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Route Planning Where to go, when, what are the interesting places to see
Photo by Ellen Delis, Lagunas Ojos del Campo, Antofalla, Catamarca

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Ellen Delis,
Lagunas Ojos del Campo,
Antofalla, Catamarca



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  #1  
Old 27 Jun 2010
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Kiliningrad
Hi

I would like to travel in a circle from the UK East / North through Germany Poland Kellingrad Lithuania Latvia Estonian Finland Sweden Denmark.

There is a lot of conflicting infomation on 72 hour Visa's for Kiliningrad has anyone got any up to date info ?

Or any other tips on my planned route?

cheers

Lolo
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  #2  
Old 28 Jun 2010
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Lolo,

I did the reverse route in 2005. So the visa info may not be up to date. I had a multi-entry Russian visa since I also visited Russia. It sounds like you are talking about a temporary 72 hour transit visa. I not sure if such a thing exists in Russia, or how easy they are to arrange. But hopefully someone will have some more up-to-date info for you.

However, if necessary it would be relatively easy to bypass Kaliningrad and head for the Poland/Lithuania border.

baswacky,
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  #3  
Old 29 Jun 2010
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Kalliningrad is fully Russia - except a 'cut-off' bit. As far as I know there is still no different treatment for visitors from 'mainland' Russia.
This being so you will need a normal visa - I am unaware of special short period visas just for Kalliningrad.

Although I am in Russia for nearly half of my time, I last visited Kalliningrad in 2007.
Interesting, different area - the countryside is rather like the flat lands of Flanders. The city is alive and vibrant with a combination of western structures and Prussian influence and a definitely European feel yet with all the raz-a-ma-taz of Russia's nouveau riche.

Worth entering or leaving via the Koronian Spit to the north, via the hourly ferry to Klaipeda (Lithuania).
Easiest/fastest Russian land border crossings I have known in 7 years of travelling there - probably because they are more used to western/EU visitors, and ones movement is confined to a small area.
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  #4  
Old 29 Jun 2010
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There apparently is a 72 hour transit visa for citizens of certain countries, see:
Russian & Kaliningrad Visas | Konigsberg

But from what I've seen on the net these visas are only available at the airport and two border crossings with Poland. Note that this site lists a "72 hour express visa" and a "Russian transit visa" seperately...

I cannot give any firsthand information, but a quick google search seemed to turn up quite a bit of information; one person reported spending 36 hours at the border crossing , so the wait time seems rather hit or miss...
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  #5  
Old 29 Jun 2010
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Quote:
Originally Posted by motoreiter View Post
one person reported spending 36 hours at the border crossing
I found them to be the quickest Russian road border crossings I have used. 20 minutes exactly entering from Lithuania (Koronian Spit) and slightly less leaving into Poland from Bagrationovsk. I was using my usual multi-entry visa and existing other documentation.
They actually smiled, which seems unique for Russian officials doing their job!
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  #6  
Old 29 Jun 2010
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Really confused now !!
Hi

Thanks for the posts everyone. I really am confused now!!!

So if I turn up at the boarder I stand a possibility of getting a 72 Hour Visa if Im prepared to wait?
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  #7  
Old 30 Jun 2010
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Visa
Hello Lolo.
If you are Citizen of Shengen countries you can get this visa.
Im redactor of Konigsberg.ru This year we made ~20 such visas.

You don't buy it directly at the border. Visa makes 3 days in MFA, and then officer of MFA meet you at the border the day you ask.

So you have to order visa ~7 days before, send copy of pasport and personal info (it written at site) prepay it. You have to have hotel reservation.

Visa costs 70 Euro.

Best regards, Timur.
kaliningradvisa@gmail.com
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  #8  
Old 30 Jun 2010
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crossing the border
Also regular time, crossing the border is 1-2 hour, if you are crossing in the bus it takes 0:30 h.
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  #9  
Old 30 Jun 2010
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Russian territory is not very well suited for anyone just wishing to ride through quickly because of these visa regulations.

This year we were thinking about starting off for Eastern Europe from Finland going overland, that means through Russia first, but it turned out our visas cost 35 euros each, and its practically impossible to apply them without a travel agent or similar, the use of which just about doubles the costs.

So it would´ve been 140 euros, and the 2 of us had only just crossed the border from Finland. And would´ve exited to Estonia just 1-2 days later. Decided that´s crazy, and so we kept that money, and did all our spending in other countries. If there was a more reasonably-priced visa for, say, 2-3 days, then some people might actually make their trips thru Russia from here, and also spend some of their money in Russia in the process.
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  #10  
Old 2 Jul 2010
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I used to get irritated at these visa requirements to go to Russia - and just recently found out that it's the EU which is causing all this hassle. Russia has been asking for years for no visa travel between the EU and Russia but the EU is dragging its feet.

When in Estonia a while back I wanted to ride into Russia but all this visa stuff put me off. Now I know who to blame.....
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