Simferopol

Simferopol (Russian: Симферополь, Ukrainian: Сімферополь) is the capital city of the Crimea.

Understand
For the most part this is a place of transit to the coast or to the mountains. It is famous for having the world's longest trolley bus service -- it's 56 km long.

Get in
All roads coming to Crimea lead to Simferopol, the undisputed transport hub of the region.

By plane


Marshrutka buses leave from across the car park outside the arrival area, look for the large Krimtrolleybus sign. Buses leave for city centre and the railway station every few minutes. Bus №49 connects with Central Intercity Bus Station, №115 or №98 with the railway station and the Kurortnaya bus station which have connections to sea-side cities such as Sevastopol, Yalta, Sudak and Yevpatoria. Also, there are lots of annoying private taxi drivers at the airport, if you take a taxi always agree on a rate before you board a cab and make sure that the price is for the entire route (not for each kilometer).

By train
Simferopol used to have very good train connections with all major domestic destinations and several international routes too. These ceased when Crimea was annexed in 2014. Russian trains are operated by RZD.

By bus
There are about a dozen a day bus and marshrutka rides from Sevastopol each day. They get busy, particularly at weekends, and it is best to book some time in advance. If you are unable to take public transport, taxis will take you there.

By marshrutka
A convenient way to get around is by public transport, and Simferopol has a wide range of it. The most popular is called marshrutka or a minivan, minibus, or taxi. Taxi of course is most expensive but is a fastest alternative. A ride on the minivan or the bus however, might cost you only the equivalent of ₽10. The public transportation will bring you almost all around the city.

By taxi
Always agree on a rate before you board a cab. If driver offers you a cheap price make sure that this price is for the entire route not for each kilometer. Be warned that it's difficult to communicate with drivers, as they speak virtually no English or any other foreign language.

Taxi cost of one journey to any place of the city can be up to USD 20. To order taxi by phone is a way to save money. Some numbers: +380 63 250-3350, +380 652 547200, +380 652 710071 from mobile phone or 1504, 1567, 1568 and some others from local phone.

See
It's not the most interesting city, but there are a few things to see.


 * Lenin Square - the only square in Simferopol which boasts about nothing much. Skateboarders skating in the evenings, live concerts on and off, a place where locals usher in the New Year, a politician party campaigning site.
 * Central Market (Centralny Rynok) - everything from fresh food to clothes to hardware is easily available here. Generally the best place for shopping, and for getting skidkas (Ukrainian for "discount").
 * Train Station - a lovely building, especially to leave the city from.

Parks

 * There is a famous





Do
There is always a time where you can run out of things to do in this place. Nevertheless if you look hard enough, you will find something to occupy your time with.

In the harsh hot weather during the summer with temperatures ranging over 45 °C, you may take a stroll in the park. There are horse riding activities, boating, feeding ducks. Besides that, the best thing to do is rehydrate yourself as often as possible, and protect yourself with some SPF (read SPF 30 and above).

Then comes the other extreme - the cold chilly winter. Temperature may dip down to as low as -25 °C in late January and February. Skiing in Ai Petri is a great getaway from the town. In the centre itself, there is a skating rink. Besides that, you may opt to drink some vodka to keep yourself warm.


 * Caves - around 17 km from the city. Take a minibus from the railway station to the end stop Perevalnoe for 3 hours, and then either walk 3 km to the Red Cave or take a taxi 11 km up a nearby mountain to the tremendous Marble Cave, discovered in 1987. A full tour takes 80 minutes. Shorter tours are cheaper but the full one is well worth it.

Buy
The most popular place for shopping is in 'Silpo'. Its quite a big supermarket with all essential items and food stuff. There are also several boutiques in it.

There are also supermarkets like 'Furshet' and 'Rainford' around the city. Best would be to ask a taxi driver to take you to these places, or get familiarised with the names of the roads, and you can easily take a minivan there.

Minivan No. 62, 10 and 74 can take you to the shopping place called "Foxmart".

Debit and credit cards are accepted in most shops in the city, but not accepted in rural area and markets. There are a lot of ATM.

Eat
The number one must-eat food in Simferopol is plov. This Turkic rice-based dish with sauteed meats and vegetables is very oily, so those on dietary restrictions may want to check twice before eating. One plate of plov cost approximately USD3 at the Central Market.

Number two must eat food is meat on skewer, cooked over charcoal. It's called shashlik by the locals. Goes very well with raw onion with vinegar and with lepeoshka (round bread)

Number three on the list is lagman, a local version of noodle soup.

In fourth place is the locals' favourite borsh. It's a vegetable soup, generally eaten with bread. Solenka is also a local soup that is worth trying.

Drink
Crimean wine, best to buy in supermarkets or in a company outlet shops. Also drink Ukrainian vodka - horilka. "Hortitsa" brand of horilka is recommended.

Budget

 * As with the rest of Crimea it's possible to find private accommodation, just look for people (mainly women) with signs "Housing" (Russian: Жильё) near the railway station. It's considerably cheaper than hotels, but it's of the very different quality. Ask for photos if available. The main gathering point for them is 100 meters away from the outdoor screen (displaying train timetables) in the direction to city center.

Go next

 * Kerch
 * Bakhchisaray
 * Evpatoria
 * Saki
 * Sevastopol
 * Sudak
 * Yalta