The temporary measure applies to the Diakivtsi-Racovăț border crossing, where tourist buses of any size will now be allowed to pass until the end of summer. However, the route will operate in one direction only – for departures from Ukraine. Drivers will also be required to register in the eQueue system and arrive at the checkpoint at their designated time.
Ukraine opens additional border route for tourist buses to Romania
With the summer travel season underway, the number of tourist coaches passing through checkpoints in Ukraine’s Chernivtsi region has increased significantly. The Ukraine-Romania border remains one of the busiest directions for organised coach travel, particularly for passengers heading to holiday destinations, airport transfers and broader European routes.
To help cope with the seasonal surge, Ukrainian authorities reached an agreement with the Romanian side to temporarily allow tourist buses to use the Diakivtsi-Racovăț checkpoint. The arrangement will remain in place until the end of summer and is intended to relieve pressure on more heavily used crossings in the region.
For coach operators and tour companies, the decision creates an additional border option at one of the busiest times of the year, when long queues and delays can affect schedules, connections and passenger experience.
The Diakivtsi-Racovăț crossing is open only for outbound travel from Ukraine
The temporary change comes with an important limitation: tourist buses can use the Diakivtsi-Racovăț crossing only when leaving Ukraine. The route will not be available for inbound bus traffic returning from Romania into Ukraine.
In practical terms, this means the checkpoint is being used as an overflow route to help move outbound tourist traffic more efficiently during the summer rush. It is not a full two-way reopening for coach operations, so transport companies will still need to plan return journeys through other border crossings.
That one-way arrangement is likely aimed at easing congestion on the most pressured outbound lanes without creating additional complications for border processing on the return side.
Drivers must register in the eQueue system before arriving
Authorities have also made it clear that use of the new route will be subject to advance registration in Ukraine’s eQueue system. Bus drivers must book their slot and arrive at the checkpoint at the assigned time in order to use the crossing.
The requirement is intended to prevent chaotic build-ups of buses near the border and to create a more predictable flow of traffic throughout the day. For operators, it means route planning will need to be aligned not just with passenger schedules, but also with the specific crossing time secured through the system.
In peak summer conditions, that could prove critical. If managed effectively, the eQueue requirement may help reduce waiting times and improve traffic distribution across the region’s border infrastructure.
Why the Romania border remains one of the busiest summer routes
The Ukraine-Romania border has become one of the most heavily used directions for bus travel, especially during holiday periods. For many passengers, Romania serves not only as a destination in its own right, but also as a transit gateway to airports, seaside resorts and onward travel into the European Union.
Demand rises even further during the summer because of school holidays, organised family travel, group tours and seasonal tourism flows. That makes any increase in border capacity especially valuable for the passenger transport sector, which continues to rely heavily on cross-border bus services as one of the most flexible ways to connect Ukraine with Europe.
Chernivtsi region plays a particularly important role in that network, making it a logical place for temporary seasonal measures aimed at redistributing coach traffic and easing pressure on existing crossings.
What the change means for tour operators and coach companies
For tour operators, bus companies and travel organisers, the temporary opening of the Diakivtsi-Racovăț route creates a new tool for managing summer schedules more efficiently. Instead of concentrating all traffic through the same limited number of border points, some departures can now be redirected through an additional crossing.
That could reduce travel times if congestion at other checkpoints becomes severe, while also giving operators more flexibility when planning departures for group travel. At the same time, the system places greater emphasis on preparation: companies will need to coordinate eQueue registration, border timing and passenger logistics carefully to avoid missing their allocated slot.
For passengers, the change could mean a smoother departure experience during one of the busiest periods of the year, although the real impact will depend on how widely the route is adopted by carriers and whether it meaningfully reduces congestion elsewhere.
A temporary summer measure that could shape future border traffic planning
For now, the arrangement is explicitly temporary and will remain in place only until the end of summer. But in practice, it may serve as a test case for how targeted seasonal changes can help manage border pressure more effectively during periods of exceptionally high travel demand.
If the additional route proves successful in reducing queues and improving the flow of tourist buses, similar measures could potentially be extended, repeated in future seasons or adapted for other busy crossings. In a country where international coach travel remains a critical connection to Europe for many passengers, even temporary increases in border capacity can have an outsized effect on the travel experience.
That is why the opening of the Diakivtsi-Racovăț route matters beyond one checkpoint. It reflects a broader effort to make summer travel more manageable at Ukraine’s western borders at a time when cross-border mobility remains both economically and socially important.
