Ukraine

Hotels might be a traumatic experience for a westerner anywhere outside Kiev. The cheaper the hotel, the larger the chance of some quite unfortunate surprises, especially for those not familiar with the Soviet-style level of service which still remains in many places.

There are many mid-range €25-45 options outside Kiev. For instance in Ivano-Frankivsk near the Carpathians, the going rate is approximately €35 for a suite bedroom and sitting room in one such hotel. Many hotels have the choice between renovated rooms/suites "western style" and not renovated rooms East European style. The last choice is more than 50% cheaper and gives you a spacious old fashioned 2 room suite, basic but clean!

There are a number of 5-star hotels in Kiev and one in Donetsk; see guides for those cities for listings. At one such hotel in Lviv, the going rate ranges from €40-60 a night.

Another option is to rent an apartment on the internet before you leave your country. There are many to choose from in Kiev and Odessa.

What many people from ex-Soviet countries do is to go to the railway station, where they try to find people who are willing to rent a room. Prices are usually much cheaper and if there are enough people, offering the room you can make great deals in Yalta, people are almost fighting to be able to talk to you.

These deals are usually not legal and they will take you to a corner before negotiating. Make sure they have warm water, and don't be afraid to say it's not what you expected when seeing the room.