Thanks for this info.

That was a strange statement about the apartment being for those seeking
marriage. I was advised by countless travel agents that the hotels in
Ukaraine are sub-standard and still very expensive compared to Western
standards. Thus to consider Flats or Private Apartments instead...

I did look up a couple of websites for apartments and they do seem pretty
nice and classy - some even in pictures look like 4 or 5 **** hotels.

Anyone have any experiences with the following agents/sites:

http://www.hotkievapartments.com/
http://www.kievrent.net/

Thanks for the sightseeing suggestions. Any ideas on cool, hip bars and
lounges, to socialize and relax?

Thanks!!

-Avien


"Alan (in Brussels)" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > "Avien" <[email protected]> a écrit dans le message de
    > news:[email protected]...
    > > Hi,
    > >
    > > I will be travelling from London to Kiev for the first time next month.
    > >
    > > Couple of things I could use some advice on....
    > >
    > > 1. I was told to stay away from hotels in Kiev and go for apartments.
    > > Apparently apartments are the thing to do and much nicer? (for
reference,
    > I
    > > usually stay at 4 stars and above hotels when I travel) Any apartment
    > > recommendations?
    > >
    > I suspect that an apartment is most suitable for men seeking marriage
    > partners, BICBW.
    > > 2. Ukrainian Airlines flies direct from London to Kiev (and it's
cheaper).
    > > But how is that airline, when it comes to quality, safety and service? I
    > can
    > > also take KLM or Austrian Air that are slightly more expensive and NOT
    > > non-stop.
    > >
    > I can recommend Ukrainian Intrnational as a being a very conventional
    > operator (nothing specially noteworthy). AFAIK they fly Boeing 737s (see
    > their web site http://www.ukraine-international.com/eng )
    > > 3. Any recommendations on how to enjoy Kiev, once I finish with the
    > business
    > > part by 5:00pm? (I'm in my 30's, British male, professional businessman
if
    > > that helps :-))
    > >
    > Obviously, language contraints are the most important; there's virtually
no
    > conventional tourist industry offering services to individual foreigners
in
    > the Ukraine (visa requirements has been a significant deterrent). But in
    > Kiev the main sights are all quite close, between eg the Great Gate and
    > Contractova square (see URL below). So time spent getting familiar with
the
    > Cyrillic alphabet and memorising the key vocabulary on-line below won't be
    > wasted if you like exploring strange places.
    > The weather in Kiev is far more extreme than in the UK, but just as
variable
    > at this time of year. So be prepared! (if it's warm enough, you can even
    > swim from the beaches along the eastern bank of the Dnieper - near
Hydropark
    > metro station).
    > http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinat...urope/ukraine/
    > http://www.go2kiev.com/sightseeing.html
    > http://www.kiev.info/traveltips/helpful_phrases.htm
    > etc. etc.
    > Regards,
    > - Alan (in Brussels)