How to get to Ukraine from Greece: convenient routes and border crossing rules
The absence of air travel reduces the options for getting to Ukraine. However, the country's land borders are open, so we have prepared routes for foreigners to enter from Greece and stay in Ukraine
The beauty of Ukrainian nature and rich culture attract travelers from different parts of the world. In the conditions of martial law, the state border works normally. Both Ukrainians and foreigners can enter Ukraine without restrictions. However, closed air space significantly complicates travel.
How to get to Ukraine from Greece? Convenient routes and necessary documents are in our material.
How to get from Greece to Ukraine?
The fastest way (plane + train or bus)
Ukraine borders Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Moldova. The airspace in these countries is open, so a tourist can fly to one of the European airports, which is located near the Ukrainian border, and from there continue the journey by land transport.
1. By plane from Greece to the Ukrainian border
● Greece-Poland
A direct flight from Athens to Katowice is operated by the well-known low-cost airline Wizz Air. Departures are available three times a week - on Monday, Thursday and Sunday. Travel time is 2 hours 30 minutes. Ticket price from 90 euros.
The airline also offers flights on the following routes:
- From Heraklion airport (Crete) you can fly to Warsaw and Krakow.
- Twice a week: on Tuesdays and Saturdays there is a Zakynthos - Warsaw flight.
- From Corfu you can reach Warsaw and Katowice.
- You can fly from Crete to Warsaw on Monday and Friday.
- Planes from Rhodes fly to Warsaw and Wroclaw.
- A flight to Warsaw is also available from Santorini.
● Greece-Slovakia - direct flight from Athens to Bratislava departs daily at 16:30. Average journey time is about 2 hours. Ticket price from 90 euros.
● Greece-Hungary – available flights on the route Athens-Budapest, Zakynthos-Budapest, Heraklion-Budapest, Corfu-Budapest or Corfu-Debrecen, Crete-Budapest, Rhodes-Budapest, Thessaloniki-Budapest, Santorini-Budapest operated by the Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air. Travel time is 2 hours 30 minutes. Ticket price from 50 euros.
● Greece-Moldova - the Athens-Chisinau flight is only available with a transfer in Bucharest. Travel duration from 4 hours. The price of the ticket is 300 euros.
2. Direct trains to Ukraine from Europe
Ukraine is connected by direct rail to many European cities:
● Poland - from Warsaw you can reach Kyiv, from Przemyśl - to Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia, from Chelm - to Kyiv and Kharkiv.
● Hungary - there is a direct train from Budapest to Kyiv.
● Austria - a direct train goes from Vienna to Kyiv.
● Moldova - a direct train goes from Chisinau to Kyiv.
● Slovakia - from Kosice you can reach Chopa and Mukachevo.
Search the schedule of trains running between Ukraine and European countries by following the link.
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From Greece to Ukraine by bus
Buses depart from Athens and pass through Thessaloniki, Sofia, Ruse, Pleven and other cities on their way to Ukraine.
In Ukraine, buses pass through Chernivtsi, Ternopil, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kamianets-Podilskyi, Khmelnytskyi, Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr and Kyiv.
The duration of the route is about 30 hours. Ticket price from 150 euros.
From Greece to Ukraine by own car
Many people prefer to travel in their own car. The distance from Athens to Lviv is about 2,000 km. The route will include toll roads. The estimated duration of the trip is 21 hours. The journey to Kyiv will be longer by 6 hours or 550 kilometers.
You can read in detail about the rules for traveling in Ukraine by car with foreign registration at the link.
Rules of entry to Ukraine for citizens of Greece
Citizens of Greece do not need to issue a visa to enter Ukraine if the duration of the trip is less than 90 days. To cross the border smoothly, you must have:
● Valid foreign passport.
When traveling in Ukraine under martial law, it is important to consider additional risks. Military risk insurance can cover losses in the event of an accident due to hostilities or acts of terrorism, outpatient treatment, hospitalization and emergency care. Read more about the benefits of military risk insurance in Ukraine here.
● Confirmation of the purpose of the planned stay – hotel reservations, apartment rental contracts, travel vouchers, tickets to seminars, exhibitions, fairs, invitations from companies and organizations, etc.;
● Confirmation of sufficient financial support for the entire period of the planned stay ($45 per person for each day of stay in Ukraine).
As of July 1, all Covid-19 restrictions and quarantine measures have been canceled in Ukraine. Foreigners no longer need to provide proof of vaccination when crossing the border and wear a protective mask.
Legal support in Ukraine for citizens of Greece
Accompaniment of a lawyer in Ukraine, consultation on legal aspects of entry into Ukraine, help with the preparation of documents - this is only a small list of issues with which citizens of Greece can turn to highly qualified lawyers in Ukraine. A traveler may need the services of a specialist at various stages of his journey through Ukraine. While in the country, it is important to follow the rules of migration legislation, also, be sure to contact a lawyer if your rights have been violated.
Contacts of the Embassy of Greece in Ukraine
● Address: 01901 Kyiv, str. Panfilovtsiv, 10
● Phone: (+38 044) 254-54-71, 254-54-72, 254-54-73
● Fax: (+38 044) 254-39-98
● E-mail: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected].
● Web: Official website of the Embassy of Greece in Ukraine.
● Hours of operation: Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Security rules in Ukraine
The Greek government advises its citizens not to travel to Ukraine due to the full-scale invasion of russia. However, those who wish to come should know the current safety rules. Useful information for entering Ukraine during the war at the link.
Is it safe for foreign tourists to travel to Ukraine now? Read in this article.
We recommend purchasing it for a safe and comfortable trip to Ukraine:
Visit Ukraine Insurance - safe travel in Ukraine (insurance covering military risks);
Visit Ukraine Tickets - book bus and train tickets to/from Ukraine;
Visit Ukraine Tours - the largest online database of tours to Ukraine for every taste;
Visit Ukraine Hotels - book hotels for a comfortable stay in Ukraine;
Visit Ukraine Merch - choose patriotic clothing and accessories with worldwide delivery.
Cooperation - cooperation and advertising integrations with Visit Ukraine and Visit World projects.
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The simultaneous stay of visitors in the hotel lobby not more than one person per 10 square meters of serviceable area is allowed.
Persons can visit hotels and stay there (outside hotel room) only if they wear respirator or face mask (including homemade mask), so that the nose and mouth are covered.
Hotel guests are obliged to keep the 1.5 meters distance.
Online check-in making in advance is recommended to avoid queues at check-in to hotel.
Meals in hotels are provided through meals delivery service to rooms upon prior order or at hotel restaurants situated inside or in open areas, provided the distance of at least 1.5 meters between seats at adjacent tables.
Not more than 4 clients are allowed to stay at the table (excluding children under 14 years old). Unless these tables are separated by a special partition;
Self-serve is not allowed.