All you need to know about travelling to Kiev for the Champions League Final

25 May 2018

Liverpool are set to take on Real Madrid in the Champions League final, with thousands of fans expected to make the trip to Kiev.

R fans are notorious for finding ways to follow their team in Europe and we’ve come up with some tips for all those heading to the Ukranian capital.

From what currency to take, to some common words and phrases, we’ve find out everything you need to know ahead of Saturday, May 26.

Here’s everything to bear in mind if you’re heading to Kiev.

Flights and how to get there

Many fans have been frustrated with the lack and price of flights to Kiev.

Flights have been quickly booked up and have been selling for £1,000.

The high flight prices are in part because Thomas Cook had to lease extra planes to meet the required capacity.

In a statement, Thomas Cook Sport said: “At the request of Liverpool Football Club, Thomas Cook Sport worked to secure additional aircraft for the Champions League Final in Kiev.

“Despite the significant challenges involved as a result of the limited availability of aircraft at this time, and the increasingly urgent need for a solution, this objective was met.

Desperate Liverpool fans are looking at paying for PRIVATE JETS to take them to Kiev

“Unfortunately, but also unavoidably, the aircraft was secured at a higher cost, which is reflected in the higher price for supporters.”

On Tuesday night Liverpool FC told Spirit of Shankly there would be further day trips announced via Thomas Cook.

These are set to be limited due to the lack of available air slots into and out of Kyiv and these will be the last trips offered.

Some people are travelling on a coach from Liverpool leaving on the Thursday and returning hours after the game.

Thousands are doing day trips from all Liverpool, Manchester or London, while some fans have decided to travel via Dubai because it was cheaper going there and all the way back, than travelling through Europe.

A lot of fans are travelling to parts of Poland and then getting connecting flights. Lublin, Warsaw and Krakow are some of the most popular choices.

Some are also going to Poland and getting overnight sleeper trains from Warsaw and arriving into Kyiv on the morning of the game.

Others are going via Germany with Berlin, Dusseldorf and Dortmund the main airports expected to see R fans.

Getting to the ground

Liverpool fans will be seated in blocks 37-55 and 40-56 in the north stand – the nearest entrance to the away fans’ sector in the stadium is from Esplanadna and Saksahanskogo streets.

Arrangements for how fans should make their way to the ground will be circulated in the coming days.

Accommodation

Fans have had trouble with sky high hotel prices, with some charging £15,000 for the night, but Ukrainian fans have stepped in to offer free accommodation for travelling fans.

On this website fans can find hosts to stay with free of charge on the final night.

The website reads: “We are trying to spread the word for those fans traveling to the final game in Kiev that a large community of Ukrainian soccer fans and regular people have come together to offer free housing to fans, as Ukrainians are appalled by the skyrocketing hotel prices and last-minute cancellations in Kiev over the course of the final game.”

The Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine.

All you need to do is login, choose your host, press book it and wait for an email from the event organiser, who will then put you in touch with your host.

R supporters in the city of Lviv, in the west of the country, have also sprung into action.

The Lviv Liverpool FC Fan Club are inviting supporters to stay in their city with the promise of organising transfers to and from the stadium.

Hostels in Lviv for that weekend are available online from just £11 per night.

Lviv is 340 miles away from Kiev with the drive expected to take around seven hours.

Currency

The Ukranian currency is a closed currency, meaning you can’t get it anywhere other than Ukraine.

One Money Shop worker gave fans some advice, they said: “If you take 50 pound notes to Kiev with you,you will get a higher exchange rate off them.

“Don’t buy Euros, dollars or Russian roubles. You can’t spend them there and you will end up losing out on the rate changing pound to euro then euro to Ukraine etc. TAKE STERLING.”

Spirit of Shankly have also asked the club to assist in signposting safe and official money-changing points, to prevent fans being ripped off. The club will raise this with city officials.

Liverpool fans celebrate in Rome

Here’s a rough Pound to Ukrainian hryvnia conversion chart.

£1 is about 35.35UAH

£5 is just over 175UAH

£10 is just over 350UAH

£20 just over 700UAH

£50 is just over 1750UAH

£100 is 3535.29UAH

Average Costs

The average price of a domestic draught .5l beer is 25.00UAH – which is roughly 71p.

An imported beer is 40.00UAH – roughly £1.10

Liverpool fans celebrate the victory at the end of the UEFA Champions League Semi Final Second Leg match against A.S. Roma
(Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

A three-course meal for two people in a mid-range restaurant costs 500UAH – around £15 .

A local travel ticket one way is 5UAH – around 20p.

Common Phrases

Добрий день /dobryj den’/ = hello

Привіт /pryv’it/ = hi

Дякую /d’akuju/ = thank you

Будь ласка /bud’ laska/ = You’re welcome or Please

Як справи? /Jak spravy/ = How are you?

Дуже добре /Duzhe dobre/ = Very good

Вибачте /vybachte/ = Excuse me

Де? /de/ = Where is…?

Скільки? /skilky/ = How much…?