Ukraine Car Hire Destination Guide

Car hire is available in Ukraine from the major car rental companies. Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It lies at the northwest end of the Black Sea, with Russia to the east, Belarus to the north, Poland to the northwest, Slovakia and Hungary to the west, and Romania to the south west and south, with Moldova in between.

Most of the country (the central and eastern portions) was formerly a part of Russian Empire; after WWII, the entire country - known as the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic - was a part of the Soviet Union. Ukraine is the second-largest country in Europe, albeit with a slightly declining population.

Driving in Ukraine
If you’re planning to rent a car while in Ukraine there’s some basic information you’re going to need to get you on your way. Firstly, and quite importantly if you’re British, get ready to drive on the right hand side of the road. That’s the wrong side if you’re British! This means you should always overtake on the left.

Ukraine has a bit of a reputation when it comes to the quality of both its roads and its drivers. Ukrainian traffic police are always very busy on the roads. It is common knowledge that if you are stopped, they are looking for a bribe. They will try to look for something wrong with your documents or car if there was no traffic infringement. The typical bribe these days for "minor infringements" such as speeding is 20 UAH ($4 USD). The absence of serious fines for driving violations contributes to the poor driving culture on Ukrainian roads.

Traffic police will ask to see your vehicle registration certificate, driver's license, and passport (to check for the entry stamp). If everything is fine, they will probably ask for your immigration card. They have also been known to check for "warning triangles" and first-aid kits, which every car is supposed to have, and wheedle a bribe out of you if you don't have it.

In general, traffic police will not stop you more often for having foreign plates, and they are not prepared to chat with you in English. If you waste too much of their time, they will usually let you go.

Car insurance is not yet compulsory in Ukraine, and you will not be checked for insurance at the border if you’re driving in from another country. Even if you were, foreign insurance companies would almost certainly refuse to insure your car in a "dangerous" place like Ukraine.

You may buy 3rd party car insurance in Ukraine for a small amount. This will cover up to $5000 in damages to the other car in accidents where you are at fault. Fully comprehensive auto insurance policies might also be available for foreigners.

When car accidents occur in Ukraine, drivers are required to leave their cars on the scene of the accident until traffic police come and write up a report. This rule creates significant traffic problems in large cities. When drivers don't want to involve police and insurance companies, they agree on a cash settlement on the stop. One party will usually call a family member or friend and have them bring the agreed amount of cash to the accident site.

Speed Limits
The common speed limits are 60 km/h (37mph) in built up areas, 90 km/h (56mph) out of town, and on motorways it’s 130 km/h (81mph). If you get stopped by Police for speeding a bribe can get you on your way again as they appear to be commonly accepted in Ukraine

Drink Driving
While most other European countries have low drink driving limits and severe penalties if you’re caught drinking and driving, Ukraine is almost the reverse of that. They operate a zero tolerance policy on drink driving so any amount of alcohol in your system and you’re guilty. However, as with speeding a roadside bribe can often be the end of the matter. We still don’t recommend you drink drive of course, if you’re driving in Ukraine you definitely need your wits about you!

Related Links
• Rental Locations : A guide to destinations throughout the world
• Ukraine : Official tourism web site for Ukraine