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

Unlike previous countries, there are no direct flights to Georgia from Russia*, but the land border is open, and from Tbilisi airport you can go to major destinations in Europe.

* Direct flights from Moscow to Tbilisi have been resumed since May 19, 2023. The average ticket price is about 17 thousand rubles.

UAE, Dubai

Dubai is rapidly developing 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. Keep in mind that the journey to the capital of the Emirates can take a long time, so consider the risks of losing a lot of time along with transfers.

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. The capital's airport has flights to all major European destinations.

Norway

The most unusual option is the route through Norway. The Northern Kingdom did not close its borders, which means that it is possible to get to the Schengen countries through Norway.

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.