FlixBus is resuming passenger service to Ukraine next week
International coach company FlixBus will resume service to Ukraine. According to a statement from the Ukrainian government and FlixBus itself, passengers will soon be able to travel to the capital of Kyiv again.
The bus company said that more and more people are returning to Ukraine, claiming that about half of those who left Ukraine want to return. The company wants to provide journeys which are as "safe, comfortable and affordable" as possible. Trips can already be booked on the bus company's website. For example, it is possible to travel from Maastricht to Kyiv on Tuesday, with a connection in Warsaw. The booking website indicated that half of the tickets for the bus journey were already sold.
A spokesperson for FlixBus said that, besides Kyiv, the firm will be driving to seven other Ukrainian cities, including Lviv. From Monday it will be possible to travel from the Netherlands to those Ukrainian destinations, with a stop in Warsaw or Prague.
The buses that run from Maastricht via Warsaw to Kyiv on Monday are already almost fully booked, the company said. The same applies to the buses that run from Amsterdam to the Ukrainian capital via Prague. FlixBus said it noticed that the demand for tickets has risen, but it is unclear whether the travelers who board the bus in the Netherlands will continue to Kyiv or exit the bus at one of the transfer points.
All of the bus routes were discontinued due to the war in Ukraine. The Ukrainian bus companies bringing travelers into the country claim it is currently safe enough to cross the Ukrainian border, according to a FlixBus spokesperson.
The website operated by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs showed Ukraine as red, indicated the travel advice for that country. "Whatever your situation is: Don't go there."
Reporting by ANP