Ukraine has signed the International Driving Permit 1949 Convention regarding driving permits, so International Driving Permit (IDP) is accepted for hiring a car in Ukraine. Moreover, many foreigners who come to Ukraine and hire cars drive with their country’s licenses without any problems. It’s always a good idea to write a quick e-mail regarding the issue to the car rental company you are planning to hire from.

Rental Companies

International car rental companies that can be found in major Ukrainian cities are the following ones: SIXt, BUDGET, AVIS and EuRopcar. Their pick-up and drop-off offices can be found at the airports, and head offices located in the downtown. Of course, there are other local car rental companies that often offer cars at lower rates than their international competitors, however, it’s better to deal with an international company in Ukraine car rental-wise.
Make sure to book in advance - rental rates are almost always higher at the counter than they will be over the phone or online, even just 24 hours before pickup. If you have time, make a comparison on the websites of several rental agencies and search for identical cars for your travel dates.

Useful Tips

1. Whenever possible, make all car rental arrangements from booking to payment before you leave your home country. Doing it this way generally makes the process cheaper, easier, safer and less likely to include hidden clauses. Once you are overseas, shifting exchange rates, unfamiliar rental specs, language barrier and other cultural differences can cause unexpected problems.
2. Every country has its own driving rules, so it's smart to do some basic homework on driving rules in Ukraine before you ever get behind the wheel here.
3. Most rental cars in Ukraine have an automatic transmission, but if you are looking for a cheaper option you'll need to know how to drive a manual transmission.
4. While traveling around Ukraine you should be careful regarding filling the fuel tank of your rented car. In some regions you may not spot a gas station in hours, so it’s always a good thing to keep your tank more than a half full all the time. Speaking of gas, don't forget that fuel prices vary greatly from country to country. GlobalPetrolPrices.com can provide a quick price check on country fuel prices (listed in US dollars by liter), so you can plan a budget before you leave.

Have a great trip!
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