Two Tickets To Odesa and Kyiv: A Night Train Through Ukraine

Having left the unrecognised country of Transnistria, we were heading down to the coastal city of Odesa. From here, we’d travel by night train to Kyiv before flying home. Our marshrutka (a small minibus) from Tiraspol trundled slowly along to the Ukrainian border, and in a little over 30 minutes, we had waved goodbye to Transnistria. Full steam ahead towards Odesa!

Ukraine is absolutely somewhere we would love to return to. The main event of this short stay was to catch the sleeper train and complete our Moldova-Transnistria-Ukraine adventure. We simply did not have enough time to discover everything on offer in Odesa or Kyiv. However, it’s amazing just how much you can see when you’re short on time! Here’s our account of a manic 24 hours in Ukraine, featuring two cities and a night train!

Day One: Arriving in Odesa from Transnistria

We arrived in Odesa late morning. Three hours crammed into a tiny minibus was enough to get the itch to stretch our legs and explore the city. Luckily for us (and unfortunately for our feet), we had pretty much a whole day ahead of us before our train at 22:25.

Left Luggage: Carnage at Odesa Train Station

With nearly 12 full hours to go, we sensibly decided we’d hop across the road to Odesa train station. Here, we’d find somewhere to leave our rucksacks. Unfortunately, we couldn’t have timed this any worse. A huge train had just pulled in, and there was a chaotic queue of cranky travellers forming outside the left luggage cabin.

If anyone needs to know where left luggage at Odesa station is, it’s nearly all the way down Platform One. This is a long platform – be prepared for some good cardio as you drag your luggage towards it!

We staked our position among the sea of wheeled suitcases and huge laundry bags. After that, it was just a case of playing the waiting game. The queue inched forward agonisingly slowly until eventually, it was our turn to squeeze through the tiny door and into the foyer.

Inside was even more chaotic. It appears that two, possibly three people man the left luggage at Odesa Station. We never did quite work out the system. However, in true British manner, we began to form our own queue behind a pair of equally confused students.

Finally, it was our turn to heave our bags over the counter, receiving a small token in return which we’d have to keep safe for later. I would not have fancied our chances of trying to explain that we’d lost it. Oh, for the good old station lockers on the German train network!

First walk through Odesa’s streets

With our backpacks safely tucked away at the station, it was time to explore! Odesa’s position on the Black Sea enabled it to evolve into a bustling port city. During the 19th century, Odesa had become the 4th largest city in Imperial Russia, and its streets are packed full of architecture from its golden age.

Even the facade of Odesa’s train station is impressive. We walked straight down Pushkin Street towards the magnificent Opera building as we headed towards town. If we’d been unknowingly dropped here, we’d have assumed we were perhaps in Central Europe, strolling through a Mediterranean city. The architecture, the fantastic weather, the alfresco cafes down every street – it’s clear why Odesa is the summer capital of Ukraine!

We wolfed down brunch at KlaraBara, a lovely little place overlooking City Garden – a small leafy square with tons going on. Musicians, fountains, markets – a perfect summer’s weekend in the city.

Follow the towels – trying to find Odesa’s beaches

The good vibes continued as we made our way towards the Black Sea. A stroll through the buzzing markets in Istanbul Park finished with a walk down the immense Potemkin Stairs, a vast cascade of steps leading to the port. We knew we weren’t too far from Odesa’s beaches. However, there didn’t seem to be much sign of sand as we gazed across the busy ring-road towards the melee of cranes and shipping containers stretching out into the sea.

Suddenly, we spotted exactly what we needed – a pair of middle-aged Ukrainians clutching beach towels. Keeping a safe distance, we stalked our oblivious guides as they crossed roads, climbed stairs, dodged cyclists and ultimately led us through to Shevchenko Park.

Named after Taras Shevchenko, a celebrated 19th-century Ukrainian poet, Shevchenko Park is an excellent asset to Odesa. Packed with monuments, views across the Black Sea, and a whole heap of green space, it’s a perfect spot for a stroll on a summer’s day. It also happens to be the gateway to Odesa’s beaches. This fact became apparent as our two original guides faded away into the crowds of beach-goers all making their way down to the sea.

Beaches as far as the eye can see

Odesa’s beaches stretch for miles. That much was instantly evident as we emerged from Shevchenko Park next to the aquarium. This is perched at the very northern tip of a stretch of beaches, bars, restaurants and night clubs which went on for as far as the eye could see.

Needless to say, on a hot day in early summer, we fitted in perfectly with our day bags and practical clothing. Feeling like the only people left in the world wearing jeans (or, at times, tops), we wandered down as far as the Yellow Stone beach. If we’d had more time, this would have been a great place to spend a whole afternoon. The atmosphere was great, and plenty was happening on both land and sea.

After allowing ourselves a quick stop for a token cocktail by the sea, it was time to retrace our steps and start thinking about grabbing a bite to eat before boarding the night train to Kyiv.

Final stroll around Odesa

Our last wander through Odesa took us right past one of its most magnificent buildings. The Odesa Opera and Ballet Theatre sits at the end of the immense Rishelievska Street, stretching back to the train station.

As we wandered the bustling pavements, it was clear that there was a performance that evening. A constant parade of sparkling cars with blacked-out windows dropped off immaculately dressed attendees before heading off in an overture of horns and screeching tires.

Although our tickets for the evening were decidedly less glamorous than a night at the opera, we were confident that we were in for an exciting time. After a quick bite to eat, it was time to head from Odesa to Kyiv on the night train!

Boarding the Odesa to Kyiv Night Train – Drama!

The sleeper train from Odesa to Kyiv begins boarding quite early. If you’re not familiar with the process for long-distance trains in Eastern Europe, here’s how things go:

• If you arrive too early at the station, you’ll get very used to sitting on the floor. Or, alternatively, standing up a lot as you wait for the announcement that your train is ready to board.
• You might get decide to pass the time by eating everything in sight. Try to resist the urge to eat anything which has been sat out on a buffet. Especially at the end of the day!
• Once your train is announced, you’ll know about it. Even if the sound system is terrible and you can’t understand a word. The tidal wave of travellers flocking towards the train will be the giveaway.
• Follow the crowds and head towards your wagon. This should be clearly numbered on your ticket. A ticket inspector will be waiting at the doors to check you’ve found the right place, and will wave you on.
• You’ll look for your berth/seat, which will be numbered. Once you’ve found it, settle in and enjoy the journey!

If only the last step were that simple. Usually, it is! However, we’d fallen victim to an incorrect or out of date seating plan whilst booking the tickets online. Having been looking forward to a lovely private berth, we now found ourselves separated.

Nobody was budging despite the ticket inspector asking if anyone would mind swapping. So, this is how Lucy spent her night train from Odesa to Kyiv in a compartment with a mother and toddler who blanked her completely, whilst I shared the journey with a Ukrainian pensioner called Yuri. Unfortunately, Yuri spoke no English, so we shared some limited conversation in Russian before calling it a night.

Day Two: Arriving in Kyiv from Odesa by Train

Our night train from Odesa arrived in Kyiv just after 7am. We had the morning to zoom around as much as we could of the city before we had to head to the airport to catch our flight back to the UK. Not ideal.

Thankfully, we had a vague plan of action. This had involved:

• Buying breakfast biscuits in Odesa before we left, so that we could eat on the move.
• Marking out exactly what we wanted to see on a map the day before.
• Immediately hunting down the nearest Uber to take us to the furthest point on our sightseeing mission, before working our way back into the city centre.

We got started on the final point – the Uber – almost as soon as the train doors opened. We semi-sprinted towards the left-luggage facility, which was mercifully quiet compared to Odesa. Rucksacks dropped, we’d spied a McDonalds across the road where we could grab some free WiFi and order an Uber. This was not our first rodeo.

The Motherland Monument and Park

Within about 10 minutes, we were cruising off towards the immense Motherland Monument, which towers above the city. Construction finished in 1981, with the Soviet Union less than a decade from its collapse. The sheer scale of the statue, with a gargantuan hammer and sickle adorning the sturdy shield, was seriously impressive.

‘Rodina Mat’, as it is locally known, is located in the grounds of the catchily-named ‘National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War’. If we had left Kyiv that day without seeing anything else, we’d have left content.

The sheer scale of this place, overseen by the Motherland statue, is incredible. Tanks, planes, helicopters and missile carriers stretch throughout the parkland. Brutalist statues commemorate the fallen Soviet soldiers and civilians who died during the conflict with Nazi Germany. Inside, vast exhibition halls tell the story of the conflict and its victims.

Without doubt, an absolute must-visit whilst in Kyiv.

Racing around the golden domes of Kyiv’s cathedrals

Our final hurrah in Kyiv before we had to depart for our afternoon flight back to the UK was to admire as many of the city’s famous cathedrals as possible.

Anyone who’s ever seen an Orthodox cathedral will be familiar with the ornate, sublime domes which adorn the buildings. Kyiv is home to some of the most beautiful Orthodox cathedrals around.

St Sophia’s, St Michael’s and St Volodymyr’s are all within walking distance of each other. We found St Sophia’s and St Michael’s to be the most visually impressive, with their sparkling domes particularly striking in the morning sun whilst the bells for the Sunday services rang out.

Back to the UK

As we joined the crowds of congregants streaming out onto the streets, that was pretty much the last hurrah for the trip. Before sourcing a final lunch, we headed to the historic Independence Square, the beating heart of many of Ukraine’s political movements. Eventually, it was time to call an Uber and make our way to the airport.

It had been a whirlwind five days. From arriving in a roasting hot Chisinau to discovering the unrecognised state of Transnistria, and finally racing around Ukraine via a night train – the question remained: “How is this a holiday?!”

Whatever the correct answer to that is, one thing is for sure – it was three days of annual leave very well spent.

Read Next

• Exploring Transnistria – lost cameras, angry taxi drives and TV appearances
• How to get in and out of Transnistria
• The best things to do in 24 hours in Odesa