Way to Russia Community and Forum

kjedwards

Hi

I only found this forum yesterday and have spent quite a few hours searching around and yes there's lots of useful info but some of course is quite old now and possibly out of date. Some questions I would really like to know the answers to are asked below.

A little background, my wife (Russian now British) and I will be travelling late May 09 driving through Europe to Ukraine (Alushta in the Crimea) stay there for a couple of weeks then on to Russia. We want to tour around several of the regions and end up with our family in Samara where we will stay for a few weeks before returning. On the home route we haven't decided yet to return the same way ie via Ukraine or go through the Baltic States.

We have been to Ukraine and Russia several times before but never by car.

Questions we have

1. We have heard (from an obnoxious and rude woman at the Ukrainian embassy in Moscow) that Ukraine is re-imposing visa requirements for EU citizens 'soon' At the moment EU citizens can travel to Ukraine without visas. Does anyone know if this is true and Ukraine is re-imposing visa requirements?

2. We have heard (here and from some Polish friends) that driving through Poland can be an awful experience. I have found this a little surprising because I did go on a coach tour through Poland several years ago and it was fine. We were looking at following the E40 then the A4 via Krakow and basically keep going until we hit the border at Medyka. Can anyone advise if this is the best route through Poland to Ukraine? And is this a good place to cross the border (there are several other crossing points around this area)?

3. Is it possible to get Ukrainian car insurance in Poland or via the net? Would not like to rely upon buying at the Ukrainian border (we have been warned that prices there are high because of border guards demanding their % from insurance sellers)

4. Apart from the compulsory insurance, is it straightforward bringing a car into Ukraine? Is there any time limit (ie like the 10 days temp import cert in Russia)?

5. Has anyone had recent experience of driving through Ukraine? If so is it as bad as we have been told - police demanding bribes at every turn, problems with bogus police, etc

6 Coming out of Ukraine, we have lots of options but we were looking at following the M23 crossing over into Rostov on Don. Again is this a good place to cross the border ?

7. Or does anyone know if there is still a car ferry operating from Kerch to Russia? If so is this ok, are prices reasonable?

8. If we decide to return home via Ukraine, will we need to buy Ukrainian insurance yet again, or can we use the insurance bought when we first entered - ie does the insurance expire on leaving the country?

9. I managed to get a GPS map Roads to Russia although it is dated, and it is great on the PC but my Garmin doesn't read cyrillic, does anyone know of a GPS map with routing that is in Latin and can be used with a Garmin?

Hope this is not too much to ask and some kind person will be able to give advice on some if not all of the above. We know about travelling to Ukraine and Russia although things change all the time, but travelling by car is a whole new ball game for us, and although we have read as much as we can and asked people we know there are always uncertainties

Thanks

Kevin

DITTRICH · Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 11:04 pm Post subject:

Dear Kevin,

1 I hardly think the Ukraine would re-impose visas on EU nationals thereby reversing the current situation. AFAIK EU citizens get 90 visa free days in the Ukraine automatically.

2 Poland driving is an experience. Their best Road is the A2 from Novy Tomysyl to Strykow east-west. Consider using it as it is a proper new toll motorway. Both roads and drivers are crap meaning travelling can be dangerous. Often, you can get held up for hours by crashes - the police have to come and investigate like in Russia. I haven't looked at where the E40 is or the border corssing you mention. The forum member "chrisrein" has travelled from Poland to Ukraine. Try to "pm" him. His information is first class.

3 Ukraine is part of the green card system - so is Russia now. You should be able get insured in the UK at least 3rd party which is what really matters.

4 See this website. Maybe old information but seems useful. I bookmarked it some time ago...

http://www.tryukraine.com/info/driving.shtml

5 See 4 above. Ask "chrisrein".

6 Any place is as good as the next. In the old days being able to buy insurance at the border for Russia was a concern but provided this green card thing for Russia works (supposed to be operational 1/1/09) then no problems.

7 I did see there was a ferry. Try the Thorn Tree forum at the lonely planet website. From memory I seem to remember soemthing there about it. Or just use google. It does exist - and you ARE a lazy git for not using google.

http://www.ukraine-travel-advisor.com/black-sea-cruises.html

8 See about the green card above.

Finally, if you do do all of this journey, keep some notes and pics and then post some helpful advice for future travellers on this site.

Les

kjedwards · Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 1:32 pm Post subject:

Hi Les

Thanks again for the info and links - more reading for me

We did have a look for info regarding the Kerch ferry but only came up with info regarding proposals for a road bridge. Apparantly been on the cards for years - Russia is all for it but Ukraine not. We think it has something to do with the anti-Russian stance of the present Ukrainian government.

I will check out the links you provide and also check our car insurers for green card info - although we are with Norwich Union and on there web site they only list most of the EU countries, even Poland is missing from their list, of course their web info could be well out of date.

We will definitely be going - I was totally against the idea for years but now kind of looking forward to it but also apprehensive. We will try to record as much as we can and hopefully post something when we get back.

Thanks again.

Kevin

kjedwards · Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 11:45 pm Post subject:

In case anyone else is interested I found the link for the Kerch Ferry -

http://www.kerch.com.ua/articleview.aspx?id=3582 The site is is Russian though

Surprised this is now running again, apparantly from last year. Don't know what the current exchange rate is but from what I remember it was the price for a car is about $40 and another $6 per person one way, so not a cheap option.

As we are planning to drive to Rostov not a good option for us, what we will gain going from Crimea to Russia we will lose driving north up to Rostov. Good option for anyone wanting to travel south though

chrisrein · Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2009 4:06 pm Post subject:

1. Last year it was no problem to enter Ukraine for me as a Dutch citizen with my car. It was filling in some forms, a little bit like entering Russia. I did not need an extra insurance for Ukraine, just for Russia.

2. Driving through Poland is quite an experience, but you get used to it. I drove via Berlin - Poznan towards Kiev, but after the highway ends, the roads were not that great (last year).

3. I don't know about the insurance.

4. It is easy to enter Ukraine from Poland, just fill in some forms and wait some time. I did not have any restraints on how long my car was allowed to stay in Ukraine, just in Russia.

5. The roads are not that good (I travelled just towards Kiev, and than north east of Kiev towards Orel / Moscow), but the new road from Kiev towards the Russian border was very good, just new paved. The older roads were not that great, but it was not busy on the roads and a quieter than in Russia. From other people that drove the same route as you dit (towards Crimea - Kerch) I heard that some roads were good, some not.
I was never stopped in Ukraine, though we did not always obey the speed limits (especially on the new roads without any cars...), so I think it is no problem at all (in case they stop you and you drove to fast: you will have to pay)

6. I don't know this border, but I know the ferry at Kerch was a very good place to enter Russia two years ago. They were just not very used in seeing foreigners, but the customs were very easy.

9. I had GPS in russia from TomTom, but it is not very useful, as the roads are not that good in the system and all places were in Latin, so a lot of difficulties in finding the places. But sometimes it helped us out of big places were we could not find any signs.

In case of more questions, let me know.

johnuk · Just Starting Joined: 25 May 2009 Posts: 1

Hey KJ did you make it OK? I will be doing the exacct same trip except I will be going to Voronezh (border crossing Briansk???) North of Kiev. Has anyone done that trip is the roads good what is the best way to cross into Russia (to go to Voronezh). Any help would be appreciated especially when I will be driving whole trip by myself there and back in 2.5 weeks.

Thanks guys & Girls.

anthonyy · Just Starting Joined: 29 May 2009 Posts: 1

i wouldn't recommend Garmin, i used telenav. I have telenav on my Blackberry and I can't live without it, literally. I have had a Garmin nuvi 750 and TomTom GO 720, and Telenav literally has at least twice the POI. I remember those expensive map updates too, telenav has FREE map, poi, voice, etc updates. I first saw TeleNav mentioned in the New York Times and then I went to their website: www.telenav.com $10/month is a great deal, especially considering it offers more features than a $600 standalone unit.

kjedwards · Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 7:18 pm Post subject:

Hi

We just got back Saturday pm after 8 weeks and 8500 miles.

There is an awful lot to say which when I get time I will put on a mini web site or blog.

Quick comments -

1. Driving in Poland, Ukraine and Russia is not as bad as some people make out. Neither my wife or I have ever driven abroad before and we coped pretty well. The standard of driving is generally good with some exceptions notable Samara City in Russia (think of Wacky Races on Speed).

2. The roads is Poland are generally ok except the 1st 100km going into Poland which is like driving on corrugated iron. There is a lot of road works going on there (all along the E40)

3. Roads in Ukraine to the West and East of Kiev are ok and again being updated (We think using EEC money). Roads to the south of Kiev are truly awful - think cluster bombed highways and you wont be too far off the mark. Roads in Crimea though are not bad

4. Roads in Russia vary a lot. Strangely to the south of Moscow they are generally not bad but closer to Moscow including the main M1 there are not good. Again though there is a lot of road works going on.

Johnuk - the roads around Voronezh are generally ok and few police.

5. There is a Russian visa called Auto Tourist which is worth getting. It seems to be aimed at those going and travelling aroung by car.

6. Bringing in and taking out a car in Ukraine and Russia is pretty easy. In Ulraine they dont even bother about insurance or customs, you just enter the reg no on the standard immigration card. In Russia you have to show insurance and fill in a customs form though.

Took us about 1 hour to go into Ukraine from Poland, 1.5 hours Ukraine to Russia but 4.5 hours coming back Russia to Ukraine as the Ukraine had only 1 lane open. Ukraine back to Poland about 1.5 hours.

7. The 10 day car registration in Russia seems to be the minimum. We got an automatic registration for the length of visa 30 days - didn't even have to ask.

8. Insurance is available at the crossings. We paid about £11 for 1 month green card for Ukraine and about £38 for Russia (We think though the Russian insurance was more than just green card)

9. Police - I have a lot to say on this (too much for this post) but overall not half as bad as expected. You will be stopped much more for random doc checks in Russia than Ukraine. they will check passport, international driving licence and vehicle docs. We were never asked for insurance or registration

10. Leaving - no problems but going back into Poland the customs officers search every vehicle very very well - so don't even think of taking back anything you shouldn't.

11. We have a diesel and prices in Ukraine and Russia are about 1/2 of the UK - wow!!!

Would we do it again? Well yes infact we are hoping to go again in September

Yours

Kevin

PS It is now compulsory in Russia to drive with lights on even during daytime (although police are not yet inforcing this)

PPS We heard on the Ukrainian TV the day we left that the fines for speeding have been increased, so lots of police are now out hiding behind bushes armed with their trusty radar guns.

DITTRICH · Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2009 3:26 pm Post subject:

Dear Kevin,
Thank you for this very useful trip report.
Regards
Les Dittrich

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We are currently moving the old forum to Facebook, so what you see below functions as an archive. If you have a question, please, post it on Way to Russia Facebook Discussions Page

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We also invite you to join our Facebook community, where you can meet other travelers and read interesting news on topics ranging from visa regulations to culture and music.

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