| |
Time
Ukrainian Time is +2 GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) It is altered twice a year to save electric power. The watches are set one hour forward in the last week of March and it's called Summer Time. The watches are set one hour backward in the last week of October and it's called Winter Time. To find out the exact time, dial 060.
Electricity
Electrical appliancies operate at 220V/50Hz in Ukraine. Plugs and wall sockets differ from North America and the U.K., being of European two pin style. Please note: Ukraine uses more than one type of outlet configuration: you could find European outlets (new) and old Soviet type. The difference is in the diameter of the pins. European pins are thicker then the Soviet type ones.
Money
National currency of Ukraine is hryvna, UAH. There are coins at par value of 1, 2, 5, 10, 25 and 50 kopecks in circulation. Less common are coins at par value of one or two hryvna. Banknotes at par value of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 hryvna are in free circulation and are issued.
You may exchange currency for Ukrainian hryvna at any bank or currency exchange office. Don’t change money with strangers on the street. You will probably be tricked into losing your money and it’s ILLEGAL!!
Credit cards
The most spread form of payment in Ukraine is cash. At the same time, practically all basic credit cards - Visa, Mastercard, Cirus, Maestro are widely accepted for payment. In many shops (in particular, of large distribution networks), restaurants, hotels, on petrol stations, etc. you will be able to pay with credit card.
There will also be no problem with cash withdrawal. ATMs are installed in the airport terminals, at the railway stations, in the halls of many hotels, in supermarkets and just in the streets. Most ATMs are designed for Ukrainian national currency - hryvna.
Kyiv's Metro(Subway) system
There are three lines: red (M1), blue (M2) and green (M3). The lines cross each other in a triangle in the city centre. See the map.
The cost of a token/ticket is just 2 UAH (approx. 0,2 Euro). You pay once and you can travel as far as you like. You only repay if you leave the metro system and want to re-enter.
Operating hours: 6:00 to 0:00. Stations are opened some time before 6:00 for entrance (most are open by 5:45) and for some time after midnight for exit only (from 0:03 up to 0:40, depending on the station).
Average interval between the trains is 2 min at rush hours, 10 min at late hours, and 5 min at the rest of the day.
All entrances to the metro are the same: several glass doors in a row, which you have to either pull or push in the section that reads “ВХІД” ("entrance") on each door.
To exit the station, go to the section that reads "ВИХІД" ("exit") on each door.
Mobile
As a rule, when crossing the Ukrainian border, your cell phone will be automatically registered in the network of Ukrainian mobile operators. However, roaming is pretty expensive on the territory of Ukraine, therefore, it is more convenient to buy a local SIM-card. Moreover, the starting packages of Ukrainian mobile operators are quite affordable.
The most popular cellular operators in Ukraine are
GSM 900 or GSM 1800: Kyivstar, MTC(former UMC), Life :)
CDMA 800: CDMA Ukraine, Intertelecom, PEOPLE Net
UMTS 2100: U'tel
Wherever you call - within Ukraine or abroad - dial the number in the international format: for instance, all Ukrainian numbers will start with +38 (38 is the code of Ukraine). If you call from cell phone to the stationary phone, you need to dial city code first. For Kyiv the number will look like +38 044 (city code) + subscribers number.
Dinner
13.05.2013
|
|
