Amazing just read this ride report below two Guy from Estonia crossed at Kazbegi from Russia into Georgia.
I presume Estonia is not a CIS country???

Beyond clouds - through Russia to Georgia - ADVrider

Estonia is not a formal member of CIS but it was a member of the former Soviet Union, one of the pre-qualifiers.

Although, with the other Soviet Baltic States, Estonia chose to seek its fortune with EU instead, some former Soviet Union states still retain preferential links with each other which can include Visa free regimes - which would no doubt include border crossing arrangements.

In reading the report you may have failed to pick up the sentence in the very first post "Georgia doesn't require visas from Estonian citizens".

Or maybe you haven't reached the 14th line yet.

EDIT: Posts 40 & 41 (to which you responded too) seem to confirm that.

Hi Tony
I did wonder about this being part of the former Soviet Union but maybe a small glimmer of light for us EU citizens.

Eric

Sadly, the 'EU umbrella' is really something among EU member states only - much as the unelected in Brussels might wish, even they don't all treat each other equally!
When you are seeking visas or entry to other countries they are not interested if your country belongs to a 'club' (EU, Schengen, NATO, WWF, AA and so on down). They are only interested in your passport citizenship and no more.

E.G. I have Residency in RUS but when presenting myself at neighbouring borders, the country I am entering is totally disinterested and makes no concession for that - all they see is a British citizenship passport.

TonyP, that was an insightful explanation (and a thorough reading!).

And in other contexts, most of the times these criteria/treatment will be based on reciprocity: the citizens of countries where application procedures are harder and more expensive for nationals of other countries will usually suffer themselves higher fees when they apply for visas and the like from those other countries. So, it may happen that Georgia applies higher fees to US (especially), UK and Canada citizens than to Italians, just because their visas are more expensive (& tedious) than a Schengen visa issued by the Italian Consulate in Tblisi. Quite reasonable. Or just mutual sympathy between states (probably Georgia is now friendlier with US citizens).

Let’s see what's going to happen in mid June when I'll attempt to cross the border between Georgia and Russia.

At this stage, my only concern is to find an alternate route to reach Russia in case I won’t be allow to cross Kazbegi.

Back to Poti (Georgia) harbor and sail to across the Black Sea heading due Kerch (Ukraine) is an option – quite an expensive one which require careful planning .

On the other hand, that’s the reason way to ride a bike is so funny :mchappy:

Naga
Is riding the Motorcycle from Georgia into Azerbaijan then into Russia a route?? or will we have similar problems at the Azerbaijan/ Russian border, i also undrstand there is a ferry from Trabzon to Sofia but again not to reliable.

Eric

Hi Eric,
According to Lonely Planet border between Azerbaijan and Russia are off for non-CSI citizen.

The ferry you were refferring to is, most probably, the one from Batumi (GEO) to Varna (BG).


Europe's most comprehensive ferry portal - Online booking / Price comparison: Black Sea - www.ferrylines.com

Daniele

Hi
Seems the border is open now to none CIS, great news :thumbup1:
Saves the expensive ferry ride from Trabzon

Eric

Good news...


http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...o-russia-41092

My neighbour just came back from his trip to the Caucasus!
The border from Russia to Georgia is open for sure! They crossed at the 18th of may 2012! It took about a hour on the Russian side to "check out" and about 20minutes to get in to Georgia !!

:thumbup1::thumbup1:

I can confirm the border is open :thumbup1:

3 of us crossed it with UK passports and of course visa's 3 days ago.

Very quick, took about 1 hour to fill the various paperwork.

The road to the border at the top of the Georgian Military Highway is in a bad way, lots of potholes!!

Hope this helps people in the future.... one of the guards said the border has been open for 3 months to non CIS, only a handfull have used it to cross

Cheers
Geordie aka Will

Great news thanks for the update

Eric

Sorry I didn't read all the 57 replies, so maybe somebody else already suggested you this roads.
The first one we did it last month and we really enjoyed it!! (From Bat'umi to Akhalts'ikhe). Consider that we are 2 persons riding on a 1991 Honda Transalp full of bags so if we made it everyone else can make it!

https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid...8a15b0ca&msa=0

On the map this road is showed as a main road but it has 50km of pure off-road fun (maybe less fun for our 21 years old bike full loaded...) with rumbling creeks and narrow passages between 3 meters high ice walls...
I'm about to finish editing the video of the road, if you want I can send you the link when I'm done...

The second road I suggest you is this (from K'ut'aisi and Akhalts'ikhe):
I didn't personally do it, but in Armenia I meet 4 bikers that tryed to ride the secondary road between K'ut'aisi and Akhalts'ikhe but they said it was too hard and too narrow so they decided to go back. I actually don't know the real conditions of the road, but I'm assuming it would be much more adventurous than the first one!

You will just have to remember to harden the suspensions and ease the chain because the Georgian potholes will try them to the limit....

Enjoy! :D
Thomas

Here some video from this part as well: Ilpo Juvander > Home - Video from a trip to Caucasus 2011. Was really nice riding on it!