Getting to Uman
Ukraine's airspace is closed — everyone flies to a neighboring country and continues by ground. Here's what the road to Rosh Hashana 5787 looks like, based on what actually happened in 5786.
The gateways — current reality
PRIMARY Romania (Iași, Suceava, Bucharest) — in 2025 the overwhelming majority of organized flights landed in Romania (~81 charters into Iași). Plan around it for 2026.
SECONDARY Poland (Rzeszów, Kraków, Warsaw) — works, but Polish crossings are the slowest in the crush: 4+ hours on foot, occasionally 12+ hours by vehicle.
UNCERTAIN Moldova (Chișinău) — the route collapsed in 2024–25 after Israel–Moldova charter talks failed. Don't build a plan on Chișinău without confirming it's back.
Journey times and rough prices
| Gateway airport | Journey to Uman5787 season | Shuttle seatsource not recorded |
|---|---|---|
| Iași (IAS) | ≈10.2h | $85–$100 |
| Chișinău (RMO) | ≈12.8h | $75–$100 (if the route runs) |
| Rzeszów (RZE) | ≈11.7h | ~$125 |
| Kraków (KRK) | ≈13h | ~$150 |
| Budapest (BUD) | ≈16.6h | ~$150 |
Driving time only. The border crossing is not included — allow for it yourself.
These are planning ranges for the whole journey — measured driving plus an allowance for the crossing — not net driving time. The queue itself is not measurable and can run far longer at peak. Private car: $500–$2,000 from an airport, $250+ from a border crossing. Full per-vehicle price list (taxi/van/bus) from ~25 airports — on the transport page.
Border crossings
From Romania (the main route)
Porubne–Siret (near Chernivtsi) is the primary pilgrim crossing; several more car checkpoints run 24/7 (Dyakove–Halmeu, Solotvyno–Sighetu and others).
From Poland
Medyka–Shehyni (best on foot), Korczowa–Krakovets (cars), Hrebenne–Rava-Ruska. The slowest crossings at peak.
The return leg matters most
⚠️ In 2025, hundreds were stranded on the way back (Ukraine→Romania) by border congestion. Leave a real buffer before your return flight and avoid tight connections.
Trains — the most reliable way across the border
- Przemyśl → Lviv (reach Przemyśl from Rzeszów/Kraków) — crossing by rail takes 1–2 hours instead of many on the road. Ukrainian Railways tickets: booking.uz.gov.ua — released ~20 days out ($12–$45), sell fast.
- Budapest → Chop/Mukachevo — via jegy.mav.hu, then onward inside Ukraine.
- From Romania it's mostly bus/shuttle via Porubne–Siret rather than a through-train.
Transfer operators
- Poyecheleh — +380 93 379 0111 (full vehicle price list here)
- Nesiya Tova — +380 68 148 2148 (~10% US-traveler discount)
- Uman Express — +380 99 222 3030
On the ground
- Passport valid 6+ months; carry it at all times (internal checkpoints).
- Uman entry fee: ~$45 at the checkpoint or ~$27 prepaid — verify amounts before the chag.
- Wartime curfew, roughly midnight–4 AM.
- Live border queues: nakordoni.eu.
- Carry-on only (checked bags get lost in the charter crush), bring cash, and an eSIM that covers every country on your route.
Compiled from public sources for planning only — border conditions, prices and routes change. Verify everything with official sources before booking. All Uman flights →