UK to Siberia, eclipse 2008
 

Next July/August I plan on riding from the UK to Novosibirsk, Siberia for the total solar eclipse that will pass though that region on 1st August. This isn't my first such trip, I've travelled to many eclipses over the years, but it will be my first time in Russia and I'd like to pick the brains and extensive experience available here.

Firstly I plan to get to/from Russia via Poland (which I've already experienced), Lithuania and Latvia which being EU countries now avoids the need for any visas. Any recommendations on free-flowing routes or snarl-up places to avoid? I know it's a crime not to take things easy and see the places one's passing through but the eclipse won't wait for me so any sightseeing will need to be done on the way home.

Once in Russia the obvious route is Moscow, Nizhniy Novgorod, Kazan, Ufa, Chelyabinsk, (avoiding Khazakstan to save on visa costs) Omsk, Novosibirsk. Any comments on this route and on likely road conditions (surface and traffic)? If road conditions are good (i.e. not slow going) I'd like to ride down into the Altai Mountains for a few days too.

On the return journey I'd like to vary the route and come back further north through the Urals maybe via Sverdlovsk and Perm (with due regard to the radiation pollution in this region). Time permitting I'd really like to see St Petersburgh and Kaliningrad (I'm guessing I'll need a multi-entry Russian visa for Kaliningrad - any comments?) but I'd rather make the most of what's to see further east - St Petersburgh is a pretty easy fly-in weekend break.

It would be useful to know what accommodation is available along the route. I shall have a tent along with me but I'm not a particularly happy camper and would prefer to use cheap hotels - I do find a tent more appealing than paying European hotel prices though! What's the availability of food like? Both basic provisions and cafe/restaurants. Film footage of empty shelves in Russian shops is stark in my mind but this is from several years ago and I hope (for the people of Russia) that things have improved since then.

I've got 5 1/2 weeks for this trip which back of an envelope calculations say I should allow for 9000 miles which I know means cracking on a pace but I have extensive experience of long distance riding so I'm not concerned about that so long as the roads are good for it. I'm not expecting western European motorway standards but dirt and mud aren't going to be compatible with my 1150GS reaching Novosibirsk in time for the eclipse. Research on the HUBB suggests folk have managed Vladivostok to Europe in the same timescale and I'm led to believe the roads beyond Novosibirsk to the east are much less reliable.

Any comments/suggestions greatly received and thanks in advance.

Jeremy

Well, I'd take a look at some historical weather data for cloud cover in that area in summer. It seems an awful long way to go to see clouds! Success will depend on the weather systems passing over Novosibirsk. I'm not trying to put you off, but the chances of clear weather would influence my decision.
The northern route via Ekaterinberg and Perm is the way I'd go. It avoids having to cross the border with kazakstan (I think that's the one). I don't have much experience of conditions east of Moscow but the Latvia-Moscow M9 is an okay road and much less busy and more rural than the Moscow-StP road. Personally I wouldn't camp in Russia - hotels better even if very cheap. I've driven via the Baltics in 2007 and via Scandinavia in 2005 . Scandinavia is the longer but safer route. Poland is a lottery - roads and drivers mostly appalling - though the roads are improving. See my posts on the talklounge forum as DITTRICH at WayToRussia.Net - A Guide to Russia and Travel Services Directory - Moscow and St. Petersburg Guide, Trans-Siberian, Baikal, Russian visa, apartment rentals and more under transport where all requirements for vehicles in Russia are specified. Your concerns about food and hotels are not really valid. learn the cyrillic alphabet and how to pronounce words before you go - you will be able to read road signs street signs and place names...
Cheers
Les

I just got back from that part of world. Everything is normal in that beautiful, and our brother country (you can buy all of food you whant). Only problem is Russian administration, very complicated and not always the same for some things. Altai is MUST SEE if you reach Novosibirsk. Road, you have everything, from good to bad. BE VERY CAREFULL IN RAIN. Avoid driving at rain if you can, since condition on road changes very often and some times asphalt is like an ice. My friend crashed, and I was VERY lucky. After we heard that at same place 4 people felt and two of them broken legs. Hostels are expensive and we sleep in tents, or in friends houses :)
Now I'm in short of time since I came back three days ago from 3 months trip, but in few days I will be able to answer more questions.
I think you will be impressed by Russia. And my advice is, learn some Russian, it will be much more convenient, and you can feel that county much better.

I felt very happy to see your thread, because me and my friends are going to Novosibirsk to see that Eclipse too - :welcome:
Unlike you, we are planning to go through Kazakhstan, see the Aral sea and Baikonur, if we'll get permissions, and back through Russia.
Though we are not on bikes and now are searching for 2 or 3 UAZs to buy :tank:. And we plan only 3-4 weeks for those ca 10300km with 2 drivers in a car. (Some 20 friends are interested in this, but we consider only some 6-9 serious)
We plan to camp all the way except Saratov and Novosibirsk. In the latter we still have to find some hostel or friends.
Here are our possible routes:
1st and 2nd phase
3rd phase
4th phase
Here is our homepage:
Eclipse Tour
It's in Latvian yet, but we plan to translate the topics later.

If someone has any advice - you are very welcome!!! :)

Hi Agzas,

Your project looks good, tho I think your 4 weeks figure is a bit optimistic, as this won't leave really much free time for all the impredictable things that WILL happen en route.

I drove the Aktioubinsk Almaty Route through Aralsk a few years ago and unless it's been rebuilt since (which I'm unaware of), you should take into account that the road is pretty much busted from 100 km after Aktobe to about kyzylorda. If you plan to visit the leninsk base and aral boats, then drive all the way through KZ to Novosibirsk and back, the whole thing in UAZ (which is a brilliant idea, btw, I love those!), you'd better refubish the cars like new and still count on some breakdowns.

We zoomed back from Almaty to Switzerland through Semipalatinsk, Omsk, Moscow, Latvia, Poland and Germany that time, and believe me, it was a race. we managed the 10'000 kms in a month, but w/o seeing much and the roads were far better than around the aral sea!!

Anyway, good luck, and wish we could meet somewhere on the road, this eclipse things appeal a great deal to me!! Cheers, Seb

Did part of that route in 2005. Went via Ukraina, then along the Volga to Nishnij Novgorod and then the route you want to take.

Potholes are an issue on Russian roads, and even though it gets better in Siberia, it probably will not matter much to you since I remember that the worst bit was just before Omsk. But not too bad really.

I was told to avoid Yekaterinenburg area unless I wanted to go there, because the main road was supposed to be bad and very busy. This was the reason I rode via Perm. The main roads in Ural mountains were generally very good, minor roads could be very bad. Stayed quite a while in Perm area, too, found the area be quite pleasant.

So... - what is the thing about radiation pollution? Do you have any specific infos?

Lars

The area just to the north of Chelyabinsk was (still is?) a plutonium enrichment and nuclear weapons manufacturing plant and has led to the area being highly contaminated. A major nuclear accident in 1957 didn't help in the least. More info at CHELYABINSK "The Most Contaminated Spot on the Planet" - a documentary film by Slawomir Grunberg - Log In Productions - distributed by LogTV LTD. and Mayak - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
There are no great concerns for a traveller passing through but due care should be taken with local food and water.

Thanks for your other comments, most useful. I think I'll be returning via Volgograd and Ukraine, plus wherever else trip-creep takes me!

Jeremy

Thanks for the links, I am glad so see that Chelyabinsk is way south (several hundred kilometres) of the route I took. And Mayak is even further south.

Do you have specific reasons for the route Perm-Chelyabinsk-Omsk? As far as I remember, once you are as far north as Perm, it doesn't pay off going that way. I went via Tyumen, IIRC

Lars

I was just looking for a different return route to the way out there, so I could see a bit more of Russia, and I thought I'd take in St Petersburg on the way home. Now that I'm likely to return via Volgograd and Ukraine I may well visit St Petersburg on the way out and therefore take the more obvious route via Moscow. I'm just getting a general feel for a possible route (and doing a bit of dreaming now we're into the damp UK winter) but once I'm out there I shall be making it up as I go along.

Jeremy

We are aware of that - that's why we don't plan other places to visit or stay. I hope, we could drive ca 1000km a day(I know it's crazy, but I hope we can do it for more than 1 day ;) though), which sums up to about 2weeks, but as there for sure will be impredictable things, the rest 2 weeks are meant as overhead

Yup, we plan April and May for lots of repairworks as well as learning how to repair car on our own. We also plan to take the main spare parts with us.

Now the route has changed as my colleagues wanted to go through Atirau near Caspian sea. The roads from there to Aralsk are printed only in the detailed maps. Though some people say that driving complete off-road through the steppe isn't so bad as in other environments. will see....

Thanks for the info. We though about Perm and Yekaterinburg but chose latter as it is straighter. Now I'll tell your reason to my friends - maybe we should change our planned route.

homepage
 

we have a homepage in English also, now, though without blog. Still, you can get some info there. Welcome!
We're going out next Monday - I hope that everything will be ok


Eclipse Tour :)