New Connections!

This is, quite literally, two-way good news! Not only are new travel routes opening up to give those of us in Ukraine cheaper ac­cess to the (visa free!) outside world, but we will be seeing ever larger numbers of tourists coming to visit beautiful Kyiv too. Their tourist dollars will be a welcome boost to the economy, of course, and they’ll return home spreading the news of how surprisingly beautiful and hospitable Kyiv is as well.
A new “Four Capitals” train link is open­ing, connecting Kyiv with Minsk, Vilnius, and Riga, with tickets to Riga starting at just €59. Ukraine’s state railway company has already purchased 28 new passenger wagons dedicated to serving this route. In addition, Ryan Air has finally launched flights to and from Ukraine, with 10 routes operating in and out of Kyiv and five routes operating in and out of Lviv, and that’s just for starters! Known for its very budget-based low-cost solutions, passen­gers will put up with their cramped cabin spaces and few amenities for € 10 tickets (when booked a week in advance)! As an added bonus, for both sides, Ukraine should also see a job boost as Ryan Air is planning to open both data and mainte­nance operations in Ukraine too!