Taxis in Ukraine

There are two categories of taxis [taksi] in Ukraine — official taxis who work for taxi services and have lights or signs on the top of the car, and private drivers [chastnik — Russ.; pryvatnyk — Ukr.] who drive around town and pick up passengers.

Taxi services in Ukraine

Cars from taxi services can be ordered over the phone, or they can be picked up on streets next to bus stops and busy locations.

You need to speak Ukrainian or Russian to order a taxi over the phone. You need to give your current address, the address of your destination, your last name, and the time of your trip. Sometimes dispatchers will ask for a contact number. Usually they will not agree to send a taxi to someone standing outside, because there is too much risk the customer will ride away on another car.

The average time it takes to send a taxi to your address is 12-15 minutes, so there is no need to order a taxi more than an hour in advance. However, during rush hour sometimes no cars are available at all. In this case, it will be easier to catch a car on the road.

Most taxi services will tell you the price over the phone based on the distance if you ask, but the price may rise if you get stuck in traffic. Each taxi service has its own calculation system, and most cars are equipped with meters. Most meters measure time as well as distance, so you will end up paying more if you get stuck in traffic. Wherever possible, it is best to settle on a price beforehand. The minimum cost of a taxi ride is 15-20 UAH ($3-4 USD) in Kiev and less in regional centers.

In additon to sedans, most taxi services offer station wagons with more baggage space (called "universal") and even minivans. The prices for these automobiles are slightly higher.

NOTE: I do not have any contact info for English-speaking taxi services in Ukraine. Please contact me if you can recommend some.

Private drivers

In Ukraine any car is a potential taxi. People just stick their hand out to catch a car, then agree on a price with the driver if he (more rarely she) is willing to take them where they want to go. This is a very common practice and is not considered at all dangerous.

In general private drivers are less expensive than taxis, but if you are a foreigner and speak with an accent or aren't sure of yourself, it will be harder to get a low price. If you speak English to the driver, he may ask for much more than usual, based on the well-ingrained tradition of ripping off "wealthy foreigners."

Typical phrases for stopping a taxi

Russian:
Довезёте до метро "Крещатик" за 15 гривен?
Ukrainian:
Довезете до метро "Хрещатик" за 15 гривень?
English:
Can you take me to Khreschatyk metro station for 15 hryvnias?

Preferably suggest a price yourself, otherwise you will have to bargain down the taxi driver's price.