Rules for entry into Abkhazia for Russians in January 2022

Getting to Abkhazia is now as easy as getting to the resorts of the Krasnodar Territory. During the holiday season, direct trains run from Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Belgorod to Abkhazia. We will also tell you in detail how to get there by plane. In addition, there are direct bus routes to Abkhazia from a number of Russian cities, and from Sochi you can travel by sea.

Getting to Abkhazia in your own car is also a very good idea. You don’t need an international license, and you can even visit places where tourists are not usually taken.

How to get to Abkhazia by train

There are two different ways to get to Abkhazia by train:

• Direct train directly to Abkhazia.
• By train to Adler, and then by other options (train, minibus, taxi, water transport, etc.).

How to get to Abkhazia by direct train from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Samara and Belgorod

You can get directly to Abkhazia by train from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Samara and Belgorod. The trains travel to Sukhum with stops in Tsandripsha (Gantiadi), Gagra, Gudauta, and New Athos. Next, we will take a closer look at each of the options.

Train Moscow – Sukhum

There are two trains (547M and 306M) going from Moscow to Sukhum. You can also take the train St. Petersburg - Sukhumi.

Train 306M departs from the Kazan station and moves in transit through cities such as Ryazan, Voronezh, Rostov-on-Don, Krasnodar, Sochi and others. During high season the train departs daily. From November to March the train runs 1-2 times a week. Ticket prices: reserved seat – from 2,800 rubles, coupe – from 4,800 rubles, luxury – from 9,500 rubles. Travel time – 38 hours.

Train 547M departs from Kursky Station and transits through cities such as Yelets, Stary Oskol, Valuyki, Rossosh, Rostov-on-Don, Krasnodar, Sochi and many others. From June to early September the train runs every other day. Ticket prices: reserved seat – from 3,800 rubles, coupe – from 6,300 rubles, luxury – from 12,500 rubles. Travel time is 54 hours.

You can view the schedule and buy tickets for the Moscow – Sukhum train here.

Train St. Petersburg – Sukhum

From St. Petersburg you can get to Abkhazia by train 479A, which runs only from May to September. Makes stops in cities such as Tver, Moscow, Tula, Lipetsk, Voronezh, Rostov-on-Don, Krasnodar, Sochi, and smaller ones along the route. Ticket price: reserved seat – from 4,300 rubles, compartment – ​​from 7,300 rubles. Travel time – 56 hours. You can view the schedule and buy tickets for the St. Petersburg – Sukhum train here.

Train Samara – Sukhum

A train was launched from Samara to Sukhum in 2022, which runs only from June to September. The route passes through the cities of Syzran, Penza, Balashov, Rossosh, Shakhty, Rostov-on-Don, Krasnodar, Sochi and others. Ticket prices: reserved seat - from 3,500 rubles, coupe - from 6,000 rubles, luxury - about 12,000 rubles. Travel time – 51 hours. You can view the schedule and buy tickets for the Belgorod – Sukhum train here.

Train Belgorod – Sukhum

The train from Belgorod to Abkhazia runs only during the high tourist season (June - September). The route passes through the cities: Voronezh, Rostov-on-Don, Krasnodar, Sochi and others. Ticket price: reserved seat – from 3,200 rubles, compartment – ​​from 5,300 rubles. Travel time is 43 hours. You can view the schedule and buy tickets for the Belgorod – Sukhum train here.

How to get to Abkhazia by train with a landing in Adler

First part - train

First we get by train to Adler. Trains are available from Murmansk, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Vorkuta, Izhevsk, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk, Arkhangelsk, Pechora, Rostov-on-Don, Kaliningrad, Chelyabinsk, Kostroma, Cherepovets, Nizhny Novgorod, Astrakhan, Kazan, Perm, Saratov, Ufa, Astana, Minsk and other cities. Check train availability, schedules and prices here.

The second part - from the station in Adler to the resort in Abkhazia

Next from Adler you have to get to one of the resorts of Abkhazia. More details have been written about this.

Other trains from Moscow

• Train Moscow - Essentuki
• Train Moscow - Yevpatoria
• Train Moscow - Sevastopol
• Train Moscow - Feodosia
• Train Moscow - Simferopol
• Train Moscow - Orenburg
• Train Moscow - Saransk
• Train Moscow - Tolyatti
• Train Moscow - Rostov-on-Don
• Train Moscow - Ryazan
• Train Moscow - Gelendzhik
• Train Moscow - Makhachkala
• Train Moscow - Orsk
• Train Moscow - Ulyanovsk
• Train Moscow - Barnaul
• Train Moscow - Chelyabinsk
• Train Moscow - Cheboksary
• Train Moscow - Ufa
• Train Moscow - Penza
• Train Moscow - Samara
• Train Moscow - Kazan
• Train Moscow - Kislovodsk

By plane

There is no direct flight to Abkhazia. If you plan to save time and fly by plane, then you will have to fly to the nearest airport in Sochi-Adler. Then transfer to either a train or a regular bus.

Search flights→

From Moscow

In the summer, ticket prices start from 6.5 thousand rubles. round trip. In the autumn-winter period the price drops to 6 thousand rubles.

The cheapest tickets from Moscow to Sochi this month

From Ufa and Yekaterinburg

A flight from Ufa in the summer costs from 12 thousand rubles, in the autumn-winter period - from 8.5 thousand rubles.

A flight from Yekaterinburg in the summer costs from 15 thousand rubles, in the autumn-winter period – from 12 thousand rubles.

By car

More and more people want to travel to Abkhazia by private car, this has its pros and cons, the main thing is to study all the ambiguities and pitfalls in advance and carefully prepare for the voyage. As a rule, we all start looking for information on a topic of interest on the Internet, but even here, stories and opinions often either radically diverge or have serious inaccuracies.

So, in order.

First of all, when going to Abkhazia by car, you need to prepare your car for such a difficult and long journey, namely, carefully check its technical condition. Simply put, the car must be in perfect technical condition.

Next, you need to prepare and put everything you need in one place (so as not to forget anything).

Documents for crossing the state border by car

• Passport (domestic Russian or foreign)
• Driver license
• Vehicle registration certificate

Important! If the car is not registered in your name, to cross the border you will need a notarized power of attorney, which must include “with the right to travel abroad.” A handwritten power of attorney will not work.

For information: Russian CASCO and OSAGO policies are not valid on the territory of the Republic of Abkhazia. In Abkhazia there is no analogue to such insurance and therefore all road accidents are dealt with “by concept”, and it is the locals who are always right. Therefore, when driving a car in Abkhazia, extreme care and attention is required, “think for yourself and for that guy.”

From whatever city you are leaving in the direction of Abkhazia, you need to make a route to Adler, because this is where the checkpoint on the Russian-Abkhazian border (Psou checkpoint) is located.

To Abkhazia from Moscow

From Moscow to the border with Abkhazia is about 1.5 thousand km; the time spent covering this distance is very individual and depends on the driver and the quality of the route. If you wish, you can spend the night in motels and hotels located right along the highway, but you need to start choosing accommodation for the night after 18:00, and by 20:00 it’s better to stop choosing, since later truckers start looking for accommodation for the night and all the hotels will be full, there will be no places.

Here is one route option from Moscow to Abkhazia: Moscow - Yelets - Voronezh - Millerovo - Rostov-on-Don - Krasnodar - Goryachiy Klyuch - Dzhubga - Tuapse - Lazarevskoye - Sochi - Adler - Abkhazia.

Most of the route runs along the M4 highway, almost the entire route is two-lane, but knowing the love of our road workers to carry out repair and construction work at the busiest time for traffic, you should expect congestion and traffic jams in places. It is extremely dangerous to overtake in such cases, the entire highway is literally strewn with prohibitory signs, and vigilant traffic police officers will definitely be waiting for you, knowing the vulnerable spots on the highway.

There are no problems with gas stations along the entire route.

In order not to waste extra time driving through unfamiliar cities, such as Rostov-on-Don and Krasnodar, the best solution would be to go around them without going into the center.

Having passed Krasnodar, you will find yourself at a junction; you need to head towards Dzhubga. This section of the route is the most difficult, the road constantly twists and turns, and there are often traffic jams due to trucks. It’s also not advisable to overtake, the road is quite narrow, and traffic is intense all year round, let alone in the summer, especially since traffic police officers stand in ambush here. This section of the journey is about 120 km long, and therefore, if you have it in the evening or, even worse, at night, it is better to refrain and spend the night in Goryachiy Klyuch, and set off at dawn.

After you overcome the pass and get to Dagomys, you will go to the junction for Adler; the rest of the route, right up to Adler, will follow a bypass road (now there is no need to stretch through the whole of Sochi). It is extremely difficult to get lost; there are modern, well-designed signs everywhere, you just need to follow them carefully and not break the speed limit.

Crossing the border with Abkhazia by car

The state border between Russia and the Republic of Abkhazia runs along the Psou River. At the Russian checkpoint, all passengers and the driver must leave the car and go through passport control on foot; as a rule, you do not need to take luggage with you, but there are exceptions; you may be asked to go through customs inspection. The car, especially if it is a passenger car, is inspected superficially, they will look into the interior and glance at the contents of the trunk. If there are no claims according to the documents, drive on (passengers must get into the car).

How to get there by train

There is one train that goes to Abkhazia - No. 305C Moscow - Sukhum (more precisely, Moscow - Adler with trailer cars to Sukhum). In order to use it, you need to be in Moscow, since it departs from there. It departs from Kursky Station, and the travel time will be almost two days – 42 hours and 51 minutes.

The route schedule depends on the season: the train to Abkhazia Moscow - Adler runs daily in the summer, every other day in winter, or once every 3-4 days (depending on the winter months). The regime is special, you must find out the schedule in advance. This is especially true during winter and holidays. The train stops for 1 hour in Adler, after which it moves with additional trailer cars Adler - Sukhum. The first stop is Vesele. The parking time for trailed cars is half an hour, the journey itself is 4 hours. Customs control is completed on the spot; there is no need to get out of the cars. The second inspection and check will be at Psou station.

The same train also moves in the opposite direction (No. 306C Sukhum - Moscow). It departs from the city of Sukhum at 15.14, and the travel time will be 44 hours and 6 minutes.

Trains No. 305С and 306С make stops through Lazarevskoye, Sochi, Adler, Gudauta, Tuapse, Loo, Khosta, Gagra and New Athos.

How to get from the vicinity of Krasnodar to Abkhazia

Travelers from Krasnodar have access to the highway and railways.

Train

One of the convenient modes of transport is the direct train Krasnodar-Abkhazia (Sukhum). Travel time is 12.5 hours (landing is at 22:17, so the main part of the road is covered at night). The cost of a reserved seat is about 1,550, a coupe - almost 2,600.

Along the way, the train stops in Adler, Tuapse, Khost, etc.

A less convenient way is to go along the railway tracks to the Adler station, and then by any transport to the border.

The train does not go from Krasnodar to Abkhazia.

Airplane

Flights from Krasnodar are only possible to Adler; it lasts about an hour. How to get to Sukhum in the future is described in the section “How to get from Adler to the Republic of Abkhazia” above.

Bus

The direct Krasnodar-Abkhazia bus departs at 19:00. The ticket price for an hour-long trip is just over a thousand.

Car

On average, drivers cover the distance from Krasnodar to Sukhum (450 km) in 7.5 hours. However, summer traffic jams on the M-4 highway and customs control at the border significantly increase travel time.

Why is it worth going there?

Abkhazia stretches along the Black Sea coast, demonstrating its riches: numerous historical monuments, medieval castles, parks and forests with untouched vegetation, high beautiful mountains. Regardless of which city in Abkhazia you decide to visit, local attractions (museums, squares, gardens, etc.) will be waiting for you there. Everything is done in such a way that no one returns home without positive emotions, because it would be a shame to visit Abkhazia and not get acquainted with the history and culture of this wonderful region.

What to visit in Abkhazia

Table. The main attractions of Abkhazia.

Abkhazia is a beautiful country with unusual nature. It fascinates with wonderful waterfalls, picturesque lakes and rivers, architectural monuments, as well as healthy sea air. No matter what city in Abkhazia you come to, be it Ochamchira, New Athos or Pitsunda, here you can always find interesting places worth seeing.

Pitsunda

This resort is nothing more than a cape, which was formed by the efforts of a mountain river. In the vicinity of Pitsunda there is a pine grove in which breathing the air is a pleasure, since it is crystal clear here. In this amazing corner of wildlife, the heat is much easier to bear than in other Black Sea resorts.

Most of the local boarding houses were built during the Soviet era, so the spirit of the Soviet era is still preserved here, and every tourist can catch it. It should be noted that the disadvantage of the resort is that it does not have a very extensive network of catering facilities and shops compared to other holiday destinations.

How to get to Abkhazia by car?

Driving your own car to Abkhazia is quite safe. The roads here are considered satisfactory, especially in resort areas. We recommend planning your trip in early summer and autumn, or be prepared for a large accumulation of cars at the border in the summer.

Description of the route St. Petersburg - Gagra:

1. Highway – E105 to Moscow, then go through Voronezh, Rostov-on-Don, Krasnodar, Sochi, Adler, Gagra.
2. Total distance – 2404 km.
3. Travel time – 1 day 5 hours.
4. Fuel consumption – 192 liters.

Route Moscow – Sukhum:

1. It is necessary to travel through the populated areas of Voronezh, Rostov-on-Don, Krasnodar, Sochi, and Adler.
2. The total distance will be 1771 km.
3. Travel time will take 23 hours.
4. Gasoline consumption will be 142 liters.

Route Ekateriburg – Gagra:

1. The driver needs to go through Nizhnie Sergi, Mikhailovsk, Sim, Ufa. Along the E30 highway to Saratov. Further along the E38 highway to Baichurovo, then through Rostov-on-Don, Sochi, Adler.
2. The total distance will be 2865 km.
3. Travel time – 1.5 days
4. Fuel consumption – 230 liters.

I would be grateful for your clicks on the social networks at the bottom of the article and for joining the tourism group, where there is often interesting information about travel and saving money.

Documents for traveling to Abkhazia from Russia

Fortunately, entry into the Republic of Abkhazia is possible both with a foreign passport and with an internal passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation. At the border, information about unpaid fines, alimony debt or loan debt may be revealed. In this case, you will have to say goodbye to the dream of Abkhazia and stay on the territory of the Krasnodar Territory.

If a child is traveling to Abkhazia, he must have a birth certificate with a mark on citizenship, or a passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation. In the case when a child crosses the border with one of the parents, the permission of the second is required, if he is traveling without parents at all: with his grandmother, with a tourist group, consent certified by a notary is required from both parents.

Straight to Abkhazia by train

constantly between Sukhumi and the capital of Russia

, although the train itself is moving in the direction Moscow - Adler, however, extra cars are attached to it, intended for passengers who want to get to Abkhazia by train without a transfer. The train departs from the Kursky station, every day in summer and less often in winter; it travels for approximately 37 hours. The stop in Adler lasts 1.5 hours, during which additional passenger cars are interchanged. It is they who will then proceed to the station called “Veseloye of the North Caucasus Railway”. When purchasing a train ticket at the ticket office or electronically, indicate this exact destination. Experienced tourists note that the price of a ticket from Moscow to Sukhumi is much cheaper than other destinations.

Passport control takes place directly on the train, which allows you to avoid long queues when passing through it yourself at a car or pedestrian crossing. There is a visa-free regime for Russian citizens. Tickets to the desired destination are issued on the territory of the republic. The train stops in the following cities:

1. Sukhumi;
2. New Athos;
3. Gagre;
4. Gudauta;
5. Gandhiati (Tsandripshe).

The train's unhurried speed allows you to thoroughly enjoy the beauty of nature and the magnificent landscapes of this amazing region.

Traveling to Abkhazia by sea

This option is perhaps the most pleasant and romantic, but not the most convenient due to restrictions on its use. In summer, the Sochi-Gagra catamaran runs. It departs once a day at 8 am. That is, sailing on it is convenient only for those who arrive in Sochi by night train and then go to Gagra. Or this is an option for a boat trip for vacationers in Sochi and those who want to spend a few days in Abkhazia.

How to get from Adler to Abkhazia: a minimum of time and effort, or money

Abkhazia is not a big country at all. It’s very easy to get from Adler to Sukhumi, as well as to Gagra, Pitsunda, New Athos and all other places in Abkhazia on your own. First, determine what is more important to you: getting to your chosen paradise as quickly, comfortably, and without extra effort, or spending a little more time and saving money.

Find out about prices and order a transfer from Adler to Abkhazia

Option 1 . Individual transfer by car. You are met at the Sochi (Adler) airport or at the Adler railway station, and you immediately go straight to your accommodation in Abkhazia. Crossing the border in this case is very simple - your things remain in the car, and you go through passport control, then drive on. You will wait for your turn, if it happens, sitting in a car with air conditioning (check its availability when ordering a transfer). When planning your vacation, you can order a car for a trip from Adler to Abkhazia at home, for example, through our website. Depending on the size of the company, choose a 4-, 6-, 8-seater car or a minibus - up to 20 seats. The cost of a transfer in a 4-seater car to Gagra will be 2300 – 3000 rubles, to Sukhum – 4000 rubles.

Option 2. Group transfer. The scheme is the same as in the previous version: you are met in Adler at the airport or train station. You wait a little for other tourists (or others are waiting for you), and in a group of 20 people (usually 20) you go to the accommodation address in Abkhazia. At the checkpoint (checkpoint), get out of the minibus to go through passport control; you do not need to carry luggage with you. After this, you go to the address in Abkhazia. The cost of such a trip is lower - to Gagra - 700 rubles. per person, 1000 rub. to Sukhum.

Nowadays there are quite a lot of articles and videos on the Internet with outdated information regarding the process of crossing the border and prices for transport. You can learn more about this service and order a transfer to Abkhazia from the page following the link.

Option 3. By public transport on your own. This is the cheapest way to get to Abkhazia from Adler. The price of the issue will decrease noticeably - to get to Gagra, you will spend no more than 200 rubles. per person, in Sukhum - 250 rubles. per person. Please keep in mind that in this case you will have to manage your luggage yourself - load and unload it into transport to and from the border, roll or carry it across the border, the total length of which is about one and a half kilometers. Horror stories about hours-long queues have been outdated for 3 years; crossing the border usually takes no more than an hour during peak season.

If you arrive by train in Adler at the railway station, then the easiest way is to go to your destination from there.

By train - in the summer, the Adler-Sukhum and Adler-Gagra trains run and stop at all stations in Abkhazia. It’s convenient because you go through passport control without leaving the carriage, you don’t have to carry luggage with you, it’s cheap. The other side of the coin: travel time is much longer than by road - it takes more than 4 hours to get to Sukhum. The train departs 3 times a day to Gagra, 1 time a day to Sukhum - this may not coincide with the time of your arrival. The price of the trip is 200 rubles. The data is given for 2015; for 2016, there is no information in Russian Railways and SKPPK at the time of writing this article.

By train. Not the cheapest, but convenient option if you are met at the station in Abkhazia. If you arrive in Adler by train, you can transfer to another passenger train going to Sukhum from Moscow, St. Petersburg or Belgorod. All trains arrive in Adler early in the morning, the ticket price to Sukhumi averages 900 rubles. Arrive at the railway station of the selected point in Abkhazia.

It is worth noting that a group transfer by minibus costs the same, and you will be taken to your accommodation address.

By plane

Getting to Abkhazia by plane is the most convenient and fastest way, but, as a rule, it is also more expensive, unless, of course, you worry about purchasing tickets in advance. Many airlines operating flights in this direction offer the opportunity to purchase air tickets at very attractive rates, provided that tickets are purchased in advance.

The general thing that applies to everyone who wants to go on holiday to Abkhazia is that when choosing an air flight, everyone invariably arrives at Adler airport (Sochi) and getting to Abkhazia will require a little more effort.

Upon arrival at Adler airport (Sochi), in order to get to the Russian-Abkhaz border you will need to take a taxi to Psou because minibuses have not been running from the airport for several years. The cost of a taxi greatly depends on the season and time of day; as a rule, in the end you can negotiate a trip for 800-1000 rubles; the entire route from the airport to Psou will take about 15-20 minutes.

Further, after passing through passport and customs inspections of both states, once on the territory of the Republic of Abkhazia, at the exit from the checkpoint, all those entering enter the territory of the bus station, where without any problems they can continue moving to their vacation spot by minibus or bus.

The cost of travel depends on the distance of the resort from the border, for example, you can get to Sukhum by minibus for 150 rubles, by bus for 100 rubles, by private taxi about 2000 rubles. Keep in mind that the last buses and minibuses depart from Psou (from the Abkhaz side) at 18:00; later you will have to take a taxi or order a transfer from the host country.

Average travel time from Psou to the most popular resorts in Abkhazia

• to Gagra 20 – 30 min.,
• to Pitsunda – 40 min.,
• to New Athos – 1 hour,
• to Sukhum – 1.5 hours.

Only a limited number of Russians have the technical ability to get to Abkhazia directly, for example, using the services of Russian Railways. So Muscovites can get to Abkhazia without transfers, residents of other regions and the city will have to get transfers.

So, let's look at other options for how to get to Abkhazia.

How to get to Gagra from Adler

The distance between the two cities is 43 km. You can overcome it by train, regular bus or minibus, or by car.

The easiest way to get to Gagra from Adler is by train, because you don’t have to get out of the transport with all your luggage to go through customs control at the border. Border guards themselves enter the train interior and check the documents of tourists.

Travel time by train is 2 hours 50 minutes, and most of the time you will have to wait at customs.

A ticket for the Adler-Gagra train costs:

• SV - from 1,900 rub.

You can buy a ticket 60 days before departure, but the closer the travel date, the cheaper the ticket costs. You can purchase tickets in advance on the Russian Railways website, and train schedules can be tracked on the Adler railway station website.

Adler railway station is located at: Sochi, st. Lenina, 113. The nearest public transport stop “Adler” is a 2-minute walk from the station; buses No. 57, 57, 100, 131, 135k, 137, 171 and minibuses No. 109, 132 pass here. From Sochi International Airport to the railway Buses No. 131, 137 and 171 go to the station.

You cannot get directly from Adler to Gagra by bus. All routes take tourists only to customs. After passing through customs, vacationers can use the services of a taxi, bus or minibus. A bus and minibus ticket costs about 100 rubles, but for a taxi you will have to pay 1-1.5 thousand rubles.

During the holiday season, motor ships and catamarans sail to Gagra from the sea pier in Adler. The ticket costs from 400 rubles, and the travel time is from 2 hours.

How to get to Adler by train

You can get to Adler by train from many cities in Russia and the CIS countries. In the summer, Russian Railways organizes flights to Sukhumi (Abkhazia) not only from Moscow, but also from:

• Penza (once every 2 days).

If you buy a “single ticket” for the train, you can save on travel, because its price includes not only travel to Sukhumi, but also transport services to Gagra itself.

Advantages of traveling by rail

At the same time, each resident of the capital’s metropolis, at his own discretion, decides the question of whether to travel by train “Moscow – Abkhazia” or use alternative modes of transport.

And here everything depends on the individual preferences of a person. Some people choose a plane, while others like to travel by bus. And yet, a huge number of vacationers prefer to travel by train “Moscow – Abkhazia”. And, of course, there is a completely logical explanation for this. Firstly, rail transport falls into the category of the safest options for transporting passengers. If, for example, you are traveling by train "Moscow - Abkhazia", ​​you can comfortably sit in a horizontal position on one of the shelves, read a book or relax quietly. Someone will want to admire the picturesque nature from the window of the carriage. Many vacationers prefer to spend their leisure time in the dining car. Agree, traveling by train “Moscow – Abkhazia” is a pleasure.