Request for info on Crimea
 

Hi folks
Im currently on my way from Scotland to Albania for the Albanian Rally, after that I'm planning to swing round the Black Sea anti clockwise, getting home end July.
Does any one have up to date info about traveling through Crimea? Or importantly the crossings at the west in to Ukraine? No problem getting a visa before I left even for auto tourism.
I read a lot of contradicting info from involved parties, would be nice to hear from someone who's been there lately, subject to change of course!
Hope it's good news!
Olly

Ps any one else going that way? :scooter: :cool4:

Return From Mainland Russia
 

Hello

Don,t think this will help your question about entering Ukraine from Crimea but I did a circle return trip from what is I guess now mainland Russian on the ferry.
Did it about the 20th of June 2015.
Had my papers checked as did everyone else for about 30 seconds and was waved on towards the ferry crossing. That was the only time anyone stopped me.
Everything in Crimea looked like nothing had changed ( first time for me there ).
No extra police or army too be seen though I didn,t go near the new border with Ukraine. Heard they were building a new border crossing.
Full of Mainland Russian tourists trying to get sun burnt , no cruise ships.
My ATM card did not work anywhere but also to be said none of the machines displayed the normal international signs.
People where happy to see me.
Just looked like life as per normal , probably there was loads of foreign tourists before.
ATMs on the mainland OK.

Thanks for the post Kiwi!
I decided to ride north and round the war in the end, entering Ukraine by Shebekino, nice little crossing, it took forty minutes on each side to work out if I was British, Scottish, UK, GB, GB&NI etc on their computer :lol2: the police were very funny about it, actually good fun. Luckily a genuine Mr Kalashnikov was in the car behind to help out!
Anyone going that way the mountain road from Georgia to Vladikavkaz is largely washed away, passable but budget a lot of extra time if its a road bike. The crossing itself was one of the best, took a while but super helpful soldiers, even got invited to dinner. Right after Vlad there were police with fake breathalisers demanding €1700 in bribes, apparently common in that area; the magic word was 'embassy' and some fake (and rather toxic :thumbup1:) cigarettes.
The mountain roads from Guzeripl to Sochi that were on my Russian map turned out to all be closed by what looked like soldiers, so a long detour to go round. The well surfaced single road to and from Sochi was 100ks of hell in the dark and rain, tight, twisty, trucks, suicide drivers, cliffs busses, up, down; next time I'm taking the train!
Would be really cool to hear if anyone crosses from Crimea in to Ukraine....:thumbup:

I would be very interested in hearing if anyone does it the other way: Ukraine - Crimea - Kerch ferry into Russia. I'm still debating my route for next year and if Crimea is a problem I'll take the more traditional Balkans - Turkey route.

Crossings and road conditions in Ukrane
 

Kia ora - I'm heading to Kiev on Thursday (8 Oct) from Lublin in Poland - keen to hear what the roads are like (i.e. if it is realistic to bank on Lublin to Kiev @ 500k in a day) and any border hassles. I have been heard that the roads are on a par with Russia which is fine, except for the Russians who tell me that all roads are impassible and that I will be robbed and killed. Mmm -

Has anyone tried entering Crimea from Ukraine in the mean time?
It would be a pretty long detour around the Donbass area to get to Georgia if I were turned around at a Crimea check point.
So unless there's any confirmed crossings by international travellers I'll probably bypass Ukraine altogether and opt for the Turkey route.