There are two types of taxi in Kiev - official company taxis, and 'gypsy' cabs.
As with many former Soviet cities, it is perfectly acceptable for any car to stop and pick you up. An unmarked vehicle is a 'gypsy' cab. To hail a ride, simply stand with your arm out, palm down ("Avto-stop"). When a car pulls over, negotiate a fare. As a rule of thumb, rides within the downtown are should not cost more than 20-40 UAH and moving across the city might be anywhere from 30 to 70 UAH (also depends on car model, time of day, weather and traffic conditions, whether both of you need to get to the same part of the city, etc.). Therefore, you should choose a proper street side, and your gender and numbers usually matter for the price. Generally, a few girls would find informal taxis easier and cheaper to obtain than several slightly drunk men. It is safe enough compared to many cities, but in the middle of the night you are still taking a risk.
Official company taxis can be hailed, or booked over the phone. There is usually someone who speaks English working for the company. Simply ask 'pa angliskiy pazhalsta' (or "English please"). The operator will give you a quote, which will save you from the sometimes intimidating process of negotiating on the street.
Taxi fares do vary widely. On the same route, a local could pay UAH15 while a foreigner may be quoted UAH60 with the driver being prepared to settle for UAH30.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Kiev
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Kiev Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
