Way to Russia Talk Lounge

Mohummad.Ali

Hi people!
i can't tell you how happy i am to see this website!
I am Ali Syed and I am an Engineering Student here in Germay.
I want to make a road trip with 4 friends to this small town of Вынгапуровский.
I speak good German, and english is my mother language, but i can't speak a single word of Russian!
And best of all, i want to drive to this place.
I need help, and i need it big!
First of all i need a decent map, in which there is most recent (just a relative term Smile

) road infrastructure, to be downloaded or bought (only English or German please!).
Secondly, is there anyone out there who thinks its too dangerous, or i shouldn't do it?
if yes then please speak out now!!! not after i am shot in the head! Very Happy

I mean, i met a couple of COUPLES here, and they told me that it was crazy to be driving to Russia. Its too dangerous, and that I am most probably going to be robbed if I am lucky!! else . . .
and by the way, Вынгапуровский is close to Surgut if you were wondering!
its a very small town of less than 10000 people!
but i really really want to visit this town!
please help me in any way you can!

thanks !
Ali M. Syed

p.s. I would of course need a car to continue. and i will have atleast 4 people and a lot of stuff. The european car-rentals do not allow there cars to pass poland (Warsaw to be precise!). So after warsaw i would need a car rental too, that would allow me to take the car to Вынгапуровский.
I have heard poeple traveling in foriegn number-plate cars land into more trouble than the people who are travelling in Russian number plate cars.
is it true???

p.s.2 I have a route planned through Yahoo Maps, from Mannheim, i.e. my location, to Moscow! this feature is pretty handy, it would be great if i could have such a nifty feature with a russian site, that would allow me to plan a road trip across russia!

p.s.3 I would really be grateful if you wrote me an email: Mohummad.Ali@gmail.com

RuslanK · Frequent Guest Joined: 03 Nov 2008 Posts: 15

If you will drive from Europe to Russia by your own car you need Temporary Permit for a Vehicle

If you rent a car u need:
all your documents and buy third party insurance in Russia, also translated in Russian visa, insurance, and International driving permit that will be in Russian, anyway ! if you will rent car from Russia u need Temporary Permit for a Vehicle from
Also it's a very confusing thing that they require i would suggest u go to Russian embassy in Germany, they would explain all to you.

Also it's not so dangerous as let's say Newark or Detroit or Bronx in USA Smile

As i have been living there...

But as i remember when Jack Asses came to Russia traveling from St.Petersburg to Moscow they have been stopped about 10-12 times by a russian police, expecting a bribe. They didn't give a shit there were cameras and different tags even got them more excited. If you go there driving from Eastern Europe and Back Russia Road Police will pretty much rape you Smile

( Don't get offended), therefore get Russian tags, and if you are not used to Russian roads get ready to have big stack of green in your car, because u will need to give a lot of bribes, the good thing to have some Russian in your car, because if RoadPolice will hear English they will also try to take a bigger bribe ! Tell me why you want to go to this little city ? I understand if you go to Siberia, or Baikal or any other extreme place, but this is like a small village that never even had a single tourists with a lot of Gopniks !!!

The final point i'm sure you won't get shot, but in order to avoid trouble go by bus or train, or get a guide to go there with you. Train tickets and bus are cheap as hell !!! Also i would go if, you would go to small towns in Siberia or Meet with some native people. but i'd rather seat in my small appartment in Kazan and finish my bottle of vodka Smile