Car trip to Crimea

Since Crimea returned to Russia in 2014, the popularity of the peninsula for trips there by car from the regions of the Russian Federation has skyrocketed. And today, a trip by car to the Crimea is almost no different from road trips to other regions of Russia, and, of course, has its advantages compared to a regular tour by plane or train. If you are among those who are going to go to the peninsula on your car, the following practical information will help you in planning a trip. Well, if you prefer to get to the Crimea by plane, and already on the spot to rent a car, you can find and book it through the search form:

How to get to Crimea by car

Crimea is connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus with the territory of Ukraine, and previously was not connected to the Russian Federation. Since 2018, the bridge has been opened for the movement of cars from the territory of the Russian Federation, and now you can get directly without using a ferry.

For trucks, there is still a ferry. To get on the ferry, go to Temryuk (Krasnodar Krai, ferry on the map). The most equipped and popular route runs along the M4 road through Krasnodar. You can drive through Temryuk turning to Krasnodar, but the road there is not of federal importance. Many sections of the M4 are paid, so it's better to decide in advance whether you will go on a paid or free road, all the information is there on the Rosavtodor website. The cost of travel on the route from Moscow to Krasnodar will be from 500 rubles, depending on the type of vehicle, payment method and travel time (travel is cheaper at night).

The M4 highway is actively "repaired" in some areas almost always, so during the high season there are many hours of traffic jams. Also keep in mind that in the peak season (July-August), even on the toll sections at the points of entry and exit, huge traffic jams form, and to speed up the passage of payment terminals, it is better to use the T-pass (transponder) purchased in advance. In addition, travel using a T-pass is Cheaper by about 20%. The transponder itself is not necessary to purchase, it can be rented from 100 rubles per month here - https://avtodor-tr.ru

Ferry crossing

The cost of crossing the car in one direction is from 1700 rubles (depending on the length and type of vehicle), plus you will have to pay for each person. Thus, the crossing of a family in a car with children will cost from 2000 rubles. You can look here - the site no longer exists.

In high season, queues form for the ferry, which can be avoided if you purchase an electronic ticket in advance on the site. Wait more than a day, as it happened in previous years, today will not have to, the queue for the ferry is not so big. You can check the queue here - the site no longer exists. During a storm, the ferry stops working.

When driving to the ferry, do not miss the check-in point, which is about 10 kilometers from the ferry itself. There you need to register and present documents (even if you have an electronic ticket), and purchase tickets (if there are no electronic ones). The check-in point is marked on the highway with a sign (point of registration on the map).

When purchasing tickets and registering, you must present: passports, birth certificates (for children), driver's license (license), vehicle registration certificate (technical passport). Before boarding the ferry, a full check of the vehicle and passengers is carried out both at customs. If you are transporting weapons, be sure to carry a license with you.

Gasoline in Crimea

Gasoline in the southern regions of Russia is more expensive than the average in Russia, and Crimea is no exception. As we approach the Krasnodar Territory, prices rise, and jump quite a lot immediately after crossing the ferry, and the quality decreases. Therefore, it makes sense to fill a full tank before crossing the crossing. There are no problems in finding a gas station on the peninsula, but there are no large network gas stations of Russian oil companies here. When going to mountainous areas, make sure that there is at least 20 liters of fuel in the tank, since the consumption when driving along serpentines is very high.

Gasoline prices in Crimea in 2017:

• AI-92 from 39 rubles
• AI-95 from 41 rubles

In general, this is about 3 rubles higher than on the "mainland".

Roads in Crimea

Roads in the Crimea are almost the same in quality as the larger territory of the Russian Federation. Nevertheless, you can move quite comfortably and without any problems. There are no toll roads.

Keep in mind that the southern coast of the Crimea is mountainous, and you will have to move along steep and dangerous mountain serpentines. Do not compete in speed and agility with local drivers, but rather miss them when driving on such roads. Some settlements and attractions can only be reached by dirt roads.

When setting the route, keep in mind that the section of road from Feodosia to Alushta along the coast is very mountainous and difficult, the road is narrow. If you are going to rest in Alushta, Yalta, Sevastopol, Yevpatoria, it is better to go through Simferopol on the Federal Highway E105.

As for the traffic police, there are few" ambushes "on the roads, there are almost no cameras. However, vigilance should not be lost, and even more so "drive" on difficult mountain roads.

Parking

With parking outside resort cities of Crimea no problem, where you want there and stay. But in resort towns and districts, and not only large ones, putting a car in the parking lot is a huge problem. There are simply no parking spaces. You can find paid parking (from 300 rubles per day), but they may not always be near the place where you settle. We do not recommend leaving the car unattended in residential areas, as local residents are not always enthusiastic about this and can harm the car. It is best to find out in advance about the availability of a parking space at the hotel or from private traders where you plan to stay.

Autocampings

There are quite a lot of car camps in Crimea, but keep in mind that after the annexation of the peninsula to Russia, many of them stopped working (due to problems with land lease, etc.), and some spontaneous parking lots on the banks were eliminated. Therefore, information about the existence of many autocamps on the Internet is outdated, be sure to double-check it.

And yet, organized paid car camping today is almost more expensive than accommodation in the private sector in a separate room.