The Two Best Ways to Save Money When Headed to Kiev Ukraine

You may pay twenty bucks for a jar of red caviar or thirty for a bottle of good vodka. How about eighty five for a Soviet fur hat...

As with any travel destination, the price of souvenirs in Ukraine can add up quickly. Of course, you can skip on buying gifts, yet the best way to save cool cash in Kiev Ukraine is to do some planning ahead of time, at home.

Indeed, thousands of dollars can be saved just by making two intelligent choices: Your air travel, and your accommodation. An $1200 round trip from New York to Kiev might seem logical, as might $99 per night for a room in a two-star hotel. You can do much better. Much better. Here is how.

Explaining the existence of travel-related websites is akin to explaining how to operate a seat belt - you feel silly explaining the obvious, but you just don't want to leave someone out. In that spirit, allow me to mention the main travel sites. Orbitz, Travelocity, Priceline, Kayak...these are some of the most popular travel websites (and I have no affiliation with any of them).

On these websites, you type in your voyage dates and destination, and they look for the databases of most of the major airlines, hotel chains, rental car companies and so forth. In a few moments search results show you the best prices available based on the details of your query.

Small but an important advise: When probing flights, be sure to check at least these four websites, and if you're flexible on the dates of your journey, research with a diversity of travel dates. It's amazing how radically prices can vary by changing your travel dates slightly. I've saved hundreds of dollars by flying on a Saturday as an alternative of a Friday. If you want to be totally thorough, check all seven week days.

After you've gotten a feel for the costs of your flight, go directly to the websites of the following airlines: Aerosvit (Ukraine's national airline); Aeroflot (Russia's national airline); LOT (Polish Airlines); and Wizzair (Hungarian). Depending on the time of year, and how far in advance you buy your ticket, $1200 might indeed be a fair deal. However, I traveled round trip between Kiev and New York's JFK in June of 2010 for $550 on Delta airlines. Although that's the best deal I've yet found, I frequently find similar tickets in the $700 range.

The second money-saving decision you can make ahead of time is regarding lodging. Yes, if you're loyal to staying in a hotel, then by all means use the same travel sites mentioned above and find the best deal you can. But the real choice I'm talking about is whether to stay in a hotel at all. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of nice hotels in the Ukraine, particularly in Kiev, Lvov, Odessa or Donetsk. But the good ones aren't near $100 per night. Think between $250 and $600 nightly. In the meantime, for $60-$100 or so per night in Kiev, you can rent a nice one-two-bedroom apartment. That's a savings of between $1000 and $2000 during the course of a typical seven to ten day stay.

I disagree that the best hotels are often perfectly located, right in the city center and steps away from the city's main square; most expensive hotels are. It's hard to compete with that, and if such a level of convenience is the most important factor for you, that's comprehensible. But if you don't mind being a three or five minute walk from the main street (within city center), then apartments provide a enormously more cheap option. In addition, an added economic advantage to renting an apartment is the capability to cook your own meals. In Kiev, for the price of one meal in an luxurious restaurant, you could instead stash your refrigerator for a week. The bottom line is that, whatever price you're willing to pay for accommodation, an apartment will give you twice the bang for half the buck.

If I've swayed you away from hotels and you're interested in finding an apartment in Kiev, search on KievApartmentRent.com . There you have it. Trail these two tips, and you'll save sufficient cash to get all the fur hats and black caviar you can stuff in your travel case. Safe travels!

Five top advantages Kiev Apartment vs. Kiev Hotels

A vacation in Kiev Ukraine can be made more relaxed by taking into consideration a vacation rental. The mere flexibility, savings and locations of apartments in Kiev Ukraine can far outweigh those of many Kiev hotels. These 5 rewards to renting an apartment provide evidence that the benefits can make any holiday fun and save ton of cash in your pocket left to buy some holiday gifts.

Top reason to rent apartment in Kiev verses Kiev Hotels is to Save Money. This is not a catch. Nearly every apartment in Kiev will save you money compared to booking a Kiev hotel room. And, the savings only increases if you have more people in your group. Imagine a family or small group considering a hotel. They will likely need to book two or three separate hotel rooms. But just one hotel room alone is likely more expensive than an entire two bedroom apartment.

Guests can also save by booking directly through an owner. Owners have the liberty of being more flexible with pricing since they are not bound by their rates like many Kiev hotels. Also, owners are known to negotiate prices to meet a specific budget.

Second thought is your Local Experience. Kiev Hotels can be very nice, but they can never match the freedom and experience of renting a Kiev apartment. Apartments in Kiev provide a feeling of living amongst locals. The several lovely residences right through the capital have a character that combines home and the charm of Kiev.

Kiev Apartments are not limited to a brand or franchise like many Kiev hotels. They offer a brilliant place to stay, not something typical. After all, part of traveling to Kiev is to experience the culture, color and flavor of the city. This experience is less likely to happen at Kiev hotel.

More Space is always a key. Most Kiev hotel rooms are unattractive and small in size. You will generally get room and a small bathroom unless you pay significantly more for a superior suite.

Alternatively, apartments in Kiev are much bigger. Many Kiev apartments will include a bedroom, separate seating area or living room and kitchen. And after a day of walking the city, it is much more comfortable to come home to a nicely furnished apartment than the small confines of a Kiev hotel room.

Experience a touch of Ukrainian Hospitality. The individual approach that Kiev apartment owners and managers provide is hard to find in a Kiev hotel. Many Kiev hotel staffs are stressed by the travelers seasons and are not known for their customer service. In the meantime Kiev apartment owners personally benefit from happy visitors. They are exceptionally motivated to provide the best in generosity & hospitality to travelers. From maps to a free Internet as well as stocked fridge, apartment owners and their agents are eager to make travelers experience a home away from home - in spite of everything, it is their own business.

Location, Location and Location. Unlike Kiev hotels, apartments in Kiev are not limited by their size so their locations can give guests quick entrance to the main attractions and public transportation. From the heart of Golden Gate - historic gateway in the ancient city walls of Kiev to the back steps of Kiev Pechersk Lavra - also known as the Kiev Monastery of the Caves, a historic Orthodox Christian monastery in Kiev, you can find lovely apartments throughout the charming streets of Kiev.

How to meet cool Ukrainian girl among pleasures of Kiev nightlife

Staying in Kiev, foreign men often discuss time and places to meet Ukrainian girls. Wild and rowdy Kiev nightlife attracts them and they wish to meet girls in a relaxed enjoyable atmosphere, but many questions come into view in connection with this. What season is the best for coming to Kiev to this cool capital that has much to offer: from nice girls to trendy clubs and ultra modern bars? What girls are better: those who came to Kiev from small provincial towns or the native dwellers of the capital? What places are the best for meeting nice chicks?

Men want to get pleasure from their stay in Kiev and look for the shortest path to the desired goal. Much surely depends what goal the man set. Does he need a special lady to spend the whole life with or just looks for entertainment and pleasures of Kiev nightlife? But no matter what goal the foreign guest is trying to achieve, diverse Kiev nightlife features everything needed for him and marvelous live music clubs and exciting events will exceed the expectations of any choosy person.

But you have to know about some secrets to enjoy Kiev nightlife at full! If you think, for instance, that Christmas time is the best for coming to Ukraine and getting the most from Kiev nightlife, you will probably be mistaken and disappointed. Listen to the advice of those who visited this country already not to make a mistake. The majority of Ukrainians has rest at first 2 weeks of January, therefore exclude them from the date of your potential visit. However, coming in winter can contribute to your popularity at Kiev clubs where for some reasons there are more ladies at this severe season. Kiev nightlife seems to be not at its peak then, but you can get what you need. Much attention from the opposite sex is guaranteed at this period.

"Ladies nights" happened to be one of the characteristics of Kiev nightlife in winter. Happenings and thrilling events of some theme parties will bring more excitement in the company of beautiful Ukrainian girl. Kiev nightlife scene has much to offer but avoid gold diggers and prostitutes and choose to communicate with real Ukrainian ladies.

Popular singers often give concerts in the clubs of the city. This is a good chance to meet a good Ukrainian girl. You should learn to see difference between party girls in the Kiev nightlife environment and nice real ladies you would like to date. With this approach you have excellent chances to spend fantastic time with really incredible girl in the easy-going atmosphere of Kiev nightlife.