Is it worth going to the sea by car? Worth it! Find out how to plan a great trip to the South of Russia. Find out how and how long to go to the Black Sea, what roads are there, which resort to choose, what to take on a trip, where to live and what to see.
In recent years, I have not tired of promoting auto tourism and travel in Russia. These two things are perfectly combined, and this summer God himself commanded to try this format - your transport is more reliable than all this uncertainty in the air sphere.
Almost every year I drive my car to the resorts of the south of Russia. I like! Go wherever you want, choose any resort, and if you don't like it, change it. And such a trip is even cheaper than air travel or train travel. It seems to me that there are some pluses for active tourists. And even the need to spend a total of six days driving on the way back and forth does not bother me. In 2020, we rode in the south for two months and visited as many as 35 resorts and all the most beautiful places on the Black Sea. In this review, I will share with you my knowledge and experience on how to organize a trip to the south of Russia in your car. Go!
The road south by car: how and how much to go
Travel time south depends on the departure point. The most lafa - for residents of Rostov, Samara, Volgograd, Krasnodar and other southern cities - you can get to the sea in a day or even less. Traveling from Moscow and the region, Nizhny Novgorod, Yaroslavl, Vladimir is also easy - many tourists reach the resorts in just one and a half to two days. Residents of St. Petersburg, North-West, as well as Kazan, Chelyabinsk, Yekaterinburg spend two or three days on the road to the south. I myself go to the sea from Perm in a "Patriot" in one driver, so it always takes me three days in one direction.
Also, the travel time depends on the end point of your trip. The fastest way to get to the resorts of the Azov Sea, Anapa and Gelendzhik. You will drive a little longer to Tuapse and Arkhipo-Osipovka. And most of the time it will take to get to Sochi and Adler - and the point is not only the greater distance, but also the specifics of the road to these resorts (serpentine and traffic jams).
Distances to resorts in the south of Russia, in km:
| Departure city | Sochi | Anapa | Gelendzhik |
| Moscow | 1625 | 1490 | 1522 |
| St. Petersburg | 2341 | 2209 | 2241 |
| Rostov-on-Don | 553 | 420 | 453 |
| Nizhny Novgorod | 1852 | 1719 | 1752 |
| Samara | 1864 | 1732 | 1764 |
| Kazan | 2055 | 1928 | 1955 |
| Yekaterinburg | 2778 | 2645 | 2678 |
Most tourists travel south on the motorway M4 "Don"... This is a four-lane highway, which in some sections is reduced to two lanes. In a number of places, traffic is allowed at a speed of 110 km / h. There is good infrastructure on the track: there are places for stops with toilets, showers and cafes. Many gas stations have a car service, tire fitting and car wash.
Paid plots on the M4 highway are common. If you wish, you can bypass them - this will save money, but will significantly increase the travel time. On toll roads, I spend about 1000 ₽ one way.
Attention... If you are coming from the Urals, Samara or Saratov, then I want to warn you about Volgograd. The city does not have a bypass road, and you have to go through the whole city. If you get there in the daytime or in the evening, then write wasted - you will be stuck in traffic jams for half a day. Therefore, either skip through the city at 5-6 in the morning, or from Saratov, lay a route through the Voronezh region in order to go to the M4 through Boguchar, but this way you will have to go along the provincial roads.
If you are not attracted by the prospect of long and tedious cutting to the south in your car, then there is an alternative - rent a car on the spot. It is worth it inexpensively - only from 1000 rubles per day. And if you wish, you can take a luxury car for 3000 rubles per day and ride comfortably for several days to get an interesting new experience. Check out my tips for safe car rental.
Road to Anapa, Gelendzhik and Sochi - route on the map
Lodging and food on the road
On the way, I figure out where we will be at the end of the day. While I am driving, my travel companions look at hotels in the right place, choose the best one for the price and quality, and book on Booking or Sutochno.ru. On the way there are many dwellings, but not all of them are good. Therefore, we do not check in immediately to the first option that comes across, but read reviews of other tourists and book only a normal hotel.
On our first trip south by car, we spent the night right in the car - this way we saved not only money, but also time. Check in, check out, move the necessary things from the car and back - it takes a lot of time. And when you sleep in the car, everything is simple - woke up, drank coffee and drove off. But don't forget about safety! If you plan to sleep in your car, then stop only at guarded parking lots. We spent the night on the territory of the motel and at the gas station by agreement with the security. So we had a toilet, washbasin and a shop close at hand.
Cafes and canteens we find where hunger caught. We choose a place with a good rating on Yandex.Maps or MAPS.me, or where there are a lot of truckers. We remember good places, make marks on our maps and try to have lunch there on the way back. Almost all catering establishments along the highways of Russia are usually good, with tasty food and reasonable prices. True, on the M4 highway in the Rostov Region and Krasnodar Territory, quite often you come across absolutely nasty places, so do not stop by the first cafe that comes across, but read reviews on Yandex. But attention! Now the owners of the cafe have seen the value of reviews on the Internet and are actively buying good ones, so pay special attention to negative reviews - they will show you the whole truth. Honestly, in the south of the M4 highway, the catering is just awful, so I advise you to take your snack from home or from the store.
Check out my tips on how to prepare for your road trip.
What to take on a trip
Before any autotrip, you need to carefully collect your belongings and documents. Let's see what you need to take with you on vacation.
The most important thing... Passport, compulsory medical insurance policy, driver's license, vehicle registration certificate and OSAGO policy. On the way, a navigator, a video recorder, a radar detector and a set of tools will come in handy in case of a sudden breakdown.
First aid kit. Pills for digestive problems, allergies, motion sickness and insect bites can be useful. Take a look at the first aid kit we collect for the trip.
Personal hygiene items. Take the minimum you need - shampoo, toothpaste, comb, etc. You can buy a lot on the spot. Wet wipes are in great demand on the way, and a couple of rolls of toilet paper should always be in the car too.
For leisure. In order not to get bored, prepare audiobooks and a playlist for the trip to the sea. On vacation by the sea, board games, books, a ball, badminton rackets and shuttlecocks will come in handy.
Camping equipment. If you are planning a wild vacation, put a tent, sleeping bags, foam or air mattresses, a gas burner and cylinders, campfire dishes, and an ax for preparing firewood in the trunk. During bad weather, a large waterproof awning will help out. Do not forget about camping furniture - a folding table and chairs. Read about camping on the Black Sea.
Clothes and footwear. To travel by car to the sea in the summer, it is worth taking several sets of clothes - casual, hiking, beautiful for going out, a swimsuit, as well as warm clothes for the evening. Take your raincoats and an umbrella too. Choose comfortable hiking and walking shoes.
Food. We prefer to eat hot food at roadside cafes, but many take food from home - in this case, a cooler bag and thermos will come in handy. Do not forget to wash vegetables and fruits in advance, take disposable dishes and garbage bags. Always have and replenish your supply of drinking water.
Advice to drivers... If you start to nod off while driving, eat some natural dark chocolate (for example, "Babaevsky"), and drowsiness will pass. I also have an inverter and a gas burner in the car, so on the way I can always grind and brew delicious fresh coffee, which I cannot live without. You can't make me drink what is sold at gas stations under the guise of coffee.
Check out: 17 useful things to do while traveling.
Roads in the Krasnodar Territory
The roads of the Krasnodar Territory are quite passable, although most of them are two-lane. But drivers in the Kuban drive badly: they often violate and behave unpredictably. There are a lot of traffic police crews on the roads. Also, be prepared for traffic jams. Worst of all is from Friday evening until the end of Sunday - at this time the locals themselves rush to the sea on weekends, and then back. Repair work is also hindering the movement.
The road to the resorts of the Azov Sea passes through the villages, which replace each other one after another, so you cannot accelerate much there, but there are usually no strong traffic jams.
Road to Anapa from Krasnodar (163 km) runs through Abinsk, Krymsk and Natukhaevskaya and takes three hours, or even more if there are traffic jams. Keep in mind that many streets in Anapa have one-way traffic and private cars are prohibited from driving along Pionersky Prospekt. Read how best to get to Anapa.
Road to Gelendzhik. By car from Krasnodar, you can drive through Dzhubga (188 km), Abinsk and Krymsk (185 km), as well as Slavyansk-on-Kuban and Krymsk (208 km). In any case, the trip to Gelendzhik by car will take three to four hours. On the way, after Novorossiysk, there are lookouts overlooking the city and the sea. Read how best to get to Gelendzhik.
Road to Sochi. From Krasnodar by car - 300 km, or about 5 hours drive. Most tourists choose the road to Sochi through Goryachy Klyuch and Dzhubga, but some get to the coast through the Shahumyan pass.
The route along the Black Sea coast is winding in places, so the main speed limit is 70 km / h. This road is notorious for traffic jams. Especially a lot of cars accumulate near Dzhubga and Tuapse. Sometimes unpleasant queuing can take several hours. True, the inconvenience is more than compensated by the beautiful views of the sea coast and the green spurs of the Caucasus Mountains.
See also my tips for traveling by car to Krasnaya Polyana.
Which resort to choose
There are many resorts in the south of Russia. I'll cover them briefly below, and you can find more information in our link guides.
The resorts of the Azov Sea are chosen for the mild climate and cheapness. There are not as many tourists here as on the Black Sea coast, and the beaches are sandy, so many families with children come here. Popular resorts: Yeysk, Dolzhanskaya, Kuchugury and Golubitskaya.
Lovers of sandy beaches, family tourists and those who find it difficult to endure the hot and humid climate of the subtropics come to rest in Anapa. The infrastructure is excellent and there is a lot of entertainment for all tastes.
The resort area of Bolshoy Gelendzhik is located between Novorossiysk and Tuapse. Many tourists who come to the south by car prefer to stop not in Gelendzhik itself, but in the villages of Divnomorskoye, Kabardinka, Betta or Dzhanhot. Traveling by car around Gelendzhik will allow you to see ancient dolmens, waterfalls and the most gorgeous views of the sea and white cliffs. I especially recommend visiting Sosnovka Beach, Golubaya Abyss and Golubaya Bay.
Rest in Sochi is chosen by those who want to be in the thick of the resort life. People come here to have a good time in water parks, aquariums and entertainment centers, see Olympic facilities and go on excursions to the mountains.
Accommodation in the south
I do not advise looking for housing on the spot: it is long, inconvenient and, most likely, you will overpay. It is much easier to book your accommodation in advance on reliable sites. We use these:
- Booking is the world's most popular booking service.
- Hotelluk and Rumguru - comparison of hotel prices.
- Sutochno.ru - rent of houses and apartments from private traders.
I advise you to book accommodation in the south as early as possible, as in the summer there is a large influx of tourists and the best options are sorted out right away. Simple but comfortable accommodation is usually rented out for 2000-3000 rubles per room, the price highly depends on the season and the resort. Find out 10 ways to book cheap hotels and read about the private sector in the south. Be sure to check the parking availability when booking. And also look at the ways southern hoteliers cheat tourists.
Rest savage
The Black Sea coast of the Caucasus is an inhabited area, so finding comfortable beaches for a savage by the sea can be difficult, especially for those who come by car. In many places there is no access to the coast and no drinking water. In some places, sleeping in tents is prohibited due to the observance of fire safety measures.
But in the south there are coastal campsites. These are protected areas where you can put up a tent, use a parking lot, clean water, toilets, showers, electricity and wi-fi. Some campsites have communal kitchens and cafeterias. Prices in 2021: 150-500 rubles per car or from 100 rubles per person.
There are quite a few campgrounds on the Black Sea coast - check the list on Booking.com. I can recommend the excellent camping "Raccoon" in the Arkhipo-Osipovka area - we rested there and had a great time.
Find out where to relax with a tent on the Black Sea.
What to see
Traveling in the south by car, you can visit places where public transport does not go, and also avoid spending extra money on excursions. Check out our travel guides to the main beauties of the coast.
Lookouts, canyons and other beauties
Time machine millions of years ago
Traveling south with kids
When traveling with children, you have to constantly adjust to their capabilities and interests. The child will more easily transfer the trip by car to the south if you take his favorite toys, books and food.
The southern resorts offer many activities for children: water parks, amusement parks, zoos, boat trips and excursions. In most places, children's tickets are sold at a discount. Keep in mind that almost everywhere in the south, children under 6 are accommodated free of charge, but without providing a separate bed.
Conclusions
Pros of going south by car:
- Your own boss and tour operator: no need to adjust to the schedule of flights and public transport.
- Inexpensive for a family or company.
- You don't have to spend money on excursions.
- You can go to any sights and make unplanned stops along the way.
- You are free to choose any resort, not just one that is easy to reach by plane or train.
- You do not need to book expensive accommodation by the sea, because by car you can easily reach any beaches, including wild ones, where there are few people.
- If you wish, you can extend your vacation or, conversely, go home earlier.
Minuses:
- Unplanned expenses, because anything can happen along the way - from a fine to a breakdown.
- Traveling to the sea by car takes longer than flying.
- Both the driver and passengers get tired on the road.
- Preparing an independent trip by car takes some time.
Despite all the shortcomings, I like our trips to the Black Sea by car - it is always interesting and quite inexpensive. Try it yourself!
