Ferry from South Korea to Russia
 

Hi,
I that ferry still in operation, if so how far ahead one has to book it to ferry a car across to Russia?
Comments from anybody with recent experience would be great.
Thank you

Donghae-Vladivostok Ferry Info
 

Hi Langthaler,

just stumbled across your request.

The ferry certainly still operates, I will take it 10-11/05/2020, I have been in contact with Mr Kim who has been very helpful:

"
Hello. Sir.
Thank you for your interest.
This is KIM of DBS CRUISEFERRY of Donghae head office.
We can transport your motorcycle from Donghae port to Vladivostok port by our ferry.
Above all, We have a Important question, We should check for Nation of registered of motorcycle.
1. Where is nation of registered ??
The Room & cargo freight is as follows. (Donghae -> Vladivostok / Oneway)
1. Economy class (Most cheap) : KRW222,000 / Per Persons (Only Motorcycle owner 30% DC)
2. Terminal tax : KRW 2,620 / Per Persons
3. Cargo ocean freight : USD 600 / Per Units
(It might be revised or incresed in next year for the above fares.)

But,
you can not to booking until JAN 2020, It was not opened due to very ealier.
We will open to booking program before 3 months from requested booking date.

Peak season.(May ~ AUGUST)

Just recently, also Many Korean & foreigner tourist couldn't make reservation due to so quick closed.

If you reply too late, it might be diffucult to booking.

================================================== ==================================================

In future, when you to want to book, Above all, we have to know your exact condition as follows.
I think you are just travelling through South Korea, right?
If yes, you have to send us copy of "Temporary Import/Export Declaration" under signed
from arrival customs house when you arrive in Korea : You have to bring it and submit to
Donghae customs house, it is most important.

If you want to book later, please send me below documents.
(You should be give us before 3 months from requested booking date.
1) Passport copy
2) Temporary Import/Export Declaration of Korean customs copy.
(You can send us when you arrived in Korea from Korean customs)
3) Motorcycle Certificate of registration copy
4) International driving Permit copy
5) Photo of motorcycle
Later, We can to transport When you give to us all of documents.

Later, When you arrive at vladivostok port,
Your customs handling company info is as follows.
So, Please inquire to local other sur-charge (THC, insurance fee, customs clearance fee) to below company.
<LINKS>
89 svetlanskaya str., ste. 312
690001 vladivostok, russia
tel : 7-423-222-0887, handy : 7-902-524-3447
e-mail : ymelnik@links-ltd.com, info@links-ltd.com
Links Ltd | professional packing and moving services provider in Vladivostok, Russia
We are sailing from Donghae port to Vladivostok port every sunday 02:00 PM(Departure).
DBS Cruise Ferry

Please reply to me, if you have any other question.

Best regards
From MH, Kim
------------ 원본 메일 내용 ------------
보낸 사람 : "Walter Hesse"<whesse@we-do-it.com>
받는 사람 : dbsferry@dbsferry.com
메일 제목 : Ferry Booking Donghae-Vladivostok
보낸 날짜 : Wed, 13 Feb 2019 11:23:51 +1100
"

While Mr Kim is extremly helpful, their web site is extremly shitty.

I will fly Melbourne-Seoul 28/4 picking up my bike 6am, 10 days in South Korea before I take the ferry to Vladivostok and ride to Murmansk, into Norway, down to Denmark, Germany, London - shipping back by container first week of August.

What are your plans?

Regards,
Walter
?c?

DBS ferry has suspended service for the winter. They used to operate year round. On the news they said they "plan" to resume service in spring.
Hope plan doesn't turn into going out of business.

Well that quite serious news.
Any more information yet?
There must be Russians etc wanting to go to go to the Olympics next Summer - maybe the boat is having a refit this winter?

Thanks for the info Walter, very informative very much appreciated.
My plans to do what you doing next year, but no $, so no trip
But it was SK, then Coast north of Vladivostok, BAM, Road of Bones, Mongolia, Zimnik 110, Central Asia, Urals, Murmansk and down, I guess it was too much, but I love to plan.

Send inquiry to Yuri at links: ymelnik@links-ltd.com

He will be able to have the fresh info.

Let us know if you need any more support.

Cheers
Dooby

Yuri is providing top service, you can count that all the port process will be as smooth as silk. Very professional and focused and fast.

Let us know if you need any more support or info for your trip.

BR
Dooby

DBS Ferry Vlad to Donghae to Sakaiminato
 

I sent an email to Yuri Melnikov about using his services this July and asked about the rumours that DBS is not going to be operating this summer and this is his reply:

" Now ferry doesn't operate in winter time till March. There are rumours it can be stopped permanently. DBS ferry office now works and they don't have any information. I wisited them this week. They say maybe there will be more information in end of January/beginning of February.

If ferry doesn't start working in March we will ship to Busan, Korea in containers or on RO/RO ship. Container shipping may take 10-15 days. RO/RO ship goes to Busan approximately once in two weeks without schedule. "

In terms of my plans this is a potential disaster.
Hope others are not too badly affected IF the service is not running this summer.

Hi ,Iam also keen to know about the ferry as my plan is also to fly to Seoul and take the ferry to Russia in May 2020, then Monglia ,Kazastan,Russia on to Finland. I have not booked air freight yet is Air Korea the way to go? cheers John

" They say maybe there will be more information in end of January/beginning of February. "

Like you, I am just waiting for news........

South Korea - Vladivistok - Japan Ferry: OUT OF BUSINESS
 

doh

Just talked to DBS FERRY in Korea - their Ferry Service is OUT OF BUSINESS (and not just for the winter) due to "lack of money".

Almost all of their staff have been layed off.

I asked about the chances of service revival and the recommendation was to make alternative arrangements.

:oops2:

ANYBODY INTERESTED IN GETTING A SEA FREIGHT CONTAINER TOGETHER BY BIKES ABROAD IN MELBOURNE - ARRIVAL EARLY MAY VLADIVOSTOK?

container share
 

hi , there goes my plan A, I am interested in container share to Vladivostok in May.I live in Brisbane.

Well mine too.
I want to get from Vlad to Japan.
I was hoping that the Tokyo Olympics would be a boost for that ferry service.
Yuri said that there are RoRo services from Russia to Japan on a weekly basis but no passengers.

Hello, I had been planning for the last year a roadtrip by car from Barcelona to Japan and back again, and reading the last messages has been really painful for me, since I was planning to take the ferry in June from Vladivostok to Sakaiminato and back again.

I contacted Yuri a few months ago and he said all was ok, but after reading that, I sent him another mail to check if there are any alternatives. Maybe travelling from Wakkanai to Sakhalin island, but I don't know if that ferry still works or if it went out of business too...

This is the answer I recieved right now from DBS:

"I'm sorry to late answer.
We are not sailing service right now.
We have not dicided when to resume.
And then we cannot get any reservation.
Thank you.

Lee junman."

Hi Johajoha,

Can I ask exactly when you got that reply from DBS?
Maybe I'm clutching at straws but it does say:
" We have not decided when to resume ".
This is an improvement on:
"their ferry service is out of business ".

I was also hoping to take the Vlad - Sakaiminato ferry this July.
Still hoping to get there somehow. There is a weekly roro service for vehicles only and you can fly from Vlad to Japan. But the timings seem to be unpredictable.
I may end up leaving the bike in Vlad and taking a return flight to Japan to do what I have to do there and then riding back to the UK from Vlad.

I received that message from js_kikaku(@)dbsferry(.)com yesterday night, about 12 hours ago, after sending emails to all email addresses I found in their website. This email seems to be written by Japan Branch Office President Lee Jun-Man.

I thought exactly like you: maybe it's just temporary and they are waiting until May or June to resume service. It seemed weird that if the company was really out of business, they would continue email service like that.

I found this message in a lonelyplanet topic:

I found an article about this from the NHK (in Japanese):

www3.nhk.or.jp/lnews/tottori/20200131/4040004236.html

It's nothing to do with the virus. The backdrop is poor Japan/Korea relations at the moment (Korean tourism in Japan is down some 50% this year), and perhaps the worldwide problem of ferry routes disappearing. Anyway. The company originally planned to restart ferries at the start of March, but is now saying they're considering cancelling the service entirely. So things are not looking too rosy.


I also translated parts of the NHK article about DBS with Google Translator. They say they still maintain the ferry to sail again, and in Sakaiminato the local council was even building a new passenger terminal for this ferry service. I'm sure they are negotiating better fares or something like that and they will return on service again before summer. All three countries, Japan, Russia and Korea, are interested in this service.

Today I also received this mail from Yuri:

Yes, DBS ferry stopped service. It is possible to ship to Japan in a container or on RO/RO. We can ship, but we don't arrange service in Japan. Now we don't have an agent in Japan whom we can recommend. DBS announced just few days ago. We'll explore details of other shipping options later.

My plan was like yours: taking the Vlad - Sakaiminato ferry this June, driving my car through Japan for about 60 days and taking the ferry again. But unlike you I can't leave the car in Vladivostok, because it is an integral part of the planning.

Like you said, if there still is a ro-ro service for vehicles there is hope for an alternative plan, but not having any schedules is driving me crazy. I wanted to make the reservations for hotels as soon as possible, but now I can't.

I'm now hoping for one of two things:

That DBS run a ferry this Summer from Vlad to Donghae with a scheduled departure time and I ride down to Busan and take Camellia Lines to Fukuoaka,

Or,

depending on price and schedule, the bike goes on a roro to Busan, I fly, and then take Camellia lines to Fukuoaka.

Most likely: leave the bike with Yuri and get a return flight to Japan.

Overshadowing all of this is the corona virus of course. Olympic qualifying has already been hit by it.

Hello guys
I’m in same situation
I need a ferry from Vladivostok to japan for me and my motorcycle

Please add my contact and keep all in touch guys
I will travel anyway from Italy to Vladivostok from 19th May
Fabrizio

buscagliafabrizio@hotmail.com

+393458702742

Instagram FABRYROCK

Let's hope it is controlled in a few moths globally, we can do nothing more than wait and be prepared for further cancellations.

We'll have to wait untill march-april to know what will happen to our trips. Until then if I have more information I will post it here.

I'm sure if not DBS another ferry line will be operating this route Vlad-Korea-Japan. As they said, during summer is still profitable and neither Sakaiminato or Donghae want this service to disappear. Having to enter Korea without wanting to spend time there for me is a problem. But anyway if I have to go there to arrive to Japan I'll go there.

Guess we are all in the same boat..... sorry!

Like wise, any news I'll post.

Yesterday I recieved a new message from Tatiana, another DBS member:

"Thank you for the email.

I am sorry to inform you that ferry line Vladivostok-Donghae-Sakaiminato is stopped. At the moment there is no information on further sailing.

If you want to get updates on sailing, please, inform me.

There is some information from our customer, I hope, you find it useful for your trip.
https://www.madornomad.com/the-overlanders-guide-to-japan/"

Of course I replied asking for updates or alternatives, but still no answer.
Also the website she sent me explains how to arrive to Japan by ferry... using the DBS Ferry. doh

If they still answer probably there is a hope, seems like they want keep the customers


Inviato dal mio iPhone utilizzando Tapatalk

in “ Mad or Nomad “ you can find how to get ferry from Busan to Japan with Kampu Ferry

Someone told me there is a ferry from Nakhodka ( close to Vladivostok ) to S Korea ... do you know guys if is it true ?

As far as I know, and not counting the DBS ferry, there was another one from Russia to Japan between Sakhalin and Wakkanai during summer. But in their website there is almost no information, and the most part is outdated and not for passengers, it's for companies and cargo.

I read in another website that back to the URSS times entering Vladivostok as a foreigner was forbidden, so a similar ferry went from Japan to Nahodka.

This is the website of the Korean Touristic International Ferries, and there is no other ferry to Russia.
https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/TRP/TP_ENG_3_1.jsp

Finally, I found some news about a regular ferry that was announced in 2018 from Pohang to Vladivostok, but it seems it has never operated.
https://www.rt.com/business/443426-r...ea-ferry-line/

As of today, we don't have any passenger ferry alternatives.


EDIT:

This picture shows the pop-up that opens when you enter DBS Korean website. It says it is suspended until 29/02, but nothing more.

http://www.dbsferry.com/board/upload...B%82%B4(1).jpg

Also in google LTD Links result as closed permanently

It doesn't look good does it?

Have you tried to contact Yuri? There could be many reasons for this. Maybe they are setting up as another company.

I will write again to Yuri next week

Brief message from Yuri:

"Hi Gus,

no we are not closed. We work.

Best Regards,
Melnikov Yuri
Links, Ltd."

Thank you

Thank you. I was sure he would still be working offering customs services as he has been working in this job for at least 15-20 years and a lot of people know him as a good travel agent.

Now I am more concerned about Coronavirus... Maybe Russia or South Korea or even Japan could quarantine cities or deny access to some regions... Or even if the ferry could be working it could be suspended due to this illness.

same thought :(

Well South Korea is in real trouble and North Korea does not have the infrastructure to cope. Japan is in a lot of trouble and I think it will get worse.
I am sceptical about Russia's claim that they only have 2 cases.

We'll just have to wait and see.......

I spoke with Wendy Choi last week and asked her to call DBS for me as she knows high up people there, their response was the image shown a few posts earlier and

"Suspended until feb 29.2020
But no plan when it start again"

So ATM no way to ferry between Vlad/ SK/ Japan

We will have news in March I’m sure

I might be interested in sharing a container out of SYD or MEL sometime around mid May, did anyone get a group together already?

I found this article dated 02/03/2020 in a Russian news page (translation via Yandex):

The Eastern Dream ferry, which ran on the Vladivostok — Donghae (South Korea) — Sakaiminato (Japan) route, was canceled due to unprofitability and political differences between the two Asian countries.
Travel agencies that sold ferry tickets told the Zolotoy Rog newspaper that regular flights are not expected to resume in the near future. Including because of the scourge of the coronavirus.

Donghae is a small port city in Korea, while Sakaiminato is a port town in the Western part of Tottori Prefecture, Japan.

Oleg KLIMENKO. The Newspaper "Zolotoy Rog", Vladivostok.


and this one dated 03/03/2020

From Vladivostok, the ferry stopped going to Korea and Japan

The Eastern Dream ferry, which went from Vladivostok first to South Korea and then to Japan, has been canceled. The last time passengers could ride the ferry was in November last year. After that, he stopped walking because of disagreements between the two Asian countries.
On the website of one of the travel companies that sells ferry tickets, information was published that the Eastern Dream line service was suspended until February 28. The reasons were not announced. But, as of Tuesday, March 3, you can't buy ferry tickets. Moreover, the ad is archived. We can assume that sea traffic has not yet been restored.

Some Federal media reported that the ferry was canceled due to disagreements between South Korea and Japan. They worsened in July last year, when Tokyo complicated procedures for exporting a number of goods to South Korea, and then excluded the country from the list of reliable trading partners. Japan noted that such actions are related to Seoul's non-compliance with UN sanctions against the DPRK.

It is not yet known whether the ferry service will be resumed in the first month of spring. Previously, almost 500 passengers could buy ferry tickets. In addition, the ferry could carry 66 cars and 130 containers.

Earlier, Vostok-Media wrote that since the first of March, communication between the Primorsky territory and South Korea has been limited due to an outbreak of coronavirus infection. Since the first of February, checkpoints have been closed in the region. If at first the restrictions were supposed to be in effect until the first of March, now the period is extended until the first of April.

So what are you going to do with your road trip plan ?

I can only wait until June for more news about the ferry and the Coronavirus. This means no planning on our road trip: I can't book any hotels or apartments or finish the Russian Visa paperwork until I know how and when I'll be able to travel. I can only prepare my car (for example, wheels, tires and equipment) and things like International Driving Permits and daytrip itineraries. The whole situation is a chaos.

About shipping the car I was considering, as Yuri said, to ship the car in a container, take a flight from Vladivostok to Tokio or Osaka, wait there for it to arrive by ship and pick it up when it arrives. And when leaving repeating the process the other way around. But I hope there is another ferry alternative.

I wrote to Yuri but he did not answer

Still no answer?

No but a friend rode to baikal Mike race with a motorcycle from Italy and now he is going to Vladivostok and he will leave the bike to Yuri
So I will have news very soon because my friend is now in Vladivostok

I don't think there will be any news until Corona virus passes by.

any news yet Fabry?

Not yet, I’ll write soon as I will know

https://instagram.com/wizz_inwiaggio...d=55jib6wyi1dy

Thanks Fabry - I'm sorry - you are probably pre-occupied with corona and the lockdown.

I think 2020 is over for this kind of road trip :(

Most likely. Russia closed borders until May 1st

Would still love to know what Yuri said to your friend about DBS and vehicle movements between Russia and Japan/Korea.

The guy is in Vladivostok and bike in customs warehouse
But no news about the ferry from Yuri
That’s it

Ask to him if you like

Yesterday I emailed Yuri to see if he's ok and the situation in Russia.
Here in Spain we've been under confinement since 13/03 and they are talking to continue until the end of April or 1st week of May. Hope you all are doing well.

Although the global situation now is complicated, we hope the pandemic worst phases will be over before summer and we'll be able to travel, if not in June, maybe during July or August. Petrol or accommodation costs will be really low during this summer, and Spain is now the 2nd country in the world with more cases, so if we can cross borders, anywhere in the world would be safer. Knowing this, I emailed Yuri:

"We're still planning to do our trip across Russia to Japan this year, even without the Olympics, if we're healthy and EU, Russian and Japanese borders are open again (I hope they will be opened again during 2nd half of May or in June), because if we can't go this year, maybe we'll never go.
Our plan was to leave Spain about the 15th of June and take a ferry (or any alternatives) about the 30th of June to cross to Japan, but we can also leave during July or August if it's impossible before.
I've been looking for news about the ferry, but I have found nothing, and with the coronavirus situation we have now it's difficult to know if they will resume service this year.
Do you have any news or alternatives? Or we'll have to wait until one week before departure, like we'll have to do with accommodation?

Thank you and take care"


And this is his answer:

"Russia is also on home isolation now. I don't think situation will change in May or June. Your plan for travelling to Japan this year seems unrealistic to me. I'm pretty sure this year nobody will travel. There is no ferry to Japan from Vladivostok anymore. Shipping is possible in container. We don't arrange service in Japan, only shipping up to port in Japan."

So they can ship my car in a container to Japan while we take a flight from Vladivostok to Japan, but I don't know how to send it back again to Vladivostok from Japan when we leave. And that is the smallest of our problems, because if borders are still closed, we won't be able to travel anywhere.

Thank you for sharing

I also hope for a miracle
I would be happy to travel up to vladivostok only

I wouldn't count on it as the other countries (Russia, 'stans, etc) are behind so they will hit curve later and open borders later.

https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page4e_001053.html

Japan is now closed.

Does anyone know the status of Sakhalin/Hokkaido ferry?

A few years ago, they changed to passenger only operation.
And, according to the operator's website, last summer they were not able to operate and they don't have plans for future passenger operations. No updates have been posted since then. I doubt anything will operate this year with the pandemic. Maybe next year, but I am not holding my breath.
Ferry from Vladivostok too is gone, so Japan is pretty much isolated...

I heard that the Vlad - Donghae - Sakaiminato ferry is running again and it is.
Cargo only at the moment.
I emailed Yuri for confirmation and this is his reply:

"yes, this ferry foes weekly. It is the same ship but different Korean company. Some of personell is the same. So far they operate as cargo ferry. After covid-19 will be over and borders will be opened they'll operate as passenger ferry. So if Covid-19 will be defeated by summer
2021 you may go with motorcycle to Japan. My personal opinion is that
Covid-19 will be much longer with us and next traveller's season is under a big question."

So in theory this is great news but his comment about Covid is unfortunately quite true.

Thx for the news

Just for your information, the Japan port will be Maizuru, a city in Kyoto Prefecture. This puts it a bit closer to major cities. I will try to ask customs about procedures once passenger transport starts again.
And according to this, the Korea port will be Pohang: https://www.donga.com/en/article/all...stok-and-Kyoto

Thanks Chris,
Look forward to hearing more.

@Chris of Japan what about ferry from Sakhalin?

Last I heard, even the passengers-only ship is not operating. It stopped running before the pandemic, so I doubt it will start again any time soon. Not profitable.

Too bad.. it was an easy hop to japan.