Poland - EURO 2012 - Transport in Poland and Ukraine
By your own car, train or by plane? Many football fans going to Euro 2012 matches face this dilemma. The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection and the All-Ukrainian Consumers' Federation Pulse remind us about most important rules of travelling in Poland and Ukraine
There are still 121 daysbefore the start of European Football Championships. How to cross the border? How much is the ticket in the underground? Consumer protection institutions operating in Poland and Ukraine remind us about the rules of travelling in these two countries. Here follows the next section of tips for fans.
Crossing the borders
EU citizents travelling to Ukraine as tourists needn’t have a visa - a valid passport is enough. When crossing borders each foreigner receives the so called migration document (registration document called, tzw. migracijna kartoczka), which entitles the person to a legal 90-day stay on the territory of Ukraine. On two copies of the document there must be written in capital letters your name, surname, passport serial numbers, sex, date of birth, means of transport/flight number, travel aim (eg. tourism) as well as the address of a hotel or person where the traveller will stay at. One completed form is handed to the customs officer, another should be always kept on us for potential examination till we are abroad. The fine imposed for losing the registration card ranges from UAH 510 (approximately PLN 200, i.e. EUR 50) to UAH 850 (approximately PLN 300, i.e. EUR 80). In case of losing the card, one should immediately contact the embassy of their country in Ukraine.
EU citizens can arrive in Poland on the basis of a valid document confirming the identity, eg. an ID card. Persons beyond the EU must have their passports and visas (if required).
It is vital not to forget about the health insurance. The European Health Insurance Card does not apply in Ukraine. Only the policies by Ukrainmedstach (the state insurance joint stock company) or these issued by companies which have concluded an agreement with the latter can be used. All insurance packages may be bought out on the border and at the airport.
Car
A car owner crossing the Ukrainian border must possess the Green Card (a proof of conclusion of international OC communication insurance, ie. the third party insurance). Both Poland and Ukraine mutually accept driving licences issued in these countries. The same applies to all countries being parties to the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic. This means that all fans can easily travel by car in Ukraine and Poland based on their driving licences.
In both countries a passenger must have the seatbelts fastened. A maximum blood alcohol level may not exceed 0.2 promille in Poland and 0 in Ukraine. Road signs in Ukraine specifying eg. names of places, bypasses are written with the Ukrainian and English languages .
Taxis 
In both countries you can choose between private taxi (unmarked vehicles, available in popular tourist places) and the corporation one, hired by phone (marked eg. with a taxi roof sign, the name of corporation on the door). Fix the route price with the driver before you set off.
To avoid being overcharged, first make sure in a hotel how much a given travel should cost. Taxis awaiting next to famous tourist attractions, airports, or train stations may be more expensive than those ordered by the phone. An average price per km in Warszawa is PLN 2.5 (EUR 0.55) plus the initial payment PLN 7 (EUR 1.5). In Kiev it is respectively UAH 2.5 and EUR 0.22 with a minimum price from UAH 15 to 30 (PLN 6-12 or EUR 1.5-3).
Underground
In Poland – it is available only in Warszawa, in Ukraine – Kiev, Charkow. When travelling by the Ukrainian underground it is necessary to buy special tokens in a machine or at the ticket office, in Poland – a ticket. The price of a travel is UAH 2 in Ukraine (approximately EUR 0.18), in Poland – PLN 3.60 (EUR 0.92). And remember – you mustn’t take photos in the Ukrainian underground.
Trains 
The host cities of the football championships can be reached by train as well. In Poland you may choose from a cheaper fast train (TLK), or regional (Interregio) and more expensive express train (EIC); they differ in ticket prices, the travel time and possibility of reserving seats. EIC trains (I or II travel class) offer the last option with additional payment and the booking is necessary here; TLK (I class only) – the booking is not compulsory. Ticket can be reserved at the station ticket office or via the Internet. To set an example: 10th June 2012, EIC II class train ticket from Warszawa Centralna stadion to Poznań Główny stadion costs PLN 120 (EUR 26.6). The travel lasts 2.5 hour. To compare, TLK passes the same route in 3.13 hour and a II class ticket costs PLN 56 (EUR 12.4). You buy the ticket in cash and in Polish currency. Alternatively, you may also get a ticket with additional payment on a train, provided you immediately report the fact to a conductor.
Ukrainian trains can be divided into long-distance trains (sleeping cars or express trains) and local (the so called elektropoyezd). The latter ones provide less comfortable travels at shorter distances. Tickets can be booked on the website(later to be collected at the railway station), bought at the station ticket office or ordered by phone. Sometimes the Ukrainian information points at railway stations are not free. It is advisable to reserve tickets much in advance especially at holiday time. There are four categories of long-distance trains: the most costly I class with a sleeping car (SV, spalny vagon) with 2 sleeping places in a compartment, II class (kupé) – 4 sleeping places, III economy class (platzkart) – sleeping car with no compartments. In Ukraine the ticket price includes the fee for seat (it dooes not always refer to tickets for local travels) and insurance coverage in case of accident.
When booking a place in a sleeping car, it is worth noting that seats have numbers – even atop, odd – down. After entering the train, you give your ticket to the conductor who will inform you 30 minutes before reaching the destination that you are already approaching the final station where you get off and he will return the ticket at the same time. Lvov-
Kiev ticket prices are as follows: II class (kupe) – about UAH 110-130 (PLN 44-52, i.e. EUR 10-13), III economy class (platzkart) – approximately UAH 70-80 (PLN 28-32, i.e. EUR 6,5-7,5), express train with seats – UAH 58 (PLN 23, i.e. EUR 5,5). The travel takes between 9-12 hours.
Where to seek assistance?
If you face problems with a seller, knowledge of Polish language or Ukrainian consumer law, you can turn to:
In Poland: consumer ombudsmen, consumer organizations, you can also call the free of charge consumer infoline where you will receive free legal advice 800 007 707 (infoline available from fixed telephony and mobile phones in Poland, Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm). During EURO 2012 the legal advice will be available also in English.
In Ukraine: All-Ukrainian Consumers’ Federation Pulse and regional consumer authorities.
All-Ukrainian Consumers’ Federation Pulse – it is the association of Ukrainian non-governmental consumer organizations. In 2006-2010 the members of the Federation were partners in the project of the United Nations Development Program regarding the development for consumers. After its completion, they founded their own NGO. The prime objective of the Pulse Federation is representation of consumer interests in relations with the government and undertakings, supporting the development of law and enhancing the role of weaker market participants to meet European standards.
The Polish Office of Competition and Consumer Protection – it was founded in Poland in 1990. It takes responsibility for competition, collective consumer interests, monitors state aid, quality of fuels and ensures the surveillance of general product safety. While implementing the government policy of consumer protection, it inter alia initiates proceedings concerning infringement of collective consumer interests. UOKiK cooperates with the municipal and poviat consumer ombudsmen and NGOs financed from the State Budget (Polish Consumer Federation, Association of Polish Consumers), which provide free legal assistance in individual cases.