European vacations can tend to get pricey, but if you're a budget traveler you're in luck! There are several airlines with flights from Kiev for cheap.
Everyone knows that one of the best things about Europe is how many incredible cities are so close to each other. It makes planning a trip to several different locations totally possible—especially if you get to live in Europe for an entire semester as a volunteer through International Language Programs. With your weekends free and a handful of other vacation days, you can plan the ideal itineraries of dreamy destinations! And major bonus if you know all the tips for traveling around Europe on a budget.
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Come see what volunteering in Ukraine is all about
Ukraine is so close to countries that should absolutely be on your list! We're talking Hungary, Poland, Romania, Austria, among others. But just a short flight away are other incredible spots that are must-sees for every traveler, like Greece, Italy, England, and the Czech Republic. The best part is that when flying on Europe's budget airlines, you can get amazing deals on tickets for your flights that leave straight from Kiev! Use that to your advantage and see as much as you can.
Pssst: Make sure you also check out these websites that all budget travelers should be using! Kayak and Skyscanner are especially great to use when searching for good flight deals.
Budget Airlines
There are a few helpful websites when you are looking at flights. We recommend checking out all of these as options when you are booking flights. The more research you do the easier it is to get a good deal and compare prices. There are two international airports in Kiev that you can depart from: Boryspil International Airport and Igor Sikorsky Kiev International Airport (Zhuliany).
Wizz Air
Want to save lots of money? Wizz Air is the place! We are currently kinda of in love with all the routes that Wizz air has added from Ukraine — in 2022, the airline added a whole list of 12 new routes from Kiev, 9 new routes from Lviv, and expanded the overall frequency of flights departing from Ukraine of its previous 25 routes.
What does that mean for you? Amazing destinations are just a couple of hours away (and a few dollars, if you can snag a cheap fare). Here are just a few examples of the new 2022 routes:
- Kiev to Paris, France
Kiev to Nice, France
Kiev to Barcelona, Spain
Kiev to Madrid, Spain
Kiev to Porto, Portugal
Lviv to Athens, Greece
Lviv to London, England
The number of flights can be limited because they only fly on certain days and to certain airports, but we are liking the increased routes ... like going from 5 flights a week to seven flights a week to Budapest or Vienna. If you can make that work for your schedule, we highly recommend using them to save some serious cash.
Check flights on Wizz Air here.
RyanAir
Ryanair is another fan favorite when it comes to traveling Europe on a budget. The destinations from Kiev on RyanAir are limited, so plan on flying to places like Austria, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Spain and a handful of other dreamy spots all from Kiev, Ukraine.
Sky Up!
This Kiev based airline has been quickly growing over the past few years. While you may not find the cheapest of cheap flights that RyanAir and Wizz Air tend to offer, they often have great deals and have a long (and growing) list of cities they offer routes to. It's definitely worth checking out. Kiev to Italy for $30? Count me in. You'll also find great deals to cities that the budget airlines don't offer from Kiev like Tbilisi, Georgia and Stockholm, Sweden.
UIA
Ukraine International Airlines is a great option if you are looking for availability. There are a lot of fights and dates available and the prices are pretty decent depending on where you are going. Look around and be flexible with dates if you can, this will help you find better deals on the site. UIA has routes to over 80 countries, with some 1,000 flights a week.
LOT
This Polish airline isn't usually quite as discounted as other airlines, but you can sometimes find good deals if you do some research (especially to Poland). This airline has a hub in Warsaw, which is one of the busiest airports around.
Check out LOT flights here. 
Popular Destinations
After a quick search, here is a list of round-trip tickets from Kiev to popular destinations in Europe. Just keep in mind that fares really fluctuate depending on what season of the year you are traveling in and even which days you're looking into. Some flights are crazy affordable (I've seen flights from Ukraine to Greece for $25) but change your search to a couple of weeks later and the price is closer to $300.
These sample itineraries and prices are only via Wizz and RyanAir (the two most discounted airlines). Flights through UIA and LOT will cost an additional $50+. Sky Up! prices tend to be somewhere in the middle.
Wizz Air (Roundtrip Tickets)
- Kyiv (Zhulyany) → Berlin, Germany (Brandenburg) $17
- Kyiv (Zhulyany) → Milan, Italy (Malpensa) $37
- Kyiv (Zhulyany) → Warsaw, Poland (Chopin) $43
- Kyiv (Zhulyany) → Bratislava, Slovakia $45
- Kyiv (Zhulyany) → Rome, Italy (Fiumicino) $48
- Kyiv (Zhulyany) → Vilnius, Lithuania $48
- Kyiv (Zhulyany) → Vienna, Austria $55
- Kyiv (Zhulyany) → Bologna, Italy $57
- Kyiv (Zhulyany) → Budapest, Hungary $62
- Kyiv (Zhulyany) → Riga, Latvia $68
RyanAir (Roundtrip Tickets)
- Kyiv → Budapest, Hungary $40
- Kyiv → Krakow, Poland $48
- Kyiv → Berlin, Germany (Brandenburg) $60
- Kyiv → Athens, Greece $60
Kyiv → Vienna, Austria $70
Tips For Getting The Best Deals
Be Flexible
As you are looking for flights, be as flexible as possible. Sometimes flying out a day later/earlier can change the price drastically. Look at dates around your ideal date and see if you can make the cheaper dates work with your teaching schedule.
But if you can't be flexible on the days you're traveling (that's typically the case for ILP volunteers), another very successful strategy is to be flexible on where you go. Have your heart set on visiting Vienna but the flight is crazy expensive? Maybe you can get a better deal by visiting another country and flying there first (like Munich, Germany) then taking a much more affordable train or bus to Vienna. Exploring your country and transportation options is going to benefit your wallet more than anything else.
Fly One Way
If you are flying into Paris, it doesn't mean you have to fly back to Ukraine from Paris. Check out surrounding airports to see if you kind find any other deals on flights. Then you can head to a new country by bus or train and see more of Europe.
Watch Baggage Policies + Other Rules
Some of these flights are very cheap but you can easily triple the price you paid if you don't pay attention to the add-ons. These cheap flights often charge for seat selection, to print your boarding pass, and your luggage. Be sure to triple check all policies before booking so you're not surprised. Here's everything you need to know about baggage fees and how to avoid them.
See what's waiting for you in Ukraine
*This post received a refresh to integrate the new 2022 Wizz Air routes.
