Summer is in full swing and it’s time to relax somewhere on the seashore. But what if plane and train tickets have been sold out for a long time? Jump into the car and go on a road trip! You may not even have to travel far — we have selected options throughout the country and the nearest abroad.
Contents
- Gelendzhik
- Golubitskaya village
- Komarovo
- Vladivostok
- Aktau, Kazakhstan
- Batumi, Georgia
Which seas to rest on
Russia is washed by 13 seas, and 6 of them are comfortable for swimming — that’s the holiday arithmetic. However, not all resorts can be reached by land. Keep the instructions for summer holidays in Russia.
Gelendzhik
- Distance: 1518 km from Moscow.
- Travel time: 20 hours from Moscow, about 5 hours from Krasnodar.
- How to go: along the M-4 Don highway.
From Moscow to the Black Sea coast, you can drive along the M-4 Don toll highway. It goes through Gelendzhik all the way to Novorossiysk. The trip from Moscow will take about 20 hours. Travel on weekdays costs 4250 rubles, on weekends — 5110 rubles. You can pay for it in cash, by bank card and using a pre-purchased T-Pass transponder.
It is even easier to get to the resort from Krasnodar: you need to go through Novorossiysk or Dzhubga. The difference in mileage is small: 186 km or 193 km, respectively. The journey will take 4-5 hours.
Gelendzhik itself does not need a special introduction: pebble and sandy beaches, both equipped with umbrellas, sun beds and changing cabins, and wild ones are waiting for the vacationer. The main advantage of a car trip to Gelendzhik is that you will be able to visit even the most remote parts of the coast and relax in solitude. Read about how to have fun at the resort in the city guide.
Gelendzhik itself does not need a special introduction: pebble and sandy beaches, both equipped with umbrellas and sun beds, are waiting for the vacationer. Photo: saiko3p/Shutterstock.com
Where to stay
There will be no problems with housing: Gelendzhik has both “star” hotels with pools and beautiful terraces, and an unchanged private sector. Several options on the Island:
Golubitskaya village
- Distance and travel time: 1467 km (18 hours) from Moscow.
- How to go: along the M-4 “Don” highway to the village of Kislyakovskaya, then through Timashevsk and Temryuk.
The Azov coast is ideal for families with children due to its shallow depth, calm sea, gentle entrance and sandy beaches.
So far, it will only be possible to get here by air or rail with transfers. In this case, a car is a great alternative, because it will give you freedom of movement and save your budget.
The road to Rostov-on-Don runs along the M-4 “Don” highway, the fare costs 3360 rubles. on weekdays and 3890 rubles on weekends. You need to leave the city along the same highway, and then turn off at the village of Kislyakovskaya and drive 380 km along the signs to Timashevsk, and then Temryuk. The village of Golubitskaya is located on the coast, 8 km from Temryuk.
In the village itself, you can go to the mud volcanoes and visit the winery “Fanagoria”. More leisure options in Golubitskaya have been collected here.
In the village itself, you can go to the mud volcanoes and visit the winery “Fanagoria”. Photo: alenvl/Shutterstock.com
Where to stay
Azov resorts primarily offer mini-hotels and guest houses:
What to see on the M-4 Don highway
For those who go to the southern seaside resorts via the M-4 Don highway, we suggest visiting Voronezh, Rostov-on-Don and Krasnodar along the way. How to plan such a trip and what to see during it was advised in the instructions.
Komarovo
- Distance and travel time: 1109 km (and 20 hours) from Arkhangelsk, 747 km (8 hours) from Moscow, 48 km and 1 hour drive from St. Petersburg.
- How to go: along the M-8 Kholmogory highway from Arkhangelsk to Vologda, then through Cherepovets; along the M-18 from Murmansk; along the M-11 Neva from Moscow and along the Primorsky Highway from St. Petersburg.
Go to the North Seas: for this, nature has created the Gulf of Finland in the vicinity of St. Petersburg. Of course, these are not hot beaches in the subtropics, but sunbathing and relaxing in spa hotels with heated pools will work out perfectly.
Rospotrebnadzor does not recommend swimming in the bay itself because of the low water quality, but you can swim in Lake Ladoga and walk around the ecotropes of the reserves “Komarovsky Coast”, “Sestroretsk swamp” and “Pike Lake”. Take the guide to the resorts of the Gulf of Finland and plan to disconnect from all business “for a week before the second”!
Rospotrebnadzor does not recommend swimming in the bay itself because of the poor water quality, but you can swim in Lake Ladoga. Photo: FOTOGRIN/Shutterstock.com
To get to the Northern Capital from Moscow faster, use the M-11 Neva toll highway. It costs 3865 rubles with the M-11 transponder and 4060 rubles. without him. And the Primorsky Highway leads from St. Petersburg to Sestroretsk.
The federal highway M-18 runs from Murmansk through Petrozavodsk. The path from Arkhangelsk will not be the easiest: the direct A-215 highway connecting the two cities leaves much to be desired. Therefore, it will be safest to drive along the M-8 “Kholmogory” to Vologda, and then through Cherepovets toSt. Petersburg.
Where to stay
You can stay on the shore of the Gulf of Finland in any of the spa hotels and glamping:
Vladivostok
- Distance and travel time: 761 km (10 hours) from Khabarovsk and 26 km (half an hour drive) from Vladivostok.
- How to go: on the A-370 Ussuri road, and then from Vladivostok along the Shamorovskaya highway.
Vladivostok residents are lucky to be adjacent to the Sea of Japan, where the bathing season lasts from mid-July to September. The most famous beach — Shamora — with warm water, sandy coast and equipped recreation areas is located in the vicinity of Vladivostok. You can also go to the Glass Bay to admire the many pieces of glass turned by the ocean and take a boat ride along Peter the Great Bay, entering numerous bays. Fans of watching the animal world should also stop by the Seaside Safari Park and visit the aquarium on Russian Island.
From the Far Eastern cities to Vladivostok, you will be able to get along the A-370 Ussuri highway. It starts in Khabarovsk. On the way, you can look into Ussuriysk and visit the local nature reserve. Just south of Vladivostok is the national park “Land of the Leopard”, where endangered species of felines, including the Amur tiger, live.
You can also go to the Glass Bay to admire the many ocean-turned glass beads and take a boat ride along Peter the Great Bay. Photo: INDUPHOTOS/Shutterstock.com
Where to stay
It is most convenient to make trips around the neighborhood from Vladivostok — it is not necessary to choose hotels by the sea:
Caspian Sea: Aktau, Kazakhstan
- Distance and travel time: 1,650 km and 20 hours drive from Samara.
- How to go: along the M-32 highway from Samara to Uralsk, then along the free highways A-28 and A-33 through Atyrau to Aktau.
- Rules of entry: Russians can stay in Kazakhstan for up to 90 days, entry is allowed using an internal Russian passport.
For those who live in the central part of Russia and plan a summer road trip, it is more convenient to go to the Caspian Sea than to the Black Sea coast. For example, relax in Aktau — the main beach resort of Kazakhstan. There are sandy beaches with sun beds, umbrellas and changing cabins at your disposal.
The city is located in the Mangystau desert region, where you can visit caves with underground mosques Shakpak-ata and Karaman-ata, walk along the dried-up salt marsh Tomaksor and admire the almost Martian landscapes. What else to do in Aktau and its surroundings, they told in an article about the main cities of Kazakhstan.
The road to the resort from the central regions of Russia passes through Samara. The M-32 highway starts from here, leading to the nearest Kazakh city of Uralsk. It will take about four hours to cover this distance along with crossing the border. Then you need to take the A-28 highway to Atyrau, also located on the Caspian Sea, and then follow the A-33 highway to Aktau.
The city is located in the Mangystau desert region, where you can visit the cave with the underground mosque of Shakpak-ata. Photo: Adam_Aktau_1999/Shutterstock.com
Where to stay
You can book a hotel in Aktau and pay for your stay with a Russian bank card on the Island. Here are some housing options:
Documents for foreign trips
Russian CTP is not valid abroad, so you will have to purchase a separate car insurance policy. This can be done, as a rule, after crossing the border. Do not forget to also check the validity period of foreign passports and prepare an exit permit for children if they are not traveling with both parents at once.
Batumi, Georgia
- Distance and travel time: 2270 km (30 hours) from Moscow.
- How to go: along the M-4 Don highway, then along P-217 Kavkaz and A-161 Vladikavkaz — Georgia to the Upper Lars checkpoint, after crossing the border — along the Georgian Military Road.
- Rules of entry:Russians can stay in Georgia without a visa for a year. The passport must be valid for at least 90 days.
The journey from Moscow will take about 30 hours. Another hour or two will have to be spent crossing the border. The border checkpoint in Verkhny Lars is open around the clock, but the fastest way to cross it is early in the morning. You can stay overnight in Vladikavkaz, because then the road will turn into a mountain serpentine — it is better to drive through it rested.
Most of the way runs along the M-4 Don toll highway. You need to pay 3,360 rubles for traveling along it to Rostov-on-Don. on weekdays and 3890 rubles on weekends. Then you will have to drive 719 km along the P-217 Kavkaz highway to Vladikavkaz to the Upper Lars checkpoint, and then along the A—161 Vladikavkaz – Georgia highway to the border. The Georgian Military Road already begins there, which delights with its views and is itself considered a landmark. Note that there are no toll roads in Georgia.
Batumi is an ideal option if you are fed up with Russian Black Sea resorts or want to combine mountains and a beach. Photo: PERO studio/Shutterstock.com
Where to stay
From skyscrapers with a rooftop bar to mini-hotels and guest houses in the manner of the Russian south, but with a Georgian character — the choice of housing in Batumi on the Island is large:
So, the route is crammed into the navigator. Food, water, documents and fellow travelers are loaded into the car. All that remains is to book a hotel and go towards beautiful sunsets and unforgettable adventures.
Cover photo: Nubia Navarro (nubikini)/pexels.com
