There is only one airport in Sochi, it is located in Adler (about 30 km away from the centre of Sochi), serves the entire Sochi agglomeration and border regions of Abkhazia (the state border passes 36 km away from the centre of Sochi and 7 km away from the airport).

Transport in Sochi. Sochi has long been a nightmare of a car-driver. The situation with regard to traffic jams worsened before the Olympic Games, but still improved after the introduction of new roads and interchanges - a relief road of Kurortny Avenue, as well as the new Krasnopolyanskoe Highway opened at the end of 2013. The airport located in Adler and the Central Railway Station are connected by an aeroexpress train with an intermediate stop at the railway station of Adler.

There is a great number of taxis, municipal and private ones, in Sochi. It is cheaper to use the services of official companies. This also relates to the trips to the airport — after the appearance of an aeroexpress train Sochi taxi drivers stopped shamelessly raising prices.

At the beginning of 2014 an average fare from the centre of Sochi to the airport was 1000-1500 roubles. Before the Olympics a train was launched from Adler to the mountains, to Krasnaya Polyana.

Souvenirs

All souvenirs at the resorts of Greater Sochi are, basically, the same. In the season of 2013/14 souvenirs with Olympic symbols practically drove away the traditional shells and “trees of happiness”.

Edible gifts: we recommend to try chestnut honey in Lazarevsky district, Krasnodar (Dagomysskij) tea (Solokhaul is the birthplace of Russian tea), herbal teas, nuts (hazelnuts and walnuts), jam made of small pine cones.

The closer to Abkhazia, the more chances to buy home-made wine you have (frankly speaking, it is better to buy it through friends, good wine has long been in short supply), spices from Abkhazia. The settlements of Krasnaya Polyana are famous for their honey, but you need to wait until the bees “have some rest” after the construction of Olympic facilities. It is better get honey in the village with the speaking name “Medoveevka” (derived from the Russian word meaning “honey”).

 

Read more about Sochi...