Way to Russia Talk Lounge

mtzovaras · Just Starting Joined: 16 Jul 2007 Posts: 1

Hi all,

i am going to travel to St. Petrsburg from Germany by car.

Where it would be better to enter Russia ?

Narva or near PSKOV or another place ?

Thank you !

chrisrein · Frequent Guest Joined: 19 Nov 2006 Posts: 25

Last year I drove the Golden Ring, to Moscow and Oryol, Briansk, Smolensk, and used the border at Zilupe.

It cost me 5,5 hours to enter Russia (twenty cars before me, monday morning), but you´d better go on another day (saturday evening maybe).

Friends of mine used this border from Moscow to Holland, they were finished in 15 minutes.

Another possibility is driving via Finland: Better roads than through Poland, Lithuania and Latvia

DITTRICH · Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2007 1:11 pm Post subject:

Hi Chrisrein,
Sory to hijack this thread but I need to use Zilupe today or tomorrow and I was wondering where you bought the 3rd party russian insurance? I'm now stuck in Vilnius on a sunday and don't want to get near the border only to find out that nothing works on a sunday. I didn't plan on a sunday but got delayed by unexpected events (polish roads!) Please provide information within 18 hours if you read this.
Cheers
Les Dittrich
PS I think you have 2 options. The estonian-russia road (crap quality IIRC) OR Tallin-Helsinki Ferry and use Finnish roads and Valimaa border crossing. Maybe the Finnish way is safer! For the car from a mechanical point of view.
PPS The worst european drivers and the worst roads are indeed Polish I am sorry to say. Berlin - Warsaw - apart from the A2 motorway was a complet joke. The Poles are nutcases on the roads.
Rgds
Les

WayToRussia · Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 3:46 pm Post subject:

Actually, I'm also going to travel from Germany to Russia with my campervan. Anybody has advice for the best route? I mean I kind of know already I'll go there through Sweden and Finland -> Vyborg -> St. Petersburg (Russia) then Moscow, then through Ukraine and Poland back to Germany. But perhaps anybody has a better advice?

Also, what about the cheapest way from Sweden to Finland? Don't want to pay loads of money for ferry...

chrisrein · Frequent Guest Joined: 19 Nov 2006 Posts: 25

Unfortunately I am a little bit late replying, but I already bought the 3rd party insurance in Holland, but it is also possible at the border, in a small 'office' beside the office where you have to pay for the use of the russian roads (about 2 Euro's...).

Does anyone have information about campings in Russia? In a German magazine I just read some information about Campers in Russia, but the roads are not very well paved for them.....

Maybe there are websites with campings? I saw a picture of a camping near Rjazan.

DITTRICH · Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 8:51 pm Post subject:

Having returned, I can confirm that insurance CAN be bought at the border before entering Russia (from Zilupe, Latvia). I forgot to ask their opening hours unfortunately (I arrived on a Monday). There is also a bureaux de change (parekh bank) there too which will change russian, polish and all the exotic baltic currencies. You will need to buy latvian to pay for the insurance if you don't already have it. You will need some russian money to pay for the temporary import certificate for your vehicle - RBL 100, and some more money to pay for a photocopy of the receipt. All in it was not more than RBL500.

There is fuel on the russian side and shops. I was not expecting the 40km truck line on the Latvian side waiting to cross to russia (customs!) There are loads of Latvian cop cars here so keep to the limits. Also n the Russian side, play it easy and obey the road signs for at least the first 100kms as you are likely to encounter russian cops. Some of the road near the border is being repaired and the limit is 50kph and no overtaking!

The cops don't fine you anymore - new regulations mean they confiscate your license! - I got 'let off' for overtaking a lada doing 25kph here. Be polite, smile, admit your "mistake" and be patient while they explain it all and with a bit of luck you'll be let off without paying anything legal or otherwise. This year I was stopped a total of 4 times and still got let off every time! In any case most of the cops don't understand the difference between a UK photolicense+IDP and the IDP by itself. Just show them the IDP (which you can sort of afford to lose). Alternatively, you might wish to 'lose' your national license and get a replacement and keep the old one to give to the russians.

The M9 is primarily a trucking road so don't expect lots of restaurants or petrol stations - just miles and miles of forest. The plus side is that it is much quieter and enjoyable than the moscow-st.p. route which is altogether far more hectic and dangerous (bad driving). Mostly the road is okay except for 2 - 3 bits near zapadnaya dvina where there are some large unexpected holes.

Rgds

Les

DITTRICH · Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 8:59 pm Post subject: