Travel in Times of restrictions

[Lynxyonok 316]

Since citizenship has become a factor in 2022 when it comes to travel, it may help to have a dedicated logistics thread for petitioners / beneficiaries attempting to access / leave Russia, Belarus, and other impacted countries in the region for the purpose of eventual travel to the United States.

 

Essentially, a repository of stories of success and incurred hurdles, a library of events related to visa acceptance at border crossings and airline / train / bus companies, and so on.

 

After all, petitioners and beneficiaries still have to get to Warsaw or Frankfurt somehow to go forward with their visa progress, unless they have succeeded with a case transfer elsewhere.

[Lynxyonok 316]

I'm flying from US to Moscow on 12/26/2022 and back on 1/2/2023 using Air Serbia with a stopover in Belgrade.

 

If anyone has any questions, requests for things to look out for, and so on, please ask, and I will do my best to answer them as I go through the experience.

 

And, of course, I'd love to hear logistical stories from everyone else who's crossing borders in this time of trial.

[ChristopherG 8]

3 hours ago, Lynxyonok said:

I'm flying from US to Moscow on 12/26/2022 and back on 1/2/2023 using Air Serbia with a stopover in Belgrade.

 

If anyone has any questions, requests for things to look out for, and so on, please ask, and I will do my best to answer them as I go through the experience.

 

And, of course, I'd love to hear logistical stories from everyone else who's crossing borders in this time of trial.

Hello!
Would you let us know if there is a location in SVO for currency exchange?

thank you, it is greatly appreciated!

[Dashinka 24,635]

My wife went to Krasnoyarsk back in early September.  She flew via Dubai to Novosibirsk.  Prior to the war we would fly through Beijing or Incheon.  I think the Incheon route is still closed, but the flights through China may have opened back up.

[Lynxyonok 316]

9 hours ago, ChristopherG said:

Hello!
Would you let us know if there is a location in SVO for currency exchange?

thank you, it is greatly appreciated!

Yes, before passport control and after one. The latter has better exchange rates (by as much as a third!), although not as good as those in the city.

[Simplytex 387]

15 hours ago, Lynxyonok said:

I'm flying from US to Moscow on 12/26/2022 and back on 1/2/2023 using Air Serbia with a stopover in Belgrade.

 

If anyone has any questions, requests for things to look out for, and so on, please ask, and I will do my best to answer them as I go through the experience.

 

And, of course, I'd love to hear logistical stories from everyone else who's crossing borders in this time of trial.

My wife is visiting me right now, she flew from SVO to Belgrade, seems like this went without any problems (had later delays with Lufthansa in Germany en route to Italy). She goes back on January 5th so will just be just missing crossing paths. Of course, she's Russian so no real problems in the last few months at the border either way. I think they get the typical questions about how much money they are taking out, but that's it.

[Lynxyonok 316]

7 hours ago, Simplytex said:

My wife is visiting me right now, she flew from SVO to Belgrade, seems like this went without any problems (had later delays with Lufthansa in Germany en route to Italy). She goes back on January 5th so will just be just missing crossing paths. Of course, she's Russian so no real problems in the last few months at the border either way. I think they get the typical questions about how much money they are taking out, but that's it.

 

Thank you. What did she think about Belgrade airport? I have lo-o-ong layovers and I was considering getting out into town for a bit.

[Simplytex 387]

7 hours ago, Lynxyonok said:

 

Thank you. What did she think about Belgrade airport? I have lo-o-ong layovers and I was considering getting out into town for a bit.

I've been to Belgrade as well. The airport is currently in the middle of a major renovation, but overall it's pretty nice and clean, and I think free wifi throughout. She just had a 5ish hour layover there and was happy enough to idle at the airport.

 

If you are going to go into town, taxis are a fixed rate to the center of the old town (2200 dinar, if you take the "passport coupon" from inside the airport, just as you leave arrivals area) but some grifters try to intercept you before you get to the official taxi rank. 

[Lynxyonok 316]

On 12/20/2022 at 8:35 PM, Lynxyonok said:

I'm flying from US to Moscow on 12/26/2022 and back on 1/2/2023 using Air Serbia with a stopover in Belgrade.

 

I'm back! So, without further ado, a small review:

 

First of all, I've been very pleased with Serbs, their airline, and the airport.

 

People are kind and hard-working. Sure, you get an occasional lazy bone or a grumpy pie, but overall, they are willing to go to the extra step even for a stranger. Especially if the stranger is equally kind in return.

 

They are growing their airline. They are moving from a helter-skelter patchwork flight schedule (today this route leaves in the morning, two days later - at night) to a more predictable system - flights to JFK are now leaving the same time every day. And now that they've brought the second long-range airbus out of storage, they aren't even late as much! Oh, did I mention that they are leg cramp-free due to not having squeezed their seats like, well, every other competitor?

 

They are building up their airport. Sure, it's incomplete: bring power banks. Sure, it's only got one currency exchange location, and it's a machine at that which gives 1,000-dinar notes inadmissible in vending machines. Sure, just like in the days of good old USSR most things close down at 10pm, no matter how many passengers are roaming the halls. But it's clean. Very, very clean. And there's staff roaming around the clock. And there's even a section with soft seats.

 

They care about your protection. Yes, you will go through no fewer than three layers of security checks - even during transfer, even right as you are about to board the aircraft - and you will even have to send your passport and boarding pass through the x-ray machine at times.

 

I will say though that travelling on Air Serbia via Belgrad (Beograd) felt like going back to USSR.

 

Those of you old enough to know what that was like, would you agree?

Anyways - I know I will be back.

 

Questions?