Re: [Cz-L] US Travel Options to Chernivtsi - 2011...

WOW!!!!!
Yosef Eshet

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jordan S. Bernhard" <cz-l_at_jordandirect.com>
To: "CZ-L Group" <czernowitz-l_at_cornell.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2011 12:31 AM
Subject: [Cz-L] US Travel Options to Chernivtsi - 2011...

>
> Dear Stephen:
>
> With this wonderful list group you will find all kinds of excellent
> recommendations and solutions for travel to Chernivtsi, but very few apply
> to US citizens originating here in the States. I am in Los Angeles, which
> complicates matters even worse.
>
> First, we don't need a visa to visit the Ukraine. Puppy shots, yes, but
> official papers no. Just a valid US passport and lots of cash. Credit
> cards
> and travelers checks are usually not accepted once inside the Ukraine, and
> the Ukrainian banking system is literally broke, let alone broken.
>
> AIR TRAVEL:
> It is true you can fly all the way to Kiev via American Airlines/British
> Airways LAX or JFK to London (LHR) / Kiev (KBP) --- assuming one can
> tolerate the grueling 25-48 hour endeavor --- but what safe aerial options
> can be had Kiev-Chernivtsi (CWC) is unclear. Many Ukrainian airlines now
> use
> Boeing 737 or similar Western aircraft and sometimes American crews,
> although rumor has it that the An-24 is a reliable Russian transport when
> it
> isn't on fire. Flight time from Kiev is about 90 minutes; Chernivtsi
> airport
> has reportedly been updated, but just how remains a mystery. Recent posts
> on
> the list say services are nil and sometimes passengers must wait until a
> worker arrives with a key to open up the terminal.
>
> In my opinion, the easiest way would be to get to Vienna however you wish,
> then fly Austrian Airlines (OS) from Vienna (VIE) to Lviv (LWO), stay
> overnight or longer, then take the day train described below.
>
> http://www.austrian.com/?sc_lang=en
> <http://www.austrian.com/?sc_lang=en&cc=US> &cc=US
>
> The return trip is virtually identical because you might need to stay
> overnight again in Lviv to catch the early morning flight to Vienna.
>
> Another possibility is to fly directly to Chernivtsi (CWO) via Carpatair
> hubbed in Timisoara, Romania (TSR), which has several daily connecting
> flights to/from several European cities on Fokker and Saab aircraft -
> http://www.carpatair.com/EN/
> http://www.carpatair.com/Flight_Info/Chernivtsi_A/EN/
> A very nice airline, according to international standards.
>
> By the way, AA (and other US airlines) still considers travel all the way
> to
> Kiev as part of its definition of European Peak/Off-Peak awards. It is
> therefore possible to acquire freebie tickets with award points equal to
> the
> rest of Europe, depending on class of travel, of course (or rack up a heck
> of a gain if just adding mileage).
>
> TRAIN:
> I say travel to Vienna and take Austrian Airlines to L'viv, stay overnight
> or longer, then take the popular 5-hour daytime train to Chernivtsi. I
> hear
> the ride through the countryside is pleasant and you will definitely have
> the opportunity to mix with the indigenous population.
>
> Order the latest Thomas Cooke European Rail Guide from Amazon --- it has
> listings for all Ukrainian lines as well as those of neighboring
> countries.
>
> Important: The train from Kiev to Chernivtsi isn't direct; it first goes
> to
> L'viv (Lvov) and connects with the aforementioned 5-hour train ---
> 20-hours
> plus from Kiev, assuming no rail strike. What you don't want to do is
> travel
> via Moldova or be on any transport which brushes it, even for 5-minutes,
> because you will need to obtain a visa prior --- and they are bastards to
> anyone trying to skirt their wacky border antics.
>
> CAR:
> Mimi Taylor once suggested "a relatively easy and safe way to travel" by
> flying into Lviv and then having a taxi hired from Chernivtsi pick you up
> at
> the Lviv airport and drive you back. She added the prospect of combining a
> visit to CZ with vacationing in Romania, and advised you to get a driver
> from Suceava to drive you to CZ.
>
> Other list members can provide you with recommendations and/or personal
> contacts for various kinds of ground transport, whether private driver or
> otherwise.
>
> I have no information regarding bus service.
>
> CELLULAR SERVICE:
>
> You will need an unlocked GSM 900 / 1800 phone so you can add a local SIM
> card. One company to pre-order from is:
> http://www.telestial.com/view_product.php?PRODUCT_ID=LSIM-UA01
> but I don't believe AT&T's International service covers the Ukraine.
>
> A handheld satellite phone is another option if you are a lottery winner
> or
> don't care about USD $1-3.00 / min. charges. (Incoming calls are free,
> however)
>
> WORDS TO THE WISE:
>
> For Americans, here are the best references I have found regarding
> "issues"
> in this region:
>
> US State Department - Travel Registration
> <https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/>
> https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/
>
> US Embassy - Kiev
> http://ukraine.usembassy.gov/
>
> Ukraine Travel
> <http://www.tryukraine.com/info.shtml>
> http://www.tryukraine.com/info.shtml
>
> More on Ukraine Travel
> <http://www.traveltoukraine.org/> http://www.traveltoukraine.org/
>
> For medical problems or emergency services planning:
> US State Department - Medical Insurance
> <http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1470.html>
> http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1470.html
>
> US CDC - Ukrainian Health Risks
> <http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/destinationUkraine.aspx>
> http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/destinationUkraine.aspx
>
> IN CASE OF MEDICAL EMERGENCY -
> <http://www.amcenters.com/> http://www.amcenters.com/
>
> IN CASE OF LEGAL TROUBLE, call PriceCooperWaterhouse in Kiev -
> http://www.pwc.com/ua/en/about/contacts.jhtml
> even if only for a referral for any matter of any kind. And they are
> fluent
> in English - guaranteed.
>
> Lastly:
> In 2008, I corresponded with the CDC regarding my concern over short-term
> exposure to the Chernobyl fallout, most notably Cesium 137, which remains
> mainly in the soil throughout the country (and much of Europe), including
> Bukovina. I was unable to find anything on the web at that time that
> really
> addressed short-term issues. Their team specifically concluded that there
> is
> scant risk of being contaminated by anything, even if swimming in the
> local
> water, but nonetheless there is a risk. They do recommend the usual: drink
> only bottle water, do not ingest large amounts of bath water, do not
> consume
> any foodstuff grown in the regions around Kiev --- but anything produced
> locally, including dairy, meats and produce, should be just fine.
>
> While there are many hospitals in and around Chernivtsi with qualified
> practitioners, to date none is up to American standards and some might
> actually prove hazardous to your health. Of course, if you have a fall or
> something academic, they should be able to help. But, none reportedly
> accept
> Western insurance and therefore prepare to fork over cash before they
> provide treatment. If you have active major medical issues now, it would
> be
> prudent to pre-arrange medical evacuation / treatment options via someone
> in
> Kiev. I have included one such entity above, which seems to be run by
> American doctors. This prearrangement may not be cheap, however, but I
> don't
> know.
>
> I hope this information proves helpful.
>
> JB
>
> [Jordan - Please post in Plain Text -- see the footer at the end of this
> message]
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Received on 2011-02-22 05:04:58