Trip to Georgia by car from Moscow: route, photo, reviews

You can always talk about the beauties of magnificent Georgia - this ancient proud country fascinates and attracts guests from all corners of the globe. But in order to imbibe the local atmosphere, to study all the sights and customs, one tourist trip will be few. Weekly visit to the country by inquisitive tourists always ends with a detailed plan for the next trip.

In order not to depend on the airline's flight programs, save time, provide yourself with freedom of movement in fascinating places and see much more than included in the tour package, we suggest you to learn more about traveling to Georgia by car from Moscow.

Documents for travel

To avoid possible difficulties when crossing the border, it is necessary to conduct thorough preparation and first of all to find out what documents will be needed. A trip from Moscow to Georgia by car will require a minimum of papers:

1. Passport, which has a validity of not less than six months.
2. Technical passport of the car.
3. Those who do not travel by their own car need a power of attorney certified by the notary from the owner to operate the car with the agreed right of crossing the border. Must be present translation into English.
4. Driver's license issued in the territory of the Russian Federation.

No insurance policies for travel are required, but it is very important to check your passport for the presence of marks on crossing the border of Abkhazia. The Georgian government considers the crossing of the Russian-Abkhaz border illegal and finishes tourists with similar stamps. Thus, if you have already visited Abkhazia, the road to Georgia by car from Moscow is closed to you until you receive a new passport.

Visa to Georgia

Citizens of Russia wishing to travel to Georgia for no longer than 90 days are subject to a visa-free regime. If traveling to Georgia by car from Moscow is planned for a longer period, it will be necessary to issue a visa at the checkpoint. To do this, you will need:

• To present the passport.
• Fill in the visa application form in English and sign it.
• Pay the state fee in the prescribed amount. Since September 2014, the fee for issuing a visa is $ 50.
• For traveling children of any age, it is also necessary to issue a visa and pay the fee in full, regardless of whether they travel with their passport or are entered in the passport of the parent.

If there are no problems with the documents and the questionnaires are filled in correctly, the visa is put on the passport, and the journey by car from Moscow to Georgia can be continued.

Travel itinerary

At the moment, only one border crossing point - Upper Lars - is functioning smoothly for entry into Georgia. Therefore, there can not be deviations from the only true route along the route Moscow-Georgia. Distance by car to Tbilisi is 1961 km, it can be traversed in about 31 hours without taking into account border check and rest time. Overcoming such a distance without stops is unrealistic, especially if the driver among the travelers is only one. Fortunately, along the road you can meet a large number of hotels and roadside cafes, where you can relax, gain strength and refresh yourself with Georgian cuisine.

Conditionally the road to Tbilisi can be divided into 3 segments:

• Journey on the highway M-4 "Don" from Rostov-on-Don to Pavlovskaya stanitsa in the Krasnodar Territory. This site will be about 1200 km.
• Further on the federal highway M-29 "Caucasus" the road goes through Vladikavkaz to the Russian border and is 600 km.
• The last jerk - from the border point Upper Lars to the capital of Georgia on the Georgian Military Road. The views here are stunning, and the road will take the remaining 200km.

Behind the Russian border there are several kilometers of absolutely neutral, no-one's own territory. Beautiful landscapes and complete silence will allow us to feel full freedom and enjoy the anticipation of something new and unknown.

Tips for tourists on the route

Rest in Georgia by car from Moscow is quite a common phenomenon, and the irreplaceable experience of already held travelers makes it possible to reveal very useful recommendations:

• The M-4 route is regularly repaired, which can lead to the formation of many kilometers of traffic jams. This should be prepared in advance - to study the situation for the period of the trip and to provide possible ways to bypass.
• To get on time to the border of departure from Russia, tourists recommend to spend an overnight stay somewhere beyond Rostov. Good and cheap hotels are in Armavir, Kropotkin and Tikhoretsk.
• The M-29 route is better to pass in the dark - there will be less leisurely KAMAZ and local residents, which will significantly reduce the time for the journey.
• On the border with Georgia, the checkpoints of Upper Lars and Daryali often change their working hours because of the threat of mudflows, so the regime of work needs to be clarified in advance so as not to please the closed border.
• On the territory of Georgia, gasoline costs almost twice as much as in Russia, so it is advised to refuel the tank before going abroad. Good refueling is in Rostov, Armavir, Pyatigorsk. The last refueling will be held in Vladikavkaz. Carrying gasoline in cans across the border is prohibited.
• In Pyatigorsk on weekends there is a big bazaar, in connection with which a large traffic jam can form on the highway. The way out of it can be found through Cool or Georgievsk.
• At the entrance to Georgia, the first settlement will be the village of Kazbegi at the foot of the Kazbek mountain - about 20 km from the border. There are many inexpensive hotels here, you can relax from the road, have a bite to eat, stroll through the enchanting places and go on in the morning.

Border crossing procedure

The algorithm for crossing the border when leaving Russia is as follows:

1. After the passage under the barrier, located on the border, travelers are waiting for the border control. It includes a vehicle inspection using mirrors.
2. Then all those traveling on the route Moscow-Georgia by car are obliged to pass passport control and put a stamp on the border.
3. The final stage is inspection of luggage by the customs service, during which it is necessary to unload all things from the car for verification. If customs officers have any suspicions about luggage, it is possible to check the car with the help of X-ray equipment.

Conducting all the checks takes, as a rule, about 2 hours, but the practice shows that the customs officers are traveling to the route Moscow-Georgia by car quite loyal. Careful inspection with unloading of luggage, using mirrors and X-ray devices is extremely rare. Usually on the border, there are questions about the contents of the trunk and a visual inspection of the cabin.

Crossing the border with Georgia is much easier and lasts about 20 minutes. Customs officers stop the car, and passengers are offered to pass passport control in the customs building. At this time, the driver passes control without leaving the car - he passes all the documents necessary for crossing the border to the checkpoint window. After checking the documents, the driver is photographed, and in the passport a stamp is placed about the passage of the border. Then there is a visual inspection of the cabin and the things carried.

Attempts by foreign citizens to enter the territory of Georgia without passing a check-check are illegal and punishable by fines, as well as a trip to Georgia by car from Moscow through Abkhazia. For the first violation, the fee is 500 GEL in national currency. At the next illegal invasion, the penalty amount is doubled.

Similar offenses under aggravating circumstances, the fair government of this country punishes by imprisonment for up to 5 years in accordance with article 344 of the Criminal Code of Georgia.

Border crossing points in Georgia

In addition to the "Daryali" crossing point, along which the road from Moscow to Georgia passes (by car, among others), there are other checkpoints on the Georgian border. The following checkpoints are officially open for travelers:

• From Georgia to Turkey. The European highway E-70 (Sarpi junction), connecting Batumi and the Turkish city of Hopa, as well as the E-691 (Vale) checkpoint, leading from the city in the south-west of Georgia to the village of Posof on the Turkish border, pass here.
• The Georgian-Azerbaijani border. You can get here by the motorway "Tbilisi - Rustavi - Ganja - Baku", checkpoint "Krasny Most". Also here is the checkpoint "Vakhtangisi" and "Tsodna", located on the highway from Baku to Telavi.
• The Georgian-Armenian border. On the Georgian border, Armenia has four checkpoints: the Ninotsminda checkpoint on the Akhalkalaki-Gyumri highway, the Guguti checkpoint, through which the E-117 road runs from Tbilisi to Yerevan, the Sadakhlo checkpoint on the Tbilisi-Vanadzor-Yerevan highway and Akhkerpi checkpoint.

On the Georgia-Russia border section, since 2010, traffic has been resumed through the Verkhny Las checkpoint at the Russian border and the Daryali customs post on the Georgian border. Due to the fact that the consequences of the descent of mudflows are being eliminated on this segment, the border control will work from 04:00 to 17:30 to ensure safe movement on the way to Georgia by car from Moscow this summer.

Road condition on the route

All the same experienced tourists, who have experienced all the hardships and pleasures of car trips to Georgia, can make an assumption about the condition of the trails for this year. On the road by car to Georgia from Moscow, reviews are mostly positive, the condition of the road surface contributes to fast driving, but there are a few nuances:

• Road Moscow - Voronezh on the highway M-4 can be called ideal, but there are paid sites. At this time, there are 6 of them to travel on them in the daytime, you will need to spend about 350 rubles. At night, travel will cost less. In the season of resorts, these areas often have traffic jams.
• On the way from Voronezh to Rostov on the same route travelers often find sites with road repair, and the highway is replaced by a two-lane traffic.
• On the site from Rostov to the page Pavlovsky highway is completely two-lane, on the road repairs are often carried out, in the summer time it is necessary to stand in kilometer traffic jams.
• Route M-29 from Pavlovskaya to Kropotkin is a two-lane without markings, besides, the road is in poor condition. On this site the driver needs to be more careful.
• The Kropotkin-Vladikavkaz road on the same M-29 highway looks better - repair is done here, the two-lane traffic is replaced by a four-lane traffic, there is a marking.

Safety and customs of local residents

Georgia can surely be called a country safe for tourists. This is facilitated not only by strict police reforms, but also by the goodwill of the local residents themselves. Here often cars are left open, without even bothering to pick up the windows - in Tbilisi they think that this is not necessary.

However, in places where tourists gather, you need to be more careful - just like in any tourist country, pickpockets often work near the main attractions. Most often it's not even Georgians, and gypsies or visiting lovers profit from other people's money. If a local resident witnesses theft, he will try to help, than he can - tourists are loved and strongly supported.

In cases when a girl from Moscow goes to Georgia by car, alone or with friends, she has nothing to fear. Comments from Georgian women who visited Georgia say that Georgians, as connoisseurs of beauty, can talk a lot of compliments without going over the line, as it happens with local residents in Egypt or Turkey. Exceptions are travel to mountainous regions (Tusheti, Khevsureti or Svaneti) - the people here are peculiar, with their customs and principles, and without the accompaniment of familiar men can be dangerous.

If you prefer spending an overnight stay in a hotel, you need to select a place carefully, after having asked the local residents for advice. The fact is that in some wild regions of Georgia live wolves and bears, a close acquaintance with which you will not be happy.

Approximate cost of autotravel

An independent journey by car will cost you an amount equal to approximately the cost of two air tickets, but with your own car it will be much more convenient and more fun to travel. In addition, renting a car or calling a taxi in Georgia is very expensive, and public transport leaves much to be desired. Own car will bring home a fine Georgian wine and as many gifts for loved ones as it pleases.

Judging by the reviews, the average amount spent on gasoline in one direction is approximately 11,000 rubles. You can rent a room in a modest guesthouse for 800 rubles. For two people per day, in terms of the national currency of Georgia, the cost will be 30 lari. A room in a three-star hotel booked during a trip to Georgia by car from Moscow, will cost 50 lari for two in the winter. Meals in Georgian cafes are not the cheapest, but very tasty. You can dine at 30 lari. The food is nourishing - one portion of khinkali is enough to have enough of two adults.

Excellent Georgian wine can be purchased for only 25 GEL per bottle, but it is allowed to import up to 3 liters of alcohol per person into the territory of the Russian Federation.

Conclusions and reviews of travelers

Those who have already mastered the road Moscow-Georgia by car, the route causes only positive emotions. The state of the route is mostly good, but after crossing the border with Georgia, bad parts of the road appear in places, followed by a mountain streamer, where you need to slow down and drive with great care. On the way there are nice hotels, which offer inexpensive rooms, as well as many roadside cafes with Georgian national dishes.

According to tourists who have mastered the path of Moscow-Georgia, the distance by car is easily overcome. However, the driver will need to be patient - many motorists, crossing the road in the Stavropol region and North Ossetia, faced insolent extortion of money by local DPS staff. To avoid trouble, do not let yourself be stopped - it is not recommended to neglect the rules of the road. To disregard the speed limit and not fastened safety belts here are treated with great attention and punished in all severity.

On the territory of Georgia, the manner of riding of local residents is simply terrible - they seem to be poorly informed about the rules. It is often forgotten to turn on the turn signals, rebuild from the extreme left row to turn to the right, trim the neighboring cars, drive through the red light.

Petrol in Georgia is expensive - the average price is almost twice as high as in Russia. With full cans of gasoline in the trunk across the border is not released, so it is advised to fill the full tank before the very crossing of the Russian border - in the Vladikavkaz region.

Flights "Moscow - Tbilisi" for two are as much as from Moscow to Georgia by car, including not only the cost of gasoline, but also accommodation in hotels of different levels. In general, the country is assessed positively - high-level security, Georgia can be visited even with children. The police closely follow the order, the Georgians are very friendly people, many of them are fluent in Russian.