CHANGES AT RUSSIA'S BORDER
Updated: 6th July 2006
Reading Impala Adventures' Neil Hopkinson's 'Travelling Man' page in the July 2006 LRM (page 163), I discovered that the usual purchase of vehicle insurance has reverted back to obtaining it from a 'recommended' broker in the last town before the border.
Apparently, this only applies to the 'remote' border crossings, the Estonian one is business as usual, but it might be easier for you if you do purchase insurance before you get there. Just in case someone decides "as the wind is from Siberia, I think I'll change the rules!"
Neil also went on to say that you have to declare any strong drugs (medicinal - I assume Class A are banned, anyway!) on your 'entry list' - a fact I found out last time I went to Russia, when they took an extraordinary long time to check my first aid and medical kit.
They also may ask you for a list of items in the vehicle - something we do anyway when taking aid through the borders, but it seems you may need it if you're just a tourist. Better to have it ready, than have to do it at the border control, especially if the temperature's in the very minus centigrade area.
ROAD RULES
The road rules are basically the same as in Europe, and you won't have problems following the signs as well. The maximum speed limit inside a city is 60 km / hour, while if you drive at about 90 km / hour outside of cities, you shouldn't have many problems with traffic police. Your car must have a first-aid kit and a fire extinguisher, which is sensible to carry in the UK anyway.
