Driving to Japan from UK via Russia

Is it possible to take a UK registered car into Japan from Russia, for a driving holiday?

Hi Mike,

I believe the only car ferry operating these days between Japan and Russia is the DBS Ferry which runs from Vladivostok to Sakaiminato via Donghae in South Korea (2 nights, with quite a long stop in Donghae). I'm not sure about the legalities of bringing a UK car in that way, but that's the obvious route. You could also disembark DBS Ferry in Donghae, then drive down to Busan and head over to Shimonoseki (Kampu Ferries) or Osaka (Panstar Cruise) from there. More details on this page: http://www.4corners7seas.com/asia/japan/

As for the actual legalities, afraid I have no idea!

Just a warning: I've read that the route through Russia can be quite rough, with long drives in between places you don't really want to stop over in. Maybe consider whether you really want to take this road trip.

It is possible, as the earlier poster said, using DBS from Vladivostok. But its not cheap: around $600 to put your car on the ferry. I've only looked at the route FROM Japan, so don't know what the formalities are for bringing your car into Japan - you will need to check on that.

Sadly, the ferry from Sakhalin to Hokkaido now only takes foot passengers...

Re. gas stations in Siberia, the route via Vladivostok is relatively ok, just make sure to keep the car tank filled up as much as possible, just in case, especially on the Chita- Khabarovsk leg, which is very long and very empty.

But there is basically only one major route to Vladivostok after Omsk and there's always traffic, so you should be ok if you get stuck.

Hi Mike. This isn't a holiday, it's an adventure. Know what you're in for before you commit to this, depending on your personality type the drive may turn out to be either one of the very best or very worst times of your life. The route is pretty underdeveloped in places, and there is a real lack of support for drivers who find themselves in trouble. Don't expect orange emergency telephones at every mile like in the UK! A real issue if the weather turns bad on you. There are also the potential issues of criminal gangs and corrupt officials, both of whom will want to take advantage of you given half a chance. Don't get me wrong, chances are good that you would have no such problems, but this is something that exists there and that you should be aware of.

All of these issues are only magnified by the fact that you are not Russian, you don't know the land, you will be targeted by small but dangerous groups of people, and there's a fair chance you won't be able to communicate with others properly should you need to.

The above might be exactly what you were expecting, if so, and if you are genuinely prepared then I hope you have the trip of a lifetime. But the fact that you asked if it was even possible leads me to believe that this is perhaps not the case. Just do some proper research before coming to a decision and you'll be fine. For me personally, 11-12 hours in economy class is vastly superior.

Nothing Liz says is incorrect. There is one other group you also be to watch out for, and that the drunks - they can sometimes be very aggressive and/or violent.

Also, be VERY CAREFUL talking about sensitive political topics such as Ukraine or Putin being a dictator!!

On the other hand, Russians are generally hospitable in the extreme, and a lot of people will be genuinely interested to hear about your trip!

Just be careful, especially where you park at night. I'd recommend tapping into couchsurfing for people to put you up if you don't plan on staying in hotels. If you plan to sleep 'wild', make sure you pull well out of sight of the road. But if you do opt to go 'ferral', particularly when in Siberia, be aware of natural hazards such as ticks in particular, but also bears.