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TravelTips24 : Russia : Southern Russia : Krasnodar Krai : Sochi

Sochi

Sochi [1] is a city in Russia and will be hosting the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Culture and History

This city is the capital of what is known as 'Russian Riviera'. With its palm trees and occasional banana trees, Sochi is not exactly what many people expect from stereotypical Russia.

Travel to Sochi & Visa Requirements

Flights and airtickets to Sochi

Sochi does not have a very large airport, but there are still direct flights from Moscow. Those flights are usually difficult to book using electronic booking engines, so if you are planning to fly to Sochi your best call is to book your ticket with a travel agency specializing on travel services to Russia (ex: "Travel All Russia" Tel: 1.800.884.1721 [2]. Russian authorities are planning to construct a brand new multi-billion-dollar airport as they prepare to host 2014 Olympics and one could expect that flying to Sochi will get easier.

By train

By car

From Moscow take Moscow - Voronezh - Rostov - Krasnodar - Dzhubga - Sochi route. Moscow - Voronezh part of the road is very good. Voronezh - Rostov part of the road is in really bad condition: only one lane each way, separated only by dashed white line; asphalt is pushed in and forms tracks; no safe way to pass, so you'll see many accidents even in perfect weather. Rostov - Krasnodar part of the road is good, and you can see ongoing constructions to expand the roadway. Krasnodar - Dzhubga part of the road is in good condition. The way passes over the mountains, but the road is wide. Dzhubga - Sochi part is the most beautiful (if driving during daylight), yet most difficult part of the way. It goes along the sea only over mountains. Up and down, left and right, with very few opportunities to pass trucks and buses. There are practically no straight or flat parts of this road. This shortest part of the way will take around 5 hours to complete.

From Krasnodar to Sochi takes 2-3 hours of driving.

For American drivers: your licenses are valid in Russia with an International Driving Permit, which you can obtain from AAA (even if you're not a member).

Buses to Sochi

By boat

Tours & Getting around Sochi

Sochi attractions and sightseeing

Sochi city tours

In 2014 the Olympic winter games will be held in Sochi [4] and Krasnaya Polyana.

Learn

Work

Sochi souvenirs & shopping

Sochi Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

Budget

Mid-range

Splurge

Sochi nightlife, bars, clubs & pubs

Sochi cheap and luxurious hotels, youth hostels & lodging

Budget

Mid-range

Splurge

Contact

Stay safe

Cope

Get out

  • "Riviera" Park
  • Nearby Krasnaya Polyana, a major ski and mountain resort just east of Sochi

This page was last edited at 12:32, on 8 September 2008 by Wikitravel user Vidimian. Based on work by Slava Shirokov, Andrew Haggard and Peter Fitzgerald, Wikitravel user(s) Eiland, Valtteri, Texugo and Episteme and Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel.

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