slovenia to odessa - ukraine

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Hey!

I am a hitchhiker by heart, so I need some help for this one.

I have to be in Odessa, Ukraine, on/or around 5th of january. I myself, am from a town near Celje, which is halfway from Maribor and Ljubljana. And now I am looking for the best and cheapest ways to do so. Checked planes - ryanair supposedly has a flight line from milano to bucharest, but it doesnt seem to work. EasyJet also, but the price is 140e, not even including the cost it would take me to milano, and from bucharest to odessa. that is as far as I looked into planes.

For trains, it strikes me that Maribor > Budapest > Bucharest > Odessa might be my best option, but I really don't know.. Would it make more sense to find some way to Kyiv first? I really need some help, especially since this is not really so far away..

Thank you. (back to google)

We are afraid that airplanes on such short timing won't be cheap enough, especially taking into account holidays. Maybe if your date was farther away, then it would make sense to look at WizzAir from Treviso to Lviv or Kyiv, but for early January fares are already rather high.
So train option would probably be the cheapest one. Looking at the map route via Romania seems to be shortest in distance, but in real life going via Hungary-Chop would be easier and faster, because of problems reaching Odesa from Bucharest.
Celje-Zahony(last Hungarian station before Ukraine)-Celje via Hodos, Budapest will cost app. 60 euro due to Slovenia-Hungary return ticket discount. Zahony-Chop cost app. 4 euro return, but it is valid only 4 days, so if you stay longer in Ukraine, then you'll have to buy two one way tickets (app. 2.5 euro).
From Chop there is everyday direct train to Odesa (18:55-13:31), 193 UAH for 'kupe' and 148 UAH for 'platskartnyi'. There is also multiple options to travel with one change. 

Just in case, we counted train option via Romania:
Celje-Belgrade return 69.6 euro, there is a limited amount of discounted 25 euro tickets Ljubljana-Belgrade (for you to board at Zidani Most), but chances to buy those for early January probably low.
Belgrade-Bucharest return cost 48 euro, Bucharest-Galati by train cost from 42 RON one way, but from Galati come difficulties, since there is no regular transport from that part of Romania to Ukraine, thus you will need to hitchhike via Modavian Giurguleshti to Ukrainian Reni, not far, but the road isn't busy, so you might wait for long time. Reni-Odesa by bus will be app. 60-70 UAH

Hey tUt, that is very helpful. thank you

But, I need to point a few things out I forgot to before. I will only be going one-way, first of all. My "plans" consist of meeting with a girl in odessa, staying there or somewhere around in ukraince for about a week, and then going with her to moscow. And eventually, when my visa runs out in about a month, flying back home. And why Ukraine, simply because neither of us needs a visa for it. Along with moldova.

So, if I understand this right, my best option is to go through hungary to zahony, and then take local trains to odessa. and that altogether it probably shouldnt cost more than 100e, more like 80e?

romania does seem like a worse option, since all I really care and want is to get to odessa in a at least semi-fast and predictable fashion, spending the smallest amount of money for the trip. money runs out fast when girls are involved.. >.<""

Well, if we are talking about one-way fare, then the route will be the same, but fare won't be just return/2.

Celje-Odesa one way via Hodos,Chop: Celje-Budapest (29 euro special one way ticket Ljubljana-Budapest), then it is better to purchase one through international ticket Budapest-Chop (recent price app. 4800 HUF or 17 euro), fares for direct Chop-Odesa (train #107) in above post. As you can see, in total it makes from 60 to 65 euro depending on type of carriage used on route Chop-Odesa.
The only problem with such rout is that connection from Slovenia doesn't really good for catching direct Chop-Odesa train, since 'Citadella' (Ljubljana-Budapest via Hodos, you will board it in Celje at 10:14) arrives to Budapest-Deli 17:45, then you jump to 'Tisza' train departing Budapest-Keleti at 18:40 (one hour layout is good enough to get from Deli to Keleti station and purchase the ticket), arrive to Chop at 1:13am. From here you either board Uzghorod-Moscow train till Lviv (dep. Chop at 4:18), go for a walk in Lviv and board overnight Lviv-Odesa or go to Uzghorod/Mukachevo and board additional train Uzghrod-Odesa (#557, departs everyday besides 7/01 from 2/01 till 11/01, 11:36/13:36-7:10 in Odesa). As you can count such route takes at least 42+ hours.

Celje-Odesa one way via Romania: Celje-Belgrade 43.4 euro (or 25 if you are lucky), then Belgrade-Bucuresti a bit less than 30 euro. Bucuresti-Galati from app. 10 euro, Reni-Odessa app. 6 euro= app. 90 euro or 72 if Ljubljana-Belgrade 25 euro ticket is used.
Now about timetable: best option for Celje-Belgrade is to board overnight train #315 in Zidani Most, thus you need to depart at 21:23, arrival to Belgrade at 6:11am. Belgrade-Bucuresti only direct train (15:50-6:07), Bucuresti-Galati either direct 9:00-13:32 or with change 7:30-12:51, god knows how much time you will need for Galati-Guirguleshti-Reni leg - distance isn't that big, but two borders and need to hitchhike might slow you down. Reni-Odesa by bus will take app. 6 hours + last bus from Reni might leave rather early, like 18 or 19 and not later. As result, your best timing will be to arrive to Odesa in the evening around 21-23. In total it makes around 48-50 hours.

The choice is yours

p.s. you might take more reliable route Belgrade-Romania-Chisinau-Odesa to avoid Galati-Reni part, but it will take longer and will be even more expensive.