In Russia, for several years, there has been a network of toll roads with a total length of 471.7 km, which is constantly being replenished with new sections for which it is necessary to pay for travel.

Driving along the toll section of the road without paying a fee is allowed only to special vehicles (ambulances, firefighters and police, etc.), as well as public transport, except taxis, international and intercity buses.

All toll sections of Russian roads are controlled by the state company Avtodor. And for some time now also by private investors, for example, like the new M-11 toll highway. Now let’s look at Russian toll roads and tariffs in more detail...

M-1 "Belarus"

has a toll section with a length of 18.535 km, leading bypassing the city of Odintsovo, located in the Moscow region.

The first 5 km of the road have eight lanes, the next 9 km have six lanes, and the next 4 km have 4 lanes.

The permitted speed on the highway is 90 km/h, the estimated speed is 120 km/h. The route has a capacity of 70-80 thousand cars per day, and has 3 toll points.

Tariffs on the M-1 highway

Passenger cars are charged up to 150 rubles. For small trucks, pickups and cars with a trailer 2-2.6 m high, the fare is up to 225 rubles. For two-axle trucks and buses, the tariff is set at up to 300 rubles, for three-axle vehicles - up to 480 rubles.

At night from 01.00 to 05.00 you can travel much cheaper, this also applies to travel with a transponder. Read more about M-1 highway tariffs in the infographic:

M-4 "Don"

The next route with toll road sections is M-4. connects the northwestern and central regions of the country with the North Caucasus, the Black Sea coast, and the port of Novorossiysk. This is one of the cheapest routes; the cost for cars varies from 10 to 80 rubles. There are 7 main sections that are tolled:

1. The first toll section in the Moscow region is 48-71 km, with a length of 20 km. The site is equipped with 18 landline telephones to call special services in the event of an emergency. Payment must be made at a point located at 71 km of the section. You can purchase a smart card or transponder at sales centers located at km 51 and km 71 of the route. You can use the site for free if you enter and leave the site without passing the payment points.
2. The next section is a bypass of the city of Bogoroditsk (225-260 km), with a length of 35.5 km. The estimated speed on this section is 120 km/h. You can pay for the toll at the point at 228 km.
3. The section bypassing the city of Efremov (287-321 km) has a length of 35.8 km. The estimated speed on the section is 120 km/h. The fee is charged for 322 km of the route.
4. A section that bypasses the city of Yelets and the village of Yarkino (330-414 km), with a length of 82 km. Estimated speed - 120 km/h. Tolls are collected at a point located at 339 km of the route.
5. The section leading bypassing the city of Zadonsk - the village of Khlevnoye (414-464 km), with a length of 46.9 km. There are two points at the site for paying tolls. The first is located at 416+530km, and the second at 460+192km.
6. During the reconstruction, the section bypassing the city of Voronezh (492-517 km) was brought to category 1B. The length is 25 km, the number of traffic lanes has been increased to six. Operation of the section in a paid mode started on February 2, 2015. Payment is made at the 515th km of the route. Drivers using this route from km 492 to km 513 do not pay tolls.
7. The section passing through the Voronezh region (544-633 km) has a length of 89 km. It started working in paid mode on November 9, 2015.
   Payment is due:
   • - at the toll point 545 km when moving towards the city of Rostov 44.7 km before the interchange in the city of Liski;
   • - at the toll point 620 km when leaving the toll section for the remaining 44.3 km;
   • - when moving towards Moscow, tolls will be charged according to the same principle: at the toll point 620 km and to the toll point 545 km.

M-11 "Moscow - St. Petersburg"

The newest highway in Russia M-11 “Moscow - St. Petersburg” will replace the free road M-10 “Russia”, which can no longer cope with the flow of cars, which is why there are frequent traffic jams on the old Leningradka.

New Leningradka with high capacity, road category 1A. There are specialized recreation areas and parking, but there is a caveat: it is paid. Tariffs are quite expensive, for example, to get from Moscow to Sheremetyevo Airport by car, you need to pay up to 250 rubles, a round trip is already 500 rubles, on weekends and at night it’s cheaper.

For a full description of the M-11 “Moscow - St. Petersburg” highway, see tariffs for travel along the new Leningradka.

Here is an example of the cost of travel on one of the sections of the M-11 highway:

Payment Methods

Payment for travel on toll road sections can be made in three ways - cash (or bank card), smart card or using a transponder.

Payment in cash or by bank card is made directly to the cashier, and, having received the check, the driver can continue driving along the highway after the barrier is raised and the traffic light turns on.

If you intend to pay for travel using a smart card, then you need to attach it to a special debit device and the required amount will be debited automatically.

Payment with a transponder is made automatically when a vehicle equipped with it passes through a checkpoint.

Traffic jams on the M4 Don highway in the summer of 2018, how to avoid traffic jams on the M4 Don highway, recommended cafes on the M4 federal highway:

Early on a fine summer morning, we left the Moscow Ring Road and found ourselves on the most “hellish” highway - M 4 Don. From Moscow and almost to the border of the Moscow region there is an excellent 6-lane highway, and from Moscow to Vidnoye there are generally 8 lanes. Speed ​​limits are sometimes 110 and sometimes 130 kilometers. So far we have never seen anything like this anywhere in Russia.

Highway M 4 Don - major traffic jams

Slow driving on the M4 Don highway is guaranteed to you in the Voronezh region, at the fork near Ramon(this is just before the entrance to Voronezh) - the traffic jam here is due to repair roads. But this is not the worst thing that awaits you if you go on vacation to the south.

The hell on the M4 highway in terms of traffic jams has not been changed for many years. And he is in the village of Losevo. Traffic jams in this area of ​​the M4 during the “hot season” sometimes stretch for 20-40 kilometers. Why, do you know?

Because four lanes here turn into two and the highway physically cannot cope with the capacity as usual. The normal mode for the M4 highway in the Losevo area is 14,000 cars per day. And during the holiday season there are at least 30,000 of them.

Cars pull off to the side of the road, passengers have lunch right next to the highway; some even put up tents. Those who want “movement” - move at a speed of 3.5 to 10 km/h. An excellent prospect on vacation, right?... I personally saw how owners of SUVs try to get around the traffic jam in the Losevo area right through the fields - and there, as a result of this, a traffic jam also forms))))

Local residents are not at a loss and offer to show you a detour for 300 rubles. But, since there are many people willing, there is not much room on the bypass roads either.

Another one a traffic jam on the M4 Don may await you in the Aksai area(suburb of Rostov-on-Don). It’s not necessary once at a time, but you can lose more than an hour here. But in Aksai there is an excellent cafe “Pompomchik” at the exit. We appreciated the donuts and other menu when we took a ride from .

A couple of years ago, we avoided the traffic jam on the M4 Don after Bataysk (long repairs), leaving the highway on the P269 and driving along it to Pyatigorsk.

How to avoid traffic jams on the M4 highway in the Losevo area?

You can go around this section through Buturlinovka. This is a detour of 45 kilometers. You won’t gain anything in terms of time if you decide to go around the traffic jam on the M4 Don, but at least you won’t stand still. At kilometer 595 you turn off M4 towards Bobrov, transiting through Pavlovsk.

*Life hack for those who don’t mind traffic jams. A year ago we didn’t avoid this traffic jam and at the same time had lunch at the Varenichnaya cafe - just beyond Losevo on Moscow. The dumplings are delicious (140 rubles, 15 pieces), the Wi-Fi is excellent. Only the toilet spoils the impression - a village toilet.

Another option to get around the traffic jam on M4 Don in the Losevo area is along the Voronezh-Rossosh-Boguchar route. At the 588th kilometer of the highway, turn to Liski, then through Kamenka, Rossosh and Kantemirovka. Take the M4 Don highway outside the town of Boguchar.

There are a lot of cars on the M4 highway. In literally all the regions, we have never encountered such “internationality” anywhere. Some have already become so familiar (we’ve been driving together since the morning) that you want to wave your hand.

Where to have lunch on the M4 highway?

I’ll tell you about those roadside cafes on the M4 Don highway that I visited myself.

In the Tula region, 271 kilometers in the direction from Moscowthere is some good stuff cafe "Dobrynya". We stopped there for coffee. In addition to coffee, you can have quite a hearty lunch (or breakfast) there. Coffee - 45-50 rubles, juices - 40 rubles, set lunches - 200 rubles, all kinds of pies, cutlets, side dishes are present. “Dobrynya” is open 24 hours, excellent Wi-Fi, shower, toilet, and there is a Tatneft gas station nearby.

At the 325th kilometer of the M 4Don highway there is another good one Cafe "Hello", and next to it is a small hotel.

At the Kon-Kolodez fork (460 km highway M 4 Don) is located Hotel "Rus". There is a cafe nearby - one of the favorites of truckers. So you can safely stop for a snack. This is in case you are driven off the M4 and drive through this section. We returned to the M4 Don federal highway at the border of the Voronezh and Tula regions.

There are practically no rest areas on the M4 highway (keep this in mind if you are traveling with children). Cars stop wherever they want and drink coffee and do gymnastics right on the side of the road. “Yolochka” was noticed only at the 555th kilometer (from Moscow), but it was somehow too shabby.

At the 593rd kilometer of the M4 Don highway we passed by Cafe "Admiral" with declared Wi-Fi and a large number of trucks and cars (a good indicator that speaks in favor of the cafe). Another motel on the M4 highway with a large concentration of cars - at kilometer 595. Immediately behind them is a traffic police post. Read our selection of hotels - the link was above.

Where are we going along the M4?

Read:

From the 700th kilometer of the M4 federal highway, 4 lanes begin again. There are more and more hotels and houses with the sign “Overnight”.

You can (and should) drink coffee in Kamensk-Shakhtinsky. Coffee costs 80 rubles, the cafe’s ambience is one of the most original, and in general it’s time to warm up in any case.

What else should you keep in mind when planning a trip along the M4 Don highway? In the Krasnodar region there are quite a lot of traffic cops with cameras on the roadsides. There are not very many stationary cameras, and they are visible from afar. Not all cameras issue fines; many are needed simply to monitor the traffic situation.

The M-4 “Don” road was designed by the Road Design, Survey and Research Institute GIPRODORNII and built in 1959-1966 in accordance with the requirements for a road of the third technical category - with a roadway width of 7 meters and two lanes. It was designed for light loads. From 1984 to 1990, a duplicate M-4 section was built and put into operation in the Domodedovo district of the Moscow region with a length of 18.4 km. In 1999, 72 km of road with 4 to 8 lanes were put into operation, in 2000 - 63 km of road in the Moscow and Tula regions. As a result, today's Don highway is a continuation of Lipetskaya Street in Moscow. The former route of the road - the old Kashirskoye Highway - has lost its former significance and serves mainly for regional transportation, as well as to bypass traffic jams that appear on the Don highway. In November 1998, in the Lipetsk region, a toll section of the road bypassing the village of Khlevnoye, about 20 km long, was solemnly put into operation, the first toll section in the modern history of Russian roads. In the 2000s, the reconstruction of the highway along its entire length continued, as a result of which most of the road received separate carriageways and multi-level intersections with other roads, and the length of sections with night lighting increased. Bypasses of the cities of Bogoroditsk (2009), Efremov (2010), Yelets (2011) and other settlements were built.

In 2010, the road was transferred to trust management of the State Company "Avtodor". The state-owned company, together with the Association of International Road Carriers, Support of Russia, and the media, monitored the condition of roadside service facilities, recognizing more than 50% of existing facilities as uncomfortable for use, and another 30% as not meeting legal requirements.

Almost all toll sections of the M-4 Don highway have an open toll collection system, with the exception of the section 414-464 km, which has a mixed system. Payment for the toll is made once when crossing the toll point and is not charged to users who will move within the toll area without passing through the toll point. The section in the Lipetsk region (414-464 km) has a closed toll collection system. Toll booths are located at km 416 and km 460. Payment is made upon entering the toll area and is valid for 12 hours from the date of payment. To leave the toll section, you must provide a receipt for payment of the toll to the cashier-controller of the toll gate. If travel through a toll section took more than 12 hours, then the toll must be paid again.

Throughout the entire length of the toll sections of the highway, there are stationary telephone sets for emergency notification of special services about the occurrence of an emergency (emergency commissioners). Due to the separated flows of oncoming traffic, the absence of traffic lights and the junction of secondary roads at the same level, the estimated speed of traffic on toll sections ranges from 90 to 130 km/h.

Elements have also been introduced at toll sections automated traffic control system (ATCS) which provide:

• collecting information about the situation on the road in real time through a video surveillance system
• collecting information about weather conditions from automatic road weather stations;
• collecting information on the operation of outdoor lighting and urgent operational information from emergency communication points;
• prompt decision making
• transfer of information to the relevant road maintenance services, and, if necessary, emergency services;
• informing road users about the speed limit and possible travel restrictions through information boards installed along the entire length of the road.

The toll regime for this section is being introduced on the basis of decrees of the Government of the Russian Federation, which in turn were adopted in accordance with Article 36 of the Federal Law “On Highways and Road Activities in the Russian Federation and on Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation.”

Detailed information about the location of Toll Points and Sales and Service Centers on the M-4 Don highway is available on the page

*The indicated fee is valid from (00:00:00) 04/15/2019. until 11:59:59 pm 10/13/2019
**The toll operation regime on the section km 1119-km 1195 of the M-4 Don federal highway in the Rostov region will be introduced on June 24, 2019.
***The fare is indicated only for the direct route km 21 - km 1319 of the M-4 Don highway, excluding exits.

1. Basic discount of 20% when paying for travel with a “T-pass” transponder on toll sections of the M-4 “Don” highway. When paying for travel with transponders from other issuers, the discount on travel costs will be 0%.

2. A 50% discount on travel using a T-pass transponder for vehicles of categories III and IV is valid during the daytime on the section km 517 - km 544 of the M-4 Don highway in the Voronezh region, bypassing the village. New Usman.

3. At the toll points km 62, km 71, km 133, km 515, km 1093, km 1184 and km 1223 of the M-4 “Don” highway, a subscription system operates for vehicles of categories I and II, which provides the opportunity to make a fixed number trips for a certain time using the T-pass transponder.

4. Discount when paying for travel using the "T-pass" Transponder on the toll section km 21 - km 93 (TOP km 71) - 50% for categories III and IV during the day (from 07:00 to 00:00 hours). The discount applies to the amount of the vehicle fare in effect when paying in cash, by bank card and BSK on the date of travel.

5. Additionally, a discount is provided on travel using a transponder when connecting to the Loyalty Program of the State Company "Russian Highways". Receiving a discount from 3% to 10% is possible after joining the program and accumulating the required number of bonus points for paying for travel on toll sections of roads of the State Company “Russian Highways”. The user independently activates the discount in his personal account. The discount can only be activated for the next month (or selected period), starting from the 1st, for a specific device. Points accumulated under the program are valid for 1 (one) calendar year from the date of their accumulation. Toll sections included in the interoperability system are not taken into account when accumulating points and do not provide discounts on travel under the Loyalty Program.

6. Determination of the class and pricing of the vehicle takes place directly at the Toll Point. Changing the classification of a vehicle by category occurs depending on the overall height, taking into account the cargo being transported and the number of axles. Accessories and luggage attached to the roofs of vehicles of the first and second categories are not included in the calculation of overall height.

6.1. Accessories and luggage carried on the roof and rear door of vehicles of categories 1 and 2 are not included in the calculation of overall height.

6.2. A vehicle with special technical devices such as an air conditioner mounted on the roof is classified according to its highest point.

6.3. A category I vehicle, the height of which, taking into account the cargo transported in the body, exceeds 2.6 meters, is classified into category II.

6.4. A vehicle of categories 1 and 2 with a trailer, the height of which, taking into account the cargo being transported, exceeds 2.6 meters, is classified into category II (with the exception of car transporters, tow trucks and other vehicles transporting cars).

6.5. A vehicle with snow and/or ice on the roof that affects the overall height calculation is classified according to its highest point.

6.6. Vehicles of categories III and IV with the constructive ability to lift one of the rear axles to lift it off the road surface are classified according to the number of axles actually installed on the vehicle, regardless of the position of the axles.

6.7. Vehicles moving on a rigid coupling are classified as one vehicle according to the classification characteristics of the highest vehicle, taking into account the total number of axles.

6.8. Vehicles traveling on a flexible hitch (tow rope) are classified as two independent vehicles with separate charges.

7. If a dispute arises regarding the tariffing of travel, you must contact the Sales and Service Center with a written complaint to the operator of the toll section within 30 calendar days from the moment the disputed transaction was completed. Failure to receive a written claim within the specified time frame means the user agrees to such an operation. Possible adjustments to the personal account of Electronic means of travel registration occur within 3-5 business days. In the event of a discrepancy between the category and type of vehicle (for example, due to cargo being transported on the roof), owners of Electronic means of travel registration can send an appeal to an email address (marked “Tariffication of travel”) or create a request “Informing about the fact of erroneous charging of travel” in your Personal Account.

8. Tariffs for sections included in the Agreement on Inter-Operator Cooperation (Interoperability) are posted on the page “One transponder for toll roads”, as well as on the official websites of the Issuers.

9. Information about other toll sections, travel methods and tariffs can be found on the website of the State Company "Russian Highways" Alternative route: existing highway (the old direction of the federal public highway M-4 "Don"), passing through the territory of Khlevensky district of the Lipetsk region through the village. Yeletsko-Malaninsky, village. Khlevnoe, village Horse-Well.

Alternative route:

• Southern access to Rostov-on-Don - western bypass of Rostov-on-Don, highway Rostov-on-Don (from the federal public highway M-4 "Don") - Azov, eastern bypass of the city of Azov, Azov - Aleksandrovka village - Starominskaya village, Starominskaya village - Leningradskaya village - Pavlovskaya village, Oktyabrskaya village - Pavlovskaya village - Novoplastunskaya village, bypass of the Pavlovskaya village.

Alternative route:

• Highway R-217 "Caucasus" - highway 03 OP RZ 03K-002 Temryuk - Krasnodar - Kropotkin - border of the Stavropol Territory - highway M-4 "Don".

The whole journey of 1500 km took us 3 days and along the way we also stopped in for a day, it was almost on the road. In principle, this route from Moscow to Gelendzhik/Sochi/Anapa can be covered in a day (18-25 hours), but I’m 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 500 km is the best, the driver doesn’t lose concentration.

If you want to travel faster and without stopping, then it’s better to travel by plane (via /), indeed, faster and at the same time much safer. Especially when it comes to a vacation of a couple of weeks.

If you travel with two overnight stays, then the most optimal stops will be in the Voronezh area and in Rostov-on-Don. Thus, the route will be divided into 3 sections of 500 km each. On the one hand, these cities are full of housing on the same basis (follow the link to my detailed post about the service and a bonus of $33), on the other hand, entering and leaving the city takes time, so to save time it would be better to stay not in inside the city, and in roadside hotels on the highway.

If you are not in a big hurry, then you can easily rent a normal one-room apartment on the outskirts for 1500-2000 rubles (I recommend an apartment), and a comparable hotel will cost twice as much.

As an option, 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 a hotel in front of it, and from early morning move on straight to the sea. Or plan a single overnight stay before Rostov, where the route passes through several settlements where there are motels and private housing.

Unpretentious travelers can even spend the night in a tent in forest belts, while “truck drivers” can drive for 18-25 hours without resting or spending the night. I personally don’t want to take risks, so I try not to do long hauls 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.

If the final goal is Sochi, then driving along the Tuapse-Sochi section without a preliminary break is not very pleasant, there are serpentines, traffic jams, and this section can take quite a lot of time, 2-3 times longer than usual (when compared with flat sections). Ideally, drive along it early in the morning, while there are still few cars, or at night. My average speed was 45 km/h, there were sections with one-way traffic (repairs), plus, although trucks sometimes let through on the uphill slopes, overall I still couldn’t drive fast. Only closer to Sochi and after it the speed is normal. In populated areas (and there are plenty of them there) the speed limit is often 40 km/h, on the highway it’s 70 km/h.

I usually go to Gelendzhik through Dzhubga, I like it there better, it’s a calm road, but there is an option to go through Novorossiysk. It’s better to go to Anapa by leaving the M4 highway 100 kilometers after Rostov to the village of Kanevskaya, and then driving through Timashevsk, Slavyansk-on-Kuban, sticking 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 many overnight stays you want along the way and whether you want to at all. We all went to the sea together, so we spent 2 nights, and in the end the journey took 3 light days at a calm pace.

I traveled back alone (my family flew by plane) from Adler to Moscow. I got there in 26 hours, of which I spent about 5 hours sleeping in the car near a gas station. That is, the journey itself took 21 hours. Quite quickly I think. Somewhere around 20-25 hours is worth counting on, without taking into account long stops for sleep.

Highway M4

Stripes and coating

I have already traveled on the road to the Black Sea many times. The track is slowly but changing for the better.

• First of all, we almost made two lanes in each direction from Moscow to Goryachy Klyuch. Almost, because, unfortunately, there are still sections with one lane. For example, in the Voronezh region, in the area of ​​the villages Losevo - Pavlovsk - Verkhniy Mamon, a section about 100 km long.
• In the Rostov region, the metal divider with oncoming traffic periodically disappears, markings disappear, irregularities, cracks, etc. appear (I was driving in the dark, it was completely inconvenient), just like in the Voronezh region. In fact, the best part of the M4 is between Moscow and Voronezh; in theory, it should be like this along its entire length. Will wait:)
• After Goryachiy Klyuch to Dzhubga there is single-lane traffic with periodic overtaking lanes. She appears there quite often.
• From Dzhubga to Tuapse the pattern is approximately the same, only a small serpentine and a third lane is quite rare. From Dzhubga to Geledzhik there is also one lane, but there is almost no serpentine, so the section is covered quickly.
• From Tuapse to Sochi there is a concrete serpentine road and there is almost no way to overtake.
• From Rostov to Anapa there is a single lane with a bunch of trucks and old Kamaz trucks, and only after turning from the Temryuk highway to Anapa do they disappear. We tried to use the navigator to take bypass roads (we drove from Rostov to Azov and then bypassed the cities), but the roads there were bad in some places, the distance was generally longer, but the plus was that there were few cars. Whether they won or not, I don’t know.

Fines and cameras

There are a lot of cameras along the road, so getting a fine for not complying with the speed limit is not a problem. But it’s for the better, we’ll all be more alive. I moved everywhere at a maximum speed of +15 to the permitted speed, that is, basically 115-125 km/h.

For the entire trip there and back, I usually receive 1-2 fines for 500 rubles (with a discount of 250 rubles). Apparently, somewhere I think about it and start driving faster. In fact, the route is conducive to this.

Paid areas

There are currently 13 toll sections on the highway, most of which are between Moscow and Voronezh. Visually, they are not much different from other sections of the route; I did not notice any serious differences. The speed limit on toll sections is 110-130 km/h (mostly 110), on free sections with a “Motorway” sign it is also 110.

Price: 30-210 rubles per plot. The entire journey along all toll sections in 2019 costs 1,520 rubles during the day and 850 rubles at night. Night rates are cheaper. Remember, in some areas you need to show a receipt when leaving, so don’t throw away your receipts.

Rest on the road and refueling

We mainly stayed at Lukoil because there is a civilian toilet, a minimarket, a children's playground and tables on the street for snacks. At least in the first half of the M4, Lukoil gas stations are equipped in this way, 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, the cafes only had coffee/tea and buns, but here they have straight food.

Well done Lukoil - many gas stations have playgrounds and tables for snacks
Mandatory nap stop. Holding a toy with your chin is also a must

The Osetrovsky bridgehead is right next to it, a beautiful place with a complicated history
There are Russian expanses all around... M4 in the background

The territory of this gas station was very large and many stood at the far end, where there is shade and benches with tables. So, in order not to go anywhere, people immediately relieved themselves behind the partition, which created a wild stench and heat. I was surprised not even by laziness to walk 100 meters to the toilet, but by the fact that the stench did not bother anyone, people sat there calmly and ate. Hmm.

If anyone doesn’t know, there are also parking lots along the way. But, to put it mildly, they are not very pleasant: a lot of garbage and absolutely dirty toilets. Moreover, if there is some kind of infrastructure in the parking lot, for example, illegal cafes, then there will be much more trouble. 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 are no cafes.

And one more thing, it’s better to go to the toilet ONLY at gas stations.

Parking with infrastructure, that is, with cafes
Cafes can look like this, completely unpresentable

Toilets in parking lots are a sad sight.
The restrooms at bus stops are cleaner, but don’t delude yourself

There is a lot of garbage 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 while throwing away trash
One last sunset

Impressions from the trip

The top impressions are still the toilets with their parking lots and smoking trucks; in this regard, unfortunately, nothing has changed in 5 years. The pleasant thing is that the road has become better, and the open spaces around have not gone away.

After Rostov-on-Don, I was sick of the single-lane road, but this is more relevant for those who are going to Anapa, Temryuk, that is, leaving the M-4 to the right.

We drove this last section for a very long time, full of trucks (apparently they are going just to Port Caucasus). The trucks are destroyed, not only are you dragging behind them at 50-60 km/h, but there are also clouds of smoke, no cabin filters can 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 with 2-3 times more weight, so that the car cannot crawl up the hill and is killed, and then they buy a state maintenance ticket, although it is no longer a car, but a steam locomotive, and they drive on.

Smoking trucks along the road, the closer to the south, the more of them, every second
Road to Anapa, covered in places with waves

For some reason, Megafon's reception along the way is pretty bad. You stop at a gas station to let your child eat, you want to check your email and post a photo, but the Internet is almost dead. Surprisingly, on my last trip I tested a SIM card from , it actually works better.

Radio everywhere is not for everyone, either Russian retro or chanson. You need to take disks or a flash drive with you. And by the way, not every radio will reliably pick up a signal at such distances from large cities.

Yandex.Navigator takes the shortest route, even if it is a dirt road, there is no choice of “fast” or “short”. And, if you don’t really need a navigator to travel along the M4 (there’s nowhere to get lost there), then for exploring any surrounding areas away from the highway, it’s better to use normal navigators.

A short sketch of what a toilet looks like on the most modern highway in Russia, the M4.