Getting Around Lviv
Lviv's compact historic centre is made for exploring on foot, and a solid network of trams, trolleybuses, buses and minibuses fills in the gaps for longer hops. Taxis and ride-hailing apps are inexpensive by European standards, and there are even shared bikes and scooters if you want to cover more ground. Here's how each option works in practice.
On Foot
The historical heart of the city is a walker's paradise, with cobblestone streets and a dense mix of Renaissance, Baroque, Neo-classicist and Art Nouveau architecture. The historic city centre is on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and much of what a visitor wants to see sits within easy strolling distance of the centre. Comfortable shoes are a good idea given the cobblestones.
Trams and Trolleybuses
Trams and trolleybuses are the backbone of the electric public transport network and are a convenient way to reach areas just outside the centre. Both the main railway station and the suburban railway station sit northwest and west of the centre respectively, and both are served by westbound trams. Monthly travel passes are available and can be used on trams and trolleybuses.
Buses and Marshrutkas
Alongside the tram and trolleybus lines, the city runs conventional bus routes and a larger set of marshrutka (minibus) routes. These fill in connections across the city and are useful for reaching neighbourhoods and transport hubs that the tram network doesn't cover.
Buying Tickets and Passes
Single-ride tickets work across trams, trolleybuses, buses and marshrutkas, and you have three ways to pay:
- Tap a contactless bank card or smartphone (Apple Pay or Google Pay) on the validator inside the vehicle — the cheapest option.
- Use a LeoCard or the associated app — slightly more than a contactless tap.
- Pay cash to the driver — the most expensive option.
Monthly travel passes are also available and are valid on trams and trolleybuses. For schedules, check the network map, the rozklad.in.ua website (in Ukrainian), or apps such as DozoR (in Ukrainian), EasyWay and Google Maps.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis are the easiest way to get around, and most trips that aren't exceptionally long or taken at exceptionally busy times should cost under €5. Popular options include Uber, Bolt, Uklon, OnTaxi, Opti, Shark and Taxi838.
One important practical note: many taxi apps do not operate during the 00:00–05:00 curfew. Uklon and Taxi838 are exceptions, so if your train departs or arrives during curfew, these are the apps to use to reach or leave your hotel.
Bikes and Scooters
Lviv has an extensive network of bicycle infrastructure, so cycling is a genuine option — you can bring your own bike or rent one through nextbike. Renting a kick scooter is also a fun, quick way to get around; Bolt, E-wings and BikeNow all offer scooter rentals.
Getting In from the Airport
Because of the Russia–Ukraine war, Ukraine's airspace is closed to civil aviation, so there are currently no flights into Lviv itself. The closest operating airports are in Poland, and from any of them you continue to Lviv by train or bus, crossing the border into Ukraine along the way. Approximate train travel times to Lviv are:
- Jasionka International Airport (RZE) — about a 4-hour train trip.
- Kraków Airport (KRK) — about a 6-hour train trip.
- Lublin Airport (LUZ) — about an 8-hour train trip.
- Warsaw Airport (WAW) — about a 10-hour train trip.
For the longer journeys, overnight sleeping trains may be more comfortable. Train tickets must be purchased online ahead of time.
Arriving by Train or Bus
If you come into Lviv overland, you'll likely arrive at one of the city's main transport hubs:
- Lviv Central Railway Station (Dvirtseva Sq, 1), northwest of the centre — take a westbound tram to reach it.
- Lviv Suburban Railway Station (Vul. Horodotska, 110), west of the centre — also served by a westbound tram.
- Bus Station No. 1 (Vul. Stryiska, 109), south of the centre, handling international services from Warsaw, Przemyśl, Lublin, Wrocław and Prague.
- Bus Station No. 2 (Khmelnytskoho, 225), north of the centre.
- Bus Station No. 8 (Dvirtseva Sq, 1), right at the railway station.
Arriving by Car
From Poland, take the E40, which ends at the city centre. Be prepared for border formalities that take at least an hour, and for long truck queues that you can pass if you're travelling by car. Note that it is illegal to drive in the city centre (including Prospekt Svobody) on Sundays and holidays — this is signposted in Cyrillic only, and police are present to catch unsuspecting foreign drivers.