Traveling to Georgia by car: road to Upper Lars. Road trip to Georgia: route, border crossing, money exchange

So, the distance from Elbrus to the Georgian border is 250 km. we walked in about 4 hours. Apparently, due to the approaching May holidays, queues began to form at the border. We spent a total of 5 hours waiting and completing. Fortunately, I downloaded movies to the tablet in advance)) No special documents are required to enter Georgia: international passport, technical passport, license. If the car is not registered in your name, then you also need a power of attorney from a notary. I am writing this because once we were driving two cars to Transcarpathia and one car eventually had to be left at the border due to the lack of a power of attorney)))

Rida and I were already in Georgia in 2013 and during the last trip we saw 85% of all the main attractions. So we were prepared in advance rather for gastronomic journey, since we both adore Georgian cuisine: khachapuri, khinkali, sulguni, lobio and so on (I won’t tease too much)))).

One of the most beautiful places is located just beyond the border crossing - the village of Stepandsminda. Very a nice place in the mountains with its famous church against the backdrop of Mount Kazbek. Having checked into the guest house of the famous Vasily, we immediately went to celebrate our trip with the first khachapuri.

Prices in Georgia: During our last visit in 2013, prices in local currency did not increase much. But the exchange rate has increased: before 1 lari cost 20 rubles, and now 32. Accommodation in simple guest houses costs from 15 to 25 lari per person (you can bargain a little, especially if you are staying more than one night). In almost any guest house you can ask the hostess to include breakfast in the price. On average, we spent 15-20 lari on food for two people at a time. Gasoline in Georgia is 35 percent more expensive, so in Vladikavkaz it’s better to fill up to capacity. Entrance to places of interest: monuments, zoos, cave cities costs a penny. Everything seems to be priced :)

Well, the main attraction in Stepansminda is, of course, the Gergeti Church on the mountain. You can get there by taxi, but it’s not sporty) We left the car in the lower village and, according to tradition, walked on foot, passing by the epic places where we parked on motorcycles 3 years ago.

The sights themselves are not so interesting to see a second time and we enjoyed the views around us more. On May holidays Georgia is visited by a lot of guests from Russia, we even met big company from Ufa)) The Georgians themselves are very surprised by such an invasion of our compatriots, apparently the closure of Egypt with Turkey is having an effect, and Georgia itself is becoming more and more popular every year, word of mouth is working. Only a lazy traveler has not been here yet)))

Another super cool place is Jvari waterfall. To get to it you need to drive back towards Russia for 7 kilometers and soon a sign to the left will appear. Then walk about one and a half kilometers. The waterfall in spring is simply gorgeous and powerful. I don’t know what it’s like there in the summer, but I think it should be beautiful too)).

We stopped at the usual hostel “Irina Hostel”. Address: Ninoshvili street 19b. They even gave us a small discount as regular guests :) Unfortunately, our favorite room was occupied and for the first two nights we spent the night in a dormitory - something like a barracks for travelers. There are 6-7 bunk beds in the room. Dorm is an ideal place for solo travelers: in addition to being budget-friendly, here you can find various interesting characters and travelers and chat.
Once, I spent the night in a dormitory in Malaysia and met some great guys from Belgium. As a result, we went together on one of the coolest trips deep into the jungle.

Below are some photos of the capital:

Having walked around the capital to our heart's content and tasted Adjarian khachapurka and khinkali in every second cafe, we began to think about where to go in a free couple of days. We decided to go to places where we had not been yet in order to gain new emotions. The choice fell on Borjomi, a well-known all-Union Georgian resort and hospital. From Tbilisi to Borjomi is no more than 170 kilometers. Most of the road follows an ideal highway. Now it is being actively completed, I think it should stretch to the Black Sea coast - Batumi (400 km). On the way we stopped in Gori, where Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was born and spent his youth. The museum, contrary to my expectations, turned out to be very popular, many people show interest in this person, especially many groups from other countries.
The museum workers themselves admitted that the administration is actively putting a spoke in their wheels and the museum is living on the edge of existence. I am convinced that by abandoning its past, society abandons hope for a fair future; we don’t have to look far for example, but let’s not, as they say, point fingers. The museum itself turned out to be very interesting, with many details and facts from the life of this great man. I highly recommend it to anyone who finds themselves in these parts!!

Borjomi is located in a very beautiful valley in the mountains. The town itself is not big, but very clean, well-groomed and cozy. Now there is a massive reconstruction of the old road and buildings, but overall the place is very pleasant.

The city park has a cable car to the top where you can watch the sunset.
The sources of the well-known Borjomi mineral water are also located there. I’m embarrassed to admit, but in a couple of days there I only tried a couple of sips. Well, that’s who we are, not connoisseurs of soda))) Half a liter costs 85 rubles, but there it’s free))

The discovery for us was that if you walk along the road after the end of the path in the park for another 5 kilometers, you will come out to open hot sulfur springs. This place was discovered and designated as a medicinal place back in tsarist times. Right underneath open air There are three swimming pools with warm sulfuric water. I, as a big connoisseur of thermal springs, of course floundered there like a frog))

In addition to the resort itself, trekking enthusiasts will be interested in the Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park. The park is very large, but it seems difficult to get lost. There are routes from one-day routes of 15 kilometers to three-day long routes. We chose the shortest one for the walk, 15 kilometers (black on the map). But due to the ascents and descents, it did not seem very easy to us)) Moreover, right in the middle of the route we were hit by a downpour, and then hail. But I still really enjoyed the walk. Bring plenty of water and snacks. In spring, a raincoat also helps)))

We started planning our vacation in the spring, but initially a car trip to Georgia was not planned. We had Schengen, which ended in mid-June, and we expected to go to Europe, the choice fell on Spain, because... We have already been to countries closer to us. Having estimated that to search more or less warm sea at the end of May-beginning of June you need to get all the way to Portugal, I thought about it, because the road is very long, there are many toll roads, and the cost of solariums is disproportionately higher than ours. In general, after calculating the costs of travel alone and consulting with my wife, it was decided to postpone such long trip until better times and warmer times of the year.

After this decision, we were able to spit on Schengen, which tightly tied us to the very beginning of the season in all warm countries and postponed the vacation to July. But the question arose, where now can I go on vacation by car without a visa? It turned out that there are not many options at all, namely:

1. Crimea - to be honest, we didn’t even consider this direction, because... I was there six times in the old days, and making an impressive detour through Kerch was not at all fun, besides, what didn’t we see there?
2. Resorts Krasnodar region It would certainly be interesting to look at the updated Sochi. I have not been to this region at all, but my wife visited Goryachy Klyuch in her early childhood. But somehow I wasn’t drawn to go there, because... There is an opinion that price and quality do not correspond to each other.
3. Abkhazia - more interesting option, because This is already some kind of nonsense, but abroad and the mentality of people is different. But after scouring the Internet for reviews about this country, I realized that the nature there is amazing, but the service was stuck in the 90s, and the crime situation was frankly frightening.
4. Georgia is the last and farthest corner that could shelter us during summer vacation. I immediately noted that Georgia is one of the most safe countries world and occupies an honorable sixth place in this list. I found numerous confirmations of this from tourists who had already been there and simply spoke with admiration of the local police. The nature and sights captivated me - there was the sea for my wife, and the mountains for me, and the list interesting places just went off scale. The mentality of the local population was radically different from ours, and the hospitality of the Georgians was not mentioned unless he was lazy. After looking at photos and reading a bunch of reviews, I found a place that 100% met our vacation needs.

True, my parents were not happy with our decision, especially mine, whatever you say, propaganda does its job. But the decision has been made and the start is scheduled for mid-July.

Preparing for your trip

I prepared even better for Georgia than for Italy: I followed the relevant threads on the forums, read the latest reports from tourists and slowly drew up a travel plan, into which I constantly made various edits and notes on attractions, places of possible overnight stay, restaurants and other nuances. As a result, when before the trip I printed out my memoirs and gave them to my wife to read, she was slightly stunned, 15 sheets is not a lot of giggles.

I didn’t do any special manipulations with the car: I refilled the fire extinguisher, reassembled the first aid kit, changed the front pads a little ahead of time (we were going to the mountains after all), checked the fluids and topped up the freon in the air conditioner. Plus, I took a few spare light bulbs so that I could change them right away and not attract the attention of those suffering and take a bribe from me using a striped stick.

For our own peace of mind, we signed up and paid for medical insurance to Georgia via the Internet - it costs a penny and doesn’t cost you anything.

It was decided to abandon paper maps in favor of a navigator. I installed the latest versions of Navitel on my phone and my wife’s, downloaded the most current ones from Russia and Azerbaijan (if there’s a mudslide at the border, you’ll have to return through it), and uploaded the latest SpeedCams. In addition, just in case, a warning program about stationary cameras and traffic cop ambushes was installed on both phones MapcamDroid. But the main indicator of stationary radars and traffic cops shooting from around the corner was the ESCORT Passport 9500ix INTL radar detector with an up-to-date camera database. By the way, radar detectors are approved for use in Russia and Georgia. Looking ahead, I will say that I have never been caught for speeding, although it did occur.

Finding inexpensive housing in Georgia

There was also a video recorder inside the car. In principle, I consider this gadget a must for all car enthusiasts, and even for traveling around the territory of Kabardino-Balkaria and North Ossetia, where thoroughly corrupt traffic police officers salivate as they see off a car with license plates from another region - this thing is simply irreplaceable, because can reduce the number of your stops and false charges.

Well, the rest was as usual: we picked up more clothes, warm socks and sweaters (what if it’s cold in the mountains and there are bears roaming?), grabbed a few souvenirs in the form of “Alenka” chocolates and national vodka. We took a tent, a spinning rod with lures, two sleeping bags and blankets in case of a wild stop in the mountains or camping.

To increase the time spent behind the wheel, I purchased several cans of Red Bull and Burn, but I did not notice any positive effect from energy drinks in the fight against sleep. But caffeine tablets, as if by hand, took away sleep and gave about another 2.5 hours of very vigorous taxiing, and then within half an hour there was a gradual attenuation of consciousness with permanent yawning, so feeling that drowsiness was beginning to return, we immediately began to look for a place to overnight stay. I also had a special device, which I previously ordered from the Middle Kingdom for 3 kopecks and called it “AntiSleep” - it looks like a hearing aid and hangs on the ear, and when the head tilts in any direction, it starts to squeak brutally.

We made some boutiques for the road, took a chicken in foil, a thermos with coffee, mineral water and juice, we decided not to take eggs. As a result, we had to make 3 trips together to take out all our clothes and load them into the car.

Start of the trip

We left for Georgia, from the capital of Belarus, Minsk, at 8 am on Saturday, July 18th - this is first day our journey. If it were possible to start on a weekday, we would do so, but when the last working day is Friday, you don’t want to lose 2 days off and have to go as best you can. And it turns out to go along with all the summer residents, vacationers and tourists who occupy all the country roads, create traffic jams and queues at the border - all this can be enjoyed on weekdays, but to a much lesser extent. The departure time was also not correct, it should have been a few hours earlier, just according to the old Russian tradition, we started getting ready and looking for passports on the last evening and went to bed only at 3 in the morning, setting the alarm for 6. After waking up, we got ready for another 2 hours, said goodbye to the cats and finally set sail.

There are several ways to get from Minsk to the border with Georgia - the most popular of them is through Moscow, but I dismissed it because... I didn’t want to go there while the whole of Moscow was trying to leave the Moscow Ring Road, plus you catch everything before Voronezh paid areas. I chose the road to Voronezh, but while almost everyone goes through Yelets, I went through Kursk. I can justify this by the fact that the traffic in my case was several times less, there was no traffic jam in front of Voronezh, and the road surface was beyond praise. Thus, my route looked like this: Minsk-Gomel-Bryansk-Orel-Kursk-Voronezh-Rostov-on-Don-Vladikavkaz-Verkhniy Lars (the border of Russia and Georgia).

And so we drive, we quickly pass the Minsk-Gomel section, they have just widened the road there and laid completely new asphalt, we buy a green card on the border with Russia and reach Bryansk. We pass it along the bypass and head to Oryol, along the road there is a lot of traffic of heavy trucks, which, apparently, are coming from and to the M4 Don highway. But in the end we leave for Kursk and there are very few cars, trucks meet once an hour, the road is immaculate, there are many pockets for overtaking, which are actively used by rare slow-moving vehicles and do not interfere with calmly walking on cruise 140. The sun is already setting, and I succumb to numerous persuading my wife to finally stop for dinner. After a hearty snack, we continue our journey, still along the same excellent road, to Voronezh. We transit through its broken roads in the dark and get a shock when we reach the Don highway. We are used to driving almost alone, but here, mother of cars, don’t worry.

I’m starting to feel sick, after all, I slept for 3 hours, so I stand by the side of the road and drink a can of energy drink, stretch my legs, it’s already midnight, but we stubbornly move on.

Near Voronezh, speed cameras hang on every bridge with alternating limits of 40 and 60 km, my radar detector did not stop and my wife wanted to throw us both out of the cabin. But very soon we were stuck in a traffic jam for an hour, in which I would have safely fallen asleep if I had not taken a caffeine pill. It turned out that this was just a narrowing of the road, which is not designed for thousands of cars... it’s good that we passed this place at night... Then there was a long section with repairs, so the traffic was 40-60 km/h and after that it began to cover me . But it’s not easy to find a place to stay for the night - all the gas stations are chock-full of sleeping cars, they are parked in ditches, stupidly on the highway under lighting masts, but there are no pockets for sleeping. With grief in half, after tens of kilometers, we found one single parking lot near a roadside hotel near the village of Radchenskoye. The BC showed a mileage of 1350 km, and the clock was 3 am, without having time to fully climb into the sleeping bag, I began to snore peacefully.

The delights of the M4 Don highway

Waking up at 7 am second day, I was surprised to discover that all that terrible pile of cars that surrounded us at night had “gone crazy” and, apparently, was already rushing at full speed to take my place in the queue at the Russian-Georgian border. After brushing my teeth, I, as the stronger sex, was sent on reconnaissance to the local roadside toilet. Everyone has left, there is no queue, I stand alone at the entrance and think: “Why didn’t I bring a respirator and diving goggles?” Judging by the marks of suspicious origin on all the surfaces that my gaze reached, I concluded that the throughput of this WC significantly exceeds the throughput of the Minsk Moscow Ring Road and that this establishment is visited not only by upright Homo sapiens, but also by some other forms of life . I decided not to risk it and looked into the next booth, which is only suitable for ladies... Ladies haven’t gone there for a long time... Except for the inappropriate interior decoration, the toilet had no door and opened up a magnificent view of the highway 5 meters from the threshold. Turning my head around, I quickly went down into a small ditch nearby, where the situation turned out to be much more civilized. He sent his wife to the men's closet, which has a door, while he himself, at that time, patrolled the surrounding area, driving away those who wanted to visit her.

We stopped at the nearest gas station to drink coffee and refuel, and, at the beginning of nine, we set off further. By the way, I only used the services of gas stations of well-known brands, also trying to choose those that sold Euro-5 fuel. There are a lot of fakes on the road, such as “Lukail”, which is decorated in the same colors as the original, and many other fakes - read the names carefully and don’t hold out for the last drop of diesel, otherwise you’ll end up with something like this...

Gradually, the M4 "Don" highway is disappointing, I was hoping to go quietly on a cruise, but here there are constant repairs, a lot of radars, a speed limit of 90 km/h and slabs from trucks that, in order not to drive on the "washboard" in the right lane, go to with the left, which is how the fuck-up tenses and slows down the movement. Although I understand that it is not their fault that the builders made such a road that quickly went into waves.

Immediately after Rostov, near Bataysk, we got into a tough traffic jam for 3.5 hours - we drove 26 km. It was scorching outside, some cars were boiling, I constantly had to work with the pedals because I was moving forward a maximum of 1 block, the gearbox began to listen poorly when I stuck the first one in for the 500th time. Due to constant tension, my right leg begins to cramp and I, out of my mind, decide to give it a rest and press the brake with my left foot... Have you ever tried it? Indescribable feelings, it’s good that I at least pressed the brake and not the gas.

After this hell, we decide to stop for lunch and rest, but, as I mentioned above, it is extremely difficult to find a place on this road where an ordinary traveler can safely stop, have a snack and stretch his legs. At first it was strange for us to see people stupidly driving into a ditch and stopping there to rest and have a snack. Well, how is this possible on a new federal highway, what kind of stupid people designed it? In the end, I can’t stand it either, and I pull off the road into a small ravine.

The car is standing right there in the shade, I’m lying down, because my legs are not used to stomping the pedals in such long traffic jams, and a little further from my body I can see other tourists who have chosen this picturesque ditch for a break. But to the left there was a field of sunflowers, through which my missus ran happily while I was catching my breath.

Soon the Don highway ends and the Caucasus begins - at the very beginning the asphalt was cut off, and we slowly trudged for 50 km, maneuvering between pits and potholes, but I was still glad, because the M4 completely disappointed me. I'm sure that they made it better than what was there before, but they really made it "to the point" - fuck it and there's a bow on the side.

Highway "Caucasus" and meeting with the traffic police

When we were driving along the Caucasus highway in Krasnodar and Stavropol region, then we very often came across traffic police crews standing at the side of the road, filming with a camera mounted on a tripod. At first we slowed down, thinking that these were radars, but no - these were ordinary video cameras, which, as it turned out later, were located in the most desirable places where cars could drive off the beaten path. There are very few radars on this part of the route.

We drove into Mineralnye Vody already in the dark, we really liked the local asphalt and the roads that twisted like a snake and prepared us for the mountain serpentines)

In Kabardino-Balkaria they immediately began to pay more attention to compliance with traffic rules, because We've heard a lot about the traffic police here. When the navigator said the phrase “There is a stationary traffic police post ahead” - the heart began to pound, the pulse quickened, the palms sweated and the eye began to twitch.

When you pass these stationary posts, you feel with every cell of your body how many hungry eyes of the lords of the striped rod are looking at you from the darkness. In fact, you should behave calmly near these places, you don’t need to look expectantly in their direction - we don’t need unnecessary provocation, and if they want to stop you, then your peripheral vision will easily catch a well-fed servant of the law trying to cross you. When approaching such a post, carefully follow the speed limit signs, which will gradually force you to reduce it to 5 km/h, and at the post itself, on the ground, there will be a “STOP” sign - stopping is strictly required. Stop every time - stand for 4-5 seconds and move on. Sometimes such a sign can be found simply on a straight section of the road, and a traffic cop will sit in ambush and expect you to ignore him - pay special attention to ground STOP signs. In general, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to install the current Russian Traffic Regulations on your phone, so you can understand what they are trying to impute to you or what to deceive you, because... For some reason, they have a habit of telling you the maximum fine or punishment, which is only given for repeated violations.

Key things to know:

1. There is no penalty for speeding up to 20 km/h.
2. A traffic violation is punishable by a large fine of several thousand rubles, and a repeated violation may deprive you of your license.

Therefore, traffic cops no longer sit in the bushes with radars; the most that can be found is a tripod in a ravine near the road, covered with a camouflage net with the addition of branches for greater secrecy. Now a new profitable trick is to catch with a solid one.

We enter North Ossetia with caution and hope that it will carry us through, because there is nothing left to the border with Georgia. I fill up on the road in front of Vladikavkaz, because... I have no desire to travel around this region at night in search of another good gas station.

There are a couple of tens of kilometers left to Upper Lars, but I drive carefully and carefully, because... in the dark, you can often see the flashes of the chandeliers of traffic police cars that have overtaken their prey.

To better understand what happened next, I will describe the road here. In these regions, it mainly has 3 lanes, and the middle lane alternates with one direction and then the other. So that the driver understands that the lane will soon end for him - there are arrows drawn on it, which mean that it is time to return to the right lane, there are 3 of these arrows in total and after the last one there is a narrowing.

So, I’m driving so joyfully along a very winding road - we tore everyone apart and passed these dangerous places no loss! A car is driving in front of me, and in front of it is a slow motorcyclist, the time is early midnight. The car goes to our middle lane and starts to get ahead of the motorcycle, but he doesn’t have enough fillies - he does it very slowly and strainedly. It’s my turn and I start to drown, but I see that the arrows have gone and I’m unlikely to make it in time, and ahead, in the lane that is no longer mine, a heavy truck is driving in the opposite direction. I want to return to my lane on the right, but there is a motorcycle behind me, right bumper to bumper, another car unexpectedly backed me up and I have no choice but to rush forward to overtake the motorcycle, but I don’t have time to get back to my lane in time, and where- then I drive into the building from oncoming traffic. Immediately, at this blissful moment, the car that supported me from behind and did not allow me to slow down to return, turns on the lamp. Yes, it was the Ossetian traffic police.

Conversation with Ossetian traffic cops

I pull over to the side of the road and stay in the car, I don’t even unfasten my seat belt because... I read about cases when people were charged with this as a violation, supposedly an inspector came up - the driver is not wearing a seat belt, which means you get a fine. In the mirror I see that a traffic cop is coming out from the passenger side, and a machine gunner is coming out from behind and both are coming towards me from different directions. I started slightly, but more from surprise, but my wife was completely horrified.

The inspector asked for documents, I handed them over to him without any questions and immediately agreed that I had violated them. He scrolled for a long time and eventually asked where the Green Card was. I pointed, he twisted it, twirled it and then asked again, so where is the green card? I say you hold it in your hands, for stupid people it even has a characteristic green color. He did not let up and began asking how long ago they were introduced, etc., from which I concluded that this guardian of the law does not even have a clue what standard insurance looks like for citizens of other states, which has been in effect for many years. Without giving me the documents, I was invited to walk into the patrol car to talk with the elder, who was sitting in the driver’s seat. My missus was completely scared, and I thought it was good that there was a leather seat under her, otherwise you never know. I sat down in the patrol room with the chief, and the machine gunner and the sergeant remained outside.

Immediately he began to frighten me with deprivation, but in response to my remark that it was given only for a repeated violation, he smiled and praised me for familiarizing myself with their traffic rules. The questions began from the series “Well, what are we going to do with you?” I was silent and thought about the current situation, because the fine was 5,000. Without waiting for an intelligible answer or hint from me, he asked the sergeant to bring a tablet with empty protocol forms, which for some reason ended up in the trunk. Apparently they are used so rarely that they decided to put them out of sight. There was an awkward pause... I am a law-abiding person, and our law enforcement officers are much less likely to sin with such things, so my experience of such negotiations is extremely scarce and small. Nothing else came to my mind except to show him my outstretched hand in the silence of the semi-darkness of the salon, and to say hundreds to myself. But he is an experienced man - he has seen a lot, so he was not at a loss, nodded and smiled, saying: “Thousands is good.” Well, what about me? I say “no-no-no, I was thinking about something else” - his smile disappeared somewhere. The game “Who can show the most fingers” has started, we didn’t play, did we? But here it is worth mentioning one important factor - we filled the tank full, so we had 800 rubles left and I had to bleed my nose to meet this limit. As a result, I could not stand it and revealed my cards, voicing the size of the available bank. But he didn’t give up and continued to plaintively repeat, as if wound up, “Well, at least a thousand” - even if you take pity on him. In the end, they give me my license, and I go to my car to scrape off all the little things, I collected 700-800 rubles - they didn’t even count them, they just drove off into the night.

That’s how vilely they stopped me 25 km before the Russian-Georgian border. By the way, I think that those crews who film everything on video cameras from the roadside are more civilized and, by law, they will sell you 5 thousand with an accompanying protocol.

We moved on, discussing the method of our stop and leaning towards the version that this “box” was played on purpose. But having arrived at the Verkhniy Lars checkpoint and standing at the end of the queue, the same unfortunate motorcyclist stopped behind us, who sincerely sympathized with us, but did not give us any money. It turns out that they deliberately pressed themselves behind me so that I would have no choice but to break the rules. You should not think that at night you can see in the rearview mirror that the car behind has a police paint job - this is not so.

But let's leave the bad behind, our journey took us to the border with Georgia. You get out of the car and the deafening roar of a mountain river hits you, which spreads throughout the entire narrow gorge, and the stars are so bright in the sky that you won’t see them even in the village in winter in the most severe frost.

I tried to see where the beginning of the line was hiding, but it was very difficult to do this in the dark, although I still saw the checkpoint lights. We laid out our sleeping bags, set the alarm clock for 4.30 - the opening of the border and quickly rushed off to the kingdom of Morpheus - it was one in the morning. The distance traveled from home is 2,400 km, $85 was spent on diesel fuel and coffee, and don’t forget about the fine.

This ends the first part of my report about a trip to Georgia by car, but here are links to the continuation:

Georgia is a car and tourist paradise, which has incredible nature and mountains, majestic monasteries and temples, delicious cuisine and hospitality.

Preface and preparation

My husband and I had been planning to go on a trip for a long time, and we were increasingly looking at Georgia. To avoid getting bored, we decided to take a couple more friends with us - it would be more fun and safer on the road. I really wanted to look at Kazbek, swim in the warm sea and drink and taste Georgian wine to my heart’s content. And in general - who hasn’t heard of Georgian hospitality?

The issue of flying by plane was immediately put to rest - the prices for air tickets were very high. At that time, tickets cost about $300 round trip for one, and for four people the cost of the trip was quite significant. In total, a little more than 2 thousand rubles were spent on gasoline - this is with a consumption of 10 liters on the highway and the cost of gasoline is 35 rubles per liter.

Georgia is a country where Ukrainians are always welcome. There are no visa problems for citizens of Ukraine, all that was required in documentation was foreign passports. True, since we had to drive through Russian territory, we also needed car insurance.

We drive our BMW X5 quite often, but this is the first time we have decided to go this far. In total, it was almost 2000 km in one direction to Georgia: 503 km to Kharkov, then 125 km to the border, 1300 km through Russian territory, everything else through Georgia. Since we had two experienced drivers with us, we were not too worried about this.

The departure was scheduled for June 26 - it was decided that we would spend a day with friends in Kharkov, and from there we would start for Georgia, and we would spend a total of two weeks on wheels, returning to Kyiv on July 11. After studying reviews and travel reports, we decided on the route: Kyiv - Kharkov - Stary Saltov - Chugunovka - Rostov-on-Don - Mineral water- Nalchik - Vladikavkaz - Georgia.

The route we decided to take

The road to Kharkov - Russia ahead

We got to Kharkov quickly - six hours of quiet driving. Then our friends met us and we went for a walk. Since my husband and I were in the second capital of Ukraine for the first time, we really liked everything. A hot summer day - a huge number of fountains, and such that it takes your breath away, and your hand itself reaches for the camera.

Crystal fountains of Kharkov

Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to explore other attractions, so we only had time to wander around the city and have a tasty snack at the Nasha Dacha restaurant on Batumskaya Street. At five o'clock in the evening, together with my friends, we set out towards our adventure.

Previously, everyone could easily travel through Donbass, but due to the current situation, it was decided to use a small checkpoint in the Kharkov region. I had to drive 125 km along terrible road, but we were rewarded with no queue. There were few cars, so we went through customs quite quickly. Completed migration cards and a customs declaration (needed for the car) - and we are in Russia.

Important: Particular attention should be paid to the fact that both Russia and Georgia have a lot of glass (we are talking about the front ones). Of course, we didn’t want to damage the car, so we decided to take a chance and simply rolled down the windows as we passed the checkpoints.

We drove along the Rostov-on-Don roundabout (it was already late in the evening), and then there was a night drive (with a change of drivers and stops for coffee and just rest) through Vladikavkaz. We passed Upper Lars closer to the morning, around four in the morning.

It should be taken into account that the border does not operate 24 hours a day, so you should get there around five o'clock - just in time for the opening. We stood for a long time, about three hours, but it was worth it - we got a wonderful opportunity to admire the first amazing landscapes. To cross the border, we recommend studying forums and thematic websites.

Two tunnels - and we are in the long-awaited Georgia. Meet Sakartvelo!

Georgian beauty without embellishment

Holy Trinity - a monastery that you must visit

The first village on our way was Stepantsminda; we only had to drive a few kilometers. And to say that it was a shock is to say nothing! If you get a crazy idea to avoid this place, don’t give in.

Of course, we were tired, but such beauty gave us a second wind - and we couldn’t hold back our enthusiastic oohs and ahs.

Gergeti - lullaby of Kazbegi

The purpose of our trip to these places was, of course, the majestic Kazbek and Gergetis Tsminda Sameba, in other words, the Holy Trinity Monastery.

Of course, we did not risk driving our car, since there is practically no road there, and only local SUVs, which are not afraid of anything, can drive through. We decided not to use the services of hot horsemen, but to walk, especially since it was only three kilometers up.

So, having passed through the village of Gergeti, we rushed into the forest, and after two hours we were rewarded with a breathtaking sight.

The view that opens strikes even the most stern traveler who has seen everything to the very heart - and what can we say about such impressionable persons as my friend and I?

First you find yourself in an open space, similar to the domain of the Lord of the Rings. In the center stands a majestic church, with a view that confirms that the Lord has indeed blessed Georgia. We heard the legend that Kazbek shows its peak only good people- fortunately, we managed to see her.

What surprised me personally was that there were tents in such beauty absolutely free of charge. I, a child of the asphalt jungle, was amazed by this, because in our travels we are used to having to pay for a more or less pleasant view (not to mention the opportunity to put up a tent).

Local holy water spring

Having thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, we went downstairs, found accommodation for the night (10 dollars per person), settled down to rest and assimilate the impressions we had received. Yes, I almost forgot about the magnificent dinner - khinkali and khachapuri were simply divine

Tbilisi, welcome!

The next morning we set off for the most picturesque road in Tbilisi. Having found accommodation in advance - the Lux Hotel on the outskirts of the city right on the Georgian Military Road - we were pleasantly surprised by its cost: the room cost $25 (the hotel's page on Booking).

Lux Hotel, where we planned to stay I

Having traveled about half the way and taking plenty of photographs with views of the mountains, we saw another attraction - the Ananuri fortress. I was struck by the greatness of this fortress, and it became clear why Georgia constantly suffered from invaders.

Ananuri - the pearl fortress

Arriving in the capital, we checked in and decided to go to Mtskheta - the most ancient capital of Georgia, in which there is the Jvari monastery. This romantic place, everyone's favorite.

The confluence of two rivers - the best place for the monastery

Since Mtskheta is located very close to Tbilisi (literally in its suburbs), we got there very quickly and stayed there for quite a long time. You can walk endlessly in this city, and local guides at the Svetitskhoveli Temple made this walk unforgettable.

After admiring the confluence of two rivers - the majestic Aragvi and the bright Kura in the monastery, we decided to go to Mtatsminda Park, where we ended the evening enjoying national cuisine in a restaurant. Cuisine, wine, and hospitality of Georgians is a completely separate story, about which whole volumes can be written

IN ancient capital Mtatsminda

The next day they expected us famous baths Tbilisi (choose the Royal ones - you won’t regret it!), which were inexpensive. We had to pay something like 60 GEL per person. We decided not to be greedy and ordered the services of a bath attendant for 10 GEL. And how incomparable the tea and dogwood jam were - beyond words.

Then we just walked, admiring this ancient city. The Narikala Fortress, the Bridge of Peace, the Puppet Theater, the famous Sameba - and this is a small part of what we were able to admire.

Sameba - the pride of Georgia

Sameba Cathedral

Bridge of Peace connecting hearts

Puppet show

We wanted to go on a boat ride - for 25 GEL each we had a boat with an excellent guide to boot. The evening ended in the khinkalnaya - where else?

View of the city from Mtatsminda Park

Sameba is especially exciting at night

In the morning we were forced to part with the Warm City (this is how Tbilisi is translated) - our path lay in Borjomi.

Having arrived there and rented a room on the advice of locals, we unpacked our things and went for a walk in the park. We went to Old Borjomi - the most famous and delicious restaurant in the city, where they prepare amazing and special khachapuri according to a secret recipe.

Khachapuri with a secret ingredient - love

Having rested and gained strength, in the morning we set out to explore ancient Vardzia - the ancient cave city, built by Queen Tamara. It is located in Aspindza, a district of the city of Akhaltsikhe. It was really scary and majestic there - the caves, temples and steep stairs are amazing. Entrance is six lari - and impressions for the rest of your life.

View from Vardzia

Dangerous caves of Vardzia

Having admired the ancient caves, we headed to Kutaisi, and from there to Batumi, ending our vacation with a stay and swimming in the sea.

View from the room

This concludes my story. The way back was predictable and simple. In the end, I want to say that Georgia is a paradise with incredible nature and mountains, majestic monasteries and temples, delicious cuisine and hospitality.

Stavitskaya Victoria.

Updated 04/18/2018

We have returned! We rate the trip to Georgia at 5+ and we already understand that we will definitely visit there again! Of course, I would like to stay in Georgia longer, to visit all the places that we have planned, but..... two weeks of vacation are not rubber :)

I decided not to split the report into several articles and describe the border crossing and gas stations separately. Everything will be here, in one place. The only exception is the description of attractions; I will definitely include them in separate articles.

I really hope that this post will become a guide to action and I will try to describe all the nuances for readers planning to visit Georgia in their own car. What will I talk about? Route to Georgia from Nizhny Novgorod, description of the trip by day (briefly about the main thing), crossing the Russia-Georgia border, where to stay overnight after crossing the border with Georgia, gas stations, driving style, currency exchange, accommodation, attitude towards Russians, cost of the trip. And yes! Georgian food is worth a separate post.

Travel route Nizhny Novgorod - Georgia

From Nizhny Novgorod you can get to the border checkpoint in Verkhniy Lars through Volgograd or take a longer route - Voronezh-Rostov. We chose the longer route for two reasons. Firstly, it was planned to go to Belorechensk (my homeland) and secondly, the quality of the road on the M4 and M7 highways is much better than the potholes in Volgograd. In any case, you need to make the final decision between “short, but crappy road” and “longer, but excellent quality” immediately before the trip. The M7 is often repaired, which causes significant traffic jams.

We can say that we were lucky. Repair work on the M7 took place in the Lakinsk area, but we were hardly stuck in traffic jams. A108 is an ordinary toshnilovka, a lot of people and trucks. M4 is a great highway. There are several toll sections where the speed limit is 130 km/h. Beauty!

Theoretically, you can get from the border to the sea in one day, if you don’t stop in Tbilisi. By the way, in the case of Georgia, it is not at all necessary to carefully plan the route. There are no problems with housing, nor with the Internet. Initially, we booked 3 nights at sea (in Kobuleti), but ended up extending it twice :)

Trip plan by day

Departure from city N at 7.00. As soon as we got into the car we immediately discovered that the cigarette lighter was not working. We charge our phones, detector and navigator through it. Sadness. We decided that we would get there this way, and we would look for an auto electrician in Belorechensk.

I really love the moment of leaving on a road trip and it is radically different from returning. If, returning home, you stupidly press your slipper, then at the start you almost jump with excitement in anticipation of new impressions. Each revolution of the wheel brings you a little closer to your goal. I take a lot of photographs of the road in the “there” direction and am lazy to take photographs in the “back” direction.

At about 20.30 we arrived at the Slavyanka hotel on the M4 (598 km), where we stayed last year when... They took the most ordinary number. The cost for three is 1350 rubles. There is a cafe at the hotel where you can have a good dinner and breakfast.

On family road trips, we never drive all the way or sleep in the car. You need to sleep on normal beds at night so that the next morning you feel rested and not groggy.

By clicking on the link, you can choose for yourself several options for hotels on the M4 highway, depending on the km number - http://trassa-tour.ru/avtodoroga/m4-don

And again departure at 7 am. Whoever gets up early...... arrives earlier and has time for the festive table :)

The further you go south, the hotter it gets. How nice it is to take off your jackets and put on shorts and T-shirts! In general, the whole trip to Georgia can be described as “let’s steal a piece of summer from autumn?” and we completely succeeded.

For lunch we stopped at the new dining room at the Rodina Hotel (1076 km). Very decent and tasty. Prices are average. I recommend.

Not far from the village of Kushchevskaya we passed the “Field of Cossack Glory” memorial. They didn’t go in, they were eager to get there faster. Does anyone know what's there?

We spent the whole day in Belorechensk. We took a break from the road and looked for an auto electrician. It turned out that the breakdown was minor, the fuse had blown.

Departure at 7.15. Today the plan is to cross the border and check into the first hotel in Georgia. From Belorechensk to the border checkpoint - 556 km. At exactly 16.00 we were at the border. We passed several Republics along the way. The roads are good almost everywhere. The Caucasian driving style does not begin in Georgia. We felt all the power of temperament along the way :)

After Vladikavkaz, and even at the entrance to it, you can already see the mountains. As the saying goes, better than the mountains, there can only be mountains.

There were no problems crossing the border. 22 minutes is practically a record.

From the border to the village of Stepantsminda it is only a 15-minute drive. We booked the hotel in advance on Booking - Red Stone Guest House. I would like to note that in the border village housing prices are quite high. Our triple room with shared shower and toilet cost 90 GEL per night. Translated into Russian rubles, this is 2,500 rubles.

All this is for a reason. Above the villages rises Kazbek, which loves to hide in the clouds and this is where tourist treks and walking routes. Kazbek is not shown to everyone. We managed to capture both options on camera, with and without Kazbek. On the way back, the mountain with the icy top disappeared from us. I also thought then - what an ambush, people specially come to look at him and climb the mountain to the Gergeti Church, and he, ts-tsa, is capricious.

This day turned out to be the most eventful in terms of impressions and incredibly long. In the morning we climbed closer to Kazbek and, and in the evening we were already in Tbilisi. We can say that we spent the whole day on Georgian military road. Sights that were visited along the way require a separate post -

Please note - it is very sunny, and we are wearing jackets. At 8 am the smartphone showed 6 degrees Celsius in Stepantsminda. More photos I will not show from the Georgian military road in this article). Very beautiful! Let there remain a little intrigue))

We also booked an apartment in Tbilisi in advance, while we were still in Russia. We chose Sofia Guest House for its large area and proximity to the metro. We somehow immediately decided that we would not travel around Tbilisi by car. The cost of housing is 160 lari for two nights (approximately 4,500 rubles). Read more about the apartment.

We completely dedicated this day. For me, we looked at very little; we practically skimmed the surface. The capital of Georgia remained unclear. You can’t rush here and it’s better to spend at least 3-4 days in Tbilisi.

You can see the upper platform behind me cable car. Unfortunately, it didn’t work, and we were too lazy to walk up the mountain to the fortress. It was very hot in Tbilisi that day, I wanted to go into the shade and take a dip in the fountain.

We leave Tbilisi and move towards the sea. The night before, after some deliberation, an apartment in Kobuleti was booked for 3 nights (160 GEL). Then we extended them twice, because we just couldn’t tear ourselves away from the warm sea :). There is a separate post about apartments. Read

On the way back we stopped at. I really liked the city. You know, he has a sort of secular gloss. A real resort with a beautiful promenade and a well-equipped beach. I love this photo!

On September 28, we went back to sea again 🙂 There’s nothing special to tell. But on the 29th we decided to take a walk around, since it is located not far from Kobuleti. Such wonderful views open up from observation deck. The greens are actually so juicy, zero photoshop.

We left Kobuleti and headed towards home. But, we went to the vegetable gardens)), I wanted to look at and walk around. I really liked both of them.

October 1,2,3 we spent on the road. It's hard to travel for three days. Still, the ideal option is two days behind the wheel, then one day of rest. In autumn it gets dark earlier, so we got up for the night at 20.00 at the latest.

On the way back, the Georgian military road flew by much faster. We made only one stop - near the People's Friendship Arch. I didn’t like the return border crossing, but read about that below.

We spent the night in Russia twice a day roadside hotels. I will recommend one of them, but not the other. The first hotel is “Elite” near Armavir. The roadside motel is inferior, although we were given a two-room suite for 2,100 rubles. Everything is kind of old and there are problems with hot water. I had to leave the cold shower and go straight to the reception to sort things out in a towel.

The second overnight stay was in the Lipetsk region, the Polet hotel (2,000 rubles for a triple room). It is easily recognizable by the real airplane in front of the hotel façade. I can recommend this hotel.

The trip to Georgia turned out to be very harmonious. All the puzzles fell into place: we were lucky with the weather, the sea was incomparable, the people were very friendly, nature is beyond any epithets, and visa regime made as easy as possible for Russians. I know for sure that we will return to Georgia more than once.

Crossing the Russia-Georgia border

The border crossing procedure is very simple. The documents you will need are: an international passport, a vehicle registration certificate (technical passport) and driver's license. We traveled with the Russians driver's license. They didn’t ask for any insurance (medical or auto) at the border. However, be careful! From January 1, 2016, the Georgian side promised to require a green card for cars. The country joins the Green Alliance. I still bought it for the family, you never know.

If suddenly the owner of the car refuses to go with you to Georgia, then at the border you will need to present a notarized power of attorney for English language. Russians do not need a visa to Georgia(if your stay does not exceed 90 days). The stamp is placed on the passport right at the checkpoint.

You can get from Russia to Georgia by car only through one single checkpoint near Vladikavkaz - Daryali.

Do not attempt to enter Georgia through Abkhazia or South Ossetia. Relations between the countries are, to put it mildly, strained. By the way, if you have a stamp on entry into Abkhazia or South Ossetia in your international passport, then you need to postpone your trip to Georgia.

The procedure at the checkpoint is as follows:

• drive up to the Russian border and roll down all the windows on the car. Before the barrier you will simply be asked how many people are going to cross the border;
• drive further, choose a line for passenger cars and wait for your finest hour;
• drive up to the booth, take the documents and give them to the border guard. The driver of the car approaches first, and only then the passengers;
• you may be asked several questions: the purpose of crossing the border, where you are going, etc.;
• at the request of customs officers, open all the car doors and trunk (they may not check);
• load into the car and drive through neutral territory to the Georgian border;
• at the Georgian checkpoint, passengers must get out of the car and cross the border separately (there is a special room on the right);
• the driver must approach the booth, hand over documents and politely answer the border guards’ questions;
• Next, you need to open the trunk again to show the car to the customs officer and remember to pick up your passengers.

From personal experience: we crossed the Russia-Georgia border like clockwork - 20 minutes to do everything about everything, but on the way back we got stuck in a huge traffic jam in which we were stuck for 3 hours. The Georgian border guards let us through very quickly, but the Russian side was clearly in no hurry. Cars were launched in batches + there was a huge queue of trucks. Our car was not inspected. Eh, I should have taken more wine! We didn’t take any risks and bought exactly as much as allowed by the rules: 3 liters per person.

On the approach to the border (both there and back), you will most likely see a whole line of trucks. There is no need to queue for them. Feel free to drive around them, even if you have to drive in the oncoming lane.

The checkpoint does not work at night due to the threat of mudflows. Information is current as of September 2015. Be sure to check the situation immediately before your trip. Most likely, this is why huge queues of trucks accumulate. The threat of mudflows is very real. On the Georgian side, just after the checkpoint, there is a terrible section of road. It was just washed away. You need to drive very carefully.

Gas stations in Georgia

The cost of fuel in Georgia is higher than in Russia, so do not forget to fill up a full tank before the checkpoint. As a rule, Georgian gas stations do not indicate the gasoline brand number, only the designation: regular, premium or super. It's simple: regular - 92, premium - 95, super - 98.

Almost all gas stations accept bank cards. Cash can be given directly to gas stations. They will go to the cashier themselves and bring you a check and change.

Fuel cost in Georgia: No. 92 - 1.88 lari (52 rubles), No. 95 - 1.99 lari (55 rubles). More expensive than in Russia, but cheaper than European prices.

You can track the current cost of fuel on the website autotraveler.ru. This is a very useful resource for car enthusiasts, so I highly recommend it. There you can also familiarize yourself with the main traffic rules of Georgia.

Driving style of hot Georgian men

This is complete trash, especially if you’re not used to it :)

Changing lanes without a turn signal is quite normal. If the car changes to the left, then you can hope that the driver will turn on the turn signal. But if a car pulls off to the side of the road or turns right, you won’t be able to wait!

The traffic is chaotic, everyone is late for somewhere and honks at each other a lot. At first, this was terribly infuriating, and then we realized that signals in Georgia are a means of communication. If they honk at you briefly twice, they are simply warning you about their maneuvers, and they will overtake you. Well, yes, of course, that’s not what turn signals were invented for. If the beep is sharp and drawn-out, then in the literal sense it means: “Where are you going, freak.” Can you imagine the cacophony on the roadway in a large city?

In Tbilisi, we generally left the car at home and moved by metro. We don't need such adventures. If you can somehow get used to maneuvers on the road and even adapt to the general flow, then there is a problem with pedestrians in Georgia. Both sides are to blame. There are pedestrian crossings in Georgia, but people cross the road wherever they please. I can still understand unreasonable pets who can calmly walk along the highway, peacefully chewing dusty grass, but people... Drivers are no better. No one lets anyone through at the pedestrian crossing. It's really scary to cross the road.

I started talking about animals, I think I’ll finish my thought. Just like in Abkhazia, in Georgia cows are sacred animals. They can lie peacefully on the highway in the shade, quickly cross the road and, of course, not notice cars. In addition to cows, goats, sheep, pigs and chickens are sacred animals. This entire zoo faces the road in small populated areas and blocks traffic.

Yes, and one more thing - they will overtake you through a continuous road and under a prohibiting sign. This is normal and you will quickly get used to it. The main thing is to quickly restructure your thinking on Russian territory).

Currency exchange

You can travel to Georgia with rubles. There are no problems with exchanging Russian currency. For 1000 rubles they give from 30 to 35 lari. The most profitable exchange was in Tbilisi - 34 lari per 1000 rubles (no commission), and the greediest money changers work in Stepantsminda - 30 lari per 1000 rubles.

According to my observations, exchanging rubles at a bank is a little less profitable than at ordinary exchange offices. We paid by card in stores and gas stations.

Current exchange rate: 1 lari = 27.61 rubles. To understand the high cost of a particular purchase, we multiplied the purchase price by 30. Be sure to check the latest GEL exchange rate before your trip.

Housing in Georgia

I already touched on the topic of housing above, so I’ll just summarize. I don’t know about the season, but in September we easily booked an apartment for . You can also choose apartments and rooms on Airbnb. I will say more, upon arrival you will also easily find accommodation for yourself. After all, not all landlords have the opportunity to register on Booking.com.

An apartment for three cost us from 45 to 90 lari per day, depending on the city. We were looking for a certain level of comfort. Of course, you can find cheaper accommodation.

I saw a couple of equipped campsites near the sea. The cost of 15 lari is imprinted in my memory. I just don’t know if it’s from a person or a car. If you love tents and romance, then welcome to Georgia. One of the campsites is definitely operating on the territory Botanical Garden, and the other - for Kobuleti.

Attitude towards Russians

I didn’t notice any special attitude towards myself. Everyone is very friendly, there is no language barrier at all. If any difficulties arose, they always came to our aid.

One of the roadside cafes did not have a menu in English, only Georgian. The woman (for some reason it seems to me that it was the hostess) told us everything and recommended dishes.

I'll tell you about one episode. In Tbilisi we took a taxi and the taxi driver started talking. We didn't force him. Honestly. He said that all the people on the streets were sad, but before they always smiled and were cheerful. There is no work, locals leave for Russia or Europe. I sincerely regretted that Georgia ruined relations with Russia. This was the most ordinary truth from the most ordinary resident of Tbilisi.

The cost of travel

I usually calculate the trip so that later I can analyze the cost of the pleasure.

Given: 3 people, Kia Soul car, 5,500 km, 15 days of travel.

Per 1 person it turns out to be 24,198 rubles. It’s probably not very correct to compare two trips, but as an example I can give you a New Year’s trip. For 8 days of travel we spent 80,297 rubles.

In general, the cost of food in Georgia is approximately at the level of Russia. You can easily find familiar Russian goods in stores. In cafes and restaurants they left about 50-80 GEL for three, wine in a store costs from 10 GEL, travel costs 0.5 GEL.

This is how our trip turned out. The Georgian issue is not closed! I have something else to tell you :-). Here, for example, is a post about what you can bring as a souvenir.

Read about that in a separate article!

I had been dreaming of going to Georgia for a long time, but Lesha was skeptical. The Caucasian peoples, at least those of their representatives who come to Russia, did not arouse the slightest sympathy in him. Nevertheless, I did not retreat and gradually Lesha gave up.

It didn't take long to find fellow travelers. At first, Vitya agreed and invited his girlfriend from St. Petersburg to join us. She, in turn, brought up a friend from Moscow (whom we had to pick up in Vladikavkaz). Shortly before the trip, Masha (who is from St. Petersburg) fell ill and had to urgently look for a replacement. As a result, Anya, also Vitina’s friend, joined us.

Thus, 5 people gathered who knew each other little. Lesha and I knew Vitya, Vitya knew Anya, and Marina didn’t know any of us, because her friend Masha got sick and was forced to cancel the trip at the last moment.

Accommodation was booked in advance only in Stepantsminda (1 night) and Tbilisi (3 nights). All accommodation was booked on www.airbnb.ru

We decided to look for overnight accommodations in other cities locally.

We agreed to leave on April 28 at 19:00. Anya was just finishing her classes with the kids she teaches dancing to. Lesha was on vacation by that time and was responsible for preparing things. I worked very hard before the trip, so I didn’t have any time to prepare and get ready. On the day of departure I decided to work until lunch, and as a result, I just got free at 18:00. I flew home, got myself in order, put my things in my bags (naturally there was a vain hope for Lesha) and ran after Anya.

Hurray, we left the city closer to 21:00.

The road was empty and calm. Fortunately for us, fears about dirty tricks on the roads in Stavropol and North Ossetia were not confirmed. We didn’t violate anything, we drove as expected, and that’s why we managed to avoid traffic jams.

But the chaos on the border (only on the Russian side), about which everyone who happened to cross it wrote indignantly, felt it to the fullest. We arrived at the border at about 15-16 and were at the 15th hour. If it weren’t for the terrible behavior of cars with 15 and 25 regions, we would have crossed the border in a maximum of an hour, but no. For 5 hours we observed the rudeness and impudence of the Ossetians, who cut off and brazenly wedged themselves into the queue, while the border guards turned a blind eye to this, pretending that nothing was happening. Moreover, a man openly walked around and offered to quickly cross the border for 5,000 rubles.

When the degree of human indignation began to rise, law enforcement services arrived (which someone called), but they were of little use. After walking around and looking at what was happening, after a while they stepped aside and began casually chatting among themselves, and then left completely.

It is worth noting that this did not happen on the Georgian side. They quickly checked the passport and wished have a nice trip and released. Everything took 5 minutes, no more.