forget about it :oops2:
coast road from georgia to russia (via Abkhazia) is closed
The unpassable border is georgia to abkhazia. This border will not be opened in nearest 10 years at least. :censored:

You can go around Caspian sea :D
Europe - Turkey - Iran - Turkmenistan - Kazahstan - Russia - Azerbaijan - Georgia - Turkey (south coast of Black sea from Rize to Istambul) - back to Europe :scooter::scooter::scooter:
This is passable. But be ready to 200-500km legs without fuel stations on east Caspian coast. :helpsmilie:

Well yes, kind of, but no ... not really.

The plan was to open the Verkhny Lars border crossing between Russia (North Ossetia) and Georgia (in the middle of the Caucasus mountains) ... that was the plan. What happens in reality is another matter. Whether that border is then open to CIS citizens only, or becomes a full international border is yet another question. The only reason they are opening it (or planning to open it) is to help Armenia, which is Russias main ally in the South Caucasus, so it probably will be a border for CIS (plus Georgia) citizens only.

As for the Black Sea coast road, as Dean says, there now is no coast road joining Russian and Georgia. Abkhazia is now in the way. And you cant cross into Abkhazia from Georgia. Until Georgia recognises Abkhazia's independence (and that may take some time) there can obviously never be an open border there.

So I wouldnt plan anything just yet until we see what is the nature of the Verkhny Lars border. And I would be sceptical of it becoming some sort of open season for general travellers. That whole area is VERY militarised.

tnx mates ;)

I am currently checking my options for a ferry from Georgia to Russia. Unfortunately i do not have the time to go round Caspian sea.... so i have to find another way. It seems that boats are operating from Batumi to Sochi but i can find only hydrofil ones...
Does anyone knows if there is a ferry from Georgia (Batumi, oti or somewhere else) to Russia?

tnx in advance

There is only one "ferry" between Georgia and Russia ... its a Bulgarian ship called "Sredets" ... schedules are normally 3 or 4 times a month. But they only ever seem to have one months schedule planned up at a time.

The ferry sails to and from Bulgaria via Novorossiysk in Russia and Poti in Georgia. i.e. you can get on in Poti and off a day and a half later in Novorossiysk.

Its rumoured to be very "basic".

Try this web site:

::: INTERSHIPPING :::

Please return the info and let us know as much information as possible about the route after you contact them and find it all out.

tnx colebatchi

i will post my findings ;)

tnx again

Also I'm not sure about possibility of it.
The ferry you can take for sure is Trabzon (Turkey) - Sochi (Russia)
There is several ships and you'll have to wait in Trabzone no longer than 2 days.

then a ferry from port Caucasus to Port Crimea - 6 times a day (It will take approx 5 hours total with waiting ship-trip and customs procedure.

then kerch-sudak-alushta-yalta-sevastopol-evpatoriya-armyansk-odessa

tnx DEAN Rus

I have already checked the Trabzon-Sochi option but according to the

Commercial Sea Port of Sochi

the ferry its TOO expensive

~250€ (passenger+bike) for a 12hour cruise!!!!!!!!!!

I will check if there is another cheaper ferry

tnx again

there is NO way around Black sea !!!
 

if (I do not say when, I say _if_) kazbegi-verhni lars opens the trip can be as follows:
trabzon-poti-gori-lars-vladikavkaz-nevinomissk-kropotkin-krasnodar-port kavkaz
1432km with at least 1 night (closer to Lars, on Georgian or Russian side of border)

If not (this is much much much more possible) - much longer
trabzon-poti-gori-kutaisi-tbilisi-derbent-mahachkala-grozny-nevinomissk-kropotkin-krasnodar-port kavkaz
3 borders (6 customs), including 2 in AZ. not less than 4 hours for every border.
2275km and 3 (THREE at least, maybe four) nights. Kidnapping possible in dagestan and chechnya.

calculate gasolin+food+hotel and compare to the night ferry (hotel+food+delivery 3-in-1)

BTW: are your family ready to pay 20000 Euros to kidnappers?

Dean, vtoroi variant ne mozhno ... Derbent granitsa (AZ-RU) tolko dlya SNG grazhdanin.

Unfortunately the 2nd option outlined by Dean is not possible unless (like Dean) you have a CIS passport up your sleeve. The border between Azerbaijan and Russia is only open to CIS citizens. I am sure the Georgia - Russia border (if it opens) will be the same.

Basically, take a boat as Dean says. Black Sea as things stand right now, is the only way.

project abandoned at least for this year....

i will do it when (and if) the border will open...

i want to drive all those places not to take a cruise ;)

anyway... tnx for your help mates

Stelios

Took the UKRFERRY from POTI to ODESSA in June 2010.
No problem getting the ticket in Poti. Shedule was rather unpredictable.
Comfortable ferry :thumbup1:

Guy

I'm not sure of your rightness.
border crossing point yarag-kizmalyar have status "international/multiside" that means customs works with vehicles of any countries.
More to say: Belka talked to Iran trucker who works on Teheran-Moscow route for years. he makes teheran-moscow as a land route through Baku, back way by ferry from Astrakhan. The border near Derbent is open for non-CIS cars and bikes.

One more border crossing point (near railroad) Tagirkent-kizmalyar - can be only for locals and for train passengers. Need to be checked.

You can find the list of border passes (404 places) and it's status here:
Просмотр документа | Ð*осграница :stormy:
Sorry, Russian language only :oops2:

Hi guys/privet riebiata :)

We did a Round the Black Sea trip with my buddy in September 2009 and found the following solution to be the best compromise for our needs (we are Polish citizens).

After cruising in the Turkish far East (Van lake, Kurdistan) we got back to the Black Sea shore near Hopa, Turkey (just 10 km from the Georgian border), moved West some 200 km to Trabzon and from Trabzon we took a ferry called (not suprisingly) M/F "Trabzon" to Sochi. The cost was 150 $ for a bike + 50$ for a passanger, assuming sleeping on a mattress in the common area. This is how this ferry looks like:
Picasa Web Albums - Pawel - Round the Bla...

The trip itself takes 12 hours but the ferry was "arrested" in Trabzon for a night after embarkment due to the fact that the Sea terminal in Sochi was busy with another huge vessel anchoring over there. So, instead of spending a night on the ferry, we spent a night+a day and finally reached the harbour of Sochi at midnight... It would be difficult over there if we hadn't met a fantastic Russian biker Sergey on the ferry who hosted us in Sochi and later on our route :)

In general, I think this is the easiest and safest way to cover the Black Sea coast. Of course, in this option you wouldn't see Georgia and Abkhasia, but if you have some free time, you may always pay a visit to Georgia and then move back to Trabzon to continue to Sochi.

Russia (Port Kavkaz) to Ukraine (Kerch) crossing is fairly easy. You just need to be careful with Border Police on the Russian side and follow their instructions (which means: lots of going from one window to another to get a ticket, to clear your Temporary Russian Passport of a Vehicle, get your passport stamped etc.). Otherwise, it is absolutely feasible. And remember: bikes do not stay in line, so roll your bike straight to the barrier :)

Good luck and ask if you had any questions!
Pavel

Oh, I forgot to add that there is a couple of ferries that cover the Trabzon-Sochi route. Basically, there is one ferry per day, sometimes there is a maximum two-day break between depertures. We didn't book the ferry in advance, just came down to Trabzon in the morning, checked the availbility and we embarked on the ferry the same day afternoon :)

As far as I can remember, there was no beer sold on the ferry so don't forget to get supplies from a near-by shop next to the harbour :thumbup1:

Russia – Georgia Border to open
 

Some news of the issue :thumbup1:

UPDATED 27.12. Finns train Georgian border guards to cooperate more with Russia

Finnish Border Guard takes on task that Germans considered impossible
http://www.hs.fi/static/verkkoliite/img/t.gif

By Susanna Niinivaara in Tblisi

There are easier borders in the world than the ones that surround the former Soviet republic of Georgia. Some of the borders are not under the control of the country itself, as the South Ossetian and Abkhazian administration is in the hands of separatists supported by Russia.
Borders that are need to be patrolled include the border with Russia in the north (including borders with Chechnya and Dagestan) and in the south with Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey.


Helsingin Sanomat - International Edition - Foreign

27/02/2010 euronews orginal published 24/12/09 11:54 CET
Russia – Georgia Border to open - Diplomacy : news, world | euronews

Russia and Georgia have agreed to re-open their land border which has been closed since 2006.
After Swiss mediation, both countries have been able to agree a deal which would see the border opened by next March.
The Upper Lars checkpoint is the only land border crossing that does not go through Georgia’s Russian-backed rebel regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
However, this move does not mean that air travel between Russia and Georgia will be
re-established. Following tensions over South Ossetia last year, Russia cut air links with Georgia.
Privately-owned airline, Georgian Airways is seeking to resume charter flights between Moscow and Tbilisi, and has asked the Russian government to lift the embargo. They have not received an answer yet. However, opening the Upper Lars checkpoint may be the first step in a thawing of relations between both countries.
Copyright © 2010 euronews

There is more

TRT - Russia-Georgia border to open soon

critical step is being taken to normalise relations between Russia and Georgia. The two states are due to finalise talks aiming to open the sealed border gate. The Kazbegi-Upper Lars crossing which directly connects the two countries will be opened officially on March 1, 2010.

And more

Georgia Border With Russia To Open March 1 | Asbarez Armenian News


MOSCOW (Reuters)–A mountain pass between Georgia and Russia, closed since July 2006, will reopen next week, Georgia said on Friday, in rare sign of cooperation since the former Soviet neighbors fought a brief war in 2008.
The Upper Lars border crossing through the towering Caucasus mountains is effectively the only land crossing between Russia and Georgia, the others running through the Russian-backed rebel regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
“According to the agreement reached … movement through checkpoint Kazbegi (Georgia) – Upper Lars (Russia) will resume from March 1, 2010,” the Georgian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. There was no immediate confirmation from Russia.