How to get to Ukraine from Poland without standing in lines: the nearest airports and the most convenient routes by train, bus, or car

3 min

12 Jul. 2023

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Transport

Travel

Entry rules

Poland

The Ukrainian-Polish border is chosen by the vast majority of people when entering Ukraine. That's why there are always long queues at these checkpoints. Find out how to get to Ukraine from Poland quickly and conveniently by public transport and your own car, avoiding long waits at the border

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Poland and Ukraine have a common border and developed transport connections. The majority of foreigners who plan to travel to Ukraine enter through Polish checkpoints. A large passenger flow leads to the presence of long queues at the border.

What is the fastest way to get from Poland to Ukraine? Which routes are the most convenient? Detailed information and tips for quickly crossing the border in our material.

Read more about visa rules and obtaining a visa to Ukraine for Polish citizens here.

It should be noted that over 130 thousand tourists from Poland visited Ukraine in the first half of 2023.

Convenient routes from Poland to Ukraine

Due to the state of war, the airspace of Ukraine is closed, so the most convenient travel route is to fly to one of the Polish airports closest to the Ukrainian border, and from there continue the journey by train or bus.

You can see the schedule and order plane, train or bus tickets by following the link.

Polish airports closest to Ukraine

- The nearest airports to the border with Ukraine are located in the Polish cities of Rzeszów and Lublin. There are regular flights from Wizz Air (London, Rome, Burgas) and Ryanair (Dublin, Milan, London, Gdańsk).

- Krakow is home to one of the largest Polish airports - John Paul II Krakow-Balice. More than 20 airlines fly through this airport, including the popular low-cost carriers Wizz Air and Ryanair. The distance from Krakow to Lviv is 328 km.

- The largest airport in Poland is the airport named after Chopin in Warsaw. A large number of planes of about 40 of the most popular airlines fly from there every day.

Read more about the airports located near the Ukrainian border at the link.

This year, Poland's air service will also expand with dozens of new flights to various countries around the world. Find out here where you can fly from Poland.

Trains from Poland to Ukraine

Ukraine and Poland are constantly expanding their railway connections. Currently, you can get from Poland to Ukraine by the following routes: Warsaw-Kyiv, Chelm-Kyiv, Przemyśl-Kyiv, Przemyśl-Zaporizhia, Przemyśl-Odesa, Chelm-Kharkiv and Przemyśl-Kharkiv.

Train schedule:

- 68/67 Warsaw-Vskhodnia – Kyiv, departure from Warsaw at 17.45, arrival in Kyiv at 12.07.

- 093/094 Khelm – Kharkiv-Pas, departure from Khelm at 16.32, arrival in Kharkiv at 14.02.

- 23/24 Chelm – Kyiv, departure from Chelm at 4:00 p.m., arrival in Kyiv at 6:13 a.m.

- 90 Przemyśl - Kyiv, departure from Przemyśl at 1:45 p.m., arrival in Kyiv at 5:42 p.m.

- 32/31 Przemyśl – Zaporizhia, departure from Przemyśl at 18.10, arrival in Zaporizhia at 16.02. Stop in Dnipro at 13.28.

- 36/35 Przemyśl - Odesa, departure from Przemyśl at 8:28 p.m., arrival in Odesa at 1:58 p.m.

- 53/54 Przemyśl - Kyiv, departure from Przemyśl at 8:28 p.m., arrival in Kyiv at 9:03 p.m.

- IC+706 Przemyśl - Kyiv, departure from Przemyśl at 9.45, arrival in Kyiv at 20.14.

- IC+716 Przemyśl - Kyiv, departure from Przemyśl at 23.30, arrival in Kyiv at 9.55.

Traveling to Ukraine under martial law carries certain risks, so it is important to take care of your safety and follow certain rules, especially during air raid alerts. The VisitUkraine team recommends taking out a reliable insurance policy that covers military risks. Read about the benefits of this type of insurance here.

Buses from Poland to Ukraine

Most international bus companies offer direct routes from major Polish cities to Ukraine. The price of a ticket starts from 325 hryvnias and can reach 3500 hryvnias.

Examples of direct bus routes from Poland to Ukraine:

● Warsaw – Kyiv, departures every day at 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Route: Warsaw – Lublin – Lutsk – Rivne – Zhytomyr – Kyiv.

● Warsaw – Lviv – Ternopil – Khmelnytskyi – Vinnytsia – Uman – Odesa, departures every day at 9:00 and 20:30.

● Warsaw - Lublin - Lviv, every day at 9:00 and 20:30.

● Katowice - Kyiv, departure every day at 20:30. Route: Katowice – Krakow – Lviv – Ternopil – Khmelnytskyi – Vinnytsia – Uman – Kyiv.

● Szczecin - Kyiv, departure every day at 10:40. Route: Szczecin – Poznań – Lodz – Warsaw – Lublin – Lutsk – Rivne – Zhytomyr – Kyiv.

● Wroclaw - Kyiv, departure every day at 17:15. Route: Wroclaw – Opole – Katowice – Krakow – Lviv – Ternopil – Khmelnytskyi – Vinnytsia – Uman – Kyiv.

● Krakow - Kyiv, departure every day at 22:15. Route: Wroclaw – Opole – Katowice – Krakow – Lviv – Ternopil – Khmelnytskyi – Vinnytsia – Uman – Kyiv.

From Poland to Ukraine by own car

Many foreigners prefer to travel by their own car. On the Polish-Ukrainian border, there are border crossing points: Yagodyn - Dorogusk, Ustylu - Zosyn, Krakowiec - Korchova, Shegyny - Medyka, Rava-Ruska - Hrebenne, Smilnytsia - Krotsenko, Hrushiv - Budomezh and Ughryniv - Dolgobychiv.

In the summer, passenger traffic at the borders of Ukraine increased by almost one and a half times. At the same time, queues at checkpoints increased. To avoid a long wait, prefer traveling at the beginning of the week. From Monday to Wednesday, passenger traffic is lower, and accordingly there are no long queues. Starting from Thursday evening until Sunday, the number of people willing to cross the border increases, which increases the load on checkpoints.

Traditionally, the busiest checkpoints are Sheghini – Medyka, Rava-Ruska – Khrebenne and Krakowiec – Korchova. To avoid queues, you can build a travel route through less popular destinations. Instructions on how to check the occupancy of border crossing points are available via the link.

A foreigner is allowed to enter Ukraine in his own car, but he can use it only for his own needs. Foreign citizens can drive cars with foreign license plates in Ukraine for up to one year. If you plan to stay in Ukraine longer than two months, you need to contact the service center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for temporary car registration. After the expiration of the one-year period, the car with foreign license plates must leave Ukraine. See the link for details on the rules for entering Ukraine for cars with foreign license plates.

Rules of entry from Poland to Ukraine

Citizens of Poland can enter Ukraine without a visa. According to the new rules, citizens of Poland, as well as their spouses and children (regardless of citizenship) have the right to legally stay on the territory of Ukraine for 18 months. Also, according to the law, Poles can enjoy all rights and freedoms, just like citizens of Ukraine. However, for a longer stay on the territory of Ukraine, Poles need to issue a residence permit. For details on the list of documents for entry from Poland to Ukraine, see the link. Who needs a visa to enter Ukraine and how to get one, read here.

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Transit through Poland

In order to get accurate information about the conditions of transit through the territory of Poland, you should contact the units of the Border Service of the country at the email address or phone numbers:

● Main Directorate of the Border Service: tel. + 48 22 500 40 00 and +48 22 500 41 49 (from Monday to Friday: 08:15-16:15); [email protected]

● Nadwislya Department of Border Service (border control at Warsaw-Okence, Warsaw-Modlin, Łódź and Bydgoszcz airports): tel. + 48 22 513 21 00; [email protected];

● Nadodzana Department of the Border Service (border control at Wrocław, Poznań airports, at the Czech (Lower Silesian Voivodeship) and German borders (Lower Silesian and Lubusz Voivodeships): tel. +48 683 582 444 (7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.); wg.nadodrzanski @strazgraniczna.pl and [email protected];

● Silesian border guard department (control at Katowice airport and at the Czech border (Silesian and Opole voivodeships): tel. +48 32 414 40 13; [email protected];

● Carpathian Department of the Border Service: tel. +48 18 415 34 57; [email protected];

● Maritime Department of the Border Service (control at the airports of Gdansk, Szczecin and the German border (West Pomeranian Voivodeship), on the sea side of the border. Contacts in Szczecin: tel. +48 914 465 520; [email protected]; in Gdańsk: tel. + 48 58348 12 80; [email protected];

● Nadbuza border service department (control at the Lublin airport, at the Ukrainian (in Dorohusk, Hrebenny, Zosyn and Dolgobychuv) and Belarusian borders (in Terespol): tel. +48 82 568 51 19; [email protected];

● Bieszczady Border Service Department (control at Rzeszów Airport and at the Ukrainian border (in Korchów, Medyka, Budomierz and Kroscienko): tel. +48 16 673 20 00; [email protected];

● Podlaskie Department of the Border Service (control at the Polish-Belarusian border (in Kuznytsia and Boborovniki). You can also get information about crossing the Polish-Lithuanian border: tel. +48 85 714 50 11; [email protected], wdsc.posg@strazgraniczna .pl;

● Warmian-Masurian department (control at Olsztyn airport and on the Polish-Russian border): tel. +48 89 750 36 16, +48 89 750 36 44 (Monday - Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.); [email protected].

We remind you! As of July 1, all travel restrictions and quarantine measures have been lifted in Ukraine. In our previous article, we explained what border crossing rules are currently in effect in the country and what is required for migration, as well as for traveling for work or tourism purposes.