This may be common knowledge, but I had no idea whether Uber and Airbnb were available in the old Iron Curtain of Eastern Europe.

During the time I was in Czech, Poland, and Ukraine, both Uber and Airbnb were available. This was 2018. 

Uber

I used Uber in Kiev, Ukraine:

Everything was perfect and just like hiring Uber in the US. The only difference is in Ukraine most of the drivers, including mine, do not speak English. 

If you haven’t already signed up, you can sign up for Uber here: Uber (link)

Tip: Google Translate will help you here.  Google Translate is an intuitive app that lets you translate languages. It takes a bit of getting used to, but you translate writing, speak into it, or use the camera to read foreign languages. I half-jokingly say; instead of spending 6 months trying to learn Russian, I should have spent 60 minutes becoming an expert in Google Translate. 

 Easiest if you just download it on your phone.

Airbnb

This was my Airbnb in Krakow, Poland. The apartment was fine and the location couldn’t have been better.

My Airbnb was $55 a night.

Comparable hotels were approximately $130.00 a night. Yes, hotels are much more convenient and comfortable, but you can’t beat the prices for Airbnb.

I stayed in my first Airbnb in 2018, but I know people who have been using Airbnb for years. 

If you’re like me, and you haven’t already signed up, you can sign up for Airbnb here: Airbnb.com (link)