Russia - Hitchhiking

Hitchhiking in Russia

Hitchhiking to Russia

Recent reviews in Russia

55.16772, 37.91875

Точка сразу после пункта оплаты. Все едут медленно, есть место для остановки

rating: 5/5, wait: 15 min

―Nastya, August 2025

59.74297, 30.50711

Отличное место, есть где остановиться фурам и машинам.

rating: 5/5, wait: 5 min

―Nastya, August 2025

Walked around a bit and this seems to be the best spot in Shebalino. The gas stations were not very frequented.

General advice for all of Chuysky trakt: Best is to thumb at bus stops, every village has one. Even inside of town, cars have very high speeds, but visibility is often very good. Takes some time to find cars (average 30min), but you will always find rides. Many locals and other travelers also do hitchhiking, you may not be the only one at a spot.

rating: 5/5, wait: 10 min

―Anonymous, July 2025

50.81626, 85.94086

General advice for all of Chuysky trakt: Best is to thumb at bus stops, every village has one. Even inside of town, cars have very high speeds, but visibility is often very good. Takes some time to find cars (average 30min), but you will always find rides. Many locals and other travelers also do hitchhiking, you may not be the only one at a spot.

rating: 4/5, wait: 30 min

―Anonymous, July 2025

50.75934, 86.12886

Great spot with a red light, cars are slow and see you for the time of waiting. Better accept a ride to Karakol and continue from there, most people don't go further up.

General advice for all of Chuysky trakt: Best is to thumb at bus stops, every village has one. Even inside of town, cars have very high speeds, but visibility is often very good. Takes some time to find cars (average 30min), but you will always find rides. Many locals and other travelers also do hitchhiking, you may not be the only one at a spot.

rating: 5/5, wait: 20 min

―Anonymous, July 2025

50.01132, 88.66706

49.71425, 89.1958

About crossing the Mongolian border: There is a long line of waiting cars. I went up to them and asked if I could join them. Got rejected by two kazakh cars. They often travel with the whole family to visit relatives in Mongolia, so they may have no space to take you. Better ask cars with russian plates. I found two belarussian travelers who would take me. Even as a westerner without speaking much russian it should be doable to find a lift, if you're lucky you may find travelers from western countries. At the border, no problem as a hitchhiker, you are allowed to travel in another car, just the usual checks and a bit of patience needed...

rating: 5/5

―Anonymous, July 2025

55.42127, 42.48472

Несколько раз тут стопил в 2023. Удобное место, местные быстро подбирали и везде на Запад до Мурома

rating: 5/5, wait: 5 min 👍

―Mush, July 2025

45.17481, 37.26113

рекомендую искать попутку в крым на более ранних участках, на этом месте пока что мало-малские шансы есть, но думаю со временем их станет и того меньше

rating: 2/5, wait: 90 min 👍, ride: 164 km ←

―xexov, Sun 29 Jun 2025, 07:00

44.90549, 37.9868

5\5 машин что остановились, ехали в новороссийск, думаю в том направлении место +- 100 метров отличное, а вот в сторону Тамани отсюда выбраться очень сложно

rating: 3/5, wait: 20 min 🪧

―xexov, Sat 28 Jun 2025, 19:30

44.7811, 37.68475

недалеко от светофора машины сбавляют скорость и у водителей есть много времени чтобы решиться вас взять на борт

rating: 5/5, wait: 15 min 👍, ride: 35 km ↗

―xexov, Sat 28 Jun 2025, 18:20

59.77164, 30.3628

Хорошая точка, трижды уезжал с нее в сторону Москвы, в том числе дважды ночью. Спускался с Шушарской дороги, чтобы попасть на М11. Каждый раз ждал около 5-20 минут.

rating: 5/5, wait: 20 min 🪧, ride: 774 km ↘

―sodasolar, Thu 16 May 2024, 22:30

46.20811, 43.94403

место примерное...

rating: 3/5, wait: 20 min 👍, ride: 509 km ←

―xexov, Thu 26 Jun 2025, 19:40

46.23407, 44.0226

еще один добрый калмык предложил заночевать в его степном доме если к ночи нас не заберут

rating: 4/5, wait: 15 min 👍, ride: 7 km ↙

―xexov, Thu 26 Jun 2025, 19:00

46.30138, 44.18451

добрый парень калмык отвез до одинокого тополя и вернул на трассу

rating: 5/5, wait: 20 min 👍, ride: 17 km ↙

―xexov, Thu 26 Jun 2025, 18:00

44.83316, 37.65608

вьезд на заправку, место спорное, но подобрали быстро

rating: 3/5, wait: 5 min 👍, ride: 33 km →

―xexov, Wed 25 Jun 2025, 08:22

42.9612, 44.66524

Armenian car picked us up, he expected money at first, but after being good company we got a free ride to Stepantsminda )))

rating: 5/5, wait: 10 min, ride: 43 km ↓

―Tuunu, June 2025

54.91073, 37.51215

стоял у въезда на заправку!

rating: 4/5, wait: 35 min 👍, ride: 112 km ↑

―xexov, Thu 10 Apr 2025, 19:25

53.95997, 102.0707

Народу много заправляется, можно подходить спрашивать, но нам тут поймать ничего не удалось. Больше повезло когда прошли дальше по трассе и стали голосовать. Кто один, я думаю, быстро уедет

rating: 2/5

―Zazibyaka, Sat 31 May 2025, 09:30

53.96369, 102.06599

Хорошее место, мы долго ждали, т. к. нас было двое + два рюкзака и собака. Тем не менее повезло поймать фуру до Красноярска. Стоять нужно именно после светофора

rating: 5/5, wait: 40 min 👍, ride: 766 km ↖

―Zazibyaka, Sat 31 May 2025, 10:30

Recent reviews mentioning Russia

38.7333, -89.91177

Trucker from Chechnya took me a few hours north. Said he liked trucking for the first few months but now he's seen it all and it's just boring. Used to teach and tutor math back in Russia but had to leave last year. Nice guy, he smoked Parliaments and listened to grunge.

rating: 5/5, wait: 15 min, ride: 205 km ↑

―Mossythemuse, August 2025

38.7333, -89.91177

57.83907, 27.59515

No cars allowed to cross the border to Russia as of 2025, if you are seeking for a ride towards there, you gotta get to the other side of it

rating: 1/5

―estohiker, January 2025

56.39645, 24.23601

I will give 5 Stars to this spot because I got a car directly to Vilnius 220 km in a raining day and it was 5 pm !!! Cars didn't want to stop and trucks didn't have enough room to pull over, but a lady from Russia safe me that day !!! She invited me to eat and invited me a beer too ! And took me directly to my friend place in Vilnius even when she wasn't going to Vilnius! I was extremely lucky that day ! I was even thinking about camping in that place and it was already cold ❄️ so, once again! I was just lucky as everyone sometimes!

rating: 5/5, wait: 50 min 👍

―Onlyexperiences, October 2024

42.74791, 44.62348

We crossed from Georgia to Russia on a Monday morning in July 2024, then back on a Sunday afternoon. Some things for hitchhikers to note:
-It can be cold and rainy even in summer, be prepared.
-Line of cars were backed up on both sides all the way to the borders. It's very far from one border to another, but the traffic was so bad that it was faster to walk. For the love of all that's holy, if the traffic is backed up all the way to customs, WALK!!!! You are SO lucky, you're the only person who is not tied to waiting for a car. On the return trip we stupidly decided to stay with our ride and we spent over 9 hours in the line. Just get out and walk, please.
-We'd heard you couldn't cross the border walking, but nobody stopped us on the Georgian side. You just need a car to cross customs on the Russian side, after that, say thanks to your ride, and get out and walk..
-There are two tunnels. At the first tunnel we got in a car going to Vladikavkaz, but ended up sitting in line for hours, we should have walked.
-We ended up getting out and walking after a while, but were stopped within sight of the Russian checkpoint, so we got in another car at the front of the line. Probably saved an hour or two by just getting out and walking ten minutes.
-If you choose to walk the tunnels, wear a facemask, the pollution inside is quite heavy, but you can cross in 15 minutes or so, so it's doable. Ideally have a flashlight too, as tunnels are quite dim, and there are a lot of broken bottles on the ground. Make sure to walk on the right of traffic against tunnel wall,NOT in the middle, as cheaters cut the line and zoom around very recklessly.
-Go to the bathroom BEFORE you cross. There are portapoties on the bridge, but they have poop piled up since the time of the tsars.
-Exchange any money you need before crossing. In Russia, foreign bank cards don't work, and you can only exchange money at banks for very bad rates.

rating: 3/5, wait: 1 min, ride: 82 km ↖

―ColombianCouple, August 2024

54.44095, 19.90554

I hitchhiked a bit further at the border itself. It was Tuesday noon in August 2016. There was no queue there at all, in fact, the border was quite desolate. Nobody ever demanded any kind of permission from me nor did anyone try to get money out of me. Though I must admit this permission-for-border-areas thing does exist (in Russia and Belarus for sure) but unless you encounter police, nobody will check it. Just hitchhike to Mamonovo - it's not that difficult :).

―Tajavit, August 2016

55.28016, 20.96398

Not much traffic to russia

―Az-alcmar, June 2016

54.75756, 25.27243

The very good place to go to Latvia and Russia. Used it for three times. Safety: there is a bus stop there. Traffic light helps you to stop cars. To reach this spot you need to take 1G bus from the city centre. It costs 1 euro.

―Anonymous, January 2016

56.17719, 40.50158

Try to avoid hitchhiking from Moscow to Nizhny Novgorod on a friday....traffic is insane.
While seeing the huge traffic jam going up the hill I tried to get a lift to Nizhny Novgorod from there. After about 20 minutes I just decided to walk along the traffic jam searching eye contact with some driver and stuck out my thumb. That worked pretty well, however walking was the same speed :D TAKE CARE! The hard shoulder can become very dangerous in Russia!

―Anonymous, July 2015

46.36435, 14.15158

started walking from the roundabout where we were dropped of, after 3min a car with tourists from russia took us to the lake, no real room to stop, but traffic isn't very fast yet.

―Marcus De, June 2014

49.8821, 115.73904

It is absolutely senseless to cross this border to/from Russia. Even if it makes your way longer, you are better off crossing the border at Kyakhta/Altanbulag. There are so few foreigners crossing this border, you will be the centre of attention and interrogation by the soldiers. It is quite easy to hitch once you cross to the Russian side as many drivers ride to the nearby town of Borzya, where you can move on to Chita.

―Anonymous, May 2014

42.2558, 43.96193

I think it bit dangerous there, its occupied part of georgia, by Russia and there are a lot criminals.

―Anonymous, April 2014

63.81804, 20.24986

This spot is also good to go north despite other spots in the north of Umeå might be more convenients
It is worth walking down to the A4 roundabout 1 km further south, Many lorry drivers coming from South will stop at this petrol station despite the fact that there is another petrol station northbound. Those were heading to Russia. the reason is that the other petrol station is considered to be rubbish!

―Minguccio, May 2013

48.32089, 38.40291

Very useful point to combine cheap train to Debaltseve and a hitchhike further to Russia.
Дуже зручна точка, коли треба поєднати дешевий поїзд до Дебальцевого та поїхати автостопом далі до Росії.

―RWhite, May 2013

42.58246, 41.85147

I guess trespassing this particular border is prohibited due to military conflict involving Russia. I know that people travel Batumi to Sochi by ferry. How could you enter Abkhazia in this manner?

―RWhite, May 2013

42.80858, 47.60733

Dagestan isn't as dangerous as media tell. But hitchhiking is not tolerated... in good manner. I mean if you find a local contact, he would follow the national tradition to serve the guest as good as possible, probably driving you along the coast, inviting home for dinner etc., for free, of course. More than just a hitchhike/couchsurf experience. You have to appreciate this muslim region is very different from Russia. Anyway, you better avoid attracting excessive police attention, escpecially with non-CIS passport. There are a few road posts and numerous patrols within the city limits.
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―Anonymous, May 2013

54.89272, 73.43413

weird to see that this spot is marked as good :D
I waited for more than 3 hours for a lift...as well as two other hitchhikers a few hundred metres in front of me. Worst point in russia so far. It doesn't make sense to walk on as well, because there won't come a better spot.

―Anonymous, April 2013

58.04575, 56.02057

It's once point for hiking from Perm to west of Russia (Izhevsk, Moscow) that i'd try. You can take busses number 8, 20 from center of city and gotta bus stop "stadion Avangard" - " " on russian.

―Anonymous, December 2012

52.32074, 5.07837

Pretty nice spot to hitching! We got here a Dutch which gave us a lift to Apeldoorn even if he was living near the Amersfoort. There was also a very nic touristic bus from Russia. Good spot to get a truck or car, convienent.

―Nkdamn, August 2012

68.91432, 33.02092

The main road towards Kirkines is more difficult than other places in Russia to hitch on. There is little civilian traffic and you will likely get picked up by military personnel at some point. There are also military checkpoints along the way, if you are a foreigner you will be asked for your documents and registration at these points so have them close to hand. Expect to be taken into their hut for some questions also. Have fun! :-D

―Anonymous, April 2012