I’m with some secret joy he learned that Turkey re-opened for tourism – now, all those for whom Crimea is not suitable, go there, and here, perhaps, will be roomier and cheaper. So is it possible in the Crimea to have a rest normally?
Russian man goes to Crimea in the promised land. Too many things converged at one point – from the warm sea and the beautiful resort of the ancient Chersonesos, the defense of Sevastopol and the summer residences of the Romanovs. And as far Kitezh-grad, to get to Crimea is impossible “on the ground”, either you have to fly through the air or sail on the sea.
Quite happened to be there in early may, I immediately understood two things: 1) as soon as the kids end school, we immediately go to the Crimea and will be there as long as we can (that is not so much the “10 days at sea in summer,” how to live); 2) we go to the car. Crimea is just made for small radial travel and travel by car.
The presence of the machine smooths out all the shortcomings of your current habitat, and without any car even the best place threatens to turn you into a hostage of the bad bus service, high prices for fruit, or lack of ATM within walking distance.
The road to the Crimea. Closer than you think
We went 5 people – two adults and three children (10, 11 and 4 years) – little red machine. I was the only driver on our team, and it was my first trip with this team.
The distance from Moscow to Kerch ferry crossing – 1500 km the route follows on the M4 almost all the time it is a good four-band highway with a speed limit of 110-130 km/h exceed speed do not recommend – across the road facing the camera, upon returning home, you can receive “letters of happiness” for a tidy sum.
On the road there are toll roads – the total amount of around 600 roubles from the car a day. Little lifehack – it is better not to go straight on the M4 and drive to Tula by M2, there is also a high-speed motorway, but free and cars it is less of Tula after the collapse of the Efremov (bonus – incredibly beautiful views), and for Ephraim to go to the paysite.
Another feature of this summer – a sign “Road works” and the speed limit is 40 on a good empty road. The lack of attention to such sign faces not to a fine and deprivation of rights at a speed of 100 km/h. I granted in 2009 and never before these “forgotten” characters are not seen, only read about the horror stories of the past.
My estimated time of arrival in West Crimea had been three days, but “mind” the road with one driver takes two of daylight with an overnight stay. If you leave early in the morning, it is comfortably held in the first day, 1,000 miles and spend the night in Rostov, near the infamous Kushchevskaya, before turning to the Kuban.
Overnight is no problem, for every taste and budget, you can search the Internet. I have seen the advice not to turn and ride through the Krasnodar – they say there is a high-speed two-lane road – but I’m a little dubious, I both times we went through Kanevsky and Timashevsk.
The second day, 500 km from the turnoff from the highway to the crossing. The road along the Kuban regional two-strip: trucks and nacelink, plus a policeman under every Bush, so I strongly recommend to obey the traffic rules.
Ferry
Slowly coming to the decline of the Kerch ferry became suddenly relevant in the summer of 2014, when a land connection to the Crimea through the territory of Ukraine for the Russians is over. The same summer of 2014, memorably terrible traffic jams and expectations in line for three days, which many refused to travel to Crimea.
I was driving through the crossing in the direction of Kerch twice, 30 April and in early June, technically both times there was no queue, and the crossing is not occupied less than three hours.
Today at the crossing there are two pairs of ferries depart every hour around the clock (on the website gosparom have a schedule) or as the filling. C the onset of the season the number of cars growing on the same site there is a webcam of the crossing, in the section “important information” is specified as the waiting time in the queue, the mobile app allows you to communicate with other participants of the crossing.
In General, the ferry leaves the impression that everything that is done in our country in the mode of emergency, is done well. Decent waiting area with wi-fi, kids room, slides and a ball pool (we never used – there was no line).
Tickets for the ferry can be booked in advance on the website gosparom for a certain time slot (6-hour time interval) during which you are guaranteed to leave. Plus you don’t have to stand in line for tickets (in the season they are big), place of purchase tickets at a print of the itinerary receipt. This will save much time and nerves – you don’t have to stand in line in the drive with the kids, cursing, and the time it can be a walk by the sea on the sand in Kuchugury or in Peresyp (the so-called Azov Riviera, 100 km of sandy beaches), go to the Museum of Lermontov in Taman, etc.
The ferry ticket can be bought in Moscow, and closer, focusing on the situation. For example, at the end of June as I write this article, the time-slots are filled to 100% at 16 hours, those empty seats are already filled up 50% the next day; last year in late July everything was filled for the next 2-3 days – you can buy a ticket and to adjust the time.
The ferry is 1700 rubles a passenger vehicle 150 per adult and $ 80 per child up to 12 years. To purchase tickets and travel on the ferry need the original documents of all passengers – passport, birth certificates for children. Driver’s license as ID cards are not accepted, but a passport for the child in the absence of evidence approach.
ATMs
One of the most common questions about how there in Crimea, as for credit cards: whether their ATMs or the need to carry cash. The short answer: take.
Local SIM card is Krasnodar MTS with free roaming in the home region (the Crimea). Personally, I’m in the city Shelkino asked 150 rubles for the purchase of the SIM card and still the same with her shotgun for the fifth iPhone. Apparently, it makes sense to buy a SIM card on the way somewhere in the Krasnodar region.
Then 1,000 rubles put into the account – enlisted only 900, 10% of the fee charge for the account, because Russian banks in Crimea there is no payment system also work with the Commission. If you have some kind of Internet Bank (Carolyn) or electronic money, it is easier to put on the Russian Krasnodar MTS through them.
Total I paid for the connectedness 1300 rubles, although I needed the service (how many gigabytes of Internet per month) for only 650 rubles. Read, learn on my experience and not repeat my mistakes.
The Internet I have unlimited, there are a number of daily free minutes on local Crimean rooms, but to call home to the rest of Russia – it’s expensive, something around 12 rubles per minute. For such cases was easier and cheaper to call from your usual Russian number by connecting some of the Crimean option.
3G coverage in Crimea is different. In short, you can say so. On the South coast and in big cities like Sevastopol and Yevpatoriya, works rather well, the rest of the Crimea or weak 2G in the settlements, or nothing.
In contrast, on the Peninsula very well with wi-fi almost by default be in every grandmother’s apartment and any cafe on the beach.
Perhaps this is the main input data.
I am often asked — and the discussions then turn to a lengthy discussion — whether in Crimea to have a rest normally? I will not argue – rest in Crimea, especially the long, not exactly something for lovers of all inclusive.
To be honest, I’m with some secret joy he learned that Turkey re-opened for tourism – now, all those for whom Crimea is not suitable, go there, and here may be a little roomier and a little cheaper. To have a good rest in the Crimea, it is necessary to think a head and make the best decisions, and then your life here will be not only comfortable, but also pleasant to the giver of joy, which no Antalya and Hurghada will not provide.
And I promise to share my experience further.
