Help calm my slight nerves please! Enter Russia in a week.
 

So I'm on my trip from England through Scandinavia, into Russia and Mongolia. I'm currently in Sweden and will be crossing into Russia around 13/06/2013.

So a little bit of nerves are setting in as always people are giving horror story's...

We are driving by 4x4 Nissan and the route is from Finland, into Russia through St Petersburg, Moscow and then heading towards Mongolia, Ulaanbatar, if we have time to Magadan, before returning across Russia to Europe.

So any last minutes tips please, or any up to date information on the route?

Basicly just to hear some positives rather then the constant 'storys' from people who have never been to these places...

Read the threads and response here from those that have done it for the first time, along with the experienced old hats.

I did it for the first time last year and had never ridden across borders, in fact my total experience of driving/riding in foreign countries was a Tarago minivan in New Zealand and a half day scooter hire on Santorini - hardly worth writing home about and English is the only language I speak.

I found it all quite easy in the end - just don't forget your insurance when crossing the border.

Horror stories??

I reckon Russia is safer than the UK.

Been travelling in Russia for 20 years. NEVER had anything stolen. A mate travelled here last year and left his bike in the street in central Moscow without a security chain or disc lock or anything, for 3 days and 3 nights and it wasnt even touched.

You couldnt do that in London, let alone any other city in the UK.

Use basic common sense, take basic precautions, DONT treat locals as if they are to be feared or you are superior to them. I come back to Russia every summer to travel. Find it a fantastically welcoming and friendly place.

Like the UK, the bigger the city, the less people are interested in you as they have their own busy lives. The smaller the towns you travel through the more interesting you are to them, and the hospitality rapidly becomes warmer than ANYTHING you will experience int he west.

I recommend you stray from main roads, as they (the main roads) are the most boring, least friendly, least interesting (most generic) parts of the country. Again, think of the UK ... you cant drive up the M1-M6 and say you have seen England ... its the small towns and villages that are the REAL England. Russia is no different.

Its a big country and there are a MILLION different routes you can take to cross it. Dont confine yourself to thinking there is just one. If you do, then you are automatically locking yourself onto the most boring route across the country. If you do see only one route across the country, you run the risk that your potential journey of adventure and a discovery of another country and culture becomes nothing more than a Russian highway endurance test. I cannot stress that enough.

Russians themselves will fill you with horror stories - that the people in the next town, next province, next country etc are all bandits. Ignore them.

Yes and everything Walter said above. And I left my bike in the streets of many Russian cities for more than one night with no issue.

Put this way I wouldn't let my wife walk in downtown Vancouver by herself at 9pm. If was any of the Russian cities we stayed in I would have told to go by herself.

In Mongolia beware of petty theft though particularly in UB ie don't leave things straped to the bike that are easily nicked. A number of people we met on bikes had stuff stolen from them.

Sent from my GT-I9305T using Tapatalk 2

Russia
 

Hello Cysne,

when I entered Russia the first time in 1992 I was also a bit like you ...

but I found the people so welcoming and friendly that I lost all my fear within a few days.

Then I returned in 1997/1999/2000/2003 and traveled to remote corners of the biggest country on the planet. I had very little problems, but two things I want to tell you .... stay away from drunk strangers - dont drink with strangers .... park your car at night in an autostolyanca (paid parking) as the locals do.

enjoy Russia

mika

Following up on what Craig Iedema said ...

Mongolia is a different country. People are less smiley and less overtly friendly than in Russia. And UB is the petty crime and pickpocket capital of the WORLD. So be more cautious in Mongolia, especially in ULAANBAATAR. In Mongolia, keep your valuables in zipped pockets.

Thanks for the words, just what I wanted to here from people who have been there.

Sorry examples of the horror storys as you say;

Bandits, Armed muggings, mafia, etc from people who are never been. Gets a little wearing constantly having to tell people otherwise (for the last 6 months!) makes you start to wonder...

Really appreciate your honesty, thanks.

Cysne, I'd happily try and balance my emotions with you. I'll be there in 10 days and am too excited. A bit of hesitation might relax me a bit.


It's a fact of travelling in some regions or just dealing with people. Groups of people are always warning you of the other groups who are warning you of the first group. It's always funny to learn of all the apparent bullets you dodged while too busy being treated like an old friend to notice.

It's great to get the reassurance from the folks that have preceeded you. I too will be following in your footsteps next year. But you have to accept problems do arise and it's all part of the adventure. If things ran absolutely smoothly then you can't bore people with jaw dropping adventures on your return. Good luck on your travels everyone.

This even happens in America (although it sometimes valid in this case).

Sent from my GT-I9305T using Tapatalk 2

Ho hum...as others have said, read any number of ride reports about trips in Russia and you won't see many (any?) horror stories.

And sad to say, many Russians are the worst at spreading this kind of story. Many of my Russian colleagues apparently never expected me to return from my trip to Magadan a couple of years ago, because in their view everyone in the Far East is some kind of horrible criminal.

But of course this is not a license to shut your brain off while travelling in Russia--use common sense. For example, if you wild camp, don't do it right on the side of the road where every ne'er-do-well that drives by will see you.

Just to add my tupp'orth from 1996.
We were given a document that was being handed out to staff of a big UK financial consultant (big name but don't remember which), that was piling into Moscow for post-Soviet glasnost. This paper said, in black and white, avoid being in a non-company car in Moscow because the police would stop all foreign-looking people and threaten an injection with AIDS virus if substantial bribes weren't paid.
Well, luckily all 4 of us were of like mind to see this was rubbish, but one took a few Zippo lighters "just in case."

In those days (maybe it's still the same), 3 foreign motorbikes parked in a town would immediately attract a big crowd, and big crowds quickly attracted the police, who were always helpful.
In Ukraine and in Russia.

We were staying in homestays and had the addresses with us written in Cyrillic.
We'd show that to the police when they arrived and they'd escort us right to the front door.
The first time, in Kiev, after following the Landcruiser through the city, one of our number offered the copper one of the Zippo lighters.
He waved his hands in some consternation saying "No no no!"

There was a burdgeoning bikers' scene in those days that always took us under their wing, specially in St. Pete. Maybe it's still the same.

The St.Petersburg family who arranged our homestays insisted there was no way to travel by road from Kiev to Moscow. The road was controlled by mafia - they rob everyone - there's nowhere to stay overnight - no petrol - no water, no tarmac.....
Well, when we successfully arrived in Moscow and phoned them, they were gracious enough to agree "things must be changing for the better."
At the police checkpoints along the road in Ukraine approaching the Russian border, the police would say "impossible to travel beyond the border, Mafia control everything, rob everyone, turn back now."

Yep, I'd agree with that, but it depends a bit on your own outlook.
One of our number was a serious Scottish drinker - a real Scot. (In his 50s like me).
He handled the Russian drunks no problem, it was often very entertaining.
But I think without a doubt, if he hadn't been with us we would not have had the skills to connect socially with the heavy drinkers that we met. And we would have steered clear of them.

It was a great trip - 3 weeks.

-Someone above mentioned other countries. It always seems it's the people living in the country that mostly tell you it's dangerous. Including the U.S.
While I was cycling around small-town America people would say "On your own? Isn't that dangerous? You'll get robbed!!"
And yet, a child's football, 'stolen' overnight from a front garden, was the front-page news in the local paper.....

This video will dispel any worries:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhayUVsS6VA
(But don't watch any other Russian dash cam videos. It will not help your nerves.)

Hello Cysne
First of all,you probably will survive.
Just drove Vladivostok to Ulan-Ude.
Now I'm in Mongolia and not looking forward to crossing Russia again,but there's no way around it.
I've heard a lot of positiv things about Russia, like the other posts did.
But I haven't seen that Russia yet.
To be clear, nothing bad happend yet, just my impression is that it's a overpriced third world country, unable to handle plumbing or anything else.
It took 4 days till I got a "pashalsta" after politely saying "spasiba" when I bought something in a shop.
I general got the feeling that I'm not welcome at a reception of a motel or a shop, like "why are you idiot bothering me,just pay a go".
Maybe it's just me,after months in SEA and last Japan, I'm used to people smiling.
Mongolia seems much friendlier.
Don't expect too much, hope you enjoy Russia.
sushi

Russia
 

good we are not all the same and different travelers have different experiences.

I just loved Russia and the Russians and I could not get along with the Mongolian and their stupid rules and laws. Anyway I traveled more than ten years ago, and my first journey is more than twenty years ago and for sure many things have changed.

But I am thinking of going back to Russia.

Sushi, I hope you enjoy western Russia more, dont miss Sankt Petersburg.

Greetings to all from Berne Switzerland
mika

I'm hoping to cross Russia in the next year or two.

It will be my first time too. I also hear all the horror stories. Even by Russians themselves.

The same way I was weary about my first time in South America or travelling through Africa.

These are the countries (right or wrong), that you actually start feeling safer and more comfortable in.

My biggest fear about going to Russia is that I have to go through crime-ridden, overpriced and overpopulated Western Europe to get there...

Hello

Met a Russian biker from Sachalin on his way to Moskow, communikation was difficult but he told me not to stop between Khabarovsk and Chita, 2 Bikers were killed in this part of the country.
Wanted to ask him if I could stop for gas,but there was the language barrier.
:confused1:
How do you do that?
Do I show fear of locals by not camping along the main road or taking my helmet and tankbag with valuables into the shop instead of leaving it on the bike; Do I show superior by beeing surpriced when they expect me to shit in the wooden sheed in the field with no running water in the motel but still asking 700 rubel for a bed, or could the mechanik in Kabarovsk read my mind,although I was still smiling, when he destoyed a brand new heavyduty tube when he replaced my tires, or when he wanted to clench the 120 chain before the wheel was mounted,not even bothering that original is 110, then on my insisting getting angry then measureing on the bike on the central stand with the swingarm relaxt, finally the chain was thight as hell and he didn't understand what was wrong.
Maybe I should have been more pleased when he showed pictures of him and his buddies in "Wehrmachts Uniform mit Hackenkreuz"
I just told him I'm Swiss not German,have nothing in common with that.
Well, then I am guilty.

I wouldn't say Russia is as bad as the Russians itself claim it to be, but that sounds to me a bit to optimistic.
It's a big country with good and bad people.

I came to Russia with the same open mind as I did in every other country in the last 2 years of this trip,
but they are just trying so hard to give me a bad impression of Russia

So is it just me?
What do I do wrong:helpsmilie:

sushi

May be right for England, but not for the Rest:rofl:

And this is why I love this forum.

Thanks HUBB'ers.

I cant answer that without meeting you or travelling with you.

:smartass:

"Your Welcome" in response to "Thank You" is not universal - even in English speaking countries - for example Australians will say "No Worries" if they say anything at all.

Just relax and accept the country for what it is - I would suggest complaining about the plumbing of $20 hotel is part of the issue.

As Walter said to me once - it is probably the only place in the world you can knock on someones door at 9pm, not speak the language and get help.

When our bike broke down - we got all the help in the world to rescue the bike and get to accommodation. When we arrived at 1 in the morning there was food and hot tea. After that amongst the best two weeks I have ever had in my life and friends that I will have life.

Hello
Yeah, every IGA has this "special" person who will never see its picture on the wall of the employees of the month.:rofl:
But you're wright, now I've stoped using any form of communication, as the locals do and it works,feels like I'm in the movie "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warm_Bodies_(film)".
I felt so sorry for the woman I forced to smile and say bashalsta, must have been a horrible experience for them. Will never do it again.
But the fact that so far in every third place they tried to cheat by raising the price for a bed once I've seen and liked it, still bothers me.
The hospitality sounds great unless you don't want it,for whatever reason.
Yesterday I almost had a fight with a guy who pulled constantly on my jacket while I tried to explain him that I'm not interested in coming to his party nor his sauna.
Well just 4000km of this shithole till the border of the EU.
sushi

Whew, it probably was a horrible experience for her to be forced to repeat your jibberish. I guess you realize that "bashalsta" doesn't mean anything in Russian? I think you're doing it wrong.

OK, although this has never happened to me--ever--in my many hotel stays in Russia. I think you're doing it wrong, maybe next time bring a tent?

Nice one. Again, I think you're doing it wrong.

Feel free to dip down into Central Asia so that you can escape Russia, they won't miss you. It's a big world, I guess all of us are lucky you can go to other places and don't have to come back here ever.

So you complain about the lack of hospitality until you are offered it and then you don't want it.

You really are doing it wrong. And to knock back the Banya cleanest I have ever felt.

Sent from my GT-I9305T using Tapatalk 2

Please accept my apology
 

Hello
Please forgive me. It's all my fault.
I tried to behave in russia like I did in every country in the last two years.
I'm sorry if I can't wright correct russian in latin letters.
I'm sorry that I wright here experiences that are different from ALL others.
Russia is the greatest place on earth and if they don't smile it's clearly my problem.
Nobody tried to cheat,they just have a way of negotiating that I don't understand,clearly my fault.
The fact that I expected a mechanic to repair thing like everywhere else in the world is again my mistake.
Expecting running water for 700 rubel in a motel is also, once again, me, how could I dare.
When you stop for 5 minutes,suited up in the rain gear and still 200km to go that day, then a Russian man,a complete stranger, aproaches you and invites you,it's very impolite to not change your plans and drop everything instantly, to spend hours of great Russian hospitality with him.
If you try to politely say no thanks,he has the right to pull you inside and get mad, because I came to Russia just to visit him therefore it's ALL AGAIN my mistake.
I'm sorry for not falling in love with Russia like everybody is supposed to do and does.
I'm very sorry if someone in Russia is offended by the fact that I don't love Russia and dared to say so.
The thred starter asked about opinions about Russia and I thought I was allowed to do so, my mistake.
I never said all the horror stories are true, don't go.
All I posted were MY experiences in so far 3 weeks of Russia.
So, please accept my apology for saying out loud what I feel, I will not do it again.
Russia is great and one MUST love it here,it's the law.
sushi

Despite thinkinig you are doing Russia wrong that is funny.


Anyway back on topic (sort of).

I went to a Russian Resturant yesterday the people who ran it were from Belarus and their daughter inlaw from Vladisvostok all recent immigrants to the US. Naturally got talking to them about Russia. The daughter inlaw asked if I had in trouble in Siberia (because it is dangerous) the son wanted to know how mnay problem I had with the police (none in Russia).

My point when you are in Russia treat the danger messages appropriately with the amount of experience the person has with the area.

****NEWS FLASH*****
--Russia is not like other countries
--the Russian populace is not known for its tendency to smile and engage in typical civilities
--the level of Russian infrastructure/facilities--including plumbing facilities--in many cased falls below that of other countries.
--many Russian craftsmen, such as mechanics, have low quality standards and poor tools.
****END NEWS FLASH*****

As you point out, the OP asked for opinions about Russia to soothe his nerves. So while you are certainly entitled to express your views, I am also entitled to express my view that I believe your opinions are ill-founded and indeed rather juvenile.

I would alert the media to the facts set out above, but in fact they are already widely--indeed probably universally--known. But it looks like you came to Russia without realizing these basic things, or realizing them but unable to accept them. Furthermore, while many of us travel precisely to experience other cultures, you seem to want to force Russia to change to meet your personal standards, to the extent of forcing hapless shop attendants to smile and say "bashalsta" (?) and almost getting in a fight with someone that invited you to a party. And you even call these petty issues "horror stories", give me a break. In short, yes, I think it is your fault that you don't like Russia.

I have lived here for more than ten years and traveled here extensively. And believe me, I can very well understand how some people would not like it here. What I can't understand is how you seem to have noticed (and gotten rather excited about) a bunch of petty negative issues (poor plumbing, oh noes) and none of the many positive characteristics of the country (of which you don't seem to have noticed any).

So Cysne, you may have gotten more than you bargained for in this thread, but you have certainly gotten some divergent and strongly-held opinions about the place. I hope that you'll come back here during or after your journey to provide your own impressions.

The same for me, I am excited to ride this country and I will wait to see how it is.:scooter:

I can't change it anyway, so I let it come as it comes, and then also reply to this tread.....

I'm off to Russia in August, by myself having never been before. Can't speak a word of Russian but I'll learn how to say please and thank you before I arrive. Navigating might be an issue as will getting food & accommodation. I'll be a complete stranger in a strange (for me) world. Nothing I read will put me off going, you only ever get to hear about negative incidents so I just ignore them. I'd never leave home if I didn't!!!

Things are definitely much easier if you speak at least a few words of Russian, and can read the roadsigns, signs for cafes, etc.

And you should not ignore the negative incidents, but use them to learn what to expect and if possible, how to avoid them yourself.

Learning Cyrillic is definitely a bonus - many words when transliterated back to latin are words we already know.

-eg кофе = cafe

I know there are a million Mika's.But I was wondering if this is my friend Mika from Buenos Aires.

I am new to Russia also. I've been here 2 1/2 weeks on a motorcycle. I thought the people in South America were great. But the Russian people are the best. You can't understand until you are here and meet them. People invite you to stay at their house, come home for dinner, change tires for free. I've been at a mechanics house for 5 nights now. I never met him before. They have fed me, done my laundry, is replacing the crankshaft in my motor, and taken me on tours. He says he won't take any money. He will find money after I leave though. And I have had similar experiences in other cities. Russia is magic.

Hola Doug
 

Priviet Doug (Doogle),

yes there is more than one Mika, but you are lucky this is your friend from BsAs.

What? You are replacing your crankshaft on the KLR? Where are you?
Are you drunk? Why do you post the same answer twice?

But even with a broken/worn crankshaft somewhere in Russia and real drunk, it can only be better than driving around in circles in Switzerland, half drunk bier...

Did you meet my friend Andrey from the Iron Tigers in Vladivostok?

Hope you can get a new crankshaft from the US, because this should be difficult to get in Russia. But than, the Russian mechanics are the best, believe me, and I have seen a few.

Sure your hosts and maybe also your mechanic wont take any money, to give/take money can be big insult in Russia.

Yes, Russia is magic.

Nashdarovje

Paca

mika

Same post twice because this tiny tablet is too small for me.I'm in Ulan Ude for a week now. I stayed at the Iron Angels club. I thought I had the name mixed up.Didn't know they were 2 different clubs.

A crankshaft has been shipped from USA. But I'm worried there will be problems in customs. I've read too many bad stories.

Doug

bump for this thread...cysne, klausmong, jc_bromley, I guess you're all here or have been and gone by now, would be interested in your impressions?

hmm I think for 100% certainty it was meant Пожалуйста ("pa-zhal-sta") - Please and You're Welcome (for anyone now knowing language) and i am certain most of russian speakers also understands it even you say
ba-shals-ta

Raising hotel price as hotel administration realises person asking room is not russian and actually is tourist is not really unheard case. That is fact/common practice coming as long time from Soviet Union times and was even teached us during russian language education at school end of 80's and 90's. So i think this is something very possible to happen even modern times sometimes.

But i agree. Russia is vast country full of different people. I think someone mentioned, which was excellently said (i think it was probably Colebach) that if you stay on main roads you have to remember that people come there to earn money on roadside. You meet totally different kind of hospitality and people if you venture to smaller roads and villages.

I have had lot of good experiences in Russia. Perhaps it helps i speak some of language so it helps communicate with people or that finnish people generally are well liked in Russia. Now I have done pretty much all my motorcycle travels from year 2010 there, now 5 or 6 shorter and longer trips and i have never felt bad about it.

Sure it's possible, but I've never encountered it. What I encounter in many hotels, however, is that there are different "classes" of room, with varying prices. When you pull up you're quoted the price for the cheapest class of room, and when it turns out that that room is not so nice and you want another, nicer, one, the price goes up. I don't see what's wrong with that.

Hi

I am still in Ulanbataar at my wifes family.

Russia was such a friendly country, it was awsome.

Yes, they have bad plumbing sometimes, but who cares?????

I dont judge people or countries on theyr plumbing.

When we stoped somewere beside the street, people came here to ask if they can help us, or if they can take a picture for theyr kids.....

I Volgograd a guy came up an showed us his city, and was really nice.....
He drove in front of us to bring us to the important places.

In some other places we met bikers, and they always showed us good places for the night or the right way......

In Odessa I met an old man on the beach, he told me that he was in germany and startet to sing some old Nazi song.
But i did not blame him for that, this guy was no Nazi, he just know this in german, so should i blame him for that?? Dont think so.

In Mongolia it is even better.
At the beginning i had some bad experience with a few people who tried to betray tourists ( like in europe too ) but once we had problems with my clutch, i could see how friendly people are. And when i came around with my family, i met the nicest people on earth.

In a week i will go back over russia and I am sure i will enjoy it.

Nothing wrong with that. Totally normal, everywhere in the world hotels work like this.
But that was not what they pulled on me. That was called cheating by international standards.
I know it's very hard to accept that fact if one is a Russia lover.
Try to travel without speaking fluent russian, only 5 words, and there will be a totally different Russia.
Still a lot of nice and great people, but it might open eyes to see the high density of * in Russia, the highest in the world.

Please don't fry me for speaking up again.
You digged it up.
P.S.
* means whatever you like.

We could always deal with the gostunizas about the price.

I found out, it is always possible and you still get rooms which are ok.

ANd all i want is a cheap bed to sleep when I ttravel.

And when you try to talk to the russions in the Hotels, the get friendly and helpful.

I was not a russion lover before, and i was never in the country before, but i had my experience that it is really nice there

When I left St Petersburg I knew the Russian words for
Petrol
Thank You
Please
Hotel/Guesthouse
ATM

That was it, I learnt about 50 in total while I was there. I loved it and really want to return.

Yes, certainly different to some extent, but I think the bigger problem is the Trans-Siberian Highway.

Honestly it is difficult to see how anyone could have a very favorable impression of Russia if that is all they saw--it is a long boring ride lined with hard-bitten police, truck-drivers, and proprietors of various cafes, motels, etc. Then to end the day by staying in some crappy roadside truck stop and then getting up to do it all the again the next day--no thanks!

I encourage people to stay in the bigger cites along the way to the extent possible. Tyumen, Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Irkutsk, Ulan Ude, Chita, Kemerovo, etc. are all rather nice cities full of nice hotels, cafes, and (at least on weekends) nightlife.

+1

Taking the Trans Siberian highway and thinking thats Russia, is like taking an Autoroute from Paris to Calais and saying you have "seen France".

All you have seen is trucks, fuel stations, motorway food and toll booths.

In Russia, if you ride the Trans Sib, all you see is trucks, fuel stations, highway food / hotels and loads of police. Thats not Russia