This section is dedicated to take away all your "I wish someone had told me that before I went!" experiences. This way, you can spend less time settling in, and more time making new friends in your chosen hostel. We share our insider knowledge of tips, tricks and important things to look out for in Simferopol.
For most people, Simferopol, Russia, is just a transportation hub on the Crimean peninsula. From here, travelers normally continue to Sevastopol and the coastal towns on the Black Sea, often even without exploring Simferopol. But if you want to get a good idea of a non-touristic Soviet city, booking a night in a Simferopol, Russia hostel should be considered.
Whether you agree with the current political situation or not, when you are traveling to Simferopol you should be aware that the Crimean peninsula is now controlled by Russia. Most information on internet is outdated. This also means that you need a Russian visa to visit Simferopol and the rest of Crimea. Until recent years, the most common way to go to Crimea was the overnight train from mainland Ukraine to Simferopol. Since the start of the annexation, all train services have been disrupted. While it is still possible for Ukrainian citizens (and possibly citizens from other CIS countries) to cross the land border with Ukraine by Marshrutka, you may or may not succeed to pass the checkpoint as a foreigner. In no case you should use this border crossing into Ukraine if you arrived to Crimea by plane or used the land border near Kerch, because you will be detained for entering Ukraine illegally, as they still consider Crimea as Ukrainian territory.
The easiest way of arriving on the Crimean peninsula is by plane. There are flights from several cities in Russia to Simferopol. Alternatively, you can access from mainland Russia via the new bridge at Kerch.
As mentioned before, Simferopol is mostly a transport hub for travelers to other places in Crimea. If your flight has an early departure, a late arrival, or if you want to explore the city, you may want to book a hostel in Simferopol, Russia for a night. Most hostels in Simferopol, Russia, are in the centre. Due to sanctions, European and American booking sites only allow business travelers to make a booking for Simferopol, Russia hostels, or it may not seem possible at all. You can easily avoid this by ticking a box that you are traveling for business or using a Russian VPN. Pretending to be a business traveler on your Simferopol, Russia hostel booking will not cause any problems when checking in at the hostel in Simferopol, Russia, or to your visa, even if it is a tourist visa.
Written by local enthusiast for Simferopol hostels
Martin Straatman