Mixed Bag at Mineralnye Vody Airport

Hello!

I'm not exactly an airport connoisseur, but I've flown out of a few Russian airports, including Moscow's Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, and Vnukovo, St. Petersburg's Pulkovo, Syktyvkar, Naryan-Mar, and now Mineralnye Vody. It's nice to have something to compare to, but I was more interested in boosting the airport's rating on the site after seeing such a low score initially.

Mineralnye Vody AirportI have to say, Mineralnye Vody Airport left me with mixed feelings. It gets the job done, but there are both good and bad points.

The Good

Convenient location.One of the airport's strong points is its proximity to the resorts of the Caucasus Mineral Waters, making it a convenient option for travelers heading to the mineral springs and mountains.

Additionally, the connection between southern cities is pretty decent – we took a "Lastochka" from Kropotkin to Mineralnye Vody on our way from Rostov, which wasn't ideal, but it got us there.

The drive to Mineralnye Vody Airport

I was pleasantly surprised to find that a taxi ride from the train station in Mineralnye Vody to the airport costs around 300 rubles. In contrast, a similar ride in St. Petersburg would cost me over 2,000 rubles. But I'll share a funny story about my taxi experience later.

Decent infrastructure.

The airport has all the necessary amenities, including cafes and shops, which makes for a comfortable waiting experience. There aren't many options, but they're there. Unfortunately, many of the places close as early as 8 pm. The airport itself is small, so it can be a bit tricky to navigate, but you won't get lost.

Mineralnye Vody Airport prices

Mineralnye Vody Airport

International flight availability.

The airport offers direct flights to Europe and other Russian regions, which is super convenient for tourists and business travelers.

Mineralnye Vody Airport reviewThe one thing that really stood out to me was the limited flight schedule.

Not a lot of flights.I was a bit disappointed to find that while there are some international routes, the overall number of flights isn't that great, which can be a problem for some travelers. It's not a major issue, but it's something to consider.

Infrastructure issues.Some parts of the building could really use a renovation. For example, the bathrooms and seating areas in the waiting lounge aren't always clean and comfortable. To be honest, the waiting area is pretty cramped and can feel overwhelming, especially when there's a lot of people.

The road leading up to the airport is a mess.

I also had a tough time getting a discounted ticket as a disabled traveler - it was a real hassle.

Reviews from Mineralnye Vody Airport

Parking issues.Parking can be a real headache, even during off-peak hours. We visited in September, but it was still peak tourist season, and finding a spot was tough. Wheelchair-accessible spaces are often taken by people who don't need them, which is just frustrating. I'm not sure if karma will catch up with them, but...

Mineralnye Vody AirportService prices.The airport's cafes and shops charge exorbitant prices compared to what you'd find in the city. It's not entirely surprising, but it's still annoying. Prices are higher than what you'd pay in Syktyvkar, St. Petersburg, or even Moscow airports. It's just really expensive.

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No souvenir shop.I was really disappointed to find that the duty-free zone is super lacking. Not only are the prices high, but there's not even a single postcard, notebook, pen, or nice magnet to be found. If they could stock up on some more products and expand the selection to other cities, it would make a huge difference.

Airport Mineralnye Vody storeFlight schedules can be a bit unclear.I've encountered a few instances where the flight information changed at the last minute, which can be pretty inconvenient for passengers. I'm guessing it's due to the current global situation, so hopefully, things will improve in a couple of years. If planes are still flying, that is.

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Luggage Handling.I watched from the plane window and it was horrific. Just like in all those videos online, we saw them tossing suitcases around like they were trying to cause damage. We had two with us – a fabric and a plastic one. The plastic case got scratches and torn wrapping despite being wrapped, but the jam jars with jam were still intact (obviously, since they were in a sticky note holder, a bubble wrap, and plastic containers for watermelon).

I have no idea how they handle pets from the cargo hold, but I wouldn't recommend people with dogs and cats to leave their pets at the Azimut Logistics/Mineralnye Vody Airport.

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Unfriendly Staff.Let's just say it again – I felt a difference between Northerners and Southerners. Usually, friendly workers help you figure out any questions, creating a pleasant atmosphere, but not here. Here, you can encounter rudeness, ignoring, pushing, and being nasty. In the few hours we waited, we saw it happen multiple times.

Another thing that caught my eye was the weird way the check-in desks were working.

The check-in process was a mess.I was at check-in desk 8, and people were lining up patiently, one by one, to get their tickets checked. But then, out of nowhere, they started checking in passengers for a flight to Perm, with a 10-minute difference from the original flight to Syktyvkar. People were getting frustrated, and some were even pushing to get to the front of the line. Since there were a lot of passengers and only one check-in desk was open, people started asking them to open another one. If they weren't checking in for the Perm flight, could they at least open another desk to get everyone checked in within the remaining 40 minutes? It was chaos, with people arguing and shouting. Eventually, they opened another check-in desk, but not before a few weird situations unfolded.

Some other things to keep in mind.

The tele-2 network doesn't work in mineral water.

We were shocked when we found out, because we had just flown in from the north and were having trouble navigating the area. Luckily, the in-flight Wi-Fi allowed us to connect to the plane's board and get our bearings.

We headed back to the train station, but we forgot about a little trick that Tele-2 had up their sleeve. As we got off the train, we realized we couldn't even order a taxi to the airport.

Another issue we encountered was getting a taxi to the airport.

Despite being a resort town, Minvody doesn't have public transportation to the airport. For someone like me, who's used to Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Syktyvkar, this was a shock. The only way to get out was by taxi. The drivers would approach us right on the platform (the price was around 600 rubles, plus an extra 300 rubles to get into the airport territory). Yes, you read that right – in Minvody, there's a system where only one driver per day can enter and exit the airport for free. Every subsequent trip costs money.

We were lucky – we managed to find a ride with a fellow traveler who had a working phone and used Yandex to get us a driver who was making his first trip of the day to the airport.

The 20-minute ride from the train station cost around 300 rubles, but our driver was navigating through the dark without a GPS and not even buckled up until we were approaching the airport.

Mineralnye Vody airport is currently the only decent starting point for a reasonable price. Sochi airport is way more expensive, and other cities are closed. It's a good idea to stock up on some snacks, water, hand sanitizer, and be prepared for some rough taxi drivers and their attempts to rip you off. Or just bring more cash to make things easier. Sometimes they even ask for cash only, so keep that in mind.

Other than that, everything's pretty normal. You won't get the same sense of grandeur as in Moscow, the cleanliness of St. Petersburg, or the friendliness of Syktyvkar, but at least you can get around.

And on a side note, regarding tourism:

What I didn't expect when I visited this Russian city as a tourist in Rostov-on-Don.A museum in Tuapse that will make you fall in love with art by KiselyovThe Tuapse Historical and Local History Museum named after N.G. PoletaevOr check out the TOURISM tab.