2012). Reservations for these trains
are hard to come by, especially on weekends and holidays,
as the sleeping compartments are heavily booked in advance.
Trains depart from from a modernised station in central
Kyiv. To get there from Boryspil Airport, take a "marshrutka"
(minibus) that departs regularly from in front of the terminal
building as soon as there are enough passengers on board.
The journey costs the equivalent of only a few dollars and
can take as little as 45 minutes depending on traffic, which
can be quite congested during rush hour, increasing the journey
time considerably. These days one can also find very smart looking taxis (white sedans) in a queue in front of the terminal building, if you prefer to travel alone, in more comfort.
This busy railway station is rather large;
and although there are lots of places to sit in the free
public area, the seats tend to be occupied according to
the rules of "musical chairs".
For a more tranquil environment, one can relax instead
in a cavernous waiting lounge nearby for a fee of about
15 Hryvnia. |
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Normally you share a train compartment with other people,
especially since the Kyiv-Chernivtsi route is heavily frequented.
You might use the opportunity to strike up an acquaintance
or simply travel undisturbed, minding your own business. Apart
from the occasional case of overly exuberant travelling campanions,
well-supplied with beer, I have never had a bad experience
traveling with other passengers, taking normal precautions
with valuables etc. Once or twice in the past, I opted to
pay for the whole compartment when I was traveling with family
or when I wanted to be able to spread out papers to work;
but this "extravagance" might not be so easy to
arrange these days if the trains are travelling at capacity.
Travel between Chernivtsi / Lviv / Ternopil and Tovste - taxi
and bus
Many visitors to Tovste will want to use Chernivtsi –
75 km to the south – as a base, since there is only
limited accommodation available in town and not much on offer
in nearby Zalishchyky either.
If you have not arranged a private car and driver, there
are a couple of options for getting to Tovste from Chernivtsi.
Some 'slow trains' do pass through Tovste on their way north,
but their departure times are generally not convenient for
day trips and they are, by definition, very slow – stopping
at every village along the way.
The quickest way to reach Tovste in 1 1/2 hours or less is by taxi, but not just
any taxi. There are two or three companies that operate fleets
of taxis equipped with standardised meters, which (in my experience)
are transparent and not subject to abuse. They can usually
be identified by the large telephone numbers inscribed on
the sides of the vehicles. At a rate of 4 Hryvnia per km, the cost of the 75 km one-way journey
from Chernivtsi to Tovste will set you back close to 300
Hryvnia, depending on where you leave from. By western European
standards, and with current exchange rates of around 10 Hryvnia
to the Euro, this is still very reasonable.
Note, however, that many cars that look like legitimate taxis
– with a light on the roof and perhaps even with numbers
on the side – might not have a meter. Avoid these unless
you are really in a pinch, because there are unscrupulous
drivers who will try to charge whatever they think you are
able to pay. In the late 1990s/early 2000s, the going rate
for a negotiated taxi fare used to be 1 Hryvnia per km, which
worked out to about 75 Hryvnia for the journey from Chernivtsi
to Tovste. Nowadays unregulated taxi drivers in substandard
vehicles, probably without any insurance, demand many times
that much – well above the increase that could be justified
by higher petrol prices. Stick with meter taxis for short
and long journeys, without exception, if at all possible!
Another even more economical – though less comfortable
and somewhat less convenient – option is to travel to/from
Tovste by public bus. In Chernvitsi, the main bus depot is
located about 10-15 minutes walk from the Cheremosh Hotel
down the road leading east (to the right as you exit the hotel).
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Buses heading in the direction 'Rivne', 'Ternopil' and
'Dubno' etc. leave from Platform 2 at regular times
during the day. The first bus in the morning departs
at about 06:50, and the last one at 17:45. Full schedules
are shown below.
The fare is cheap – only about 25 Hryvnia (about
3 USD) one way to/from Tovste. |
In general, the quality of bus service
has improved markedly in recent years, as many of the
older buses (pictured here) have been replaced by more
modern ones.
Still, the smaller buses used on shorter
routes (e.g. between Zalishchyky and Tovste) can get extremely
crowded, with passengers picked up along the way having
to stand in the aisle for most of the journey. |
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Traveling from Chernivtsi on a good day, after a short stop
in Zalishchyky to allow for a cigarette break or for passengers
to use the renovated toilet facilities (if they are open),
you can make it to Tovste in about 2 hours. Otherwise, if
the bus stops for many passengers along the way, it can take
as long as 2 ½ hours. You can ask to be let off in
Tovste just about anywhere, but there is a scheduled stop
at the 'bus depot' more or less opposite the Greek Catholic
church. Note that for the return journey to Chernivtsi, there
are only a couple of buses leaving late in the afternoon, before the
very last one at 18:55.
Alternatively, there are also 'free-lance' mini-buses that
travel the main north-south highway at random times. These
can be hailed in front of the small supermarket opposite the
bus depot. It costs only about 8 Hryvnia for a shared journey
to Zalishchyky, versus about 75 Hryvnia (or more) by private
taxi. There are no meter taxis in Tovste. If you need to get
back to Chernivtsi in a hurry, there are individuals in town
who may be prepared to drive there for 300 Hryvnia or so,
but identifying the reasonable ones is best done through 'word
of mouth'.
* * * * *
In the absence of conveniently-timed trains, I have recently
experimented travelling by bus from Lviv to Tovste, and vice-versa.
From Lviv, buses leave from a depot on the outskirts of town,
perhaps 5-6 km from the city centre. Departure schedules are
published (in Cyrillic) in some kind of daily or weekly gazette
that seems to be freely available in the city. While I am sure
the depot can be reached by local bus, it is much easier simply
to take a taxi there, for about 40 Hryvnia. The buses are reasonably
comfortable and the journey to Tovste, via Ternopil, takes about
six hours, punctuated by frequent toilet/cigarette stops along
the way. There is enough time at the bus station in Ternopil
to have a light snack, purchase food and use the facilities.
In the reverse direction, from Tluste to Lviv, the buses operate
at twice daily, departing early in the morning and mid-afternoon.
After arrival at the same bus depot on the outskirts of Lviv,
the city centre can be reached with a short taxi ride.
Most international flights from Lviv depart early to mid-afternoon,
and it can be a challenge to reach the airport from Tovste
on the same day. Excluding the option of hiring a private
taxi all the way from Tovste to Lviv (a journey of about 4.5
- 5 hours, which will cost close to 1000 Hryvnias), a good
compromise is to take a taxi or bus to Ternopil and from there
catch an inexpensive train the rest of the way to Lviv. Driving
time by taxi directly to the train station in Ternopil is
about 1 1/2 hours (cost for the 100 km trip is likely to be close to 400 Hryvnias).
Alternatively, the early morning bus from Tluste to Ternopil (departing 7:55 and costing around 32 Hryvnias) takes about 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 hours and terminates
at the main bus station. From there, a 20 Hryvnia taxi ride should get you to the railway station in about a 7-10 minutes. Regularly scheduled trains
from Ternopil depart for Lviv throughout the day, starting from about 06:00.
Journey time is just over two hours. As mentioned above, the Deutsche
Bahn website can be consulted for a detailed
schedule. Once you reach Lviv train station, a 50 Hryvnia
taxi ride will have you at the airport in 15-20 minutes.
Bus schedules for Chernivtsi / Lviv / Ternopil and Tovste
There is a wonderful bilingual (Ukrainian-English) website
that gives comprehensive schedules for bus services within
Ukraine, including departures
from Chernivtsi, Lviv, Ternopil, and Tovste.
Besides showing departure and arrival times, each entry shows
the type of vehicle, reliability of on-time departure (expressed
as a percentage), as well as the point of origin and final
destination of each route.
I have reproduced the relevant schedules in the following
tables, which are accurate to September 2012. In addition,
the links in the headings should take you to the original
schedule where you can check for the latest complete information, in
case updates have been made.
There are a few additional buses to/from Chernivtsi not listed in the tables which depart from and arrive at another bus depot on the northern outskirts of town, which can be accessed by taxi.
TOVSTE
-> LVIV |
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LVIV
-> TOVSTE |
Depart |
Arrive |
Route
no. |
Origin |
Depart |
Arrive |
Route
no. |
Final
Destination |
07:55 |
13:45 |
165 |
Zalishchyky |
08:30 |
14:55 |
314 |
Zalishchyky |
15:20 |
21:25 |
157 |
Chernivtsi |
12:50 |
18:50 |
158 |
Chernivtsi |
15:46 |
22:15 |
68 |
Chernivtsi |
14:55 |
20:26 |
166 |
Zalishchyky |
|
|
|
|
15:30 |
20:52 |
252 |
Borshiv |
TOVSTE
-> CHERNIVTSI |
|
CHERNIVTSI
-> TOVSTE |
Depart |
Arrive |
Route
no. |
Origin |
Depart |
Arrive |
Route
no. |
Final
Destination |
09:00 |
10:55 |
171 |
Ternopil |
06:50 |
9:00 |
196 |
Rivne |
11:05 |
13:04 |
161 |
Ternopil |
08:00 |
9:50 |
309 |
Pochaiv |
12:07 |
14:15* |
145 |
Kremenets |
09:10 |
11:00 |
303 |
Ternopil |
14:10 |
16:10 |
195 |
Rivne |
10:00 |
12:10 |
156 |
Rivne |
15:00 |
17:00 |
310 |
Pochaiv |
11:40 |
13:30 |
308 |
Ternopil |
17:25 |
19:30 |
1550 |
Rivne |
13:05 |
15:15 |
157 |
Lviv |
17:45 |
19:40 |
304 |
Ternopil |
13:55 |
16:10 |
392 |
Berezany |
18:55 |
20:52 |
158 |
Lviv |
14:45 |
17:00 |
162 |
Ternopil |
|
|
|
|
15:55 |
18:10 |
682 |
Chemerivtsi |
|
|
|
|
16:30 |
|
104 |
Zolochiv |
|
|
|
|
17:45 |
19:36 |
146 |
Kremenets |
TOVSTE
-> TERNOPIL |
|
TERNOPIL
-> TOVSTE |
Depart |
Arrive |
Route
no. |
|
Depart |
Arrive |
Route
no. |
Origin |
07:55 |
10:30 |
165 |
Lviv |
03:50 |
05:50 |
692 |
Kyiv |
09:05 |
11:35 |
196 |
Rivne |
06:35 |
08:55 |
171 |
Ternopil |
09:55 |
12:20 |
309 |
Pochaiv |
07:10 |
09:08 |
863 |
Ternopil |
11:05 |
13:40 |
303 |
Ternopil |
08:25 |
11:00 |
161 |
Ternopil |
12:15 |
14:45 |
156 |
Rivne |
09:50 |
12:05 |
145 |
Kremenets |
13:35 |
16:00 |
308 |
Ternopil |
10:35 |
12:50 |
319 |
Ternopil |
15:20 |
17:55 |
157 |
Lviv |
11:30 |
13:39 |
46 |
Ternopil |
15:46 |
19:00 |
68 |
Lviv |
12:00 |
14:15 |
324 |
Ternopil |
17:05 |
19:05 |
162 |
Ternopil |
12:30 |
14:55 |
310 |
Ternopil |
17:55 |
19:55 |
691 |
Kyiv |
12:55 |
15:05 |
322 |
Ternopil |
19:38 |
21:50 |
146 |
Kremenets |
13:20 |
15:25 |
341 |
Ternopil |
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|
|
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14:10 |
16:45 |
335 |
Ternopil |
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|
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14:50 |
17:19 |
155 |
Rivne |
|
|
|
|
15:25 |
17:40 |
304 |
Ternopil |
|
|
|
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15:30 |
18:00 |
258 |
Ternopil |
|
|
|
|
16:00 |
17:58 |
865 |
Ternopil |
|
|
|
|
16:15 |
18:50 |
158 |
Lviv |
|
|
|
|
16:20 |
18;50 |
337 |
Ternopil |
|
|
|
|
17:00 |
19:30 |
158 |
Ternopil |
|
|
|
|
18:05 |
20:34 |
166 |
Lviv |
Car rental
It is not so many years ago that hiring a self-drive
rental car in western Ukraine was unusual, if not impossible.
But today, several of the major international rental chains
have branches at the airport in Lviv which offer this service.
The prices are quoted in Euros and, in my estimation, are
fairly expensive.
However, in 2009, I discovered a 'local' alternative that
provided exactly what I required at a very reasonable price.
AUTO-Drive,
which appears to have its headquarters in Lviv and branches
in about a dozen cities throughout Ukraine (including Chernivtsi)
offers a fairly wide range of western and Russian vehicles.
With help from an English-speaking staff member in Lviv, I
was able to organise a two-day van rental from the Chernivtsi
branch for Euros 15 per day, including insurance, with unlimited
mileage. The vehicle was fine and the pre- and post-rental
service was very professional. I would not hesitate to use
their services again in future. This is a viable option for
anyone who feels confident enough to drive by themselves and
alert enough to avoid police speed traps stationed along the
major thoroughfares.
For any of these car rental companies, it is advisable to
reserve well in advance in the months of summer and autumn,
since the supply of vehicles seems not to be sufficient to
meet the demand during these peak periods.
Hotel Accommodation and Restaurants
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As far as I am aware, the only hotel accommodation
in Tovste remains the "Dvir Guesthouse" , which
opened for business around 2004. It is located on the
way into town, on the left hand side of the road as one
approaches from Zalishchyky. Prices have very likely increased
since the following review, most of which was written
in 2007. |
From appearances, it has all of the amenities of a proper
guesthouse, with at least three or four rooms upstairs and
a restaurant on the ground floor. The guest rooms, costing
in the order of 100-200 Hryvnia per night irrespective of
the length of stay (2007 prices) are fairly
spacious, with en suite bathroom, including shower. There
is even a sauna and Turkish bath on site, which the locals
seem to use. Noise from the main street and adjacent pub,
which is occasionally used for all-night wedding celebrations,
may be a nuisance for light sleepers; and (in 2007) there
were some "issues" related to the water supply and
lax operating procedures.
Notwithstanding these inconveniences,
the Dvir Guesthouse remains the only option readily available
in Tovste, and it avoids the long journey to/from Chernivtsi.
Food in the restaurant, which is open until at least 2200
in the evening, is pretty respectable. As a bonus, much of
the menu has been translated into English, and makes for an
amusing read while waiting for the food to be served. However,
the restaurant's prices have increased significantly in recent
years, making Cafe Diana (on the road leading to the 'new'
Greek Orthodox church) better value for money, if it is actually still open (2012 comment).
In 2005, I discovered a couple of other alternative accommodation
options in nearby Chortkiv, about 20 km to the north: Hotel
Tanya (03552 22755); Hotel Avianosez (03552 21830); and Hotel
Hetman (03553 31284). I know nothing about the first two,
but I did visit the Hotel Hetman, which had clean rooms, with
shower/toilet for 80 Hryvnia per night. It is situated only
about a 5-10 minute walk from where the bus stops on its way
to Tovste. There may well be other alternatives of which I
am not aware, which have sprung up in recent years.
Zalishchyky, 25 km to the south of Tovste, was a thriving
resort town in the 1930s. Renovation of the "Old Zalishchyky"
hotel was finally completed in 2006. It offers rooms of various
sizes ranging in price from 60-80-120 Hryvnia per night (2007
prices). All of the bedrooms were freshly painted then and
the largest suites are very spacious. The mid-size room is
more than adequate for two people. All of the en suite bathrooms
are small and very basic. One side of the hotel faces a park
and nearby street, while the other looks onto a courtyard
and restaurant (both potential sources of noise). In any case,
the "Old Zalishchyky" hotel offers visitors a cheap
alternative to staying in Chernivtsi, making Tovste and the
surrounding attractions much more accessible.
In Chernivtsi, which is worth visiting in its own right for
at least a couple of days, there are several accommodation
options available: three or four large hotels catering to
tour groups and individuals, several smaller boutique hotels,
as well as private accommodation in furnished apartments.
User reviews on tripadvisor.com suggest that the smaller hotels
provide good value for money. The Magnat Lux (where I have
stayed in the past) and the Hotel Premium are two such establishments
having received good reviews. The former is within walking
distance of the city centre. The latter is further out, but
on a main thoroughfare well connected by public transport.
The Dinadis
hotel booking website gives a good overview of
room rates at these and other Chernivtsi hotels.
The Cheremosh Hotel, situated on the southern outskirts of
town, used to be the hotel of choice in Chernivtsi, since
it was equipped to handle both large tour groups and individual
guests. Facilities include a number of restaurants, a discotech,
currency exchange office, internet facility, in-house translation
/ interpretation service, multi-lingual tour guides etc. The
room prices are variable – with a very basic double
room costing in the order of USD 50 per night, excluding breakfast,
and more recently renovated rooms costing closer to USD 75
per night.
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The rooms are by no means luxurious and
they are definitely showing signs of their age, but they
have all the basic amenities: hot/cold water, television,
telephone, and modern refrigerator.
Unfortunately, user reviews suggest that the hotel has
suffered from neglect in recent years, after a change
in management, with a noticeable decline in standards
and service. |
Depending on ones' tastes, the Cheremosh
might not be convenient for those who would prefer to
stay in the centre of town. On the other hand, it is handy
to shops and a market nearby, and to the bus terminal
down the road, and it is easily reached by taxi and public
transport. Also, being on the outskirts of town there
is plenty of greenery nearby. |
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A comparable alternative to the Cheremosh
is the Bukovina Hotel, located on a main road
a bit closer to the city center. Some parts of the hotel were modernised
some years ago. I have seen the rooms – which
look okay in the new wing – but I have never stayed
at the Bukovina Hotel and therefore cannot comment on
the services. |
At least the hotel management has made a sustained commitment
to maintaining the appearance of the outside of the hotel
and the grounds. The colourful flowers on the balconies always
seem to be in full bloom.
Miscellaneous practical advice
Visas
Citizens of most countries used to have to apply
for a visa to enter Ukraine, before travelling. Fortunately, in 2005, visa requirements were
waived completely or relaxed for nationals of countries of
Europe and North America, among others.
However, the visa procedure for people of other nationalities
remains extremely onerous and expensive, and serves as a major
deterent to travel to Ukraine. The process begins by securing
original documentation from a local tourist company or possibly
an invitation from a private citizen, both of which may take
months to arrange. Then, after paying in advance a fee that
now approaches USD 100-200 depending on how much of a hurry
you are in, you are completely at the mercy of the Ukrainian
secret service agency which appears to impose no self-limits
on how much time it takes to investigate your background.
Whereas embassies apparently have discretion to grant visas
to individuals who already have visas from 'reputable' countries
in their passports, there is no escaping the bureaucracy if
one does not.
If you have booked an airline ticket in advance
– as most mortals are obliged to do, in the interest of keeping
the cost down – you may find yourself having to rebook the
ticket at the last minute, when the visa has not been delivered
on time (notwithstanding clear guidance provided by the Embassy
about its normal processing times). Be forewarned: if you
are unfortunate enough to require a visa to travel to Ukraine,
be prepared for a very unpleasant, stressful experience.
Language
From my experience, is still fairly uncommon
to find people in western Ukraine who speak English.
A good phrase book comes in handy and should be adequate
for most day-to-day situations. There are some exceptions,
however, among Ukrainians who have lived and worked
abroad elsewhere in Europe for a number of years. In
such case, one may be pleasantly surprised to discover
that knowledge of German or Italian holds the key to
being able to communicate relatively easily, even in
towns.
Menus in restaurants tend to be written only in Ukrainian,
so ordering food can be challenging wherever you are. |
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Currency exchange
Changing money in Ukraine, even in small towns, is transparent
and very easy thanks to the large number of exchange outlets.
Banks and small money changers use billboards to advertise the
exchange rates for dollars and euros, which may fluctuate from
day to day. What you see is what you get – there are no
hidden commission fees. The largest bill in circulation in Ukraine is 500 Hryvnia (worth around USD 60), but it is still a rarity.
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After a dramatic depreciation in the latter
part of 2008, the Hryvnia appears to have been pegged
to the US dollar within a narrow range of about 8 Hryvnia
to 1 Dollar. In contrast, the currency has been allowed
to float more freely against the Euro since the beginning
of 2009, with the exchange rate fluctuating between about
12:1 to 10:1 (where it stood in September 2012). Judging
from increases in price of some basic commodities and
transportation over the past couple of years, inflation
is not insignificant. While local people are undoubtedly
experiencing hardship as a consequence, the still favourable
exchange rate makes Ukraine a bargain for many foreigners.
Generally
speaking, there are only small variations in rates from
one exchange outlet to another on a given day, except
perhaps at airports and train stations, which do not
offer as good a rate. This is especially true of the
exchange offices at Kyiv Boryspil Airport: do not bother exchanging money there unless you are really desperate. |
The solitary bank in Tovste – PrivatBank, on the main
street in the centre of town – is open from Monday to
Friday (1000 - 1700) and on Saturday until 1500. Be prepared
for longer queues on Friday (market day) and Monday mornings.
The largest bill in common circulation is 200 Hryvnia (around USD 25), but the bank sometimes runs short
– leaving you stuck with a fistful of 20's and 10's.
Otherwise, the PrivatBank is a very convenient place to change
money and top up a pre-paid mobile phone account.
Telephone
If you own a mobile phone that works in Europe and are going
to be spending more than a week or so in Ukraine, it is definitely
worth investing in a new Ukrainian SIM card (for less than USD 15-20
if I remember correctly) and then buying top-up cards at ubiquitous
kiosks for 25-50-100 Hryvnias (USD 3-6-12) each. As an alternative
to buying cards, which are not always available in large denominations,
one can also purchase extra phone time (eg. 100 Hryvnia) through
branches of PrivatBank.
Kyivstar and UMC are the two main competing mobile services.
The per minute calling charge isn't cheap, but the convenience
of making/taking a call from just about anywhere in the domestic
network makes it worthwhile. From my experience, Kyivstar's
SMS capability is also very handy. The Kyivstar SIM card even
works for SMS while travelling in many countries outside of
Ukraine (eg. in western Europe and perhaps even further afield).
If you don't have a mobile phone, I think it is still possible
to purchase phone cards in various denominations from the
official telecom authorities, and these can be used for making
inexpensive calls from public pay phones.
In October 2009, Ukraine adopted a widely accepted international
standard for dialing outgoing calls, whereby international
calls are to be prefixed by '00' + country code (instead of
the former '810'); intercity calls no longer require the former
'8' prefix; and calls made with the Kyiv region (formerly
prefixed by 8 044) now require the prefix 0 45.
Day-to-day
Toilet facilities are an issue in towns and villages of western
Ukraine, even ones of a fairly large size. Such facilities
are generally not available and any respectable ones attached
to offices or public buildings tend to be hidden away, out
of sight, and/or under lock and key. Indoor plumbing in houses
is still a rarity in towns the size of Tovste; more often
than not the only toilet available will be a wooden outhouse,
located behind the private dwelling you might be visiting.
If you are thinking of using a public lavatory before heading
off from the railway station in Chernivtsi, think again. I'm
not sure if the situation has improved since I last visited
around 2009, but the almost surreal public toilet in the
basement – possibly constructed in the early 1900s and,
by appearances, not upgraded since then – ranks as one
of the most abominable on the planet.
An exception to this rule of thumb seems to be the many petrol
stations that have sprouted up all along the highway leading
from Chernivtsi to Tovste. It may be advisable to stop en
route and take advantage of the rare chance of a clean toilet
that these service stations offer. No other solution to this
problem comes to mind, apart from advising one to drink sparingly
before and during the journey!
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