Travel - International
AIR: The national airline is Belavia (B2), 5 Hobart Place, London SW1W 0HU (tel: (020) 7393 1201; fax: (020) 7393 1230; e-mail: cistravel@chapman-freeborn.com). Other airlines serving Belarus include Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, El Al Israel Airlines.
Approximate flight times: From Minsk to Frankfurt/M or Vienna is 2 hours 25 minutes, to Moscow is 1 hour 30 minutes and to Zurich is 2 hours 50 minutes.
International airport: Minsk 2 (MSQ) is 43km (27 miles) east of the city centre. Buses and taxis are available to the city centre (journey time - 40 minutes). Airport facilities include bank and bureau de change, bars, car hire (Avis), duty-free shops, nursery, post office and restaurants.
Departure tax: None.
RAIL: There are several lines from Berlin via Warsaw and Brest with connections to Minsk. Another line runs from Vienna via Warsaw and Brest. Further direct trains are available from other cities including Moscow, Kaliningrad, Riga, Vilnius and Odessa.
ROAD: Visitors are advised to stay away from military establishments. Tourists may drive their own cars or may hire cars from some larger hotels. Those entering by car should have their visas registered at the hotel, motel or campsite where they stay for the first night and are advised to insure their vehicle with a Belarusian insurance company, some of which have offices at crossing points and in major cities. There are also a number of other national and international insurance companies. The petrol supply is restricted and only 4-star and diesel are available. Petrol stations accept cash. Up to one tank of petrol in canisters can be imported duty free. The supply of petrol and service stations is best on the major routes (Europa highways/motorways) through the country, such as Brest-Minsk-Smolensk-Moscow-Tver-St Petersburg-Vyborg; Brest-Minsk-Vilnius- Riga-Tallinn-St Petersburg-Vyborg and Berlin-Warsaw-Brest-Minsk. Contact the Embassy for information on the temporary documentation required to import a car. The following are approximate road distances from Minsk; Moscow: 690km (429 miles); St Petersburg: 900km (563 miles); Kiev: 650km (407 miles). Bus: Services run to Vilnius (Lithuania) and Bialystok (Poland).
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