This text was originally published in 2010. In May 2013, in response to multiple inquiries about crossing the border between the European Union and Ukraine in the Carpathian Mountains region by bicycle and/or on foot, it was expanded (and moved from its original location to this blog). Now it includes information on border checkpoints between Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Ukraine in the vicinity of the Carpathian Mountains.
Last updated: February 3, 2019 (checked for and corrected "dead links"; please bear in mind that National Border Guard Service of Ukraine appears to have a strange habit of renaming URLs on their website quite frequently, so if you stumble on a dead link to their website, try navigating it from the homepage).
The map below shows border crossing points along the EU-Ukraine border that are reasonably close (for someone riding a bicycle) to the Carpathian Mountains.
Only international checkpoints, which may be used by nationals of any country (with one exception), are shown using the following symbols:
- checkpoints that specifically accommodate travelers crossing the border by bicycle are marked with the “cyclist” icon on the map (where bicyclists are allowed to cross the border, pedestrians are allowed as well);
- checkpoints where the border may be crossed on foot are marked with the “hikers” icon on the map (the implication being that a cyclist technically becomes a pedestrian when he or she gets off the bike);
- checkpoints for motorized passenger vehicles without accommodations for cyclists and/or pedestrians are marked with a “car” (I think it is actually a cab/taxi) icon on the map.
If you cannot see the embedded map above, click here to open it in a new window/tab.
Important notes/disclaimers:
- Although the icons marking the border checkpoints on the map may seem self-explanatory, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the details below before making any decisions as to where and how to cross the border.
- This information is provided as friendly service to fellow bicycle tourists. No effort has been spared to collect the most accurate and up-to-date information. Still, it is provided AS IS. So checking and double-checking everything is entirely YOUR RESPONSIBILITY.
Details on crossing the borders of each individual country with Ukraine are provided starting from the northwestern corner of the above map following the border line all the way to the southeastern corner of the map.
Poland - Ukraine border
According to the information received directly from Bieszczady Border Guard Regional Command, the Polish border guard unit in charge of the section of the Polish border in question, “there are no regulations that prevent crossing the border of Poland by bicycle at any of the check points”. However, the practice of the Ukrainian border guards is such that they allow cyclists to cross the border only at check points where crossing the border by pedestrians is permitted. This was also confirmed by the Polish Border Guard Central Command.
What this means is:
- If you want to cross the Poland-Ukraine border by bicycle, your only option is to do so at the Medyka - Shehyni checkpoint (technically, you will be crossing on foot with a bicycle). There are multiple precedents of crossing the border at Medyka - Shehyni both on foot and “on foot with a bicycle” (mostly by Polish nationals, but also some cyclists from other EU and non-EU countries, including at least one American cyclotourist, Mark Boyd, on quite a few tours of Europe of his, the most recent - in 2012).
- If you don't mind hitching a car/van/bus ride across the border, you may be able to cross at the Krościenko - Smilnytsya checkpoint as well (or - in theory at least - at any other international border crossing for passenger motorized vehicles). There is at least one precedent of crossing the border with a bicycle (in a car) at Krościenko - Smilnytsya. See this page of Gearoid Pierse's report Eastern Carpathian Mountains (Poland - Ukraine - Romania) 2010.
UPDATE: On the website of the National Border Guard Service of Ukraine, the Ukrainian-language list of the border crossing checkpoints along the Poland-Ukraine border contains a note stating that (the following quote is word-for-word translation from Ukrainian) "crossing of the national border between Ukraine and the Republic of Poland via checkpoints for automobile transport is performed by individuals in vehicles or on foot" (oddly enough, the corresponding page in English does not contain any such notes). The note was there before, but the "or on foot" part must be a recent (looks like February 2017) addition, which - at least, in theory - means that now hikers and cyclists can cross the border at the Krościenko - Smilnytsya checkpoint, which is closer to the "real mountains" (assuming that's where most of them go) than the Medyka - Shehyni checkpoint. That sounds like great news. However, considering the decades-long practice of the Ukrainian border guards described above, I will only believe that it has changed when I receive a confirmation from a trustworthy source. When I do, this blog will be updated accordingly.
More sources:
A map (in Polish) of the border crossing points between Poland and Ukraine in the vicinity (relatively speaking) of the Carpathian Mountains on the website of the Bieszczady Border Guard Regional Command.
Slovakia - Ukraine border
Although the shortest of the four, Slovakia-Ukraine border appears to be the most bicycle-friendly having two bicycle/pedestrian border crossing checkpoints.
The list of border crossing points along the Slovakia-Ukraine border on the website of the National Border Guard Service of Ukraine shows the Ubla - Malyi Bereznyi checkpoint as "automobile, pedestrian and for bicyclists" (word-for-word translation from Ukrainian; there's also an English version of the page). Also, according to Jacek Wnuk of KarpatyWschodnie.pl, both pedestrians and cyclists are allowed to cross the border at Ubla - Malyi Bereznyi. See his forum posts (in Polish). Also, according to the information received directly from the Ministry of Interior of Slovakia, one can cross the border from Slovakia to Ukraine and from Ukraine to Slovakia at the Ubľa - Malyj Bereznyj checkpoint by car, by bicycle or on foot.
There is a pretty busy automobile border crossing point at Vyšné Nemecké - Uzhhorod, but it is hardly of any use for those traveling by bicycle considering the availability of border crossing check points for cyclists and pedestrians nearby. Again, if you want to, you may be able to cross there, but, most likely, you will have to hitch a ride in a motor vehicle across the border. I have not been able to find any first-hand reports of cyclists who have done that at this specific checkpoint.
Please note that, according to the page that lists border checkpoints along the Slovakia-Ukraine border (and the same in English) on the website of the National Border Guard Service of Ukraine, only citizens of Ukraine and the European Economic Area (EEA) member countries (the EU countries plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) are allowed to cross the border at the Veľké Slemence - Mali Selmentsi checkpoint (the southern-most Slovakia - Ukraine border checkpoint on the map above). Also note that it is open only from 08:00 to 20:00 Central European Time (this information was accurate as of May 12, 2013; it is unclear whether those hours of operation are still correct).
More sources:
List of border crossing checkpoints along the Slovakia - Ukraine border on the website of the Border and Aliens Police of the Ministry of Interior of Slovakia (all in Slovak).
The list states that the Veľké Slemence - Mali Selmenci (alternative spelling) border crossing checkpoint is only for individuals traveling by bicycle or on foot who are citizens of Ukraine, Slovakia or European Economic Area member countries.
It also states that citizens of all countries are allowed to cross the border via the Ubľa - Malyj Bereznyj (alternative spelling) check point, although, for some reason, it does not mention either pedestrians or bicyclists in reference to the latter checkpoint (in an e-mail, however, they did confirm that at this checkpoint the border may be crossed by car, by bicycle or on foot).
Hungary - Ukraine border
Hungary-Ukraine border appears to be the least cyclist/pedestrian-friendly. There has not been pedestrian and/or bicycle cross-border traffic since 1998. I assume, one might be able to hitch a ride in a car at any of the five border crossing check points, but that is just my assumption. So far, I have not come across any first-hand accounts in reference to crossing the Hungary-Ukraine border either by bicycle or with a bicycle.
I crossed the Hungary-Ukraine border in both directions at Záhony - Chop by car over 20 years ago. It was very busy, and the lines were very long. Things may have changed since then, but it is still the busiest crossing on the Hungary-Ukraine border. The other four may (or may not) be less busy. Note that Lónya - Dzvinkove is open only from 08:00 to 16:00 Central European Time, and Barabás - Kosyno - from 07:00 to 19:00 Central European Time (this information was accurate as of May 12, 2013; it is unclear whether those hours of operation are still correct).
The list of border check points along the Hungary-Ukraine border can be found on the official website of the National Border Guard Service of Ukraine: in Ukrainian and in English.
Romania - Ukraine border
Halmeu - Dyakove is a passenger and cargo automobile crossing close to Hungary. Presumably, one can hitch a ride across the border there, but no first-hand accounts of anyone having done that with a bicycle have been found so far.
There are two more international border check points on the Romania-Ukraine border that are quite close to the Carpathian Mountains:
- Sighetu Marmaţiei - Solotvyno, a relatively small passenger border crossing point for cars and vans, as well as pedestrians (see the list of checkpoints along the Romania-Ukraine border in Ukrainian and in English on the website of the National Border Guard Service of Ukraine). There is at least one precedent of crossing the border by bike at Sighetu Marmaţiei - Solotvyno. See this page of Gearoid Pierse's report Eastern Carpathian Mountains (Poland - Ukraine - Romania) 2010.
- Siret - Porubne is a major and much busier border crossing point for all kinds of passenger and cargo vehicles, as well as pedestrians (again, see the list of checkpoints along the Romania-Ukraine border in Ukrainian and in English on the website of the National Border Guard Service of Ukraine). No first-hand accounts of anyone having crossed the border with a bicycle at Siret - Porubne have been found so far.
According to the official information received from the Romanian Border Police (to the extent I was able to translate the letter from the Romanian legalese), "a person may request entry to Romania using bicycle as a means of transportation", "there are no special conditions that apply to those crossing the border by bicycle", and "the appropriate corridor should be selected based on the nationality of the person crossing the border".
More sources:
All the border crossing points in Romania on an embedded Google map in English (the Romanian version also shows you estimated waiting times for cars and trucks in both directions; it is not available in English though) on the website of Romanian Border Police (in Romanian with some of the content also available in English).
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