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Timing in Russia: Vladivostok to Irkustk, plus customs etc in Vladivostok - 1 month? Timing in Russia: Vladivostok to Irkustk, plus customs etc in Vladivostok - 1 month?
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  #16  
Old 2 Feb 2010
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PS-Don't drive after drinking anything alcoholic in Russia--this is a very serious offense and from what I have heard, very very expensive.
In Moscow at the moment, the going rate is 100,000 rubles to "be let off" a drink driving charge. That's over $3000. If you are a foreigner, the police will certainly be aiming higher than that if you are caught.

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Western Part of Russia is really bad with corrupted police. However, we got away with total $100 fine, everybody I met paid of $1000 +.
Speeding is a relatively minor infringement in Russia. Slip 1000 rubles (35 bux) into your documents when you get caught and it will be "thank you, all is in order, have a good day sir".

Try not to pay too much, as it will only encourage them to target foreigners.

As Motoreiter says, crossing an unbroken white line (or double white line) is something they take very seriously in Russia. You might get away with 1000 rubles, but probably more. Put it this way, they can take away your licence in Russia for doing that!.
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Old 2 Feb 2010
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I drove all the way from Vladivostok to Latvia via Kazakhstan in 2008 and didn't pay a penny in baksheesh despite being stopped (legitimately) 6 times.

Suggestion - don't speak any Russian!

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  #18  
Old 2 Feb 2010
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Originally Posted by colebatch View Post
In Moscow at the moment, the going rate is 100,000 rubles to "be let off" a drink driving charge. That's over $3000. If you are a foreigner, the police will certainly be aiming higher than that if you are caught.
And this is not for being intoxicated--it is for having ANY alcohol in your system.

One time sometime in Siberia we were pulled over about 10 am, and the cop wanted to give our riding group breathalyzer tests...given the time of day, I laughed and asked why, and he when he found out we were riding to Europe he said not to bother...later that day I found out that one of my riding companions drank a with breakfast (?!), so he was very very lucky that we were not tested.
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Old 6 Feb 2010
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yes you can buy insurance at the border, they will probably make you.

Whatever you do, do not get caught crossing double white lines, be very careful in any sort of roadworks, theres sometimes no double lines ,only small verge signs that are sometimes obscured by lorries.
I got caught overtaking a long line of traffic on a newly tarmaced bit of road ,didn,t see the small no overtaking signs , got stopped , pleaded with the english speaking cop, who had taken 1 of my int, licenses.
I was extremely lucky to get away without a big fine, i think the max. was around 20,000 roubles plus a ban.
Don,t let that put you off though, just take it easy and you,ll have a whale of a time.
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Old 6 Feb 2010
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Originally Posted by jennabusa View Post
I was extremely lucky to get away without a big fine, i think the max. was around 20,000 roubles plus a ban.
As Colebatch says, this is a serious offense in Russia (I think your license can be suspended for 6 months), in practice expect it to cost you 1500-2000 rubles.

While it sounds easy to not pass in white lines, in fact it is difficult not too--lots of slow trucks/tractors and long, straight stretches of road where passing is not allowed for some reason--it really takes iron discipline sometimes to resist passing those really slow vehicles.

The good news is that often vehicles will pull over to the right enough to let you pass within your lane...
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