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Why Minsk? It happens that my home city Vilnius is located just some 30 kilometers from the border with Belarus. Yet I have never even thought of visiting it.
The Map

This year while looking for some interesting European destinations for my annual Euro holiday I had a hard time choosing. And from the back of my head I pulled that somewhat unexpected and not so often heard name - Minsk, the capital of Belarus. It is certainly one of the least mentioned countries and cities in Europe when it comes to tourism destinations and it somewhat added to the curiosity and excitement.
So here we go. I'm going to Minsk.
First, however, it's worth noting that EU nationals will need a visa to be allowed into Belarus. Embassy websites give somewhat odd and complicated explanation of visa procedure which is confusing and certainly not very inviting. Which is why I decided to try some travel agency specializing in Belarus visas. There are a few agencies in London (where I live) but none of them seemed any good. They charge alot, take too long and their own rules seem no less complicated than those set by the embassy.
My friends suggested that I should sort it in Lithuania where it's supposed to be easier and less hassle. So I decided to give it a go and it worked: my visa was sorted in a day. All you need is to have a hotel (or hostel) booking. The agency will take care of the rest (travel insurance, 'invitation letters' and other stuff). If you fill your application in the morning you'll probably have it done the following day.
The trip starts in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania which is less than 200km away from Minsk and has direct railway service to Minsk.
Vilnius Railway Station which is our starting point of the journey

The Polish-made PESA diesel train which will take us to Minsk. The journey takes 2 hours and 30 minutes. Currently work is underway to electrify the entire Vilnius-Minsk route which will cut travel time to 2 hours next year. However even at the moment the service is comfortable and smooth. The border check is performed in the railway station on Lithuanian side and en-route between two intermediate stations on Belarusian side so effectively avoiding any delay due to border control and customs. Railway passenger traffic between Lithuania and Belarus has increased significantly over the past few years along with considerable service improvements which included cutting journey times and new rolling stock with further improvements underway

Arriving at Minsk Railway Station

The Map

This year while looking for some interesting European destinations for my annual Euro holiday I had a hard time choosing. And from the back of my head I pulled that somewhat unexpected and not so often heard name - Minsk, the capital of Belarus. It is certainly one of the least mentioned countries and cities in Europe when it comes to tourism destinations and it somewhat added to the curiosity and excitement.
So here we go. I'm going to Minsk.
First, however, it's worth noting that EU nationals will need a visa to be allowed into Belarus. Embassy websites give somewhat odd and complicated explanation of visa procedure which is confusing and certainly not very inviting. Which is why I decided to try some travel agency specializing in Belarus visas. There are a few agencies in London (where I live) but none of them seemed any good. They charge alot, take too long and their own rules seem no less complicated than those set by the embassy.
My friends suggested that I should sort it in Lithuania where it's supposed to be easier and less hassle. So I decided to give it a go and it worked: my visa was sorted in a day. All you need is to have a hotel (or hostel) booking. The agency will take care of the rest (travel insurance, 'invitation letters' and other stuff). If you fill your application in the morning you'll probably have it done the following day.
The trip starts in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania which is less than 200km away from Minsk and has direct railway service to Minsk.
Vilnius Railway Station which is our starting point of the journey

The Polish-made PESA diesel train which will take us to Minsk. The journey takes 2 hours and 30 minutes. Currently work is underway to electrify the entire Vilnius-Minsk route which will cut travel time to 2 hours next year. However even at the moment the service is comfortable and smooth. The border check is performed in the railway station on Lithuanian side and en-route between two intermediate stations on Belarusian side so effectively avoiding any delay due to border control and customs. Railway passenger traffic between Lithuania and Belarus has increased significantly over the past few years along with considerable service improvements which included cutting journey times and new rolling stock with further improvements underway

Arriving at Minsk Railway Station
