I left my native Zaporozhye in April to recover from the loss of my loved ones. When I came back in July, a different landscape was waiting for me in places familiar from my childhood. There were new territories, tons of garbage and the famous lands of the Great Meadow, which few living citizens have seen. I managed to make a report on how Khortytskyi Plavniye now looks like, and at the same time to help clean up the new territories.
In the distant 1950, the USSR began construction of another hydroelectric power plant in what was then Soviet Ukraine. It was one of the greatest constructions of that time. 12 thousand people, 1100 vehicles, 30 excavators, 75 cranes, 100 bulldozers, 14 steam locomotives were involved.
One of the most memorable places in Ivano-Frankivsk region for me were Buchtivetsky and Krapelkovy waterfalls. I visited them when I first came to the Carpathian region and since then I have not only traveled there many times myself, but also took all my friends there, who asked me to show them something interesting.
Today I want to show you how I saw them and give you some basic tourist information for those who want to visit them.
I really love waterfalls. It’s my passion. Perhaps the reason for this is that I was born in a flat area and had never seen them before I started actively traveling by car. I even managed to find a small waterfall near the town of Volnyansk in Zaporozhye region, but it is man-made and very small.
Surprisingly, by my thirtieth birthday, I had never picked mushrooms. I don’t know how it happened. I wanted to try, but I couldn’t get my hands on them. Still, you need to know mushroom places, understand how and what to do. In general, I put it off for a long time. Until at one point, sitting in a guest at the acquaintances from the church, I did not hear from them a proposal – do you want to go with us for mushrooms?
At that moment, I was going through some difficulties in my life, losses and a lot of psychological stress. So I grabbed this chance with both hands: I could take my mind off my problems, even for a day! And also to realize my dream! It so happened that a day later, I got up at dawn and drove along the luxurious highway N08 towards Dnepropetrovsk to get to the Samara forest.
[toc]
As it was
Not oversleeping was the main task. Since working at the factory, I had never been in the habit of getting up so early. That’s why I had a dozen alarm clocks set for 4am. But, as is often the case when traveling, when you have a goal, you wake up quickly and without problems.
After a quick snack, I went outside. It was foggy. No, it wasn’t. It was like the fog of a Stephen King movie of the same name. You couldn’t see a thing.
Literally by feel I got to my friends. They lived in the village and my going to them to open the trunk ended up with my sneakers covered in a ton of mud. It wasn’t deadly in itself, but they started sliding desperately on the pedals in the car. I had to change my shoes, but I left in Lacosta sneakers, while I had my trusty Columbia trekking sneakers in the trunk for the hike.
After loading up my golf, we set off. Once on the embankment, I wanted to speed up to save time, but no such luck. Despite the empty morning road, the poor visibility didn’t inspire confidence. That’s when I realized that high beam in the fog is an evil enemy and only worsens the situation.
At the exit of the city we stopped to meet other participants of our trip, bought a coffee so as not to fall asleep at the wheel and went on.
The road to Dnipro (Dnipropetrovsk) flew by very quickly. It was one of the best highways in Ukraine for 2022: 3 lanes in each direction, perfectly smooth, with a dividing strip. They fly here and 300 without any problems.
Then we turned to Kamenskoye. At the checkpoint (due to the war they were put in many places) a local policeman looked into the car and realizing that we were going for mushrooms said that we were going too late: it was already 10 in the morning, and mushroom pickers arrive at 6 – 7. I quietly groaned, imagining what would have happened if I had left at 2am.
After wandering around the settlement some more and buying some candy bars and bananas and water at the ATB supermarket, we headed on.
The road on the left bank of the Dnieper was the complete opposite of the highway we had taken to get here (and the same one I had soon used to drive to Kiev). It was in terrible condition, potholes 10 centimeters deep and more, constant joints and sharp stones under the wheels. I strongly recommend to drive here only on good rubber and best of all – on an off-road vehicle. Although my Golf Varient coped well.
When we drove into the forest itself, having left the road on sandy trails – I was unspeakably glad (as when we went to the Burbuk waterfall in Khmelnitsky region).
All the roadsides were already packed with mushroomers’ cars. There were not just a lot of them. It seemed as if the whole Ukraine had come here to pick mushrooms.
But the family who suggested the place drove ahead and didn’t stop. They led to the place they liked and we obediently followed them. And finally, the finish line! We parked on the grass.
The experienced mushroomers from our company, which, as it turned out, numbered a dozen cars, went straight into the forest. I walked around and asked what to do. I was shown one mushroom that I could remember, which was edible, and then I was handed a package from ATB.
Oh, well. It’s time to be alone with my thoughts, I decided. Quickly changing my leather jacket for a jeans jacket (by this time the weather had improved considerably) and taking with me a knife and gloves from the car repair kit, I set off into the forest.
The main reference point for me was the cobwebs. If it clung to my face, it meant that no one had gone there before me. And that was the main task – to get away from everyone and concentrate on thoughts and sensations.
My impressions
Picking mushrooms without knowing anything about them is a very ambiguous process. I came to the conclusion that I would just throw them away 😎. But friends took them to the common basket to cook the next day. I hope they’re okay 🤷♂️
At first I thought I was completely unable to find any mushrooms. I couldn’t see them at all. I walked around for half an hour with no results, not even a fly agaric or bogan mushroom.
And then I realized that the problem was my inattention. I don’t usually pay attention to details. In this case, it was crucial. After that, everything changed dramatically.
Mantis in the Samara forest
Unhurriedly, I advanced into the forest, found whole glades with mushrooms, picked them and enjoyed myself. A special excitement. It is not for nothing that mushroom picking is called “Silent Hunting”.
Conclusion
I genuinely enjoyed spending time picking mushrooms. It allows you to be alone with your thoughts, to be secluded with nature, to listen to birdsong and not to be in a hurry. And at the same time it is better to do it when you need to sort yourself out, to think something over.
In my case, being alone with my thoughts meant going even deeper into depression. And it was good that I got out of this abyss of negativity in time, focusing on nature.
Selfies after mushroom picking in Samara forest
The Samara forest itself is beautiful. It is fabulous! I would love to come back here not only to pick mushrooms, but also to ride a bicycle. In addition, the Samara River flows here, where you can go kayaking.
If it weren’t for the sounds of explosions and sirens coming from far away, reminding me how close the front was – it would have been wonderful.
The place is wonderful, I highly recommend to visit! Approximate coordinates 48.733333, 35.450000
Burbun Falls was not originally familiar to me. Moreover, I had never even heard of it. Just one of the evenings in Kamyanets-Podilskyi, I entered in my phone the query “What to see in the vicinity” and in addition to quite hackneyed places like Khotyn Fortress, I suddenly found several waterfalls. And who doesn’t know – this is my weakness.
Not thinking long, we decided to go on a trip to the waterfalls the next day. The first one on the way was Malijevica and the next one was Burbun. It was the one I was most eager to get to, as the photo reminded me of the Plitvice Lakes, which I had long dreamed of (and visited in 2023 while traveling in Croatia).
Makovytsia is one of the most popular peaks in the Ukrainian Carpathians. This is due to several factors at once: being right in the resort being visited and the ease of climbing. We traveled here for the first time as a group of three people, one of whom was pregnant and yet managed the trek with ease.
Mount Makovytsia is part of the Gorgany mountain range. The entrance is located in the village of Yaremche, which is visited by tens of thousands of people every year for tourism purposes (and even more so after the Ukrainian authorities stopped letting people out of the country). Its altitude is 984.5 meters above sea level.
If you plan to travel with your own car beyond Europe, you will most likely have to apply for a Carnet de Passages. What it is and where to get it – let’s try to understand in this article.
Introduction
Preparing for any journey requires encountering bureaucracy. Unfortunately, you can’t go anywhere without it. However, most often it is enough to issue a passport and travel insurance, get a visa if required and you can set off on your journey.
With a car, things are a bit more complicated. Here you will need Green Card insurance and, in some cases, an international driver’s license. I talk about this in detail in the article “How to travel abroad by car”.
And so, when your routes go off the beaten track in Europe or North America, you may suddenly hear about Carnet de Passages. And it is good if you hear about it in advance, on the Internet from more experienced travelers than at the customs of another country.
There isn’t a lot of information about Carnet. The whole point is that the countries that still require it are not the most easily accessible to the motorist and there are few of them.
What is Carnet de Passages
in French its full name is Carnet de Passages en Douane. This is a customs declaration created back in 1911 to facilitate customs declaration of a vehicle imported by a foreign citizen from abroad.
All theory aside, it works like this: in some countries the duty on importing a car is quite high. And to protect yourself from illegal import machinations of vehicles when you import it, you must either clear it or present a Carnet. It is a guarantee that when you leave the country, the car will leave with you. If this does not happen, the government will request a refund from the organization that issued you the declaration. This money will be withdrawn from your deposit.
The official document is valid for 12 months and is not car or liability insurance.
Which countries require a Carnet de Passages
In fact, many states have long since abandoned the use of this declaration. However, a number of countries still require a Carnet upon entry.
Information on the Internet is sometimes very contradictory. There are several reasons for this:
public authorities of some countries are virtually unrepresented or very poorly represented on the global network;
often travelers rely on their personal experience, especially like to say that the document is not necessary if they managed to get through without it.
The information below has been gathered from official sources and from the website of the German Automobile Association, which is responsible for the issuance of Carnets.
Countries where Carnet de Passages are mandatory
🇦🇺 Australia
🇧🇩 Bangladesh
🇧🇭 Bahrain
🇧🇼 Botswana
🇧🇳 Brunei Darussalam
🇧🇮 Burundi
🇧🇹 Bhutan
🇻🇪 Venezuela
🇹🇱 East Timor
🇪🇬 Egypt
🇮🇳 India
🇮🇩 Indonesia
🇮🇶 Iraq
🇮🇷 Iran
🇶🇦 Qatar
🇰🇪 Kenya
🇱🇸 Lesotho
🇱🇾 Libya
🇲🇼 Malawi
🇲🇾 Malaysia
🇲🇲 Myanmar (Burma)
🇳🇦 Namibia
🇳🇵 Nepal
🇳🇿 New Zealand
🇦🇪 UAE
🇴🇲 Oman
🇵🇰 Pakistan
🇵🇪 Peru
🇷🇼 Rwanda
🇸🇳 Senegal
🇸🇬 Singapore
🇸🇾 Syria
🇸🇩 Sudan
🇹🇿 Tanzania
🇺🇬 Uganda
🇪🇨 Ecuador
🇸🇿 Eswatini (Swaziland)
🇿🇦 SOUTH AFRICA
🇸🇸 South Sudan
🇯🇵 Japan
When you enter any of these countries with your own car or motorcycle, you must show a Carnet. Without it, you will not be allowed in, and if you do, you may have your vehicle confiscated at the exit or be forced to pay a heavy fine.
Countries where Carnet de Passages are recommended
🇦🇷 Argentina
🇧🇯 Benin
🇧🇫 Burkina Faso
🇬🇦 Gabon
🇬🇲 Gambia
🇬🇭 Ganna
🇬🇳 Guinea
🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau
🇨🇬 D.R. Congo
🇩🇯 Djibouti
🇿🇲 Zambia
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
🇯🇴 Jordan
🇨🇲 Cameroon
🇨🇴 Colombia
🇨🇩 Congo
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
🇨🇮 Côte d’Ivoire
🇱🇧 Lebanon
🇲🇱 Mali
🇲🇿 Mozambique
🇲🇳 Mongolia
🇳🇪 Niger
🇳🇬 Nigeria
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
🇹🇬 Togo
🇺🇾 Uruguay
🇨🇫 CAR
🇹🇩 Chad
🇨🇱 Chile
🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea
🇪🇹 Ethiopia
Officially, the above declaration is not on the list of requirements here, but they recognize it and having it removes most of the questions of the customs authorities. Therefore, it is better to have it available so as not to complicate your life.
Carnet de Passages is not necessary
🇦🇹 Austria
🇦🇿 Azerbaijan
🇦🇱 Albania
🇩🇿 Algeria
🇦🇴 Angola
🇦🇩 Andorra
🇦🇲 Armenia
🇦🇫 Afghanistan
🇧🇿 Belize
🇧🇪 Belgium
🇧🇾 Belarus
🇧🇴 Bolivia
🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina
🇧🇷 Brazil
🇻🇦 Vatican City
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
🇭🇺 Hungary
🇬🇾 Guyana
🇬🇹 Guatemala
🇩🇪 Germany
🇭🇳 Honduras
🇬🇷 Greece
🇬🇪 Georgia
🇪🇭 Western Sahara
🇮🇱 Israel
🇮🇪 Ireland
🇪🇸 Spain
🇮🇸 Iceland
🇮🇹 Italy
🇾🇪 Yemen
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
🇨🇦 Canada
🇨🇾 Cyprus
🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan
🇨🇳 China
🇽🇰 Kosovo
🇱🇻 Latvia
🇱🇷 Liberia
🇱🇹 Lithuania
🇱🇮 Liechtenstein
🇱🇺 Luxembourg
🇲🇷 Mauritania
🇲🇬 Madagascar
🇲🇹 Malta
🇲🇦 Morocco
🇲🇽 Mexico
🇲🇩 Moldova
🇲🇨 Monaco
🇳🇱 Netherlands
🇳🇮 Nicaragua
🇳🇴 Norway
🇵🇦 Panama
🇵🇾 Paraguay
🇵🇱 Poland
🇵🇹 Portugal
🇷🇺 Russia
🇷🇴 Romania
🇸🇻 El Salvador
🇸🇲 San Marino
🇲🇰 North Macedonia
🇷🇸 Serbia
🇸🇰 Slovakia
🇸🇮 Slovenia
🇸🇴 Somalia
🇸🇷 Suriname
🇺🇸 U.S.
🇸🇱 Sierra Leone
🇹🇯 Tajikistan
🇹🇳 Tunisia
🇹🇲 Turkmenistan
🇹🇷 Turkey
🇺🇦 Ukraine
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan
🇫🇮 Finland
🇫🇷 France
🇬🇫 French Guinea
🇵🇫 French Polynesia
🇲🇪 Montenegro
🇨🇿 Czech Republic
🇨🇭 Switzerland
🇸🇪 Sweden
🇪🇷 Eritrea
🇪🇪 Estonia
In these countries, you only need the standard documents for traveling by car. You can safely import and export your vehicle without a declaration, which is the subject of this article.
No precise information
🇻🇺 Vanuatu
🇳🇨 New Caledonia
🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea
🇰🇵 North Korea
🇹🇼 Taiwan
🇫🇯 Fiji
🇵🇭 Philippines
🇰🇷 South Korea
No information on these countries yet, but I’m working on updating the article with current data.
Where to apply for a Carnet de Passages
It’s all in the details. And this is where we come up against one of the main problems: where to formalize the Carnet de Passage? Ideally, national automobile associations should do it. That is, you go to the official website, find the contacts of the automobile association in your country of vehicle registration, go to them and get everything done.
But that would be too easy. Because in some countries there are no such associations. In others, they do exist, but de facto do not function or do not fulfill their function. For example, in my country, Ukraine, the automobile association simply said that they did not issue this document and that it was my problem.
In such a case, automobile associations of civilized countries come to the rescue. For example, it is reliably known that it is possible to obtain a Carnet de Passages in the USA, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
And, at the time of writing this article, I consider the German ADAC to be the best option, as they issue documents for foreign-registered cars and do it online as well. Although the prices are a bit higher than in Eastern European countries.
How to issue a Carnet de Passages
To obtain a Carnet de Passages, you will have to pay for the procedure of its production (depending on the organization and country it will cost you $300 – $600) and make a deposit.
The deposit depends on the value of the car. For example, the deposit for a car costing up to 7500 euros will be 5000 euros, and for a car costing 80000 euros it will vary from 15000 to 60000 dollars (depending on the countries to be covered by the guarantee).
Perhaps the deposit is the main stumbling block, as not every traveler has 5,000 euros in reserve that they can seamlessly deposit into a bank account as guarantees.
The Carnet de Passages can only be issued in the name of one person and one vehicle. This means that it is not transferable to another person.
If you’ll be processing it through ADAC, you’ll need to send in a complete application packet:
copy of the ID card or passport (for citizens of other countries – a foreign passport);
copy of the vehicle registration documents;
copy of the automobile membership card of the national automobile association – FIA member (if available, gives a significant discount on registration);
for camping vehicles, a copy of a current appraisal report or proof of the current value of the vehicle;
An original and signed bond (2 pages) if you do not own the vehicle.
Send it all by e-mail to cdp@adac.de or to the following address (ADAC eV, Carnet de Passages, Hansastr. 19, 80686 München/Munich, Germany).
Carnet de Passages price calculator
As you may have understood from the article, the price is calculated according to a flexible formula and depends on the issuing organization. I have created the calculator below especially for you, which is designed to calculate the cost of processing and the deposit when processing through a German association.
CDP Utilization
The Carnet must be presented to customs officials at each customs entry/exit point of your trip, date stamped on the appropriate “entry/exit” voucher and in the appropriate entry/exit stub fields at the top of each sheet.
Customs officials will retain the vouchers and return them to the traveler with the appropriate box on the stamped and dated stub.
Renewal of Carnet de Passages
At the ADAC discussed above, you can renew your declaration without having to make a new deposit. It will only be sufficient to pay the issuance fee. To do this, email about 4 weeks before it expires and follow the required paperwork and payment steps. The link to the application form is above in the article.
Refund of deposit
As you realize, the deposit is high enough to forget about and give to the company. Therefore, it will need to be returned at the end of the trip.
When your journey is over and your car returns to the country of registration, present your car and the Carnet de Passages booklet to the national customs office. He must stamp and validate the Certificate of Location (page 26 of the book). For vehicles registered in the EU, any EU customs authority can validate the Certificate of Location. If you have an additional book, please remember to send a copy of the first page inside. This copy must contain the vehicle data as well as the stamp of the foreign customs office.
After that, the book is sent to the authority where you issued the Carnet. After checking the documents and carrying out a number of bureaucratic procedures, the deposit should be reimbursed to your bank account.
How to do without Carnet de Passages
Can I cheat the system and not buy a Carnet de Passages? Yes, in some countries there is a solution in the form of local insurance or customs clearance.
For example, Iran has such a service, which is arranged by enterprising locals in advance and bring the documents to you at the border.
This method has a few notable disadvantages:
Such a detour is sometimes very expensive. In Iran, for example, I was charged 650 euros for my car. Of course, I will pay a deposit of about 5,000 euros for the carnet, but then I can get it back. The money left for customs clearance will not be returned to you.
In that case, you will pay again each time you enter each country. And Passage is valid for 12 months in a number of countries, with the possibility of extension.
Therefore, if you travel a lot with your own car or are going to travel around the world with it – it is worth considering the possibility of issuing an official Carnet de Passages, making a deposit for it and quietly moving around the desired countries.
If you plan to enter the country only once to explore it, consider different options, including alternative ones. Thus, after a long analysis, I came to the conclusion that it was easier for me not to enter Iran during my big trip through Central Asia, but to take a ferry from Azerbaijan to Kazakhstan. I would visit Iran separately by flying there by plane, renting a local car and driving around as much as I like.
Conclusions
Unfortunately, even in the 21st century, traveling is not devoid of unnecessary bureaucracy, which was invented 100 years ago and has not changed a bit. In this respect, traveling by car poses a number of problems along with the undoubted advantages it offers us.
The Carnet de Passage is still required in a number of countries, though not the most popular for car travelers. Most travelers will never encounter the need to obtain one, so there is so little information on the Internet.
Still, if you are a real car enthusiast and adventurer, sooner or later you will need this yellow book. And then the best option would be to find out about the registration in the national automobile association, and if they can’t help you – to apply to one of the European associations, which process documents also online.
Have fun traveling, my dears!
Frequent questions and answers
How long does it take to make a Carnet de Passages?
Once all fees and deposit are paid, it usually takes 2 to 4 weeks, but can vary for different associations and high season.
Can private companies execute a Carnet?
No. Beware of scammers. Only national automobile associations – members of the Federation of Automobile Associations – can issue Karnet. You can find their list here.
If you have paid customs fees in your host country with a valid CPD, how will you be refunded the cash guarantee?
If for any reason you are required to pay customs taxes and fees on temporary importation into a host country where Carnet de Passages are required, you must provide proof of payment of the fees in order for your CPD security deposit to be refunded.
What should I do if my car is damaged or stolen in the host country?
Exposure of a vehicle to theft or damage does not exempt the owner of the vehicle from any liability. In such cases, the owner/driver must obtain a police report and then submit it to the customs authorities of that country to initiate the appropriate formalities for the issuance of a Carnet de Passages.
What should I do if my travel ticket is lost?
If you lose your Carnet de Passages, you must immediately notify the organization issuing it and contact the local police to report the fact. On your return, you will need to have your vehicle checked by the national transportation authority and issued with a certificate of location stamped by the authorities before you can remit the security deposit.
What should I do if I forget to put a CPD stamp on one of the boundaries?
At each point of entry and exit to your country of travel, make sure that customs officials at border posts stamp the CPD. The stamp is official evidence that the vehicle has been re-exported out of the country. On your return to request a refund of your security deposit, your vehicle must be inspected by the national transport or customs authority and the Certificate of Location (last page) must show the date and their stamp.