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overnight trip to minsk. should I do it?

overnight trip to minsk. should I do it?

Old Apr 26, 2015, 7:59 am
  #1  
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overnight trip to minsk. should I do it?

I'll be heading to Vilnius later this week and just realized how close that is to minsk. I was thinking of flying into msq, spending the day and overnight, and then taking the train the next day back to Vilnius. Belarus has always been a interesting country I wanted to visit.

I got quite a few questions
As far as I'm aware I can do a visa on arrival when flying into msq (polish passport). Do I need to do anything in advance? Can I exit the country by train or does it also need to be by plane?
What about currency? I heard that there is a blackmarket there for the USD and EUR. Is it worth to change money in minsk and if so, where?
What's the best way to get around? How much do taxis cost?

Any recommendations for minsk?


Thanks
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Old Apr 27, 2015, 3:34 pm
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see your FB Jason
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Old May 4, 2015, 5:06 pm
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Don't change money in Minsk, not worth it. The city is worth a day as you can see the old KGB Headquarters, the Lenin statues all over, the main square, Oswald's infamous apartment and that's about it. I was there for meetings 3 years ago, doubt much as changed, but how many chances does one get to to go Minsk?

Cheers
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Old May 5, 2015, 1:52 am
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Originally Posted by Bonaturtle
Don't change money in Minsk, not worth it. The city is worth a day as you can see the old KGB Headquarters, the Lenin statues all over, the main square, Oswald's infamous apartment and that's about it. I was there for meetings 3 years ago, doubt much as changed, but how many chances does one get to to go Minsk?

Cheers
Thanks
I wasn't able to go now as I just couldn't time out the flights. I'll add it to my August trip and spend 2 days in Minsk.
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Old May 8, 2015, 10:30 am
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There was a truly great trip report last year about Minsk. It's a must read!
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Old May 9, 2015, 9:22 am
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Originally Posted by jason8612
I got quite a few questions
As far as I'm aware I can do a visa on arrival when flying into msq (polish passport). Do I need to do anything in advance?
This visa on arrival thing is not a piece of cake. Unfortunately, you have to do something in advance .
See the conditions of VOA:

Belarus (BY)
Visa Issuance:
- Visitors can obtain a visa on arrival at Minsk (MSQ) if
holding, depending on the type of visa:
- visa support documents, applied for in advance; or
- a services contract issued in accordance with the laws of
Belarus; or
- an original letter of invitation issued by a Belarusian
tourist company or medical/health organization which must:
- be written on official headed paper containing name,
passport details, purpose and duration of stay; and
- have original signature and official seal of the head of
the inviting organization. Fees: vary, according to
nationality, purpose of stay and country of residence and
payable only in EUR or USD.
All visa support documents must be submitted to the Consular
Division at Minsk (MSQ) in advance, at least 3 (for
short-term visas) or 5 working days (for long-term visas)
prior to arrival.


For your future reference you may find it useful to check with TIMATIC when going to a new country.

Last edited by abeyro; May 17, 2015 at 6:56 am Reason: misspelling
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