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davyb
Just Starting
Joined: 08 Jan 2010
Posts: 1
Location: Budapest
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 Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 3:45 pm Post subject: Europe to Vladivostok by camper van |
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Hello,
I plan to make a trip from Europe via Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia to Vladivostok later this year in an old camper van and was wandering if anybody could give me some relevant advice. My main concerns are more about the best time of year to travel and the procedure for selling a car in Russia. I have up to a month off work, plan to sell the van at the end and fly home.
Travel partners are also welcome:-)
David |
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eurozhongguo
Just Starting
Joined: 06 Aug 2010
Posts: 2
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| Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 1:30 pm Post subject: 4 weeks is probably too short |
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| You have a wonderful travel experience ahead of you, but the border between Turkey and Armenia is currently closed and I think 4 weeks are far too far too short to make such a trip. You need 3 months. You will probably need a day for each border crossing and you will see nothing at all, except drive, drive, drive and it is even then debatable if you will be able to fly home from Vladivostok in as little as a month. Selling your vehicle would also be hard and will in itself be very time-consuming. Camper vans are mainly the domain of well-off people in the world's richest countries. I doubt whether many people can afford to buy one in Vladivostok. Also, be aware, that most vehicles in Eastern Russia are Right Hand Drive (like in Britain and Japan). If yours is Left Hand Drive, your market will be even smaller. |
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overseas_expat
VIP
Joined: 11 Jan 2005
Posts: 741
Location: Moscow
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| Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 11:22 am Post subject: |
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A month?? Seriously?
Do you have any visas? You'll need a visa for nearly all of these countries. Are you aware there is something of a coup/revolution going on in Kyrgystan? Are you aware that Armenia and Azerbaijan have no relations and that crossing their border by road may not even be possible?
Have you done any research on this hairbrained idea at all??
I think not.
Are you aware that the central asian countries have all kinds of bad feelings going on right now, that corruption is endemic, that visas aren't worth the paper they're printed on at ground border crossings.....and that the *roads* through these places aren't fit for a camel caravan? That there are no petrol stations, no parts, no service garages?
And you plan to get a foreign "old camper van" to Vladivostok through all of this and then sell it in Russia but have no idea what that might involve??!!
May god be with you. |
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DITTRICH-2010
Frequent Guest
Joined: 18 Mar 2010
Posts: 25
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| Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 2:09 am Post subject: |
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Your main concerns are what time of year to travel and how to sell a car in russia!
Let me re-prioritise for you:-
1 Some of the countries you mention are quite dangerous, more so for inexperienced persons which you obviously are. Staying alive would be my #1 priority.
2 What can I realistically achieve in 4 weeks? I can say with great certainty that what you are proposing will take much longer than 4 weeks. #2 priority is what is achievable?
As for what time of year? Do you really want to go there in the winter? Did you check the weather info on the net? No you didn't. So unless you want to go skiing, its got to be the summer. Doh!
Selling a car in Russia? You will have to import it first or sell it to someone who knows the procedures. How practical is this? Not!
Oveseas expat knows what he is talking about even if it is put a little harshly.
Les |
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davyb1
Just Starting
Joined: 09 Aug 2010
Posts: 2
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| Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 1:38 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for your replies although perhaps you should not be so harsh overseas_expat until you know more about the plans.
This is not a luxury jolly for a rich westerner. We usually buy an old camper, do it up, travel and sell, not a huge RV with AC and satellite. Travelling with a camper is slower but you can keep driving while other people sleep / make food etc. FYI on one of the previous trips, we drove from Poland to Ghana by camper in 12 days (including 2 days stop at the beach) and sold it to be used as an ambulance.
Visas are no problem- have you ever gotten a Russian visa from the embassy with one days notice on a Russian holiday? Have you ever bribed your way through Kazakstan, Mauritania and Belarus with no visa?
The route plan is a general guide and not a fixed route. The only thing I’m not sure of is taking the ferry across the Caspian or driving through Iran. I know of all the relations between the countries. The idea is to drive, drive, drive. I have diplomatic papers from each Central Asian embassy so should have less problems at the borders, I think that 3 and a half weeks would be enough time.
As for the time of year, I’ve been in Ulan Ude in -40. The question was more directed to late summer, early summer, mosquitoes, road conditions etc and hoped that somebody would have more information regarding when the majority of overlanders tend to go.
I’m sure there are ways to sell the van in Russia, you just have to know the right person in the right office, I was hoping that somebody on the site would have a bit more detailed info or a relevant contact.
I would still appreciate some advice, I hope this doesn’t appear to be a rant but before reacting harshly to a post, perhaps you should ask for more information.
David |
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romdur
Lounge Lizard
Joined: 17 Mar 2010
Posts: 189
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| Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 4:44 pm Post subject: |
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Wow David,
You travel on a much deeper level than anything in my knowledge! Diplomatic papers, bribing your way, trekking through north Africa...
Probably from your African experience, you have encountered road checkpoints manned by "soldiers" with Kalashnikovs, and other challenges of rough travel.
I hope you will be writing a book or two, from these experiences. I would read them with great interest.
I have no experience of such overland travel, but offer a couple of thoughts.
1. The slow frontier crossings (which can consume a whole travel day) have long queues of vehicles, so in order to take advantage of your diplomatic papers, you'll need to "jump the queue." Possibly, diplomats usually enter these countries by air, so the road crossings may not be well prepared to efficiently give you priority service.
2. There is a variety of paperwork (including insurance) required to bring a road vehicle into Russia, though perhaps you know how to finesse all that stuff. But bringing a vehicle into Russia that will remain there is of course importation, and by law is subject to a customs duty. |
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DITTRICH-2010
Frequent Guest
Joined: 18 Mar 2010
Posts: 25
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| Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 5:53 pm Post subject: |
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So he's just crap at posting. Okay we have an experienced person masquerading as a dork! Perhaps the OP needed to think more carefully about phrasing his post. Still, there is alot of boasting about this and that.
Perhaps the OP ought to be teaching us a thing or two?
My experience tends towards western russia and the far east. Your best bet for offloading the van in vladivostock (assuming someone wants to buy it) would be to ask on www(dot)horizonsunlimited(dot)com for 2 wheeled travellers. There is a large 2 wheeled community in vladivostock and I am sure that they have imported the odd bike or two. Plus they are local.
I still think 3.5 weeks to get to Vladivostock is pushing it. The trans siberian highway is driveable in 2wd cars. If you fail to sell the van you can unexpectedly crash it and get the police report to wave at the airport when they wonder why you have a "car" on your entry stamp.
Half of me wants to believe what you are saying, but half thinks it largely BS. Good Luck.
Les |
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davyb1
Just Starting
Joined: 09 Aug 2010
Posts: 2
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| Posted: Thu Aug 19, 2010 12:25 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks Les and romdur,
These little titbits are the kind of info I was looking for.
The original plan was to go in august this year but that has been overshadowed by uncertainty and changes at work. We are relocating to Brussels from january so the trip is planned now for next summer...its not BS.
David |
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wizzz
Just Starting
Joined: 10 Oct 2010
Posts: 2
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| Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2010 7:26 pm Post subject: |
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| dave sounds like you know what your up to we are planning at the moment for a thing called the trans siberian run this will be Riga or london 2 starts to vladivostok in the type of time scale your on about the web site will be up & running late november if you get any info on getting rid of cars in vladivostok were probably thinking of scrapping rather than selling them could you let us know G |
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Gwenol
Just Starting
Joined: 20 Apr 2008
Posts: 2
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| Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 9:51 pm Post subject: Selling a car in Russia |
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Hi David,
I just completed a road trip across Eurasia (Belgium to Vladivostok in a Lada Niva). Just wanted to let you know that selling a foreign car in Russia is not a sensible option, as the custom rights are VERY high: we went to the customs to enquire about that and were told that, in our case, we would have had to pay more than two times the value of our car to import it into Russia.
Bye
Gwenol |
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