# проехать /доехать/ поехать



## Anita hk

It seems that when asking the question 'how to get to a place', one can use как проехать /доехать / поехать.  Is there any difference among the 3 and any situations where one should use a particular one and not the other 2?  Thanks.


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## Maroseika

Поехать is out of place here.
Other two sound similar for me if asking about an object in the town. But when asking on the highway, доехать seems to me more relevant.


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## Vadim K

1. We don't use the phrase "_Как поехать...?_" in the meaning "_how to get to a place_"?

2. The phrases "_Как проехать к... ?_" and "_Как доехать до..._ ?" are totally interchangeable if we ask for giving direction and the point of departure and the point of destination are located in one city. For example, if we are in Moscow and we want to go to the Red Square, we can use both phrases "_Как проехать к Красной Площади? = Как доехать/добраться до Красной Площади?_"

3. If we ask for giving direction to other cities, we only can use the prase "_Как доехать/добраться до...?_" For example, we are in Beijing and we want to get to Moscow. In this case we should ask "_Как доехать/добраться до Москвы?_". The phrase "_Как проехать к Москве?_" sounds a little bit weird in this particular case.

4. If we are located not far from the city which is our point of destination and we ask for giving direction to this city, we can use both phrases: "_Как проехать к... ?_" and "_Как доехать до..._ ?" For example, we are driving a car on the highway and we are lost not far from Moscow. In this case we can ask "_Как проехать к Москве? = Как доехать/добраться до Москвы?_".

So, based on the above-mentioned facts, I think that it is better to use the phrase "_Как доехать/добраться до...?_" because it works in all cases.


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## Awwal12

Доехать - to reach successfully by a land vehicle or a riding animal.
Проехать - the same, but additionally implies moving through something, choosing ways, going round the obstacles, things like that.
In your context both are pretty much synonymous.

"Поехать" is essentially "to start going by a land vehicle or a riding animal". It does have some semantic extensions (like "to go on a trip"), but it certainly won't do here.


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## Anita hk

Thank you for all the replies.  Actually the example in my book for using Поехать  is 'как мне поехать в Сергиевский Посад?' (it is part of a dialog, the speaker is in Moscow asking a question in a travel agency).  Would the additional  мне make the use of  поехать valid?  Or maybe the book simply has it wrong?


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## Maroseika

Looks like the book is simply wrong (let alone the town is nowadays called Сергиев Посад).


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## Anita hk

Thanks Maroseika for the confirmation.  So it should be как доехать/добраться до Сергиева Посада?  And мне is never needed in such questions?


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## Maroseika

Anita hk said:


> Thanks Maroseika for the confirmation.  So it should be как доехать/добраться до Сергиева Посада?  And мне is never needed in such questions?


Yes, как доехать/добраться/попасть. Мне is optional.


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## Awwal12

Anita hk said:


> Actually the example in my book for using Поехать is 'как мне поехать в Сергиевский Посад?'


The question sounds really strange, as if the speaker has some problems about even starting the voyage. I have to agree with Maroseika that it must be a mistake.


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## Awwal12

Anita hk said:


> Thanks Maroseika for the confirmation.  So it should be как доехать/добраться до Сергиева Посада?  And мне is never needed in such questions?


"Мне" specifies the question, but it's never obligatory, because 99,9% of the time the answer will be naturally the same; if *one* can reach the destination in some manner, *you* normally can do it too.  Omitting "мне" (and therefore formulating the question impersonally) may be a tiny bit more polite.


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## Anita hk

Actually the speaker did have problems with the voyage.  The background is that he wanted to go there on his own, but nobody could give him instructions.  He ended up asking at a travel agency, but was told that he could only join a tour.


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## Maroseika

Anita hk said:


> Actually the speaker did have problems with the voyage.  The background is that he wanted to go there on his own, but nobody could give him instructions.  He ended up asking at a travel agency, but was told that he could only join a tour.


Can you share several line before this phrase? Maybe it's really legitimate there.


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## Anita hk

This is actually part of the first sentence of the whole dialog.  What I have summarised above comes to light much later.  The full dialog is on page 303 
03.The New Penguin Russian Course.pdf - Free Download PDF  (it'll take some time to load).


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## Maroseika

Anita hk said:


> This is actually part of the first sentence of the whole dialog.  What I have summarised above comes to light much later.  The full dialog is on page 303
> 03.The New Penguin Russian Course.pdf - Free Download PDF  (it'll take some time to load).


Well, it's really just wrong.


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## Anita hk

Good to know.  Thanks Maroseika.


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## Anita hk

I was paying attention to the use of verbs, but after reading the replies again, I noticed that Vadim K wrote "Как проехать *к* Москве?'' and 'Как проехать *к* Красной Площади? '.   I suppose they mean the same as  "Как проехать в Москву? ' and 'Как проехать на Красную Площадь? ' ?


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## Awwal12

With "проехать" both the directive "на/в" and "к" are fine ("reach X" vs. "reach the vicinity of X", which is roughly the same). "Доехать" takes only phrases headed by "до" for the destination, though.


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## Anita hk

All very clear now, thanks Awwal12.


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