M4 road trip report - sea trip
Just in case, I'll tell you how we drove along the M4 highway, maybe someone will come in handy, a kind of report. So, the whole journey of 1500 km took us 3 days and on the way we still stopped at Divnogorye for a day, it is almost on the way. In principle, this path from Moscow to Gelendzhik / Sochi / Anapa can be covered in a day (18-25 hours), but I am not a fan of such long journeys in one sitting, especially at night and when there is no one to replace you, the risk is unjustified. Driving for 500 km is the most, the driver does not lose concentration. In addition, we perceived the trip as a journey, so there was nowhere to rush.
If you want to quickly and without stopping, then it is better by plane (via Aviasales / Skyscanner), indeed, faster and at the same time much safer. Moreover, when it comes to a vacation of a couple of weeks, not so many things are needed with you; for a family of three, 3 suitcases of 20 kg should be enough. But here the owner is the master, whoever likes it. We went for a month, or even more, so we need a lot of junk with us and a car in place to move.
The content of the article
General
Brief impressions
Our route changed a bit towards the end. We decided to go to Anapa to stay on the sandy beaches for several days, but in the end we got stuck here for rehabilitation, which we managed to fit into on the last day. Therefore, we will be in Anapa for another 3 weeks, and then we will move towards Gelendzhik in camping (if not colder) and in Sochi. Well, that's if nothing changes again.
After our last such trip to Gelendzhik 2 years ago, I wrote a whole suffering post about traveling with a child. It's time to rewrite it. How difficult it was to go then, so much easier it was now. Everything is relative. Yes, Yegor still does not sleep in the car seat, but he can sit in it all day! If, of course, you constantly throw up entertainment for him :) Still, he became calmer and he can already be occupied with at least something, for example, with a Lego constructor, which we bought right before the trip. And now it was necessary to stop for one day's sleep, and not for two. In general, I was very afraid of repeating the previous time, but it did not happen. It is more difficult to ride with a child than without him, but it is already quite possible and even for us. Especially if you go with overnight stays.
The most top impressions are still toilets with their parking lots and smoking trucks, in this regard, unfortunately, nothing has changed in 5 years. From the pleasant - the road has become better, and the open spaces around have not disappeared anywhere. But more on that below.
Route Moscow-Voronezh-Rostov-Anapa-Gelendzhik-Sochi
If you go with two nights, then the most optimal stops will be in the Voronezh region and in Rostov-on-Don. Thus, the path will be divided into 3 sections of 500 km each. On the one hand, these cities are full of housing on the same Airbnb (follow the link for my detailed post about the service and a $ 20 bonus), on the other hand, entering and leaving the city takes time, so to save it, it would be better to stay not in the city, but in roadside hotels.
Please note that in the city there is an opportunity to save money, since a normal apartment costs 1500-2000 rubles (I recommend an apartment in Voronezh, in Rostov-on-Don), and a comparable hotel will cost twice as much.
Apartments where we stayed in Voronezh and Rostov
Alternatively, plan a route with only one overnight stay, for example, leave Moscow during the day, get to Voronezh in the evening, spend the night in front of him at the hotel, and from early morning move on straight to the sea. Or plan a single overnight stay in front of Rostov, where the highway passes through several settlements where there are motels and private accommodation.
Picky travelers can generally spend the night in a tent, anywhere along the way (in forest belts), and «truckers» go 18-25 hours without rest and overnight. I personally do not want to risk my family, so I try not to make long runs, as I get tired and lose concentration, especially at night. Yes, I could drive these 1500 km in one sitting, but I don't see the point.
Motels, cafes and other services are often found along the road.
If the ultimate goal is Sochi, then driving through the Tuapse-Sochi section is not pleasant without a preliminary break, there are serpentines, traffic jams, and this segment can take a decent amount of time, 2-3 times more than usual (when compared with flat sections). Ideally, drive through it early or early in the morning, while there are still few cars, or at night. When I was traveling to Sochi, the average speed was 45 km / h, there were sections with one-way traffic (repairs), plus, although trucks are sometimes allowed to pass on uphills, in general, it was still impossible to go fast. Only closer to Sochi and after that normal speed. In settlements (and they are there) there is often a limit of 40 km / h, on the highway 70 km / h.
In Gelendzhik, I usually go through Dzhubga, I like it more, a calm road, but there is an option to go through Novorossiysk. It is better to go to Anapa, leaving the M4 highway after 100 kilometers after Rostov to the village of Kanevskaya, and then drive through Timashevsk, Slavyansk-on-Kuban, adhering to the Temryuk direction, but the road there is so-so. After Slavyansk it will be necessary to go to Anapa.
Travel time
As I wrote above, it all depends on how much you want to spend the night on the road and whether you want to at all. We went there together with our family, so we spent 2 nights, in the end the road took 3 days at a very relaxed pace..
I rode back alone (the family flew away by plane) from Adler to Moscow. I got there in 26 hours, of which I slept about 5 in the car. That is, the road itself took 21 hours. I think it's quite normal. Somewhere for 20-25 hours and it is worth counting, without taking into account long pauses for sleep.
Route M4
Stripes and coverage
On the way to the Black Sea, I have already traveled several times, hitchhiking there and back, and 3 times by car. The track is slowly but changing for the better. First of all, we almost made two lanes in each direction from Moscow to Goryachiy Klyuch. But, unfortunately, there are still sections with one lane. For example, in the Voronezh region near the villages of Losevo-Pavlovsk-Verkhniy Mamon, a section with a length of about 70 km. Moreover, there is no renovation, just a lane in each direction and there is no hint of expansion. And another piece is closer in Rostov obalsti. Also, repairs are underway in the Rostov region after Rostov-on-Don between the villages of Samarskoye and Kushchevskaya (a piece of about 40 km). Even in the Rostov region, the metal separator with an oncoming line periodically disappears, the markings disappear, irregularities, cracks and so on appear (it was already driving in the dark, completely inconvenient), however, as in the Voronezh region. In fact, the best piece of the M4 is between Moscow and Voronezh, in theory it should be like this all along. Will wait :)
After Goryachiy Klyuch, one-lane traffic with a periodic lane for overtaking. She appears there quite often. From Dzhubga to Tuapse, about the same scheme, only a small serpentine and a third lane are quite rare. From Tuapse to Sochi there is a concrete serpentine and there is almost no opportunity to overtake. There is also one lane from Dzhubga to Gelejik, but there is almost no serpentine, so the section is passed quickly.
Most of the M4 is like this now
From Rostov to Anapa, a one-lane strip with a bunch of trucks and old KAMAZ trucks, and only after turning from the Temryuk highway to Anapa, they disappear. We tried to use the navigator to drive bypass roads (we went from Rostov to Azov and further to bypass cities), but there is a bad road in places, the distance is generally longer, but plus that there are few cars. I won or not, I don’t know.
The road to Anapa, covered with waves in places
Fines and cameras
There are a lot of cameras along the road, so it's not a problem to run into a fine if you don't comply with the speed limit. But it is for the better, we will all be more alive. Everywhere I moved at a maximum speed of +15 to the permitted speed, that is, if 90 km / h is allowed, then I drove 115 km / h. Everywhere, except for paid sites, just such a restriction. On the paid ones - 110 km / h and on one of them as much as 130 km / h (that is, you can go 145 km / h if you want to).
For the entire trip there and back, I received only one fine of 500 rubles. Somewhere in the Voronezh region I was driving instead of 83 km / h in the village. Strange, usually there I really slow down.
Paid plots
There are now eight paid sections on the M4. All of them are between Moska and Voronezh, but they plan to do more. Visually, they are almost indistinguishable from other sections of the track, I did not notice any serious differences. Only on one piece was the permitted speed of 130 km / h, on the remaining 110 km / h, as well as on the rest of the M4 segment, which is positioned as a motorway.
At a price: 35-120 rubles per site, at night rates are cheaper. Moreover, at one of the sites, you must show the check again when you leave, so do not throw the checks.
Prices in 2016 for M4, part of receipts at night rates
Paid section on M4, payment in cash or by credit card
Rest en route and refueling
We mostly stayed at Lukoil because there is a civil toilet, a minimarket, a playground and tables outside for snacks. At least in the first half of M4, Lukoil gas stations are equipped just like that, then they go smaller and without such a set. On the map, just in case, I marked a very large Luikoil after Voronezh, where you can eat normally and stand in the shade. In previous Lukoils, cafes only had coffee / tea and buns, but here are direct dishes.
Lukoil is great - many gas stations have playgrounds and snack tables
We have lunch on the M4
You can eat vegetables for free at Lukoil
Mandatory stop for a nap. Holds a toy with your chin, also mandatory
Right next to it is the Osetrovsky bridgehead, a beautiful place with a difficult history
Around the Russian open spaces ... In the background M4
Large Lukoil
Large Lukoil
A large Lukoil gas station, there is a mini-market, a full-fledged cafe, a civil toilet, a playground, and an area with tables on the street where you can eat.
A large Lukoil gas station, there is a mini-market, a full-fledged cafe, a civil toilet, a playground, and an area with tables on the street where you can eat.
The territory of this gas station was very large and many stood at the far end of it, where there is a shadow and benches with tables. So, in order not to go anywhere, the people immediately relieved themselves behind the partition, from which there was a wild stench, the heat. I was not even surprised by the laziness to walk 100 meters to the toilet, but the fact that the stench did not bother anyone, people there quietly sat and ate. Hmm.
If someone does not know, there are also parking lots along the way. But they are, to put it mildly, not very pleasant: a lot of garbage and toilets so filthy. Moreover, if the parking lot has some kind of infrastructure, for example, illegal cafes, then there is much more shit. Therefore, it is better to stop to rest, either at gas stations, or just along the way in a forest belt, or in parking lots where there is no cafe. And also such a mini-life hack, if you still think about going to the red brick toilet, then it is better not to go to it in the parking lot, go to the bus stop, there they are also there, but cleaner.
Parking with infrastructure, that is, with cafes
Cafes can look like this, completely unpresentable
Toilets in parking lots are a sad sight
The toilets at bus stops are cleaner, but don't flatter yourself
There is a lot of rubbish at the stops
Instead of parking on the M4, you can just stop somewhere along the side of the road
And at the same time enjoy the sunset, hammering in the trash
Other nuances
I noticed this feature, the flow on the left lane goes somewhere 140-160 km / h, on the right 80 km / h. Therefore, if you want to drive 100-120 km / h, then none of the lanes is suitable, you have to always rebuild from one to another. Inconvenient however.
After Rostov-on-Don I got sick of a single-lane road, but this is more relevant for those who go to Anapa, Temryuk, Crimea (Port Kavkaz), that is, it leaves the M-4 to the right. We drove this last segment for a very long time, solid trucks (apparently they go just to Port Kavkaz). The trucks are killed, not only are you dragging 50-60 km / h after it, but also in clouds of smoke, no cabin filters will save you. What if I had asthma? And it's hard to overtake, the stream is continuous. First, they exceed the permitted load, loading goods 2-3 times more in weight, so that the car cannot crawl up the hill and is killed, and then they buy a state maintenance ticket, although this is no longer a car, but a steam locomotive, and they drive themselves further.
Smoking trucks on the road, the closer to the south, the more of them, every second
For some reason, Megafon catches pretty badly all over the road. You stop at a gas station so that Yegor can sleep and eat, you want to check your mail at the same time, post a photo, and the Internet is EDGE at best, that is, almost dead. In Rostov-on-Don, in the very center, exactly in the place where the apartment was rented, the same situation (the next day the block moved away and it started working). On the road Timashevsk-Slavyansk-on-Kuban-Anapa H + almost did not appear. In Dzhemete (a village near Anapa), 3G and H + are also caught in places. I remember in 2011 I was with us a whole travel project about Russia, I still took notes along the way, wore it out, since it was impossible to post anything, it's a pity that little has changed since then.
Radio is everywhere, to put it mildly, for an amateur, either Russian retro or chanson. You need to take CDs or a USB flash drive with you. And by the way, not every radio tape recorder will steadily pick up a signal at such distances from large cities..
Yandex Navigator leads the shortest route, even if it is a primer, there is no choice «fast» or «short». And, if a navigator is not particularly needed for a trip on the M4 (there is nowhere to get lost there), then it is better to use normal navigators to inspect any surroundings off the highway. They all disappeared from me with a change of phone, I need to re-install.
One last sunset
Video
A short sketch of what a toilet looks like on the most modern highway in Russia, on the M4.
P.S. When we get to Sochi, and then we go back, perhaps I will add something else.
P.P.S Which application for car navigation in Russia do you use?