Driving Across Russia
 

Hello all,

I put a post on here a few weeks ago about my friend and I driving from Thailand to the Uk this summer in a tuk tuk, for charity...and I was wondering if anyone out there could give us some advice on our route. I am trying to decide on whether to go route A or B, listed below...any suggestions.

A

Enter Russia from Kazakhstan, north of Astana

Chelyabinsk, founded in 1736 as a tea trading city. Centre of military production during Soviet Era and scene of the world’s worst nuclear accident pre-Chernobyl.

Ufa, capital of Baskortostan region, pop 1.1 m and on the western edge of the Ural mountains.


Samara - on the banks of the Volga River.

Saratov – home of Yuri Gagarin, occupied by Nazis in WWII

Then down the Volga river to Volgograd.

The Ukraine

B

This route means we go via Moscow and Belarus, but we miss out Volgograd, the Ukraine, Czech Republic.

Yekatinburg…Siberia, to the east of the Urals. Founded as a mining centre by Peter the Great in 1723. In 1918 the Romanovs were murdered here. Birthplace of Boris Yeltsin.

Perm

Kazan – famous for its historic Kremlin and redolent of Central Asia. With its teeming markets and several mosques. Capital of Tartarstan. Flanked by the Kazanka and Volga Rivers. One of Russia’s oldest Tartar cities, dates back to 1005.


Nizhny Novogorod, Russia’s third capital, home to 2 million people. On the banks of the mighty Volga. Birthplace of Gorky. Founded in 1221, an important trading centre.

Moscow.

Smolensk, 200 miles south-west of Moscow. Steeped in history, culture and beauty. It has belonged to Russia, Poland, Lithuania, the Tartars. Also scene of major battle between Russia and Napoleon’s army in 1812, plus heavy fighting there in WW2.

Minsk – capital of Belarus.

Brest - on border of Belarus and Poland.


Warsaw

Dresden
............................

Any advice much appreciated!

Check out our site at www.tuktotheroad.com

Thanks

Ants

I can't help with your route question, but I had to look at your website be cause I didn't know what the hell a Tuk Tuk was. I thought motorcycling was an unusual way of overlanding, but you put the rest of us to shame. It did start me thinking, Harley-Davidson used to make motorized golf carts and... nawww

Let us know how the Russian men like those fishnet stockings.

[This message has been edited by AndyT (edited 25 February 2006).]