2006 Eastern tour, going to Russia. 3rd step: Russian Federation

Russia ... ... ... a country that has always fascinated us, but we could not and we did not want to go alone this nation, this is unfortunately not yet ready for travel "do tea", there is no stopping areas equipped for camper and even camping, there is still too much bureaucracy on the borders, you lose hours and hours, the signs are in Cyrillic few times we have seen written in English, the police can stop you for nothing and if you do not pay the bribe, sometimes you just need a bottle of wine, it makes you very afflicted with considerable loss of time, very few people speak English, to them, for now, tourism is not interested.
For this trip was already enrolled four years ago at CC La Granda, who was one of the first clubs to campers to organize trips for this destination, unfortunately I found at that my passport had expired and I did not have the time to renew it.
This year after many postponements, we decided: we turned to the agency with which we were in Libya, the Girocamper, spending was fairly high share of € 3460, departure and arrival Tarvisio, duration 30 days.
After sending the reservation and the balance in June, 15 days before departure the agency warns us that not having reached the minimum number of participants, the tour will not be, but hijacking in the corresponding Russian (sanpietroburgo.it) that gathered all the various pieces of other clubs or agencies can complete the required number to make the trip.
Tarvisio Instead, the departure will be at the border Terespol Polish / Byelorussian and will end at the border Narva Russian / Estonian, only in this part we followed and assisted by guides: one Italian and one Russian speaking Belarusian, Russian and Italian speaking, all the price of € 1750, almost half have been accepted, the route before and after the Russia we will do it by yourself by visiting the same sites mentioned in the program Girocamper.

This trip I have broken down by nations, Slovakia, Poland and the outward Czestochowa return to Belarus, Russia divided in Moscow, the Golden Ring, St. Petersburg, Residences and finally Estonia

 

338/2379 - Smolensk - Parking Intourist - sun

Departure 8:30 am quit Minsk on the grand avenue, take the E30 highway to Moscow for a fee, paved with the usual ruts of heavy traffic, you must slow down to 70 hours in villages, in these highways, there are pedestrian crossings, all may also go by bike.
We arrive at the border BY / Russia to 12.30, while Ugo and Alessia working documents we have lunch at 14.30, ahead of planned it out again, not before he had left as a tip because they were fast, a bottle of wine each crew.
Upon arrival in Russia is another door now on the clock (2 + Italy)
A Smolensk you stop for the night in a parking lot of a Motel of Intourist, very shabby alongside several trucks, in the evening with other crews dinner (€ 11 a head) in the restaurant, the 50's style with red curtains and séparé, Then on the terrace downs a couple of bottles of vokda four laughs and then all to bed, tomorrow we expect a tough transfer, not because of the highway, but the entry into Moscow in a chaotic traffic, as we herald Ugo.

436/2815 - Moscow - Parking sanpietroburgo.It

Departure at 7.30, you get just on the motorway, which Russia does not pay, the road is sometimes disjointed and sometimes new, but very rarely.
Lunch stop at a yard with many stalls selling smoked fish, very beautiful and characteristic, after having bought and eaten, we have repented of not having taken more.
Program: a visit to the bar of Gagarin - we have not seen.
Once on the ring road of Moscow started the chaos is similar to the one on the ring roads in Milan, but with at most undisciplined drivers, in order to stay abreast of those who preceded me and follow along the same lane, I moved sharply from right to left cutting the way for those who come: the mere fact slow down, the finimondo happened, I was overcome and zizzagando probably wanted to stop and switch to the hands, seeing all this traffic that we followed has slowed down and did not dare to overtake this madman, then, finally , withdrew and I was able to reach the other, in this case I think that a column of 15 media should not hold a high-speed travel but to view the column on the right, you arrive half an hour later without incident.
On the ring road No. ... .. cooling problems, feels a very strong noise cooling fan, decided to continue to the parking lot, for involvement of a local guide you will find a mechanic on Monday, today and tomorrow everything is closed.
You reach the car park managed by the agency, a beautiful square in the middle of a green park, unfortunately it is the sun is very hot, there are connections for the power to almost every camper, for water, with the extension of all of us was not a problem, for unloading the place is sacrificed, but you can do.
We find the 10 crew of Lecce known Perespol, they are one day ahead of us about the visits to Moscow.
This evening meeting for an explanation of the rounds in Moscow that will make the delivery of the money (8,000 rubles equivalent to € 250)

0 / 2815 - Moscow - Parking sanpietroburgo.It - hot sun

Departure for the visit to Moscow at 9.15 am, before there is no surprise the bus, take the subway, 10 minutes walk to the bus stop. Once in the center know Elena, our guide, a nice lady who speaks perfect Italian. Unfortunately, the wife of No. 14 does not feel well and should return by taxi to the parking lot.
Program:
- Visit to the Kremlin and its magnificent cathedral: very beautiful and spectacular
- Lunch at the restaurant Gudonov: the local characteristic and good lunch, very close to the table.
- Visit the Red Square: the photos are here wasting
- Handling of the square, changing of the guard: we arrived late and the changing of the guard was ended, to visit various churches in the area, very beautiful, rich and interesting.
- Via Arbat pedestrian zone in Moscow: we have not done
Return in the evening with the subway, tired and weary, it's very hot

0 / 2815 - Moscow - Parking sanpietroburgo.it - hot / rain

Departure by 9.30 meters, Ugo is absent
Program:
- Visit to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior: the beautiful and imposing building, the No. 4 and No. of the child .... could not come because in shorts, at the entrance door fitted with the metal inside it can not be photographed.
- Visit the Pushkin Museum: disappointing early as you can see only copies of famous statues reproduced in minute detail, in the halls after many beautiful paintings by famous painters from Picasso to Van Gogh
It comes to lunch not before he had greeted Elena, valuable guide.
Return to meters
Lunch on camper
17 hours a bus takes us back to Moscow
Program:
- Boat tours on Moscova: Moscow can be seen browsing on this great river, seen as part of yesterday and this morning but from another angle and perspective, you have to do the photos right and left because the boat did not take to the return The bus is waiting for us at the end
- Bus tour to see Moscow by night: we did not
- To visit some underground stations: in addition to 4 stations, very beautiful, has visited the railway station where parts of the Trans-Siberian (2328 km in 9 days.)
On the bus n ° ... ... Ugo resume that you're making the facts and does not explain its what runs our side, so perhaps exaggerated but for a reason, right, this morning by boat, we should have some explanation about what you saw .
All shudder to see the match Italy v France, Ugo manages to find a place at a betting at 150 rubles a head, my wife and I with 7 more people return.
In our absence should be to divert the rain has flooded the square, being a place used as a skating rink, probably in the winter, rain water has no chance of release.
E 'successo a very unfortunate the n ° 2, probably looking much water on the apron has been thinking of adding one of its tanks of clear water, resulting in a complaint of hard campers Leccese.

0 / 2815 - Moscow - Parking Sanpietroburgo.it - hot

Program:
- Free day
Tina and others depart for Moscow, I rest and the motor system, unloading and loading, the system board diary, photos of the exhaust No. .... in my PC as it has filled its memory, the No. ... .. has found a mechanic who had repaired the fault (2500 rubles)
Tina has enjoyed in Moscow with other women went shopping in Arbat Street's everything.
Towards evening it rained, but without cooling, today was a sultry day, I kept the conditioner almost always on, connected to the power without the noise generator.

Departure 8:30 am, I call as the second in a row, none complied with the rotation, Ugo after me has risen to the case on several campers who have taken up their position without passing numbers tail, there have been complaints of those who always queued needs to catch up the first lie ahead and those who try to leave that position, then there are those without a CB who can not take the leadership, who are the favorites, Ugo does nothing to avoid this chaos and I return to my place.
Leaving Moscow we made turns vicious, Ugo probably in the wrong way, says he did this tour more than 20 times, I have my doubts.

CONTINUE on Moscow RING OF HONOR

513 / 6298 - ITALY - Majano - CASA

After the first part still under construction in Vienna take the motorway that will lead us home quickly, the interruzzione found there was more to same.
The journey to and from Russia is over, it was a beautiful experience, we visited interesting places and countries, in Russia, a nation so big and wide we have seen only a part, I hope that in future we can easily see it in the long and off without so much bureaucracy and various constraints.




TOTAL COST of JOURNEY

Agency sanpietroburgo.it "€ 1750
Control Mech. Oil, filters 138
Diesel 755
Gas 88
Tires (2 Front) 70
Food 747
Restaurant 124
Maps, guide 68
Newspapers 24
Highway 20
Souvenir 160
Revenue museums. 80
Parkings 48

TOTAL € 4072