Hi, I'm going to Kiev in Ukraine this July. But I'm a bit
worried because somone told me that in Kiev you need a
local bodyguard to be on the safe side. I'm not planning to
carry an enormous amount of money, but I'll be staying for
about 3 weeks, so I need to carry some.. Btw. is it
reasonably easy to rely on credit cards?
Otherwise I live in Oslo and I work in a hotel, so if you
have any questions, feel free to ask.. :)
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HI there, I'm an American who lived in Kiev for about six months. I can tell you this much, Kiev is as safe as any large city in America. The difference is Kiev is corrupt, the police cannot be relied upon to protect you, etc. You need to rely upon yourself to be smart and think on your feet. As for money, carry lots of SMALL, crisp, new US dollar bills...ones, fives and tens. Don't change any money over to Ukrainian money, it's worthless...deal only in US dollars, Deutschmarks or British pounds. Don't rely on credit cards, half of the places there won't accept them and the other half have mechanical failures. Don't rely on ATMs, they're non existent. Don't hesitate to bribe people, it's expected and it's your only way out of sticky situations at times. Also, be prepared to be forced to bribe people. Be smart, keep to yourself, be respectful, and stay sober :)
Have fun though, it's a fun city with lots to see.
Hei!
Could you recommend a cheap place to stay in Oslo, apart
from the Youth hostels?