Crossing from the Caucasus into Russia

Good Morning TT,

I am coming from Tehran to Volgograd in the 3rd week of November, and need a little advice on how to enter Russia overland. I cant find much information on the internet for travellers crossing the border here!

Options seem to be:

1) Land crossing from Georgia
2) Land crossing from Azerbaijan
3) Boat to Astrakhan from Baku or Bandar Anzali

However, I am told that:

1) Crossing from Georgia is not possible due to political disputes.

2) Crossing from Azerbaijan is not possible, because foreigners are not allowed into Dagestan.

and I cannot find any boat services advertised!

If any of you know anything about how to enter South West Russia from the Caucasus, please tell me. Otherwise, the phone number of a good travel agent would be much appreciated.

Thanks as always,

Tom.

[also posted in TT-Azerbaijan, couchsurfing.com, hospitalityclub.org and lighstalkkers.org]

I often wonder why travellers set themselves these perversely difficult tasks. Merely to be perverse?

It's correct that crossing directly from Georgian or Azerbaijan is impossible and there's not the smallest chance that this will change anytime soon. The obvious way to go is to fly. But if you must go overland/oversea--at all cost and not in the least concerned about time--your easiest option is probably a boat from Baku to Aqtau (Kazakhstan) and then taking a train from there.

Other than that, there's also the tricky possibility of negotiating your way through Abkhazia. Search "Abkhazia" on this forum for the pluses and (many) possible pitfalls of that route. Either way, though, you won't want to be on a "tight" schedule!

I recently met someone has travelled on the Russian side of the Caucasus.

He didn't enjoy himself much travelling around there as every time police got on the bus or he stepped off it, he would be singled out for a thorough investigation of his belongings his person. Of course this was in order to extract a bribe. He was even put in a prison for a day on one occasion. He tired pretty quickly of this especially of constantly being subjected to intensive searches and got on the bus & turned around.

At one point a group of cops spotted him on his way back, nodded for him to carry on. It seems that at least this bunch, having shaken him down once, did have some sort of code of honour.

There are problems with the boat/ferry crossing from Baku to Aqtau as this freighter is VERY irregular in its service. On more than one occasion travelers have been stranded for 7-10 days or longer waiting. There is some information about this route here: Caspian Sea thread and here: Baku_Aktau ferry?

There are only 2 freighters that take passengers on the Caspian Sea. The one mentioned and the other which is generally daily between Baku and Turkmenistan. Occasionally there are expensive cruise ships in summer but not at this time of year.

Travel agent won't be helpful unless you intend to fly.

Ruth

Thanks everyone. These kind of responses are exactly why I keep telling people about this forum.

Zashibis: You have a good point, I wonder myself when I look at the 'stans' board. I'm studying in Iran and want to visit a friend in Volgograd on my way to Christmas in Stockholm. I promise it wasn't just for kicks!

Looks like a re-think is in order...

If you want to travel overland consider Iran to Turkmenistan to Kazakhstan to Russia. If you can get a transit visa for Turkmenistan this should be relatively easy.

There should be some posts about this but you will need the Kazakh visa first.

I would try to get the Russian visa in Iran. Getting one in Kazakhstan means heading east to Almaty or Astana and I know that original documents are necessary to get one in either of these consulates. I don't have any information about getting a Russian visa in Turkmenistan or Iran and would appreciate hearing your experience.

For train information try Your Train - CIS train schedule and Kazakh rail

Ruth

I travelled this Julye on the Russian side of the Caucasus and I have not seen anything even remotely closed to what is described in #2. I was myself checked 2 times, without any consequences, and I believe those have been routine passport checks.

I agree with #1 that flying is the best option is possible. If this is not an option, I would look into the ferry from Trabzon (Turkey) into Sochi (Russia) and then taking a train. The logistics must be easier than the Caspian ferry.

Yaroslav, perhaps you escaped the harassment because you're a Russian citizen. I know from your other posts that you work in the West, but Russian cops have a real instinct for foreigners - particularly naive ones - and single them out for harassment. I've also had less than may fair share of harasssment because I usually travel with kids, and also speak Russian. Males travelling alone or in small groups seem most at risk.

I'm glad you had a good time in the N Caucasus, and just wish everyone else was so lucky.

Indeed I am a Russian citizen and Russian is my mothertongue, and this is I believe I was checked less. However. I spend half of the day at Astrakhan' train station. The police there basically are checking the documents all the time (they pick up people who they believe may be from Caucasus), and I witnessed may be a hundred checks, and nobody was arrested, they just looked at the papers and walk to the next group of people. Still, I took a bus many times, and there was no police search on the bus.

I've travelled around the Russian side of the Caucasus several times in the last 4 years and have never once been stopped on the street. I've sometimes been pulled up on buses by border police when crossing from one republic to another but they mainly just appear curious as to what I am doing there and want to have a quick drink with me. I'm a UK citizen who doesn't look or dress the slightest bit Slavic although I do usually travel with my wife who is Ossetian.

My father-in-law works on the Georgia/Russia border and there is apparently absolutely no way a non-Russian or non-Georgian citizen can get through. He recommended I buy a false Russian passport if I wanted to cross...

I have previously flown from Kazakhstan (Atyrau or Aktau I can't quite remember) to Min Vodi and there's probably a train from Min Vodi to Volgograd as it is a transport hub.