How to get

How to get by air

The National Airport Minsk is the major international airport in Belarus. There are flights to other airports in other towns, though they are not that large–scale.

The Minsk airport is located some 50 km (30 miles) from Minsk. The airport facilities include a bank and exchange office, a post office, a rent service,a taxi service, a nursery, two restaurants, bars, duty–free shops (for departures only), hairdresser’s, etc. There is a room for those travelling with children. In the departure lounges there are duty–free shops and bars, business class passengers can enjoy some extra services. Upon arrival to the National Airport Minsk and before passport control there will be a consular service desk of the Foreign Affairs Ministry of the Republic of Belarus (if you need a visa) and an insurance agent. There are some representative offices of the Belarussian insurance companies that make the compulsory medical insurance for the foreign visitors.

To get to the city from the airport you basically have three options — to take a bus (~?1), take a taxi (~?20) or rent a car. Buses depart every hour from 7 am to 10.30 pm. Buses arrive in Minsk to the Central Bus Terminal (which is next to the Central Rail Terminal). Taxis are available at the airport every time there are arrivals. A car rental office is at the arrivals terminal.

The national airline of Belarus is Belavia. Belavia has direct flights to major cities in Europe (Frankfurt, Vienna, Kiev, London, Moscow, Paris, Riga, Rome, Warsaw, etc.). There are also daily flights of Lufthansa to Frankfurt and Austrian Airlines to Vienna. Other airlines flying to Belarus include LOT (Polish Airlines), EL AL (Israeli Airlines), Lithuanian Airlines, Estonian Airlines and others.

How to get by car

Belarus has a road network of 51,547 km (32,219 miles), most of which are hard–surfaced.

A payment for entering Belarus and for transit through its territory is required for all vehicles (except for non–transit passenger cars entering Belarus). The fee ranges from US$ 20 to $155. Besides you will be required to fill–in the details of your vehicle into the customs declaration and purchase a motor–car insurance (that's apart from a personal insurance). Insurance by few foreign companies are accepted. Insurance agents are present at every border crossing point and the charge ranges from ? 5 for 15 days to ? 53 for a year.

There is one toll highway (M–1 / E–30) in Belarus from Brest to Moscow, the fee ranges from US$ 1 for passenger cars to $15 for large trucks.

Regulations

The traffic drives on the right. International traffic signs and regulations are in use. Most signs are in Cyrillic (Russian alphabet), though signs at major junctions are also in Latin script (English alphabet).

Driving under the influence of alcohol is strictly forbidden. Speed limits are 60 km/h (37 mph) in inhabited localities and 90 km/h (55 mph) outside inhabited localities. Several highways have the speed limit of 120 km/h (75 mph). There are frequent radar traps. Radar detectors are illegal.

Необходимые документы: водительские права международного образца.

Vehicles moving in either directions should give way to all vehicles with blue flash lights and special sound signal and the vehicles that are escorted by them.

If a vehicle with both blue and red lights is approaching all other vehicles moving in the same direction (and in the opposite direction if there is no center mall) should give way and stop at the roadside or curb.

There is neither right turn or movement on the red light. Children under 12 cannot sit at the front seat.

Road police is called in abbreviated form "GAI" (Russian) or "DАI" (Belarusian). Road policemen wear uniform with fluorescent yellow strips. When a policeman wants to stop a vehicle he or she would point at that vehicle with a special baton (striped or red cat's–eye). In the dark hours outside settlements vehicles should only stop if a road police inspector is near a marked police vehicle.

How to get by bus

There are several bus stations in Minsk, though most of international arrivals come to the Central Bus Terminal. This terminal offers few facilities of its own, maybe because it is next to the Central Railway Terminal which has all of those.

How to get by railway

There are regular trains between Minsk and practically every major capital in Europe. Most Belarusian towns can be reached by railway.

The new Central Rail Terminal in Minsk offers all the services a traveler needs, most of them are available 24/7. Restaurants, bars, a game zone, a waiting room, a locker room, shops, a pharmacy are to name a few. Everything is signposted with easily recognizable pictograms.

Public transport network connects Central Terminal to all the parts of the city.