Express Train Intercity
The highlight of Ukrainian Railways, Intercity is a high-speed train that navigates through the key cities in the country, thus conveniently connecting all regions. Due to its high-quality service and ETA, Intercity is one of the most popular ways on how to get to Lviv from Kyiv.
‘Hyundai’ goes 200 km/hour, which gets passengers from the capital to the west of Ukraine in approximately 5 hours. The train route is called 743K Darnytsia — Kyiv and consists of six stations: departure point Darnytsia railway station, Kyiv-Passazhirskiy, Sviatoshyn, Korosten’, Pidzamche and finally Lviv. Another route with a final stop in Lviv is 755Ш, which departs from the main railway station Kyiv-Passazhirskiy and arrives in Lviv in 6 hours.
Other trains that go to Lviv from Kyiv are route 749K Kyiv — Ivano Frankivsk and 715K Kyiv — Przemyśl. The trip on any of them takes approximately 6 hours with a stop in Lviv. Intercity is one of the most popular and highly-booked means of transport in Ukraine, that’s why there is always at least one train on the daily schedule. Make sure to book in advance as tickets in high seasons (early summer and Christmas time) are often bought months beforehand.
The tickets can be bought online on the official website of Ukrainian Railways or via Ukrainian Railways app. Both are available in English. Besides, you can get the tickets in the railway ticket offices. The main office is located in downtown near the Universytet metro station. The price for Intercity tickets is determined by the seat class — a seat in the second class will cost you around UAH 300, while the first class seat starts at UAH 600. As a rule, Ukrainian Railways launch additional trains to Lviv on winter holidays but sales or promotions are uncommon.
Regular Trains
Due to Lviv being an important location connected with Ukrainian cities and neighboring countries, Intercity isn’t the only convenient train to get to Lviv from Kyiv. Up to date, the schedule of Ukrainian Railways has 11 routes that go to the west of Ukraine with a stop in Lviv. Some of them operate only on weekdays while others work exclusively on weekends. It’s always better to check the schedule and information that are updated regularly on the official website of Ukrainian Railways.
The main differences between regular trains are ETA and comfort level. While Intercity develops a speed of 200 km/hour, regular trains usually don’t go faster than 60 km/hour. This factor, along with the number of stops on the route, substantially influences the time of the trip. For instance, while 749D Kyiv — Lviv goes approximately 6 hours, 141K Kyiv — Lviv reaches the same destination in almost 13 hours.
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As a rule, Ukrainian trains offer three types of carriages with different kinds of accommodation: lux (“SW”), the compartment (“coupe”) and reserved seat (“platskart”). Lux carriages include separate cabins with two or three places for sleeping. Compartment offers separate cabins with four places for sleeping. Finally, reserved seat carriages have no separate cabins. The places for sleep are arranged in the following way: four hard bunks on one side of a carriage and two similar bunks sideways. In total, there are around 45 bunks in one one-plan carriage.
Sure enough, booking lux or compartment ensures the best comfort and privacy while going from Kyiv to Lviv. Note that the bed sheets and tea are included in a ticket price. The prices for regular trains vary depending on the season, type of the seat and ETA. Usually, the cheap tickets from Kyiv to Lviv start at UAH 150 and are sold out almost immediately. The average price for a regular train ticket is UAH 250.
Buses
The runner-up on the list, buses from Kyiv to Lviv depart daily from several points in the capital. The first and the main one is the bus station near the Main Railway Station, located in 5 minutes from the Vokzalna metro stop. The second most popular departure point is Dachna bus station, located near the Zhytomyrska metro station. The buses leave at least every three hours but the schedule may vary depending on the season. That’s why it’s always better to check the availability beforehand.
The most popular company that sells tickets for Kyiv — Lviv route is BusFor. You can buy tickets on their website, which unfortunately doesn’t have an English version yet. Another option is using international websites like Bus Radar, where you can buy tickets from individual drivers as well. The bus goes a bit slower than the train — in 6 and a half or seven hours you will reach Lviv. The price depends on the season and bus company but on average UAH 400 is the cheapest ticket one can find.
BlaBlaCar
BlaBlaCar is a trusted community that connects drivers with travelers looking for a ride. This app is incredibly popular in Ukraine, which concerns Kyiv — Lviv as well. To find a ride, just enter your departure and arrival points and your travel date. You then can choose a car owner offering a ride going your way. Take a look at the Ride Comment for information about the car owner, their reasons for traveling and other details.
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It's always better to contact trusted drivers with photo and bio. Keep in mind that car owners prefer to receive in-app messages because they can immediately consult your profile before replying. If you are a female co-traveler looking for a ride from Kyiv to Lviv and you'd prefer to travel with a female driver, select the “Ladies Only” filter. The prices for BlaBlaCar are established by drivers and are usually not lower than UAH 400.
Car
Finally, Lviv can be reached from Kyiv by car. The distance between the two cities is approximately 540 kilometers. Luckily, the highway in the direction of western Ukraine has undergone major reconstruction several times since UEFA Euro 2012, that’s why the ride promises to be fast and comfortable. As a rule, the trip to Lviv with a minimum number of stops takes about 6 hours.
The highway M-06 Kyiv — Chop is considered one of the most picturesque and safe roads in Ukraine. If time isn’t a concern, stopping in various small villages and cities might spark the spirit of discoveries — to name but a few spots, drivers will go past Zhytomyr, Korostyshiv, Rivne and Dubno. Those are just several locations with old architecture and incredible nature that one can spot in Ukraine.
Photo sources: Ruslan Lytvyn, Pe3k / shutterstock.com, unsplash.com. All images belong to their rightful authors.
