Once, during the Soviet era, the all-union health resort of Gagra was very popular among domestic tourists. Every year, this elite resort was visited by thousands of vacationers. Today, Gagra, after the war and many years of isolation, again accept tourists, including from the countries of the former CIS. Vacationers go to this city most often through Sochi. You can get to Abkhazia from here in different ways.
How to get from Sochi to Gagra: the main ways
Tourists can reach Abkhazia from Russia if they wish:
by train;
catamaran;
the bus;
personal car.
All these methods are quite convenient. Yes, and tourists too usually do not have to spend too much on a trip to Gagra.
How to get there by train
This is one of the most convenient ways to get to Gagra from Sochi. Initially, tourists who decide to relax in Abkhazia need to get to Adler. You can do this on the same train. From the station of this city, the Adler - Sukhumi train leaves daily at 7:30 a.m. In total, the journey by train to the destination takes about 2.5 hours. Of course, this is very little.
The convenience of this method, among other things, lies in the fact that vacationers do not need to leave the train at the checkpoint. Russian and Abkhaz border guards check documents with passengers on electric trains right in the cars. Reviews on the Adler-Sukhumi train online are mostly good. Traveling on it is quite comfortable.
The train schedule to Gagra Station from Adler may change. Therefore, tourists should check the departure time of the train in advance.
How to get from Sochi to Gagra by public transport: by bus
It will also be quite easy to get to Abkhazia from the main resort of Russia by minibus. Many tourists arrive in Sochi from Krasnodar or some seaside resort village by bus. Experienced holiday-makers are not advised to leave the city railway station and continue moving in any way to the Abkhaz border. In this case, it will be much more convenient to purchase a bus ticket to Gagra right on the spot.
Minibuses go to this city from the Sochi bus station regularly and often enough. Many tourists consider the inconvenience of this method to be only the impossibility of traveling after 18:00 h. In the evening, there are no bus services from Sochi to Gagra.
Minibuses usually go to the border with Abkhazia for quite some time. The fact is that there is always very heavy traffic on this section of the route. In Sochi itself, traffic jams are also often formed on the roads.
At the checkpoint, buses and minibuses from Russia to Gagra stop. At the same time, passengers are offered to go out and proceed to the checkpoint building. Passport control is carried out here. This procedure usually does not deliver much discomfort to tourists. Border guards make control in most cases very quickly - a maximum of half an hour.
Traffic on the road after the checkpoint, that is, actually in Abkhazia itself, is usually not particularly intense. Therefore, budget transport travels from the border to the destination in most cases no more than 30 minutes.
Catamaran ride
This method is another excellent answer to the question of how to get from Sochi to Gagra . A mini-sea cruise on a catamaran costs vacationers a bit more expensive than a trip by train or bus. However, many tourists who want, among other things, to pick up a pleasant experience on the road to Gagra, nevertheless choose this particular way of travel. The catamaran leaves the Sochi sea station at 8:00 in the morning on odd numbers. In total, a trip on this type of transport takes approximately 1.5 hours.
If necessary, tourists can get to Abkhazia from Adler by water. From here, the catamaran leaves for Gagra on even numbers. He departs from the pier at 9:00 in the morning.
Of course, many tourists are interested in how to get from Gagra to Sochi. An amusement park in this city, as well as, for example, the Arboretum or other attractions of the main resort of Russia, seeks to visit almost all vacationers who have chosen the Black Sea coast for relaxation. From Gagra to Sochi, tourists can go by water at 19:00. If you wish, you can go on a catamaran from this Abkhazian city to Adler. The boat leaves here at 18:00.
The cost of travel by public transport
Thus, the answer to the question of how to get from Sochi to Gagra by sea is understandable. A trip on a catamaran will cost tourists about 550-600 rubles. one way. A train and bus ticket costs, as already mentioned, a little cheaper - only about 110-150 rubles per person.
How to get there by car
For those tourists who have their own car, the answer to the question of how to get from Sochi to Gagra is completely simple. By car , as with any other form of land transport, travelers need to overcome a total of about 65 km to their destination . The total travel time in this case will be about 1 hour 15 minutes. At the same time, about 300 rubles will have to be paid for gasoline. You need to go from Sochi to Gagra along the A-147 highway. The path to this city lies through such settlements as Khosta, Adler, Bay.
Of course, you can get to Abkhazia from Sochi by taxi. Such a trip usually also does not take too much time. However, a taxi to Gagra is quite expensive. Tourists will have to pay about 1,500 rubles.
How to get to Gagra from the airport
Very often vacationers arrive on the Black Sea coast not by bus or train, but by plane. Therefore, many tourists are interested in how to get from Sochi Airport to Gagra. This will also be completely uncomplicated. The airport closest to the main resort of Russia is located in Adler. It is absolutely optional to go from here to Sochi to catch an electric train, bus or catamaran, leaving for Gagra. Tourists arriving at the airport, you just need to get to Adler and take any type of ground transport or catamaran here.
What documents are needed
So, we found out how to get from Sochi to Gagra by bus, train, catamaran or car. But, of course, in order to cross the Abkhaz border, tourists need to have all the necessary documents with them. Obtaining a foreign passport to domestic vacationers who have decided to relax in Gagra is completely optional. At the checkpoint, it will be enough to simply present your civilian. But in any case, the traveler should have a passport with him, of course, necessarily. Otherwise, getting to Abkhazia will not work.