Family of Five Drives Motorhome to Turkey

Ksenia and Timofey Rusakov, residents of the Altai region, long put off their dream of a big family road trip. With three children, the youngest of whom is only 11 months old, there were plenty of reasons to doubt. But, as the Siberians admit, at some point it dawned on them: there is no perfect time. At the end of July, the family loaded their belongings into a motorhome and set a course from Barnaul to Turkey. NGS22.RU contacted the travelers to find out how their life on wheels is going.

‘There was always either not enough time or not enough mutual desire’

Ksenia and Timofey Rusakov are not used to sitting still. Their home is buzzing 24/7: the eldest, 10-year-old Ulyana, manages to combine a regular school with dance, swimming and aerial gymnastics; four-year-old Maryana is in no way inferior to her sister, actively mastering the same disciplines; and 11-month-old Yesenia is already reaching for her older siblings.

Timofey’s work spans various fields — from car rental and freight transportation to a fireworks store. Ksenia, besides raising three children, runs her own travel agency. With such a schedule, they could have forgotten about long trips, but the couple decided otherwise.

The idea of going on a big road trip had lived in the family for a long time.

— Back in 2019, Timofey dreamed of a trip to Europe, but the stars did not align then. We wanted to celebrate New Year at Disneyland in Paris. Tim is very fond of traveling by car, and always wanted to show the children Russia. But there was always either not enough time, not enough mutual desire, or some other reasons.

Over the years the desire to see the world through a car window never went away, it simply transformed into a new goal — Turkey.

— We discussed it back in May, then lost our enthusiasm. Summer in Siberia is short, we just wanted to rest before school, and then the fuel crisis began. It seemed everything was against us. But in early July we returned to this conversation again and realized — the perfect moment will never come, so we need to live here and now, Ksenia says.

‘It took only 10 days to get ready’

When you have experience working in tourism, planning a route from Barnaul to the Turkish coast turns from a headache into an exciting quest. Ksenia admits that her professional skills helped a lot: working out the logistics for a family of five, where the youngest member is not even a year old, turned out to be not as difficult as many might think.

Initially the family was going to travel in their electric car, a Lixiang. A detailed route with charging points was drawn up, hotels were booked, and backup routes through Kazakhstan were planned. Ksenia jokes that it was a real ‘plan for world domination’ that she sent to her husband for approval. Timofey, though he supported the idea, philosophically remarked: ‘Be prepared for everything to go off plan’ — and he was right.

When almost everything was ready, Ksenia’s father intervened, suggesting they take his motorhome, which had been gathering dust in the garage for years.

— We quickly realized it was a gift of fate. With a small child, a home on wheels is a lifesaver. You don’t have to constantly look for lodging or get nervous about every stop. Getting ready took only 10 days: we did maintenance, bought groceries, decorated the vehicle with stickers and set off.

On the evening of 20 July, the Rusakovs left Barnaul. For them it is not just a way to get to a resort. According to Ksenia, an airplane is merely moving from point A to point B, while a road trip is a little life full of discoveries. They want to give their children emotions that cannot be obtained on a standard package tour.

But this trip also has a touching personal goal.

— We will be passing through Georgia, where relatives of my father live, whom he has not seen for 37 years. I only know them through messages and rare calls. We are going so we can finally hug family members who have been separated by thousands of kilometers for so long.

‘Then the adventures began’

— The first notable stop was Omsk — a city important to Timofey, since he once served there in the Airborne Forces. Besides, the whole family are devoted fans of the Avangard hockey club, so a walk around the city was a must.

Then came Yekaterinburg, which impressed the Rusakovs so much that they are already planning to return for the ‘Tsarskie Dni’ festival, and Kazan also won them over with its beauty.

— A beautiful city, lots of sights, we took a sightseeing tour, we will definitely come back here for at least a week, there was a lot we didn’t manage to see.

However, after Kazan the vehicle started acting up.

— Then the adventures began. At first we didn’t understand what was happening. Then subscribers wrote in direct messages: they said they saw us on the highway, your rear right wheel is ‘bouncing.’ We were relieved that the problem was clear, but we had to urgently find a tire shop in Ulyanovsk. And on the way to Volgograd the left wheel already let us down. The right tires were nowhere to be found, we called everyone! In the end Tim asked me to turn to artificial intelligence. And a miracle — the neural network found a store in Saratov where the last two tires of the right size remained, Ksenia shares.

The road to the border was not smooth either. Due to the difficult situation in the border areas, the connection often dropped, the navigator glitched, and they had to rely on help from locals.

— In Ossetia the people are incredibly responsive, they helped us a lot. The police stopped us a couple of times and checked documents. But everything went calmly, Ksenia recalls.

The most nerve-wracking moment was crossing the border between Russia and Georgia. Ksenia admits they were very worried about the youngest daughter’s passport.

— The photo in the document does not look at all like the current Yesenia, and Georgian border guards treat such things extremely strictly. We even had a ‘plan B’ — in case of refusal, turn around and return to Vladikavkaz.

The couple were also worried about the motorhome’s documents.

— The power of attorney listed Timofey’s Russian passport, not his international one, which could have become a serious obstacle. But the fears proved unfounded: on the Russian side we were let through the truck corridor, and the inspection was formal. At the border we also had to worry a bit because of the middle daughter’s dual citizenship — that always takes time. They could also have found fault with Yesenia’s passport, but it seems a story saved us: I said we were going to Tbilisi to visit an aunt. If we had honestly admitted that the goal was Turkey, questions might have arisen, Ksenia says.

‘Russians are treated negatively’

The family spent their first night in Georgia in the mountains, deciding not to rush to Tbilisi in order to enjoy the views. The country struck them with its beauty, but unfortunately not with its hospitality.

— Russians really are treated negatively, yes, there are good people too, but the majority, alas. Instead of the planned two or three nights, we stayed there for five. The meeting with relatives turned out to be so heartfelt that it was simply impossible to leave, Ksenia shares.

According to her, crossing the Georgian-Turkish border went surprisingly easily. Although the cars ahead of them were inspected very meticulously, the customs officer merely glanced at the motorhome’s interior and waved them through.

— We planned to make it to the balloon festival in Cappadocia, but fatigue took its toll, and we spent the night in Sivas. And that turned out to be the best decision! We saw the extinct volcano Erciyes, tried the most delicious apricots of our lives straight from the tree. We arrived in Göreme only in the evening, to see the magic of the hot-air balloons at dawn. We have already been on the road for more than two weeks. We have covered 6,337 km, the couple share their impressions.

Now the family plans to rest at a hotel for a week to catch their breath after the road, and then set off on a big loop trip around all of Turkey.

‘This is a high-budget adventure’

The question of food on such a long journey is one of the most important. Ksenia says they prepared thoroughly for the trip: they stocked up on groceries, and the grandmother even made homemade pelmeni for the children.

— In Russia we mostly cooked ourselves right in the motorhome. But sometimes we allowed ourselves to relax: we ordered delivery right to the vehicle, stopped at canteens in Kazan or treated ourselves to Ossetian pies in Vladikavkaz. But in Georgia we gave in — we ate only in restaurants. It seems we are now 90% made of Adjarian khachapuri. It is simply impossible to resist the local cuisine. In Turkey we are still getting our bearings, cooking ourselves, but we are already looking forward to getting to know gözleme, köfte and börek, Ksenia shares.

Many think that a motorhome is a way to save money, but the Rusakovs honestly warn: this format of vacation costs far more than a standard all-inclusive tour.

— This is a high-budget adventure. Yes, we don’t spend on hotels and save on cooking, but fuel costs are simply colossal. In Georgia it is 126 rubles ($1.60) per liter; fuel in Turkey is 140 rubles ($1.75). Plus huge mileage. We haven’t tallied the final figure yet, but the base minimum is 500,000 rubles ($6,300). And that’s without entertainment and unforeseen expenses. I think the final sum will be far more impressive, Ksenia explains.

Traveling by motorhome with three children is not only romance but also a serious test of endurance. Ksenia and Timofey are sure: 80% of success depends on preparation.

— Patience is the main resource. With three children in an enclosed space, you can’t do without it. Study the route, the technical condition of the vehicle and all document requirements — especially the rules for importing a car into Turkey. Don’t try to drive non-stop. Plan stops, keep an eye on water, gas and fuel supplies. Treat any breakdown or border delay not as a problem but as part of a big adventure. It is a colossal experience.