Find out how to travel to Crimea by car in 2021! In this review, I will tell you about my personal experience and give you useful tips: where to go, what to see, how much money to prepare for the trip.
As soon as I got behind the wheel of the car, I immediately became a zealous lover of auto travel and now I am actively promoting them. There is no better way to visit the most beautiful places in Russia, it is interesting to spend time on vacation and save on expensive flights. And this summer, when the coronavirus wreaked havoc on the air travel industry, traveling by car is especially relevant. Let's see how to plan a successful trip to Crimea by car!
The road to Crimea: how and how long to go
It takes me three days one way to get from Perm to the Crimea or Krasnodar Territory. It's a long journey, but worth it. From St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Chelyabinsk will have to go about the same. Residents of Moscow and the central regions are more fortunate - they can get to Crimea in just one to one and a half days. And from Rostov and Krasnodar - and at all in half a day.
How long to go to Crimea (to Kerch) by car:
| Point of departure | Distance in kilometers | Travel time |
| Moscow | 1600 | 20 hours |
| St. Petersburg | 2400 | 2-3 days |
| Krasnodar | 250 | 5 o'clock |
| Rostov-on-Don | 500 | 8-9 hours |
| Yekaterinburg | 3000 | 2-3 days |
| Permian | 2900 | 2-3 days |
| Chelyabinsk | 2900 | 2-3 days |
The road to Crimea by car from Moscow in 2021 is simple - the trip will be easy and fast. If you leave at 7 am and go along the excellent M4 Don highway, then by nightfall you can reach the Crimean bridge. Find out more about toll roads and why you shouldn't go to the sea through Volgograd in my article about a trip by car to the south of Russia.
The distances in the table are indicated only to the entrance to the Crimea, and to the main resorts you need to drive a few more hundred kilometers. The closest are Feodosia, Sudak, Novyi Svet, but to Yalta, Alushta, Sevastopol, Evpatoria it will take a few hours longer.
Accommodation 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 the hotels in the right place, choose the best one for the price and quality, and book on Booking. 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.
Inspection on the Crimean bridge... At the entrances to the bridge, vigilant police officers and other security forces stand - they shoot with fiery eyes at all passing cars, identifying and stopping potentially dangerous ones for inspection. They choose big cars: gazelles, minibuses, etc. One of the most stern employee burned us with his fiery gaze for a long time, deciding whether to stop this large SUV, and even with a box at the top. Didn't stop.
Before traveling, I recommend installing the mobile applications MAPS.ME, Yandex.Maps, Yandex.Fueling. Look also at my tips for car tourists - there I talk in detail about the safety and preparation of a car trip, suggesting what to take on the road.
I am so used to traveling by car that I now almost always rent a car abroad. If you do not want to go to Crimea in your car, you can fly there and also rent a car on the spot. It is inexpensive and convenient. I can recommend the reliable service Myrentacar.com - they have a large selection of cars of any class at a price of 1000 rubles per day. If you have any questions, the support service will help you with everything. Check out my tips for renting a car in Crimea.
Our trip to Crimea by car
Autotravel is the best way to relax in Crimea... The first time I had a vacation in Crimea was in 2014, when I had neither a driver's license nor a car. It was problematic to travel actively (and this is how I like it): dependence on transport schedules, hours of waiting at bus stations, tiresome transfers, walking around the city in the middle of the day - all this spoils the rest. It's a different matter with a car: freedom and comfort!
I'll tell you about the results of our extremely eventful trip to Crimea with friends. This will be useful to all active tourists who do not want to sit in one place, but want to see the coolest things in Crimea. Here's a summary of our trip:
- Run across Crimea - 2000 km.
- Liters of gasoline - 280.
- Fuel consumption - 14 liters per 100 km.
- Spent on gasoline - 12,000 rubles.
- Our route: Kerch, Beregovoe, Sudak, Novy Svet, Meganom, Koktebel, Old Crimea, Alushta, Yalta, Gaspra, Alupka, Kacha, Sevastopol, Balaklava, Bakhchisaray, Evpatoria, Olenevka (Tarkhankut and Dzhangul coast), Simferopol and again Alushta. Without a car, such a rich program would not have been possible.
Both we and our friends were satisfied with this trip by car across the Crimea. If you are one of the same restless travelers, check out our itinerary for a long trip across Crimea. If you are primarily interested in rest by the sea, then read about the best sandy beaches of Crimea. See also our detailed map of Crimea, where we have marked all the main resorts and attractions.
How good it is to relax in Crimea by car
What kind of car is needed for a trip to Crimea. An ordinary four-wheel drive car is also perfect. A passable SUV is almost unnecessary here: Crimea is not Gorny Altai. Yes, in some places it is impossible to drive without all-wheel drive and high clearance, but there are not many such points. You can get to them in another way: go hiking, rent a car or go on a jeep tour (this is well developed here). But the car will eat not so much gasoline, which is not cheap in Crimea.
Use your car 100%... It makes no sense to travel a long way in the car to Crimea and spend the whole vacation in one resort.
- Make a route travel to the most interesting and beautiful places of the peninsula - there are a lot of natural and cultural attractions. Check out our route.
- Visit different resorts to choose the best one for you. For example, we like Pike perch, Feodosia, Olenevka most of all, but we do not like the promoted and pretentious Yalta.
- Relax on wild beaches... Why the hell have you given up on these crowded city beaches during the high season? Get in your car and drive out of town - there are plenty of good beaches in Crimea.
- Save on housing... If you have a car, you do not have to settle near the sea - you can live farther from the coast, but it is half or three times cheaper.
- Take your tent, pots and burners... Camping in nature is pleasant and economical. As a rule, the trunk volume is sufficient to take camping equipment on a trip. The car will allow you to get to any resting places in Crimea. Find out where to rest in Crimea with a tent.
If you want to take excursions in Crimea, then look at them on the Sputnik and Tripster websites - there is a good choice, adequate prices and real reviews from tourists.
Download our handy Crimea travel guide to your smartphone! For you, we have selected only the most beautiful, beloved and proven places. The card works without the Internet, which is especially important in Crimea. Cafes, restaurants, hotels and other places are also marked there. The card costs 200 rubles and will save you a lot of time.
What you need to know
Lodging... Look for hotels and guest houses in Crimea on Booking and Hotellook, and apartments, houses and other private accommodation on Sutochno.ru. Find out how to safely book accommodation in Crimea. See also how hoteliers in the south cheat tourists.
Gasoline in Crimea more expensive than in central Russia, by almost 10%. Fill a full tank in the Krasnodar Territory before entering the bridge. However, in the Kuban gasoline is also more expensive than in the middle lane - by about 5%.
Roads in Crimea... As of 2021, the quality of the coating is different. Ideal on the South Coast (Alushta, Yalta, Gurzuf, Alupka, etc.).Disgusting roads in Sevastopol and its surroundings, in the Bakhchisarai region and on the road to Tarkhankut. The Tavrida highway is being built from the Crimean bridge across Simferopol to Sevastopol - soon it is promised to be completed, and then it will become even easier to travel around Crimea by car.
Southerner driving style (Crimeans and Kubans) is very different from what the inhabitants of the more northern regions of Russia are used to. Be prepared for unpredictable behavior, unwillingness to use turn signals, daring maneuvers.
Parking... If you park in the Crimea according to traffic rules, then you will never park. Parking and stopping rules are violated by everyone: both locals and vacationers. If you violate (and you have to), do it elegantly and adequately, without creating emergency situations.
Serpentine... Roads in the mountainous Crimea (the entire coastline from Koktebel to Sevastopol) are countless turns, ascents and descents. Local daredevils - get ready. But they are familiar, they have a good reaction. If traveling by car on serpentines is a novelty for you, take your time. Drive at a speed that is comfortable for you and keep to the right, letting cars pass behind you whenever possible.
Do not believe the prohibition signs... Is it written that the road is blocked? Do not listen - these are all fables! Drive safely. We saw such signs on the roads to Ai-Petri, Koktebel, Luchistoe (Demerdzhi valley) - if we had obeyed, we would not have got to these places. Apparently, these signs are relevant only in winter due to possible landslides. Often old faded marks remain that no one removes.
Bargain... Do you need a car service or a car wash? Ask for the price, frown, haggle. They asked me 450 rubles for an external car wash in Sudak. Expensive, I thought, and began to bring down the price. As a result, they agreed on 400 for an external sink + rugs. Bargaining is also relevant in the markets when buying excursions and entertainment.
How much does it cost to go to Crimea by car
Travel expenses to Crimea one way from Perm by car with a consumption of 13 liters per 100 km on the highway:
| Petrol | 15 000 |
| Hotels along the way (double room, three nights) | 3 900 |
| Total | 18 900 rubles |
Expenses for two weeks of travel by car across Crimea for two people:
| Petrol | 12 000 |
| Guest houses | 10 500 |
| Cafes and canteens | 14 500 |
| Products | 2 500 |
| Wine | 400 |
| Parking | 600 |
| Attractions and boat trips | 5 000 |
| Mobile communications and internet | 1 000 |
| Total | 46,500 rubles |
Commentary on expenses. We spent the night only in guest houses (we never got a tent), ate in canteens and inexpensive cafes, and prepared only simple breakfasts ourselves. Having a car, we didn't have to spend money on excursions and transport. Of the excursions we bought only two boat trips - my "Patriot", of course, is an all-terrain vehicle, but it cannot swim yet.
Outcomes
Benefits of resting on your car in Crimea:
- A trip to Crimea by private car is almost always cheaper than train or air tickets.
- You save on housing costs. Your hands are free with the car: choose cheaper options away from the sea or relax in nature as a savage.
- You don't waste money on sightseeing tours and bus tickets.
- The opportunity to visit places that cannot be reached by public transport.
- Freedom and independence.
Costs and inconveniences:
- Payment for parking (from 50 rubles per hour).
- Possible penalties.
- Expensive gasoline.
- Reckless people on the roads.
- The possibility of breakdown, but I have no trust in local services.
I am satisfied with my autotrip in Crimea: the pluses strongly hide the minuses. I recommend this format to you as well. Read also our notes on car travel to other regions and countries. And good luck on the road!
