Traveling by road, especially traveling to neighboring countries, provides those who decide to take it with a lot of advantages - freedom of movement, and the opportunity to plan their own route and departure time. And finally, transport - the issue has already been resolved, which means you can see even more interesting places. All that remains is to calculate everything properly and obtain the necessary information along the way.
To ensure that crossing the border with Estonia goes smoothly for you, we have prepared this article. In it, motorist travelers will find answers to all the questions that bother them before the start.
How to book a queue at the border online
You can only reserve a place in line to cross the border on your return journey from Estonia to Russia.
This service is not yet available when traveling from Russia to Estonia.
It's very easy to reserve your place in line online. This is done through the GoSwift electronic system.
The cost of the service is 1.5 euros (stay in the waiting room is paid additionally - from 1 to 14 euros).
In this case, it is enough to enter the type of vehicle, the location and approximate time of crossing and additional information.
On the appointed day, you need to arrive at the checkpoint at the specified time. Your queue number is displayed on the board in the waiting room, which means the time has come. You can also order an additional SMS notification.
Estonian border Shumilkino - Luhamaa. Crossing by car
Table of contents
Towards the Estonian border in Luhamaa
We crossed the Estonian border at the border crossing in Shumilkino (Russian side) and Luhamaa (Estonian side) at the beginning of October 2021. Let us describe a step-by-step algorithm for crossing the Russian-Estonian border.
Remember about insurance! You can buy it online. I offer two different services to choose from:
Tripinsurance travel insurance
Travel medical insurance for traveling abroad or traveling around Russia Сherehapa
We crossed the border for tourist purposes - we were traveling to Tallinn from Moscow. We decided to travel quietly. Usually, we arrive at the border in Brest or Domachevo in the evening, having covered more than 1000 km of M-1. The route to the capital of Estonia was broken up with a stop in Pskov. From Pskov to Shumilkino it’s about an hour’s drive. Therefore, we crossed the border in the morning, at the very beginning of ten o’clock.
The Pskov – Shumilkino highway is almost empty, the highway is good. There are very few cars, and there are very few settlements.
At the last turn from the border to some village there is a border guard. He made a sign to stop. He asked: “Where are you going?” - To the Estonian border. We are going to Tallinn. Documentation? - No, no, you can go.
There are very few gas stations on the highway. There is one in Izborsk. But it’s too early to refuel there. Having covered the entire distance, we looked around in bewilderment - had we really missed the last gas station before the border? No! There is a gas station right next to the border checkpoint. There are even two of them. On the north side (on our road).
And on the south (we refueled on the way back).
Gasoline prices are not draconian, as expected, but quite affordable. Cheaper than in Pskov and not to mention Moscow.
I apologize to the readers for the poor illustrative material. Photography is prohibited at border crossings; I secretly took only three pictures.
Estonian border. Transfer by car. Shumilkino
With a full tank we drove up to the border. Please note that there is a significant queue of trucks on the approaches to the border crossing. They have a separate lane, cars in the left lane go around the queue.
You have arrived at the barrier. Here you need to act in accordance with traffic rules. Wait for a green signal or an open barrier. At the first checkpoint, the driver shows his passport and vehicle registration certificate. Here you will be given a laminated ticket (“runner”), which indicates the number of passengers. Only the driver approaches the border guard; the passengers remain in the car. In the photo, the checkpoint is visible on the left.
Next you need to drive up to the customs and passport control point. Be careful and read the signs! One of the corridors is intended for cars from EU countries. The other is for domestic, Belarusian and Kazakh cars. In October 2018, the corridor we needed (for citizens of the Russian Federation) was to the left of the European Union one. The inscription above it read: “The lane for registration of vehicles registered on the territory of the Russian Federation, the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Kazakhstan.”
There is a traffic light above the strip. When the signal turns green, we approach the customs booth. There you must present the car owner's passport and car registration certificate. There were two cars in line in front of us. We observe how carefully customs officers check cars. We have never encountered such attentive and scrupulous inspection anywhere else. Neither in Belarus nor in Poland are vehicles inspected so thoroughly. Customs officers carefully examine cars - with mirrors, flashlights, ask to raise the armrest, glove compartment, look into the door pockets. In response to the Chief’s surprised remark about the careful search, the border guard girl replies: “The actions of the border guards were provoked by the actions of those leaving.”
I immediately thought that at peak times such a long security check could cause a queue.
