On my way to Central Asia, I’m traveling through Russia. The travel advice for Russia is negative, but it’s possible to get a visa, so I’m going for it! I applied for a multiple-entry visa by the help of Rusreis.nl in the Netherlands. This visa allows me to enter Russia at multiple locations, which is convenient because I don’t have a fixed itinerary.
Armed with five Russian words, I cross the border from Belarus to Russia.
Privet = hello | Spaziba = thank you | Na Zdrovye = cheers | Da = yes | Net = no
Belarus-Russia border crossing
There’s no Belarusian border crossing. There’s only one border crossing I need to stop at, and that’s the Russian Federation border control. I cross at Krasnaya Gorka, but always check beforehand which border crossings are open (for Europeans).
I’m immediately next in line, show my passport and have to park to the side. At the window of the small white building, I’m given an interview: why Russia, where from, where to, etc. Everything is entered into the computer. It takes about 30 minutes.
I arranged the car’s third-party liability insurance in a wooden shed further down the road. It’s all in Russian, but Google Translate works perfectly! The 15-day insurance for my car cost 1820 rubles (€20). Make sure you’ve exchanged some euros beforehand! This also took about 30 minutes.
Lost in Smolensk city
I didn’t expect this quick border crossing! In Smolensk, I drove past the fortress and the towers, very beautiful! Here I could park somewhere, but suddenly I’m lost? What, my navigation and GPS don’t work anymore! All the signs are in Russian, OMG where am I now? After a lot of searching and driving around the city, I found a parking space outside the city.
Borodino Nunnery
I’m searching like crazy while driving, but suddenly my navigation works again, hooray! In just over three hours, I drive to Borodino, where there’s a nunnery in an amazing location.
The monastery is surrounded by the Borodino Battlefield (1812) and covers 11,000 hectares of monuments, meadows, dandelions, and bees. Now it’s a peaceful place, great for walking and spending the night!
Moscow
The toll for the ring road costs RUB 230 (€2.50), 400 (€4.40), and 500 (€5.50). It is awesome to have driven all the way to Moscow. And we’re traveling much further! Oh, I need to stop daydreaming, yuck, my navigation stopped working again. I have no idea where I am…
Unbelievable, I finally found the campsite! It’s a shame the campsite isn’t currently allowed to host foreigners; it’s strictly prohibited.
I find visiting a city without navigation a real nightmare so we get out of the city. But the good news is that navigation generally works outside the cities.
Registration in Russia
In Kolomna, we made a second attempt at a campsite, but I am not allowed to stay there either. It is 7:00 PM, and I really don’t feel like driving any further. A few phone calls are made, and a hotel on the river in Kolomna is booked, great! A room with a river view, Leo can stay in the room and breakfast in the morning is included for €55. Now I also have my Russian registration, which I have to arrange within eight days. Perfect!
Kolomna town
We start the day with a full breakfast! Nice, isn’t it? Coffee, rolls, a boiled egg, and a slice of cheese for Leo. We’re enjoying it!
Kolomna is a really lovely city with an incredible number of old buildings and museums. I bought a matryoshka doll and visited the magnificent cathedral and Kolomna Kremlin.
Aleksandro-Nevskii lake
Oops, the internet’s down. Traveling isn’t easy in Russia. I still find a nice spot by the lake! Neighborhood boys are curious, why I’m in Russia, where I’m from, Amsterdam, Holland? Do I know Virgil van Dijk? Yes, I do. And suddenly the internet is working again, yeah! We chat with Google Translate, funny.
I got lost again in Tambov, but I’m getting better at finding my way. I take pictures of traffic signs, translate the image with Google Translate, and then I know where to go. And all that while driving, haha.
Countryside
Because of the navigation, I see few towns and a lot of countryside.
I need to fill up with water today; there’s a well along the side of the road. The locals drink this water, great!
Last stop, Ershov
Our last stop is Ershov. We’ll have a sandwich, pick up some last-minute groceries, and exchange some money for gas. Well, it takes a while… We’ve seen almost all of Ershov, and at the third bank (Sber Bank), I can exchange money and get the best rate ever; no fees are charged.
These UAZ vans are a common sight in Russia. I’ve driven over 1,700 km across Russia and seen many car brands I’d never seen before, probably Chinese brands. The roads are 50% good and 50% bad, with lots of potholes and poor asphalt, repairs causing bumps. There’s also a lot of rutting, and oh yes, the unmanned railroad crossings—you really have to stop for them and drive slowly, otherwise you’ll be launched.
I didn’t notice anything about the war with Ukraine, except for the closed campsites, GPS and internet interference.
At the Russian border, something strange happens. After much discussion (with hands), I have to wait in line between the trucks, but that could take all day, and I don’t even have a truck?! After waiting for two and a half hours, my new driver friends from Belarus argue with the border guard again (in Russian), and they succeed. I’m allowed through! Thanks, thanks, thanks 🙏 On to Kazakhstan!
Are you interested in our trip to Kazakhstan? Please click on this link!
https://www.marianaroundtheworld.com/en/asia/camper-trip-kazakhstan-i/
