More and more travellers are discovering that Kiev, Ukraine is a wonderful and unique city. As one of the oldest cities in Europe, Kiev (Kyiv – in ukrainian) offers a lot to visitors, with many historical monuments, cultural areas and beautiful landscapes.
It is a bustling capital of independent Ukraine, its administrative, economic, scientific, cultural and educational center. This scenic city with population of over 3 million people is located on the shores of the Dnepr River.
Kiev Transportation
Public transportation in Ukraine, including Kiev, can not always be counted on to maintain a regular schedule. The most punctual form of transportation in Kiev is the metro. Buses and trolleybuses may be used, but not if you have an appointment to keep. If you're in a hurry and want to pay a bit more, Kiev has a system of minibuses that can take you to parts of the city that other forms of transportation may not service as frequently.
Money
The unit of currency is the Hryvnia (UAH) (гривня) [pronounced: Hryvnia (in Ukrainian), Grivna (in Russian)], which equals about 10,1 UAH to the Euro and 8 UAH to the US Dollar (June 2012).
Most banks operate on Saturdays as well as Mondays to Fridays.
ATMs are known as 'bankomat' (банкомат), and can be found everywhere. All major credit cards and debit cards can be used at some ATMs throughout Ukraine, but do not work in many. You can withdraw UAH but in some cases also US dollars. Be sure to contact your credit card company prior to your visit or they may freeze your card! There is a small service charge (3%) to do this in addition to whatever your bank charges.
Eat
In general, it is very cheap to dine in Kiev by European or US standards. So long as you stay away from the places that totally pander to tourists or to the Porsche Cayenne-driving "elite", the food is great and cheap. Try the Borscht and the Mlyntzi and then try absolutely everything else. Baked goods are cheap and great too. Even the ice-cream on the street is great.