Hitchhiking from Ardon
Hitchhiking to Ardon
Recent reviews mentioning Ardon
43.31943, 44.22668
Got a ride to Naltchik. Quite difficult to stop cars especially before the military checkpoint. I decided to go after the gas station there was very slow traffic there. Thanks Ibrahim!―cavalierrustique
43.05946, 44.63864
Good spot to get out of the city, was taken by police officer. Thanks Tamaz.―cavalierrustique
42.74791, 44.62348
We crossed from Georgia to Russia on a Monday morning in July 2024, then back on a Sunday afternoon. Some things for hitchhikers to note:-It can be cold and rainy even in summer, be prepared.
-Line of cars were backed up on both sides all the way to the borders. It's very far from one border to another, but the traffic was so bad that it was faster to walk. For the love of all that's holy, if the traffic is backed up all the way to customs, WALK!!!! You are SO lucky, you're the only person who is not tied to waiting for a car. On the return trip we stupidly decided to stay with our ride and we spent over 9 hours in the line. Just get out and walk, please.
-We'd heard you couldn't cross the border walking, but nobody stopped us on the Georgian side. You just need a car to cross customs on the Russian side, after that, say thanks to your ride, and get out and walk..
-There are two tunnels. At the first tunnel we got in a car going to Vladikavkaz, but ended up sitting in line for hours, we should have walked.
-We ended up getting out and walking after a while, but were stopped within sight of the Russian checkpoint, so we got in another car at the front of the line. Probably saved an hour or two by just getting out and walking ten minutes.
-If you choose to walk the tunnels, wear a facemask, the pollution inside is quite heavy, but you can cross in 15 minutes or so, so it's doable. Ideally have a flashlight too, as tunnels are quite dim, and there are a lot of broken bottles on the ground. Make sure to walk on the right of traffic against tunnel wall,NOT in the middle, as cheaters cut the line and zoom around very recklessly.
-Go to the bathroom BEFORE you cross. There are portapoties on the bridge, but they have poop piled up since the time of the tsars.
-Exchange any money you need before crossing. In Russia, foreign bank cards don't work, and you can only exchange money at banks for very bad rates.
―ColombianCouple