Crossing the Border
There were several options to choose from when crossing the Polish/ Ukrainian border. There are 2 main hubs in Poland which are the busiest are either Rzeszów or Krackov . As non Ukrainian local or have a registered business in Ukraine the best transport options available are bus, train or private taxi.I arrived I was able to book on the day of travel but some transport bookings do require you to be in Ukraine to book.
I opted for Rzeszów, taking a bus at 1210 and arriving into Lviv at 1845 that same day. The bus was direct and with about a 3 hour waiting time at the border to cross over.
The border crossing itself was quite straight forward, the waiting times are really dependant on the amount of traffic. On both sides of the border all pasThe coaches I used was comfortable and driven safely. Passports were taken away but returned back with no issues.
Before arriving into Lviv there was one police checkpoint but the bus was waived through with no having to stop. The total travel time was six and half hours.
Lviv
The atmosphere in Lviv is generally relaxed. For much of the city’s population, life now continues as normal. Coffee shops and restaurants are working and there are no overtly visible signs of businesses closing. Shops are well stocked and mobile coverage is uninterrupted. Tourist excursions are even offered on the central Rynok Square.
Kviv market stall selling matches & candles which were in high demand
English is widely spoken, although not to the same degree as Western Europe. Russian is usually accepted too, if used sensitively, but not generally heard on the street. Locals report that there is a feeling that the war is “somewhere else” and that most people in Lviv have not felt the same degree of trauma as those from further east.
There remain signs of the ongoing conflict, however. Armed soldiers man checkpoints at major road junctions and guard some state institutions, such as the National Bank of Ukraine. Some sites of cultural significance are protected by sandbags and some districts are periodically without power, although most hotels tend to have their own back-up supply. There remains a curfew from 00:00-05:00. Air raid sirens are not uncommon, although are now ignored by much of the population.
Traffic on Lviv’s narrow and cobbled streets has always been an issue and is perhaps even worse today due to the influx of IDPs from further east. The city now visibly acts as a hub for the cross-boarder supply of cars, generators and the like from the rest of Europe. There are also more foreigners in Lviv now compared with before February, particularly humanitarian volunteers and aid workers, military recruits and journalists. As a result, some international-facing services are in greater demand, such as hotels and car hire.
During my stay in Ukraine i travelled east from Lviv staying in Kyiv and then across to Dnipro.
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