How to get to Europe in 2024?

Due to the restrictions imposed since 2022, traveling has become a little more difficult. We will consider all the possibilities to visit the Old World after the sanctions.

At the beginning of 2022, sanctions were imposed on Russian airlines and airports, and the EU states bordering Russia (Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland) closed their borders and stopped issuing visas. Thus, it became almost impossible to get to Europe.

But is it that bad? Let's explore options on how to get into the European Union in 2024.

Turkey

Istanbul has become one of the main transport hubs for Russians, because flights from Russia depart to it, and from this hub you can easily get anywhere in the world. Turkey can also be reached by car, crossing Georgia.

Kazakhstan

The neighboring state with the longest border does not currently have any restrictions on flights. The advantage of Kazakhstan is simplified overland entry, so you do not need a foreign passport to travel to the country. If you live in the border cities of Russia, you can take your car and get to the nearest airport of a neighboring state without any problems.

Georgia

Since May 19, 2023, direct flights from Moscow to Tbilisi and Moscow to Batumi have been resumed, in addition, the land border has been opened, and from the airports of Georgia you can go to many major destinations in Europe.

UAE, Dubai

Dubai is developing rapidly and is one of the world's main transport hubs. From here you can get to anywhere in the world without transfers: from Washington to Hong Kong. If you have a good budget, this is definitely the best option for traveling. Do not forget about the airport in the capital of the UAE — Abu Dhabi. 

Armenia

You can easily get to the mountainous country by plane or by car through Georgia. The advantage is the absence of a visa regime, which means that you can enter the country using a Russian passport without a visa fee. Yerevan Airport has flights to all major European destinations.

Norway

The most unusual option is the route through Norway. The Northern Kingdom did not immediately close its borders, which means that it was possible to get to the Schengen countries through Norway. Alas, since May 29, 2024, the border crossing between Russia and Norway for tourist purposes has been closed for Russian citizens!

I told you more about this path in the article Norway — by car to Europe.

Belarus

If you have a passport of Belarus, another country or a valid non-tourist visa, then you can travel by car from the neighboring republic to Poland or Lithuania.

If you want to get to Europe by plane, then you can take a direct flight to Tbilisi via Minsk, from where you can go to a European country.