travelling to europe

[saldana]

so i have never been to europe before, so i am pretty excited about the fact that my company is sending me to Kiev and Cardiff for 3 days each next month,

i am also a little bit worried about being in Ukraine, the state department website doesnt really paint a pretty picture for how they treat foreigners, so i was wondering if any FOFCers have any experience with Kiev...any suggestions about things i need to take with me, things to avoid/be aware of, etc?

Wales i am not so worried about, as i will be visiting my companies sister facility, but any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

[Logan]

Just don't play a game of "Risk" on public transportation and you should be fine.

http://youtu.be/fzLtF_PxbYw

[sterlingice]

I'd be very curious what you find out when there. We've been considering going to Kiev as well as Moscow and St Petersburg next year

SI

[Eaglesfan27]

Just don't play a game of "Risk" on public transportation and you should be fine.

http://youtu.be/fzLtF_PxbYw

:D

[Marc Vaughan]

I'd be more worried about Cardiff if you're out on the streets late on a saturday night ;)

More seriously I'm afraid I don't know much about Ukraine - there are a few tips for visitors here though - Ukraine Travel Guide. Useful Tips for Foreigners. (http://www.uazone.net/Ukraine_Tips.html)

[sterlingice]

I'd be more worried about Cardiff if you're out on the streets late on a saturday night ;)

Yeah, and if you see a blue police box, run the other way ;)

SI

[Castlerock]

I have not been to Ukraine so I cannot comment. And I don't mean to thread-jack but...

sterlingice, I have been to Russia 5 times. St Petersburgh is a really nice city and is tourist friendly (for Russia). I would go back again and I would recommend it to anyone. I describe it as a European city that happens to be in Russia. The rest of Russia is COMPLETELY different.

Moscow is 'eh'. Red Square and the Kremlin are interesting and pretty. There isn't a lot else. The Metro is incredible but is intimidating at first. Bring fist-fulls of money. A coffee will run you $8.00 US. A western hotel room? $500/night and up. I paid $1000 for one night once. After the Olympics in 2006, I saw the sweatshirts the Russian team wore at the opening ceremony. $250.

Been as far east as Siberia.

[Castlerock]

Again, I have not been to Ukraine so this a complete assumption based on what I know of Russia: Don't even THINK about driving.

[Chief Rum]

In Cardiff, be on the look out for Torchwood.

In Kiev, my understanding is that you could arrange a meeting with some wonderful potential brides at various online web sites.

[Peregrine]

My usual source for places I don't really know much about, is Wikitravel - has places to see, etc as well as general advice for what to do and what not to do. You can check the same site for Cardiff as well if you want.

Kiev travel guide - Wikitravel (http://wikitravel.org/en/Kiev)

[saldana]

excellent...thanks all (i will make sure not to take my "pocket risk")

[sterlingice]

I have not been to Ukraine so I cannot comment. And I don't mean to thread-jack but...

sterlingice, I have been to Russia 5 times. St Petersburgh is a really nice city and is tourist friendly (for Russia). I would go back again and I would recommend it to anyone. I describe it as a European city that happens to be in Russia. The rest of Russia is COMPLETELY different.

Moscow is 'eh'. Red Square and the Kremlin are interesting and pretty. There isn't a lot else. The Metro is incredible but is intimidating at first. Bring fist-fulls of money. A coffee will run you $8.00 US. A western hotel room? $500/night and up. I paid $1000 for one night once. After the Olympics in 2006, I saw the sweatshirts the Russian team wore at the opening ceremony. $250.

Been as far east as Siberia.

Thanks for the tips and I'm trying not to threadjack too much.

It's still in the exploratory phases and I've been lining up the airline miles and hotel points to pay for the trip over the past couple of years. Familiar with the exorbitant costs of Moscow. From all I've read, it's like a slightly amped up NYC for prices.

But, again, still in the feeling out phases for the trip as I need some things at work to settle.

SI

[saldana]

SI, threadjack all you want, my next trip will likely be to Moscow, so any info on there is more than welcome

[Apathetic Lurker]

Don't act like a typical tourist. Don't fall asleep in the metro or train, unless you have no issue with being lighter by a wallet or watch or other stuff. Pubs are fun but if you hit on someone expect a possible confrontation with some drunk lunkhead. Learn some Ukrainian before going.

[bob]

I'm jealous - on my business trip next week, my company is sending me to Hagerstown, Maryland. It seems to be in the middle of freaking nowhere. Should be wildly exciting.

[saldana]

has anyone ever taken a flight on either Aeroflot or KLM?

[Castlerock]

has anyone ever taken a flight on either Aeroflot or KLM?
KLM is a normal, western, international airline. The equivalent of a Delta/United/etc.

The Aeroflot experience is all over the place. The international flights tend to be better than the domestic flights but the international flights range from the equivalent of a Delta/United/etc to god-awful. It just depends on your luck. I flew from JFK to Moscow one time and the flight attendants were surly and unhelpful. The plane was full of hard-drinking Russians and one puked 3 rows behind me. The flight attendants would not clean it up. We got one cup of beverage for the entire 11 hr (?) flight. The in-flight movie was broken and the bathrooms had no toilet paper. But I have been on good flights, too. Just luck.

The domestic experience is generally less than international. The international flights tend to be on western, modern aircraft. The domestic flights are on older, soviet aircraft. Overhead compartments are VERY small. Nothing larger than a woman's handbag. More things (seats/overhead compartments/window shades/etc) tend to be broken. One flight had cargo-netting instead of normal overhead bins. If you are flying domestic, pack light. Baggage weight limits are low and overweight fees are high. And they check. Aeroflot seems to be on the higher end of quality for the domestic airlines.

[sterlingice]

Within Russia, travel by train. Check.

SI

[saldana]

KLM is a normal, western, international airline. The equivalent of a Delta/United/etc.

The Aeroflot experience is all over the place. The international flights tend to be better than the domestic flights but the international flights range from the equivalent of a Delta/United/etc to god-awful. It just depends on your luck. I flew from JFK to Moscow one time and the flight attendants were surly and unhelpful. The plane was full of hard-drinking Russians and one puked 3 rows behind me. The flight attendants would not clean it up. We got one cup of beverage for the entire 11 hr (?) flight. The in-flight movie was broken and the bathrooms had no toilet paper. But I have been on good flights, too. Just luck.

The domestic experience is generally less than international. The international flights tend to be on western, modern aircraft. The domestic flights are on older, soviet aircraft. Overhead compartments are VERY small. Nothing larger than a woman's handbag. More things (seats/overhead compartments/window shades/etc) tend to be broken. One flight had cargo-netting instead of normal overhead bins. If you are flying domestic, pack light. Baggage weight limits are low and overweight fees are high. And they check. Aeroflot seems to be on the higher end of quality for the domestic airlines.

great...i have Aeroflot from JFK to Moscow, and then Moscow to Kiev...should be an interesting crap shoot, lol

[sterlingice]

I was looking at an oddball nonstop flight from Houston to Moscow on Singapore Air (wtf?)

SI

[DaddyTorgo]

I was looking at an oddball nonstop flight from Houston to Moscow on Singapore Air (wtf?)

SI

Do it. Singapore Air is great.

[DaddyTorgo]

great...i have Aeroflot from JFK to Moscow, and then Moscow to Kiev...should be an interesting crap shoot, lol

:(

[Apathetic Lurker]

Aeroflop, eh? Bring your life preserver.......

Fly Lufthansa and for the love of all that is good and holy do not fly United....I had nothing but trouble the last three times on United.

[Castlerock]

Heh... It looks like Аэрофлот has retired it's Tupolev fleet. The 'older, soviet aircraft' I referred to above was often this plane:
Tupolev Tu-154 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupolev_Tu-154)
Looks like it's almost entirely (modern) Airbus now.

[Chief Rum]

Heh... It looks like Аэрофлот has retired it's Tupolev fleet. The 'older, soviet aircraft' I referred to above was often this plane:
Tupolev Tu-154 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupolev_Tu-154)
Looks like it's almost entirely (modern) Airbus now.

I think they kinda had to after that crash that killed the Russian hockey team last year.

[saldana]

Heh... It looks like Аэрофлот has retired it's Tupolev fleet. The 'older, soviet aircraft' I referred to above was often this plane:
Tupolev Tu-154 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupolev_Tu-154)
Looks like it's almost entirely (modern) Airbus now.

the flight to moscow is an airbus 330-300 andthe one from there to kiev is an airbus A321

[Apathetic Lurker]

Always liked the Tu-104 but it was a fuel hog

[sterlingice]

Moved here:

http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=85104

SI

[DaddyTorgo]

Day trip out to Chernobyl and do one of the newfangled tours there?

[sterlingice]

Actually, I'm thinking of splitting my own thing out into its own thread so it's not too much threadcrapping

EDIT: done and done

SI