getting here
From Moscow by public transportation
The direct bus Moscow to Staritsa leaves from Metro Tushinskaya (north-west end) at 10:20 daily, and also at 4pm on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It may be a good idea to get your ticket in advance. If not, be there no less than one hour before the departure. Unless it is Friday night, in which case you absolutely do need to order tickets.
As of September 2008 the tickets are around 300 roubles, or $12 each.
I've made friends with the ticket goddesses behind little barred windows at the Tushinskaya bus station. Now I can ask them to hold your ticket for you. Your part in dealing with ticket divinities is to offer them a suitable sacrifice (a good chocolate bar and/or a bottle of "Soviet Champaign" is appropriate). And of course you MUST be there, or else they will get pissed and refuse putting aside tickets for the next traveller. Welcome to the Russian style of service the public. But you wanted authenticity, didn't you?
Or you can travel through Tver, which in itself may be a place worth visiting. Just go to the Leningradsky station (Metro Komsololskaya), take anything that moves to Tver (bus, train, "elektrichka" - no need to plan), and then a Tver to Staritsa bus if tickets are available, or a cab (1100 roubles if one is sent from Staritsa but in Tver they tend to ask much more). Busses run from Tver to Staritsa hourly or so starting 7am. The last one however leaves shortly after 5pm.
See the Tver page of my Moscow to St. Petersburg through small towns and villages project for a bit of orientation around Tver, especially if you plan to stay there for any length of time.
The bus will take you to the Staritsa Bus Station. Some buses go beyond Staritsa to Rzhev, so don't fall asleep. Travel time from Tver to Staritsa is one hour-something.
So you find your self at the Staritsa bus station. Now you need to get to the village of Dubrovki. As of February 2009 I don't have anything with wheels AND a motor, except the lawnmower. I can send a car which will either get you to the sand pits behind the village of Ryblovo ("Ryblovksy Karyer"). This will be a 10 min. 140 rouble ($5-6) ride. The village of Dubrovki is on the other side of the Volga. We'll welcome you into genuine rural Russia with our trademark leaking wooden boat.
Ava Blair, an English teacher and a writer from America, found herself overcome with religious sentiment as soon as she stepped into this aquatic vehicle.
Or you can be taken to the village of Kholokholnya, a short walk from Dubrovki. The cab ride from Staritsa to Kholokholnye is 450 roubles ($13) as of February 2009.
Circumstances permitting I will meet you myself with a sleigh or cart pulled Romashka or one of her children. If I believe you belong to 1% of humanity with which I would enjoy a conversation as we leisurely progress along the dirt road by the Volga I'll meet you myself.
Yet another way to get from Staritsa to Dubrovki. Takes less than an hour. Safety vest available for wimps and sissies.If there are 2-3 of you it may be easier to hire a cab. Some prices: $120-150 to send a cab from Staritsa to Moscow. $50 or so from Tver to Staritsa, or $60-65 directly to Dubrovki, road situation permitting....
All prices are valid as of September 2008!!!
If you want to get from Staritsa to Dubrovki on your own
To get to Dubrovki from Staritsa you go to the "St. Petersburg" (west) side of the city. Travel towards Station Staritsa, turn right before Cherenicheno to Pankovo, drive 7km to Pankovo, go through the village till you get, after another 5-6 km, to Penturovo. At Penturovo turn right behind the bus shelter onto a dirt road that will take you to Kholokholnya, which is across the stream from us. Any of the locals will tell you where to find us. I strongly recommend that you have a cell phone on you before embarking on this adventure.
Here is the address in Russian. Print it out and show it to friendly locals who will point in the right direction
Деревня Дубровки, рядом с д. Холохольня. От Старицы ехать в сторону Станции Старица, не доезжая до Череничино повернуть направо в сторону Паньково, ехать через Паньково до Пентурово (12-14км), за автобусной остановкой в Пентурово повернуть направо на грунтовую дорогу, которая приведет вас в Холохольню. Если вода низкая, пересекаете ручей и спрашиваете, где здесь живет дядя Паша.
If walking or if the roads are really dry and water in the stream going down the Volga is really low, you can attempt walking/driving 10 km down on the left side ("Leningradskaya storona") of the Volga. Just follow the Volga till you see ruins of a church. There, congratulations.
From St. Petersburg
An overnight train will take you to Tver. You will be there around 5 or 6am. Then take the bus to Staritsa as described above.
There is a direct St. Petersburg to Staritsa train every other day. The train station is about 10 miles from the city and about the same from us.
See maps of the area before heading our way. It help to know the layout of the place.
from moscow by car
Before my license had expired I used to take the Riga highway and then turn right, towards Staritsa, at Zubtsov or earlier, at Volokolamsk, depending on how fast I want to get here vs. how much I want to turn off the main highway. You may even want to travel through New Jerusalem. Some of the highlights of the Moscow to Staritsa trip are mentioned in my Moscow to St. Petersburg page.
What you do after you get to Staritsa depends a lot of the time of year and weather conditions. Take a look at the maps, get the basic idea of what's where, and get specific instructions from us just before leaving.
A cell phone on you is almost a necessity. Contact me if you need assistance getting set up with one in Moscow.
My phone number is 8-910-932-5546. Have telephone numbers of my associates on you while travelling in Russia.
The map showing how to get from Moscow to Staritsa
Detailed map of the area north from Staritsa with the village of Dubrovki on it.
See also
www.map.tver.ru
February 25, 2009
You can explore small towns and rural Russia using Staritsa as your base. Here is the Staritsa bus station destinations and departure times:
(click to enlarge)