Getting Your Bearings
Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is a major seaport and transport hub in south-western Ukraine, on the north-western shore of the Black Sea. For a visitor, the good news is that the historic core is compact and best explored on foot, while a mix of trams, trolleybuses, buses and marshrutkas covers the rest of the city. Note that because of the Russia–Ukraine war, Ukraine's airspace is closed to civil aviation, so you will not be flying directly into Odesa.
Walking
The north end of the central city grid is compact and parts of it are pedestrianised, which makes it the most enjoyable way to see the main sights. Many of the principal attractions sit within this walkable area.
On the other hand, it is too far to walk from the centre to the beach, the airport, or the bus and railway stations if you are carrying much luggage. For those trips, plan on using public transport or a taxi.
Trams, Trolleybuses and Marshrutkas
City public transport consists of trams, trolleybuses and marshrutkas (shared minibuses). A few routes are especially handy for visitors:
- Tram 5 runs from the bus station area to the Arcadia area, passing Starokonny Rynok (known for its flea markets), the Moldavanka district, Pryvoz Market, the railway station, the Musical Comedy Theater, and many of the city beaches along the way.
- From tram 5 you can transfer to trolleybuses 5, 7 and 9 to reach the city centre, trolleybus 10 for the seaport area, and trolleybus 14 for the airport. At the Preobrazhenskaya Street stops you can transfer to trams 3 and 12, which will take you to Deribasovskaya Street.
- Trams 3 and 12 run the length of Preobrazhenskaya Street, one of the city's major transport arteries. Along the way they pass Deribasovskaya Street, Gorodskoy Sad, Sobornaya Ploschad (Cathedral Square), the Tiraspolskaya Ploschad tram hub (where you can transfer to routes 10, 15 and 21), and the Pryvoz Market area. Route 3 then switches east to the railway station, while route 12 turns west toward the Moldavanka section of Odesa.
- Route 28 follows the same path as route 5 in the city centre, but after the Theater of Musical Comedy it runs north toward Shevchenko Park and Lanzheron Beach. In Moldavanka it takes a different route to a different terminus than tram 5.
Because these routes are in high demand, they are often overcrowded. Marshrutkas are the main mode of transport overall, since they cover a lot more ground: they pick up anywhere (wave your hand) and set down anywhere (call out to the driver).
Tickets and Fares
On trams and trolleybuses there is usually a conductor on board who will collect your money and issue your ticket and change. There is no system of pre-purchase or ticket validation, unlike in Kyiv. If there is no conductor, pay the driver on exit.
Single-ride tickets cost 8 грн on trolleybuses and trams, 10 грн on the funicular, 15 грн on buses, and 15–20 грн on marshrutkas.
Schedules are available on EasyWay and Google Maps.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxi is the easiest way of getting around the city. Popular options include Uber, Bolt, Uklon, OnTaxi and Opti.
Driving
You don't really want a car in central Odesa. Finding your way around isn't difficult thanks to the grid system and clearly signed main streets, but your main concerns will be security and parking. Check ahead with your hotel, which may have its own parking. Parking is permitted except where specifically restricted, and you may be approached by someone demanding a small fee — pay up cheerfully and think of him as security rather than a parking attendant. Watch for roadworks, which bring congestion and diversions.
Arriving by Train
All trains terminate at the main station, Odesa-Holovna, in the Pryvoz area of town, next to the bus stations and market. Ticket desks are obvious in the main hall, and any desk will exchange e-vouchers for tickets. Come at a quiet time and the place is relaxed and helpful — just watch out for the "technical break" times posted on each window. Turn up 15 minutes before the weekend express departs and it all gets a bit chaotic.
If you don't care for what's on offer at the station café or currency exchange, stroll across the street to the bus stations, where there's lots more. Pryvoz market is handy for stocking up for a long journey. Lots of marshrutkas and taxis wait outside, and the centre is a short walk north.
Arriving by Bus
There are two main bus stations. Pryvoz, next to the railway station, is mainly for shorter trips, though long-distance services increasingly run from here. The Central Bus Station, a couple of kilometres west, traditionally had most of the long-distance routes.
Pryvoz Bus Station is really several stations in one — a confusing jumble, so you may have to hunt back and forth for your departure point. Its original core is on Vul Vodoprovodna, west of the train station and adjacent to the market. Small buses and marshrutkas head to regional destinations such as Mykolaiv, Vylkovo and Belgorod Dnestrovsky every hour or two, and also run to Moldova, some directly through Tiraspol in Transnistria but most via Bessarabia and the Palanca border post. The original station is too cramped for big modern coaches, so it has been extending east in a haphazard collection of coach stops all the way to the railway station — there's no centre to this and no signage, so just ask anyone who seems to be waiting with luggage. Ecolines buses run from Starosennaya ploshchad (square) toward Kyiv and onward to destinations in eastern and western Europe, and Autolux buses also run from here to Kyiv and direct to Boryspil Airport.
Central Bus Station is on Vul Kolontayivskoi, further west. Traditionally this was the departure point for long-distance coaches, but timetables indicate these nowadays mostly depart from Pryvoz, as coach stands there have expanded. Check your ticket carefully for where you ought to be.
Arriving by Boat
There are ferries several times a week to Batumi and Poti in Georgia, and to Istanbul Haydarpasa in Turkey. The ferries run all year and take vehicles; trucking is an important part of their business. This network also serves other Black Sea ports, but usually without a direct sailing to Odesa. The ferry terminals are at Chornomorske, south-west of Odesa, and you can reach them by marshrutka from central Odesa.
Getting In from the Airport
Because of the Russia–Ukraine war, Ukraine's airspace is closed to civil aviation, so there is no operating airport in Odesa itself. The closest operating airport is Chișinău International Airport (RMO) in Moldova, which is served by many airlines with flights around Europe and Asia. From there, onward travel to Odesa is typically by road or rail via Moldova and the border crossings described above.
If and when Odesa's own airport is in use again, note that trolleybus 14 connects it with the city, and it is too far to walk from the centre to the airport.