Ukraine

In the beginning people are a bit hesitant, but as soon as they realize that you are a good person, they go wild.

Robin: "After Poland, where people are a bit stiff, this was a relief! Many people ask what you do and where you come from, but they are certainly not pushy. Very helpful, smiley (nice if you sometimes don't understand each other)."

Hans: "I met many nice and interested people. In the train I was sometimes helped with the bike while there was not really room for it."

Some nationalities can enter Ukraine without a visa for up to 90 days. Some other nationalities need to obtain an e-visa or a normal visa.

Source: Wikipedia.

Ukraine is a safe country. Cycling alone (also as a woman) is no problem.

Robin: "People always say that there would be so many bandits, even in the country itself, but we only found treasures."

Cooking fuel

In kiev, gas bottles with a screw valve are for sale, at least at a fishing and outdoor sports shop in the market at the petrivka metro station.

Supermarkets

In every town there is a 'magazyn' or 'produkty' where, in addition to many bottles of alcohol, cheese, bread, sausage, macaroni, biscuits, bottles of water and soft drinks are also available, also in the evenings and at weekends. Low prices. Note the expiration date. Sometimes items, even dairy, that are more than a year past their expiration date are simply sold.

Blanche : "Even in tiny villages they prepare (frozen) pasta and a salad for you. We only cooked ourselves once."

Stalls on the street

In small villages you can buy fresh products directly from the farmer. Fruit and vegetables are often offered on the side of the road. There are stalls all over the street.

Restaurants

Restaurants/cafés in villages are sometimes extensive, but sometimes they don't have much more than a drink. The offer consists of borsch (beet soup), various potato dishes, but mainly boiled or mashed potatoes, cutlets and schnitzels, and many cabbage dishes. The ukrainians love surimi (fake crab) sticks and often turn them into a tasty salad.

Vegetarians: they've never heard of that... They do have mushrooms and cheese, but you have to speak ukrainian well to explain what you want.

Tom: "We found out that food is not only available in a 'restoran' but also in a 'kafe'. In the larger towns, the cafe menus were very extensive. Ukrainians are real salad eaters, some menus had three pages of salads alone. By salad, however, they mean everything, including cold pasta and meat."

Drinkable water

Better not to drink tap water. Water in 1, 1½ or 2 liter bottles is available everywhere for little money. In the west, there are often wells along the road near houses. Many copies are neatly clean and have a shelter and a hatch to prevent pollution. In the carpathians you see here and there with signs indicated drinking water sources along the road.

Wilbert: "In many villages in the west there are still wells along the road. I drank it without any problems. But I don't know if it is reliable. In the south and in crimea I often drank tap water. Also without any problems, but I don't know if it's reliable either."

Best time to cycle

Ukraine has a continental climate with warm summers and cold winters. If you have problems with these extremes, spring and autumn are pleasant periods.

Blanche : "We were there in the summer. It is then hot but certainly doable. The temperature often goes in waves, after a few warm days it rains and the weather cools down nicely. Especially in the evening the temperature drops pleasantly."

Spare parts

It is best to bring parts yourself, it is difficult to get them. In the big cities they have racing bikes and 28-inch tires. Please note that most Ukrainian tires have a different valve. A spare bicycle pump can be useful. They can repair a lot in garages.

Nice routes

The most beautiful cycling regions are the Crimea and the Carpathians. Crimea has so much to offer you that you can spend a few visits. Central Ukraine is also beautiful with its vast fields of wheat and sunflowers.

Tom: "If you like wide panoramas, Western Ukraine is recommended. At least if you are not cycling on a road with a 10-meter-wide strip of forest on both sides."

John: "The main roads in Crimea are quite busy. Take the secondary roads; they are much more beautiful in terms of nature, villages and an oasis of peace; they can be quite steep."