If you ask westerners who visited Ukraine what you should be wary of when coming to Kiev (Kyiv), they will probably tell you to be careful with taxis, as prices that drivers quote to foreigners could be 3-4 times higher than the going rate. But is it true or just a tale?
Taxi rip offs in Ukraine: Fact or fiction?
Reporters from Segodnya.ua decided to check whether taxi rips offs are still happening in 2020 or it’s just a thing of the past that no longer a problem.
Yuri Gula and Elena Goncharenko made the same trip from the central railway station of Kiev to the city centre (Sophia Square). It is a short trip that is only 4 km long.
Once travellers exit a train and enter the station building, dozens of taxi drivers offer their help to take them places. But when asked for a quote, the price was exorbitantly high by local standards: 200 hryvnia (it’s actually only USD 7).
When the reporters rang an official taxi service, the price was only 63 hryvnia (USD 2.20).
The journalists told the taxi driver they were Ukrainians from another town. They also requested a short stopover on the way. The total cost of the trip was 70 hryvnia; the driver charged them 7 hryvnia (USD 0.25) for a 5-minute stopover.
Then the reporters called the same service, but this time they pretended not to be speaking any Ukrainian and talked in English to each other. The driver didn’t speak English and didn’t pick up they were locals. This time the driver requested 85 hryvnia for the same trip (15 hryvnia more, which is only US $0.53). However, when given a 100 hryvnia note, the driver only gave them 10 hryvnia change.
Ask your Ukrainian girlfriend from Elenasmodels.com to pick you up and she will know the going rates and can talk to the driver
So, we can say that there is still a chance to be taken advantage of if you are a foreigner, but it’s not something exorbitant. Just stick to registered taxis and don’t accept offers from people seeking your business before you have even approached a taxi rank.
But even then, the cost of the ride is probably affordable for you and the driver will be happy to help to carry your luggage, so, at the end of the day, you don’t need to wait in a queue or hang around expecting your ride.
Yes, paying 3 times more than local may seem too much, but it’s still less than what you would be normally paying at home for a similar distance.
Better still, if you are arriving to meet your Ukrainian girlfriend from Elenasmodels.com, ask her to pick you up and she will know the going rates and can talk to the driver. Good hotels also offer pick up service if you book a room there.
Enjoy your visit!
Read also:
- How much does it cost to take a taxi from Kiev airport to the city?
- How much do Ukrainians earn in Europe?
- Free river taxi in Dripro, Ukraine
- Travel in Ukraine: ‘The train of 4 capitals’
It’s Fact. The first time I arrived at Odessa airport, the cheapest quote from the swarm of taxi drivers was 600 hryvnia to my hotel. The return ride, at the end of the visit, and accompanied by my gf, was 130. Lesson learned.
I have varying experiences with official taxis and private vehicles that stop at the raised thumb. Some drivers were driving in a very unsafe way. Other drivers were very good drivers. The best service that I experienced, was a taxi service in Minsk. He owned a VW Minibus. He picked me up at the airport and took me to my hotel. Later he took me on a few all day trips to various cities in Belarus. His rates were very reasonable and I paid him double what he was asking and paid for the meals we had on the trips.… Read more »