Vladivostok to Europe - timing
 

Hi all

This kind of follows on from my previous post - at the moment, my plan is now to leave Vladivostok at the end of April and then, cross Russia, Mongolia and the stans before returning to the UK in mid-July.

2 questions - is this (nearly) 3 months long enough to do all this travelling? and what will the weather be like? I have heard worrying stories about how the Trans Siberian Highway turns into a mudbath at certain times of the year, so any info anyone can give re this would be greatly appreciated.

Mark

so-called transsiberian highway is used all the year nevermind the season/weather. the
1 000 km gravel passage is snowy in winter, dusty in summer and muddy in fall/spring and under construction. but it's still a federal road which is permanently in use. don't think it's like the road to magadan from ewan&charly movie.
and start learning russian it'll will help a lot all along your route, including mongolia and ex-soviet stans. russian there is like english in europe - 8 from 10 speak it.

I have been crossing federal road last summer, not all the way because we went through Mongolia for Tashanta to UlanUde. We had 3 day of continuous raining on part of road from Chita to Habarovsk (only part without asphalt). There was no so much mud, since building is in progress. On one small part there was about 15cm of mud, but at the bottom it's hard surface so it was not the problem.
Don't worry to much you will made it!!!

Hi motobelka. I want to spend a lot of time in Russian and eventually cross over to the Russian Far East via Yakutsk and up to Perek then 180 east. In your opinion is it permitted for a foreigner to travel in those regions now?

If I do this it would be in a Zil truck in winter on the Zimnik's but I will need to find a second truck to travel with I think.

My Russian is very rusty so I will spend 3 month's at language school in St. Petersburg to get it back up to speed!

i think u mean city of peVek ( not peRek), the most nothern urban cite in Russia. i didn't quite get it what season are u going there? on a bike or with it?
on a question of permissin you'd better contact regional government or try to read this Ïîðÿäîê îôîðìëåíèÿ ðàçðåøåíèÿ íà âúåçä
shortly: you need to buy an official tour to the region

look what i got
Types of tourism

Hi Mark, when you'll be in Vladivostok, let me know if need help.

Yes sorry for the typo, of course I mean Pevek. Thank you for that link too. I particularly agree with a line on their tourist section "Devoted extreme travelers consider Chukotka to be one of the most difficult and interesting regions on the planet" which is what attracts me to this place. It appears I need no permission to go there too but maybe I will ask Roman Abramovich (or maybe not if Liverpool beat Chelsea AGAIN :) ) if I get problems.

I will not use a bike on this trip, I will use a Zil 131 truck (with my bike in the bacl) and I intend to do this trip in winter between January and March. Also, I think I will require another truck to travel with in this remote region in winter.

one more time: according to russia's law you must buy an official tour to the region. you can't go there on your own.
you have plenty of time to set all the trip so start sending faxes to the regional administration/
in winter not only ZILs can go there - zimnik is smooth enough for seriouse jeep. you'd better find some extreme russian jeepers - that could be desirable adventure not only for you.

driving around the world via Russia and Mongolia
 

Greetings,
I am doing exact same trip this summer in May with my daughter, having a hard time to find a shipping company to ship our little SUZUKI SX4 CAR.
may be we can meet up somewehre.
Thanks
arun

Hi Arunp

Where will you be in May and when?

Mark