Useful information

Public Transport
A network of public transport is well developed in Minsk: 2 underground lines, bus, trolley, tram lines. Taxi is possible to call by the telephones 069, 081, 001, 007.

Transport
You can arrive to Belarus by the following transport:

• by airplane
• by train
• by bus
• by car

Airplane
The following largest international air companies realize their flights in Belarus "Austrian Airlines", "LOT", "Deutsche Lufthansa", "El Al", "Lithuanian Airlines", and also the national air-company "BELAVIA".

All the international flights and the majority of the flights from the CIS countries arrive to the "National airport Minsk" (or, by other words, airport Minsk-2). The Airport is situated 40 km away from Minsk. It is possible to get there by taxi, by bus or having ordered a transfer from the company "Vokrug Sveta". In the airport Minsk-2 one can find a currency exchange point, a left luggage office, a restaurant, a bar, a souvenir shop; mail, telephone, fax services are offered, an Internet access point is open.

Airport "Minsk-1" is situated in the city and serves internal flights and flights from the CIS countries. Every regional center of Belarus has its airport.

Train
A new building of the international train station situated in the center of Minsk has recently been opened in the capital of Belarus. You can find here everything necessary for a traveler: left luggage offices, shops, WC, chemist’s, bars, waiting halls. Railway network is very well developed in Belarus, it connects Belarusian cities in a single system.

It is possible to get to Moscow, Kiev, St. Peterburg, Prague, Vilnus and Riga by through trains.

Bus
One from three main bus stations is situated not far from the railway station, international trips from Central and Eastern Europe come to the bus station. It is easy and comfortable to get by bus to any place in Belarus.

Car
It is possible to get to Belarus by car from the neighbour countries: Poland (4 check points), Ukraine (5 check points), Latvia (1 check point), Lithuania (2 check points), Russia (check points are abandoned because of Union relations).

Two large vehicle routs cross the territory of Belarus. One of them connects Western Europe with Russia (Berlin-Warsaw-Minsk-Moscow), another connects the Baltic countries with Ukraine (Vilnus-Minsk-Gomel-Chenigov-Kiev).

Speed limit in Belarus is: in places of residence – no more than 60 km/h, outside the places of residence – 90 km/h. Traffic in Belarus is on the right side. At some parts of the high-way Minsk-Brest the speed limit is 120 km/h.

Useful Information
National currency – the Belarusian Ruble. Exchange rate is 2160 BYR/1USD (16.08.2004). Exchange points are open at all bank branches and large stores. They accept the following cards for payment: VISA, MasterCard, American Express, but their application is limited by large department stores and restaurants. Payment in cash in shops, restaurants, petrol stations is realized in national currency only.

Grocery stores are open from 9-00 till 20-00, supermarkets (Czentralnyi, Jubileynyi-92, Preston-Market) are open till 22-00. There are no hypermarkets in Minsk, but there are popular product markets – Komarovskiji, Rakovskiji, Zhdanovichi, and there are a lot of free markets in residence areas.

A wide range of goods is offered by department stores "CzUM", "GUM", Trade house "Na-Nemige", "Kirmash", "Panorama" , and also selling exhibitions "Parking", "Evropa", "Manezh", "Kupalovskiji". It is possible to buy national souvenirs in the departments of the large department-stores and at specialized shops - "Slavytyja Majistry ", "Galereja", "Lyanok", "Skarbnicza". Art works are sold at the galleries in Scorina Avenue and in Lenin street, by the way, export allowance can be registered there too.

There are more than 1000 cafes and restaurants in Minsk. The most popular are "Ispanskij Kutok", "Patio Pizza ", "Pechki-lavochki", Club "Gudwin", Club "Bronx", Jazz-cafe "Pojuschie fontany", restaurant of the national cuisine "Mirskiji Zamok", a fashionable restaurant "Lukoil", restaurants at the hotels "Planeta" and "Belarus " (22nd floor). It is possible to visit restaurants and cafes with Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Indian, Arabic and other cuisine. It is usual to leave tips of 5-10% from the total sum.

Three mobile communication operators work in Belarus, two of them are of GSM standard "Mobile digital communications" (trade mark Velcom) and "МТS", and also "Belsel".

In case you want to get an address or a telephone of any institution or establishment in Minsk, you can call a paid inquiries office 085 or city inquiry service 009.

Ambulance - 003
Fire service - 001
Police - 002
Railway station information bureau - 005
Airport information bureau – 006