Has anybody here travelled to Poti in Georgia.
Looking for best route. So far we have looked at going to the Ukraine and shipping from Odessa or going to Romania and shipping to Poti.
Sounds like an interesting trip…if its your first time I suppose you could call this…
“Poti training”!!! 
Ok, sorry…I`ll (zb) off now!!! 
Yeah thanks for the advice.
I’m sure that will help me with the 2 day border crossing and dodging the bullets in Georgia!!! 
There are a few chaps on here who have been or still go out that way.
JJ72, Dave Mackie or harry monk maybe able to help you out.
Dodging bullets in Georgia■■?..didnt think things were kicking off over there!!. …well, no more than usual!! 
Take some pics and post a diary when you get back if you can, there are many here on TN who would be very interested in your trip.
Whats the story, is it general haulage, military, huminitarian aid or “hush hush”!!! 
I got the ferry from Burgas, Bulgaria into Poti, it takes two days. Unless things have changed since then (1997) I would suggest taking your own food on board!
Due to recent RUS-GE quarrel, Adler border crossing may be out of consideration. Milodon may know better.
UK Ferry (or UKR ferry) operates services from Kerch and Ilichevsk (just off Odessa) to Batumi, also Varna-Ilichevsk-Poti - IIRC this is essentially railway ferry but takes on some cars and trucks too.
Burgas-Poti is a weekly service, takes around 3days, Sredec is the name of the vessel. Willy Betz sends his trucks and trailers to Caucasus this way. Operator (or agent in Burgas) is called Intershipping I think.
There used to be ferries from Sochi and Novorossijsk to GE.
I’ve heard that some Czech hauliers go to GE via TR (czech are/were building a brewery there).
hoty2008:
Yeah thanks for the advice.I’m sure that will help me with the 2 day border crossing and dodging the bullets in Georgia!!!
In all seriousness, Georgia is a very dangerous country to drive in. I had a heavily armed ■■■■■■ from Poti to Tbilisi and I was only delivering an empty vehicle there (an aircraft re-fuelling tanker).
Incidentally, the truck I took out was a day-cabbed Volvo F10, it took 21 days to get from Chessington to Tbilisi due to various problems along the way (it was scheduled to take ten, I flew home afterwards and was arrested in transit at Moscow airport, but that’s another story ), and I sometimes wonder if anyone has ever been further in a day cab?
The ferry sevice from bourgas-poti-novorossisk used to be owned by somat and there used to be two ferries , one going clockwise and one anti. You would probably be better going overland via turkey as it would be more driver friendly. Depends on costs but im sure if you went overland the time to get there wouldnt be much difference due to waiting around on the ferries. M ake sure you have all visas before you go as the georgians wont issue at the border in most cases. Hope you go there and enjoy your trip and mind the photos if you do
reg colin
colin.f.whitetrans:
. M ake sure you have all visas before you go as the georgians wont issue at the border in most cases. Hope you go there and enjoy your trip and mind the photos if you doreg colin
Essential to get the Georgian visa in advance, I sat in Poti docks for four days while some crewcut-haired thugs took my passport and disappeared into the sunset, they had to go to Tbilisi to get it. Kepstowe took this on as a very rushed last-minute job, otherwise we would have got the visa in London.
Hi Harry
I spent 34hrsin the docks waiting for my visa to arrive. The cost was $78 but it cost me $150 and that was after much haggling with the customs. We always got our visas in london through cye elliot but i had to do a change over so didnt have time to arrange one for this trip as it also was an unexpected load. On the return i spent two days in the back off a betz trailer being fed and watered(vodka diet) waiting for the boat to arrive. I know many in the uk dont think much of the betz drivers but in my experience they were great to run with east of moscow 
Just found my Georgian visa elsewhere, I seem to remember it cost about £100, although Kepstowe would also have had to pay a procurement fee.
The words “Urgent Entry” are what cost the money…
Agree with you about Betz drivers and eastern Europeans in general. They were always friendly enough to me, and although I was occasionally on the receiving end of anti-Western sentiment, most just saw me as I saw them, someone from another place doing the same job.
i.e. they didn’t think I was the Taliban!
Hi Guys thanks for that.
The job is a concert in Poti at the new year.
As long as guessing how long it will take we have the Christmas holidays to contend with.
Favoured route so far is the Ukraine to Odesa and sail to Poti.
How long from UK guys?
How much along the way in bribes?
Would probably have an ■■■■■■ in Ukraine any contacts/ prices?
Harry Monk:
hoty2008:
Yeah thanks for the advice.I’m sure that will help me with the 2 day border crossing and dodging the bullets in Georgia!!!
In all seriousness, Georgia is a very dangerous country to drive in. I had a heavily armed ■■■■■■ from Poti to Tbilisi and I was only delivering an empty vehicle there (an aircraft re-fuelling tanker).
Incidentally, the truck I took out was a day-cabbed Volvo F10, it took 21 days to get from Chessington to Tbilisi due to various problems along the way (it was scheduled to take ten, I flew home afterwards and was arrested in transit at Moscow airport, but that’s another story
go on do tell
It took me a week to get to Odessa, it might be quicker now that there are no border formalities between Germany and Poland but a lot depends on the border at Dorohusk…
Ukraine is relatively safe to drive in, just take the usual precautions about parking in proper TIR parks and not at the roadside. It’s best to avoid driving at night for all sorts of reasons. You can expect to be stopped by the GAI (the State Automobile Inspectorate) fairly regularly but I don’t know what type of money they would be looking for in bribes nowadays, many used to be happy with a packet of Marlboro.
Should’nt get too many problems with Ukraine. Yes, you’re still likely to get stopped, but not to the same extent as you used to. On my most recent trip to Kiev, I was only stopped once between the Polish border, Kiev, and back again, and for allegedly speeding only parted with 10Euro’s. Make sure you only have 200litres of diesel in the tanks when you come back into the EU. (Sorry if that sounds like i’m teaching you to ■■■■ eggs)!
Out of interest, where in Kiev do you park these days? Do trucks still park at the Prolisok campsite?
Harry Monk:
Out of interest, where in Kiev do you park these days? Do trucks still park at the Prolisok campsite?
Can’t help you on that one Harry. I’m on the rock’n’roll tours, so we always try to park at the venues.
We were in Kiev last year, could have done it myself but the novelty wore off a long time ago… The drivers who went were on the Madonna tour IIRC, we sub to EST.
hoty, Ukraine is perfectly safe to drive in, it’s true that crime levels and alcoholism are higher and you have to have your wits about you, I did have my cab broken into in Kiev but that can happen anywhere, but you won’t need any type of ■■■■■■ to drive from the border at Dorohusk or Medyka to Odessa.
Gunner Til I Die:
go on do tell
If I told you, I would have to kill you.