On the eve of the Christmas and New Year holidays, passenger traffic at the Ukrainian border traditionally increases, but choosing the right day and route can significantly reduce the time in queues. The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine advises planning trips in advance, monitoring online information, and considering alternative border crossing points.
According to the spokesman for the State Border Service of Ukraine, Andriy Demchenko, in December the number of border crossings increased to almost 100 thousand people per day. If earlier on weekdays about 75 thousand people crossed the border, and on weekends - up to 85 thousand, now this figure is steadily approaching maximum values. On peak holidays it can exceed 100 thousand crossings per day.
When is it better to cross the border?
The least load on checkpoints is predicted to occur directly on holidays — December 25 and January 1. However, December 24 and 31 traditionally become the most difficult days for travel, because that is when most people go on vacation or rush home for the holidays.
The State Transport Administration of Ukraine explains: during the holidays, people try to be with their families, rather than spend time traveling, so the flow of traffic on these days is noticeably reduced.
The main life hack from border guards
Before traveling, border guards advise you to check the busyness of the checkpoints. Often, the difference in queues between neighboring crossings can be several hours. The State Border Guard Service regularly publishes current information online - in particular, the Western Regional Directorate updates the data every three hours.
Busiest and alternative destinations
Approximately half of all passenger traffic falls on the Polish direction. The largest queues are usually recorded at the Shehyny, Krakivets and Rava-Ruska checkpoints. At the same time, the Nyzhankovychy checkpoint in the Lviv region, as well as the checkpoints on the border with Slovakia, Hungary and Romania, remain less busy.
The advantage of traveling by train
The State Border Service of Ukraine also pays attention to rail traffic. On Intercity trains, border control is carried out directly during movement, which significantly reduces the time of checks. Starting in January, this practice is planned to be introduced on nine more pairs of trains, in particular on the Kyiv-Przemysl and Kyiv-Chelm routes.
So, to avoid hours-long queues during the holiday period, it is worth choosing less busy days, monitoring the situation at checkpoints online, considering alternative routes, and preparing all documents in advance.
