MINSK NATIONAL AIRPORT – known also as Minsk 2 Airport (code MSQ) is located 27 miles / 42 kilometers to the north east from the centre of Minsk. The airport was opened in 1982 but has only accepted international flights since 1989. It is of typical Russian construction, meets all the operating standards required by the international air authorities but lacks the internal facilities and comforts that you find at other international airports, improvements are continually taking place although the progress is very slow. The arrivals halls are basic and you will not find 5 star luxury within the terminal. It is functional and has only limited amenities but you should not be too inconvenienced unless you have any reason to remain there for any serious length of time. MEDICAL INSURANCE It is obligatory by Belarus law to purchase medical insurance from one of the kiosks in the arrivals hall, this is in addition to any other medical insurance that you may have obtained but which is invalid in Belarus! PASSPORT CONTROL Expect delays from 15 minutes to 1 hour at the Passport Control while the officials who are are extremely meticulous and also slow check all your documentation. Be advised that should 2 international flights arrive closely together, queues will form in the arrivals area, so be sure to allow yourself plenty of time when making arrangements for your onward journey. CURRENCY EXCHANGE IN BELARUS Although the airport will accept US Dollars, Euros and Russian Rubles in payment for medical insurance, it is illegal to pay for any other goods, souvenirs or services etc in any currency other than in Belarus Rubles! Foreign currencies can ONLY be exchanged at banks or at the many currency exchange offices (called Obmen Valyutes), so remember to obtain Belarus Rubles before leaving the airport!! Travellers cheques/checks are taken in the larger hotels but local currency is much preferred. CREDIT CARDS Are accepted in Belarus but generally only in the larger cities. Mastercard and Maestro are the most popular and accepted nearly everywhere, Visa is accepted but in only some places and American Express and Diners Card are NOT accepted! In smaller cities and towns credit cards may even be refused so be sure to carry local currency with you. DEPARTING MINSK 2 FOR HOME On the day of your homeward departure, arrive at Minsk 2 in good time as the Belarus authorities require you to proceed through each gate to the departure lounge prior to the normal 2 hours pre-flight time. The compulsory checks pre-departure are again slow and time consuming, so the more passengers awaiting checking-in, the slower the movement. The departure lounge areas are basic and relatively small by western standards and as a result the seating areas are quickly taken, so unfortunately standing may be your only alternative. Each departure lounge has its own cafe/bar and duty free shop but all are small and can become very busy. Toilets and washing facilities are situated within each departure area but are again basic and small. THE TERMINAL FACILITIES The Terminal offers a number of facilties including a post office, telephones, internet access, fax and copying, 2 bank offices, bank cash machines (Bankomats), a restaurant, cafe/bars, souvenir shop, visual and audio passenger information and also a business class lounge (see below for locations). There are 6 levels, namely basement, ground (=1 in Belarus), 2, 3, 4 and 5. Basement level (-1) = LEFT LUGGAGE Ground Level (1) = INTERNATIONAL ARRIVALS AREA, Belarus (obligatory) medical insurance kiosks, passport control, baggage claim, red and green channels of declaration, a bank office which accepts some of the major credit and bank cards and a small currency exchange office. = (Internal) BELARUS, RUSSIA & ex-C.I.S ARRIVALS AREA, Belarus (obligatory) medical insurance kiosks, passport control, baggage claim, red and green channels of declaration, currency exchange office, information kiosk, shop and cafe/bar. A car rental office is also situated on this level. First Level (2) = CONSULAR OFFICE where visas may be purchased but ONLY those that have been pre-arranged with a Belarus based travel company, otherwise you MUST have a valid visa inserted into your passport prior to departure from your home country! Also on this level is a bank and toilets. Second Level (3) = DEPARTURES, Gates 1 & 2 for internal Belarus flights, Russia and ex-C.I.S destinations. Gates 3 (V.I.P), 4, 5 & 6 are the international departure gates. Booking offices of all the flight companies operating in and out of Minsk 2 can be found on this level where exchange or purchase of tickets can be made. Also here is a restaurant, bar, drugstore, souvenir shop, post office, telephone, fax facilities, copying machine, internet access, business class lounge, bank cash machine, a chapel and toilets. Third Level (4) = an hotel, hairdressers, footwear repairs, sewing services, mother & child room and game machines. Fourth Level (5) = AIRPORT STAFF ONLY PASSENGER AIRLINES FLYING TO & FROM MINSK 2 AIRPORT: Air Baltic, Armavia, Austrian, Belavia, CSA (Czech), El Al, Estonian, Etihad, Georgian, LOT, Lufthansa, Turkish & Turkmenistan. Most airport staff speak only Russian or Belarusian but you may find members of airline staff can help as many do speak English but if you can possibly learn a little Russian before you arrive in Belarus, this will certainly help during your stay. TRANSPORT TO MINSK CENTRE Public transport is available outside the front of the terminal. TAXIS into the city centre cost 75,000 Belarus Rubles (approx 35 USD @ 8/2008) per vehicle up to a maximum of 4 persons. All licensed taxis have telephone numbers upon the side of the vehicle but beware of other vehicle drivers offering to take you – they will … but at a price and the journey may not be as direct! Journey time to the city is around 30 minutes. BUSES vary depending upon the time of day, from a standard bus to a mini-bus carrying a maximum of 14 passengers – passengers for a mini-bus are literally on a ‘first come, first served’ basis! The cost is around 5,200 Belarus Rubles (approx. 2.5 USD / 1.60 Euro). The buses will take you to either Moskovski (Moscow) bus station where you can connect with the Metro (line 1, Moskovskaya) or Vostochniy (Eastern) bus station [see below] so be sure that you know where you want to go! Journey times are 35 minutes to Moskovski & 50 minutes to Eastern but journey times are liable to be extended if travelling during the rush-hours which are;- 0730 – 0930 & 1600 – 1900 Monday to Friday. Shuttle buses may be provided by request to your Belarus based travel company when making your travel arrangements. Unfortunately unlike other airports there is NO rail connection to or from Minsk 2 airport, so car hire, bus or taxi is your only means of transport! As a rough guide, exchange rates (as at August 2008);- 2115 Belarus Rubles (BYR) = 1 USD. 3300 Belarus Rubles (BYR) = 1 EURO The latest bus timetable for the city of Minsk can be found on this website (in Russian only): http://www.minsktrans.by/scity.php – and for anyone needing to travel outside of the city limits, this is the bus timetable website to access: http://www.minsktrans.by/schedule-suburb.php – it is obviously in the Russian language so access from the drop down menu ‘Airport 2’ and then either Minsk MOSCOB (Moskovski) or Minsk BOCTOY (Eastern) bus stations and in reverse order for the return journey, depending upon your travel requirements. Minsk Moskovski bus station is some 15 minutes North East of the city and the Eastern bus station is a 10-15 minute bus ride to the Central railway station where there is a Metro station below called Ploshad Lenina (Lenin Square) on line 1. The Minsk Metro has 2 lines, South West to North East [Line 1] and West to South East [Line 2], for routes and stations see website: http://planetolog.ru/map-metro-big.php?country=BY&city=MSQ&scheme=1 As nearly all websites are in Russian, the following are good translation websites;- http://www.freetranslation.com or http://www.worldlingo.com OR why not just use Google which will translate the page for you! For further information, airport photos, customs regulations etc regarding Minsk 2 National Airport and Belarus, please refer to website: http://airport.by/index_eng.htm – this is the English version and should answer any questions not covered by the above information. Finally, a very good English language Minsk map can be viewed at this website address which includes the city centre and the suburbs: http://www.cdam.bsu.by/Downloads/MinskCityMap.jpg