bounty hunter Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 Hi All Just booked ferry for January intending wintering in Greece & Turkey which we have obtained lots of info on from search facility and one or two PM's to regular contributors. Being away in the van at weekend I was looking at maps and was wondering if anyone had ever tried, or even contemplated, returning from Turkey via Georgia, Russia & Ukraine. It seems such a shame to travel back through Turkey when it may be possible to complete a circuit of the Black Sea. Thanks John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickt Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 Waiting for the reply Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1footinthegrave Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 Didn't Ewan McGregor and Charlie Borman do it, or something similar :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 Before you get too far with plans, check your insurances very carefully. Few UK insurers cover many countries outside the EU, and I rather doubt Georgia, Russia or Ukraine will be on the list for even those relatively few that do. You may therefore have to buy insurances at the borders, and it may pay you to research what levels of cover will be available via UK embassies, because it is unlikely any documents supplied at borders will have English translations. Also, look into how they treat any visible damage on your van. With some countries it should be recorded as you enter because, if it is not, it is likely to be assumed to have taken place while you were there. Some countries require a police record for even minor damage incidents and if that record, or a record of damage on entry, is not available on exit, it is assumed you have been responsible for a hit-and-run. This can result in fines, the vehicle being impounded, and even arrest. Not trying to put you off, but worth knowing about in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerC Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 From personal experience...be very cautious in your considerations of travelling through Ukraine. The police/officials are extremely corrupt and not to be argued with. If they say you're in the wrong then you are....there's no getting out of it. The roads are, in places atrocious. Outside of major cities unless you speak Russian or Ukranian you will find it difficult though not impossible to communicate. Hospitality can be fantastic.....they love to feed people and vodka is drunk copiously at lunch and dinner times. If you do go through though you might like to try and visit Kiev...it is a beautiful city. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteCheyenneMan Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Brian Kirby - 2011-11-07 11:56 PMBefore you get too far with plans...............worth knowing about in advance.I've made a note of that for myself Brian. Some useful points there.Have you done something similar?John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bounty hunter Posted November 8, 2011 Author Share Posted November 8, 2011 Thanks for responses. Brian Am aware of insurance problem as tried to get to St Petersburg several years ago and could only get 3rd party insurance which you bought at the border. Not much use when van is worth £70k. Roger Thought as Ukraine are hosting Euro Championship it might be easier to get in and out and hoped roads might have been ok. My thinking was to hug the Black Sea as I expect it to be touristy and reasonably safe. Will update as and when I have further info. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy_C Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 This is on our 'would like to do' list, but the difficult political situation in the area means that reliable up to date information on whether borders are open or not tends to be hard to get! I don't believe that tourists can cross from Georgia into the Russian Federation at the moment. There are car ferries from Trabzon (Turkey) to Sochi (Russia). It may be possible to cross from Georgia into Abkhazia and then into Russia, but the FCO advise against all travel to Abkhazia. AndyC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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