There are no flights from Italy to Ukraine: Ukrainian airspace has been closed since 24 February 2022. You arrive overland, almost always through Poland. The most used route is a flight to Rzeszów or Kraków, then train or bus to the border and a Ukrainian train to Lviv or Kyiv. Total time from Milan to Kyiv: 14–20 hours.
What are the three main routes from Italy?
- Via Rzeszów (fastest for Lviv). Low-cost flights from Milan Bergamo, Rome, Bologna and Treviso to Rzeszów-Jasionka. From the airport a bus or taxi takes you to Przemyśl in about an hour. From Przemyśl, Ukrzaliznytsia trains leave for Lviv (2 hours) and Kyiv (9–10 hours). Border control happens on the train or in the station.
- Via Kraków or Warsaw (more connections). From Kraków the train to Przemyśl takes 3 hours. From Warsaw there is a direct overnight train to Kyiv (about 16 hours, sleeping cars) with no changes: convenient with luggage or family.
- Via Moldova (for Odesa). Fly to Chișinău, then bus to Odesa (3–4 hours, border at Palanca). Useful only if you are heading to the south of the country.
How much does the trip via Poland cost?
| Leg | Transport | Time | Indicative price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milan → Rzeszów | low-cost flight | 2 h | €30–120 |
| Rzeszów → Przemyśl | bus / train | 1 h | €3–8 |
| Przemyśl → Lviv | UZ train | 2 h | €10–20 |
| Przemyśl → Kyiv | direct UZ train | 9–10 h | €25–60 |
| Warsaw → Kyiv | overnight train | 16 h | €40–90 |
Ukrainian train tickets are bought on the Ukrzaliznytsia app or site (booking.uz.gov.ua) with an Italian card. Seats on trains from Przemyśl sell out days in advance around holidays: book as soon as you know your dates.
What do they ask for at border control?
- Passport valid for the whole stay. ID cards are not accepted.
- Health insurance that explicitly covers Ukraine for the whole period: the border guard checks name, dates and policy number. The PDF on your phone is enough.
- Purpose of travel, verbally. Italian citizens do not need an invitation letter, but a hotel booking or the organisation's contact helps.
- Leaving Poland there is also the Schengen exit check: allow time for two passages, often 1–3 hours in total.
When is it best to leave?
Trains from Przemyśl leave in the morning and afternoon; the direct train to Kyiv arrives late in the evening or the next morning. Keep the curfew in mind: in Kyiv it runs from midnight to 5 a.m. and in the eastern regions it may start earlier. If the train arrives at night, the station stays open but you cannot leave it. At Rzeszów airport you can buy the policy on your phone before boarding the bus: issuing takes 15 minutes.
How do you get around once in Ukraine?
Intercity trains connect Kyiv with Lviv (5 hours), Odesa (7 hours), Dnipro and Kharkiv. The Bolt and Uklon apps work in every large city. Italian Visa and Mastercard cards are accepted everywhere, Apple Pay and Google Pay included; still, withdraw some hryvnia from an ATM for markets and provincial taxis. Air-raid alerts arrive on the «Повітряна тривога» app: install it before leaving and follow locals' guidance on shelters.