Ukraine's airspace is still closed, so to make your trip comfortable and fast, you need to plan your route in advance. Find out how easy it is to come to Ukraine from Ireland and what you need to cross the Ukrainian border

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For quite a long time, tourist trips from Ireland to Ukraine were considered unattainable due to the lack of direct air connections and the difficult road. Also, most Irish people knew little about the tourism potential of Ukraine. However, after the full-scale invasion, news about the events in Ukraine does not leave the front pages of many foreign publications. The courage and heroism of the Ukrainian people, as well as the natural beauty and rich culture of the country, attract more and more Irish people. That is why, even in spite of military operations and closed airspace, many foreigners go to Ukraine on vacation. Irish people also often join the ranks of volunteers.

How to plan a trip to Ukraine from Ireland? We have prepared the most convenient routes and many useful tips for you.

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

Travel route from Ireland to Ukraine

Most foreigners prefer to travel by plane, because it is fast and convenient. Also, Ireland is the home of the low-cost carrier Ryanair, so the country has good and cheap air connections with many cities around the world. However, due to the closed airspace in Ukraine, it is impossible to get here by air transport. That is why most tourists choose to fly to one of the European airports located near the Ukrainian border, and then continue their journey to Ukraine by ground transport.

Ukraine borders the following European countries - Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova. How to get here from Ireland?

Flight to the Ukrainian border

● Ireland – Poland

The airline Ryanair operates direct flights to Poland on the following routes:

- Dublin-Warsaw, 08:35-12:20, travel time 2 hours 45 minutes, ticket price from 30 euros;

- Shannon-Warsaw, 18:05-22:00, travel time 2 hours 55 minutes, ticket price from 35 euros;

- Dublin-Katowice, 08:45-12:30, travel time 2 hours 45 minutes, ticket price from 45 euros;

- Dublin-Krakow, 18:05-21:05, travel time 2 hours 50 minutes, ticket price from 45 euros;

- Shannon-Krakow, 09:35-13:35, travel time 3 hours, ticket price from 40 euros;

- Dublin-Lublin 06:20-10:25, travel time 3 hours 5 minutes, ticket price from 45 euros;

- Dublin-Rzeszów 16:20-20:20, travel time 3 hours, ticket price from 45 euros;

- Dublin-Wroclaw, 17:35-21:10, travel time 2 hours 35 minutes, ticket price from 35 euros;

- Shannon-Wroclaw, 11:30-12:10, travel time 2 hours 40 minutes, ticket price from 40 euros.

● Ireland – Moldova

You can get from Ireland to Chisinau on a direct flight from Dublin to Chisinau. Travel time – 3 hours 40 minutes. Estimated departure time is 22:50. The price of the ticket is 150 euros.

● Ireland – Slovakia

The flight on the Dublin-Bratislava route is operated by low-cost airline Ryanair. Travel time from 2 hours 45 minutes. Departure from Dublin at 17:00. Approximate ticket price from 25 euros. You can also fly to Kosice from Dublin. Departure at 05:55, arrival at 10:00. Ticket price from 40 euros.

● Ireland – Hungary

Budapest can be reached from Dublin and Shannon. Departure from Dublin at 19:55, from Shannon at 08:00. Travel time is about 3 hours. Ticket price from 40 euros.

● Ireland – Romania

The Dublin-Bucharest flight departs from the Irish airport at 06:10 and arrives in Budapest at 11:50. Ticket price from 50 euros. Ryanair also operates direct flights from Ireland to the following Romanian cities: Iasi, Cluj-Napoca, Timisoara, Suceava, Sibiu, Constanta, Craiova, Brasov and Bako.

After arriving in one of the European cities, the journey to Ukraine can be continued by train or bus.

Railway connection Europe - Ukraine

Most of the tourists prefer the railway because of its speed and comfort. Ukraine is connected to European cities by the following trains:

● Poland - from Warsaw you can reach Kyiv, from Przemyśl - to Kyiv, Odesa 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.

See the link for a detailed schedule of trains running between Ukraine and European countries.

By bus from Europe to Ukraine

A fairly convenient and economical way to get to Ukraine is by bus. There is no direct flight from Ireland, but you can find a convenient route from other European countries. The road to Lviv will take from 4 hours from Poland to 25 hours from other cities of France or Germany. Carriers offer comfortable passenger buses for the trip. The salon is equipped with soft seats, a toilet and automatic climate control, a large luggage compartment, Wi-Fi, which allows you to travel comfortably.

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Where to buy tickets from Ireland to Ukraine?

To make the trip easy and positive, you should choose reliable carriers. See the schedule and book plane, train or bus tickets using the link.

From Ireland to Ukraine by own car

The distance from the capital of Ireland - Dublin to Lviv is 2,500 km. The journey to Kyiv will be 550 kilometers longer. Due to the fact that Ireland is an island state, part of the trip will be by ferry. In particular, there is a ferry from Ireland to the city of Cherbourg in France.

To enter Ukraine by car, you must have a Green Card insurance policy. The rules for traveling in Ukraine by car with foreign registration were discussed in detail in this article.

You can check the current state of queues for entry into Ukraine from Europe by following the link.

In addition, we draw your attention to the fact that, despite the fact that checkpoints are open 24 hours a day, there is a curfew on the territory of Ukraine due to the state of war.

How can an Irish citizen enter Ukraine?

Citizens of Ireland have the right to visa-free entry to Ukraine if the planned stay is less than 90 days. Also, the purpose of the trip can be exclusively tourism, visiting relatives or other short-term trips. It is prohibited to work and study without a visa.

For unhindered entry at the border, you must provide:

● Foreign passport, which must be valid for at least 6 months after the date of entry into Ukraine.

● A document that will confirm the purpose of the trip to Ukraine - a tourist voucher, tickets to seminars, exhibitions, fairs, invitations from companies and organizations.

● Confirmation of residence – hotel reservations, apartment rental contracts, etc.

● Health insurance policy.

● Confirmation of sufficient funds for stay in Ukraine ($45 per person for each day of stay in Ukraine).

When crossing the border, you no longer need to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 and wear a protective mask. As of July 1, all Covid-19 restrictions and quarantine measures have been canceled in Ukraine.

How can a Ukrainian leave Ireland and not lose protection?

Any refugee who has received the status of temporary protection and a corresponding permit for stay in Ireland can freely travel to Ukraine. Before leaving, make sure that your residence permit is still valid and, if necessary, apply for an extension.

The residence permit in Ireland is canceled for those Ukrainians who have been outside the country for more than 6 months.

You can also travel to EU countries on the basis of visa-free rules. For this, it is necessary to have a biometric passport and to stay in the territory of the Schengen zone for no more than 90 days during a 180-day period.

How to plan a trip to Ukraine: top 8 useful tips for citizens of Ireland

Undoubtedly, a trip to Ukraine under martial law has certain features, so we have prepared for you some useful tips that will help you prepare for the trip:

1. If you plan to travel in Ukraine as a tourist, we advise you to book a tour before entering. The largest database of safe tours in Ukraine by link.

2. A medical insurance policy is a mandatory document for entry into Ukraine, however, in conditions of martial law, we recommend purchasing insurance with military risk coverage, which provides compensation 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 the policy here.

3. If you plan to stay in Ukraine for more than 90 days, then you need to obtain a residence permit. The procedure for obtaining a residence permit in Ukraine consists of several stages and requires the preparation of a certain list of documents. A migration lawyer will help you understand all the intricacies of Ukrainian legislation. Order a consultation of highly qualified specialists using the link. Also, consult a lawyer if your rights have been violated.

4. When traveling in Ukraine under martial law, safety rules must be strictly observed.

5. Book a safe hotel. Ukraine has a very wide base of accommodation facilities. During vacation, a tourist can stay in a hotel with different stars, a hostel, rent an apartment or rest in a guest house.

6. Comfort during the journey can provide a certain arsenal of things. Your journey will begin at the stage of leaving home, so you should also take care of those things that you may need on the plane, train, bus or car. Read more about what to take with you to Ukraine here.

7. If you arrived by train or bus, rent a car in Ukraine to feel more mobile. Read how to do it in our material.

8. Here are the top most common mistakes travelers make when planning a trip to Ukraine.

We wish you a good trip!

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.