The strategic location Minsk on the junction of Moscow and Warsaw, Vilnius and Kiev makes it the most important transport centre in Belarus. The Warsaw-Moscow railway runs from the south-west of the city to the north-east, and the Liepaja-Romny line runs from the north-west to the south of the city. The former connects Russia with Germany and Poland, while the latter connects Ukraine with Lithuania and Latvia. Both these lines intersect each other at the Minsk-Passazhyrski railway station which was built in 1873.
From Minsk it is possible to travel everywhere in Belarus and beyond.
This Minsk transportation guide tells you all you need to know about getting to and getting around Minsk. A great option for getting around is taking a tour of the city highlights. You can also click on our Belarus Country Guide if you want to know more about travelling to Belarus.
Minsk Transportation Guide
Distance from Minsk to neighbouring capitals:
Vilnius -180 km
Riga - 470 km
Warsaw - 550 km
Kiev - 580 km
Moscow - 700 km
By Train
Trains leave almost every day for Minsk from Berlin's Lichtenberg station on their way to Russia. From the Central Station in Warsaw, a train departs daily for Minsk with the journey taking about 10 hours. Minsk is also connected by train to Prague, Vilnius, and other cities in Europe.
By Bus
A number of buses ply from the Vilnius central bus station to the bus station in Minsk called Avtovokzal Vostochniy. From downtown Minsk you can get to the Minsk bus station by taxi for less than €5. The bus from Vilnius takes about 5 hours to reach Minsk, and custom clearance takes more than 1 hour, but it's better than travelling by train which has poor quality services.
By Plane
You can fly from Frankfurt to Minsk but it is expensive at about $500. The international airport in Minsk is 42 km to the east of the city. It is modern with amenities such as bars, restaurants, a nursery, a bank and exchange office, duty free shops, etc. You can catch a flight to Austria, Cyprus, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Iran, Latvia, Poland, Russia, Turkey, United Kingdom, and other countries. These flights are operated by the national carrier of Belarus -- Belavia, the German Lufthansa, the Latvian AirBaltic, as well as Austrian Airlines. Check out the best deals with our partners for flights to Minsk.
Minsk-1 Airport opened in 1933. 1955 saw it progress to the status of an international airport, and by 1970, Minsk-1 was dealing with more than 1 million passengers annually. However, in 1982 Minsk-1 began catering mostly to domestic routes and short haul routes to Kiev, Moscow, and Kaliningrad. The airport is to shut down in 2008 due to the noise pollution it causes in the surrounding residential areas. There are plans to re-develop this land for residential and commercial real estate, and call it Minsk City.
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By Car
Driving into Minsk can be a trying experience. You must know something about the border system since this is a European Union border with stringent rules. It can take you two hours to cross over. Your bags will be checked, and if you don't know any Russian, Belarusian or Polish, it can be doubly difficult. Plus you have to wait in a long line of cars.
Getting Around Minsk
Minsk has an excellent transport system with 8 tram lines, more than 70 trolley bus lines, and over 100 bus lines. This makes getting around the city easy and cheap. You'll find the subway clean and safe with each subway station decorated according to a unique theme. The station at Oktober Square evokes the Communist Revolt, the one in Victory Square has victory for a theme, and there's a bust of Lenin and a whole lot of hammer and sickle motifs at the Lennin Station.
Underground Metro
Minsk enjoys the distinction of possessing the only underground metro in Belarus. The underground metro began to take shape in 1977, soon after the population of the city rose to over a million. The first eight stations were completed in 1984. After that, the metro grew into two lines: Moskovskaya and Avtozavodskaya. But there's more expansion to come. Plans are afoot for a network with three lines with a total track length of 58.3 km, 45 stations, and three train depots.
Rail & Buses
World War II destroyed the Minsk railway station, but it was soon rebuilt in 1945-1946. The station served the city till 1991 after which work on it began once again, and the new building was completed in 2002. Today the Minsk-Passazhyrski railway station is one of the most modern in the CIS. By 2020 there should be new and smaller stations to deal with the suburban traffic of the city Minsk-Paudnyovy (South), Minsk-Uskhodni (East), and Minsk-Paunochny (North).
Three intercity bus stations link Minsk to its suburbs, to other cities in Belarus, as well as to neighbouring countries. Buses ply regularly to Moscow, Kiev, Vilnius, Riga and Warsaw.
