Transport in Minsk
Public transportation in Minsk is a cheap and quite convenient way to travel within the city. There are no timetables to think of and trips are made with quite short time-intervals. However in wintertime those intervals may sometimes feel like an eternity if waiting for a bus or a tram on the street. Both the subway and busses may sometimes be very crowded. So using the subway or public busses with a wheelchair or perambulator are not recommended. First thing to do when arriving in Minsk is to buy a city map with the public transport schemes. If using a printed guide book one should be aware about that most probably the street names will be wrong as they have been changed. More about that later.
Traffic in Minsk.
Minsk subway
Minsk's metro currently has three lines. The metro is often the most convenient way to travel if there is a station near your destination. The metro has three hubs: the original one between the Oktybarskaya and Kupalovskaya stations, and two new ones, Frunzenskaya/Yubileynaya and Ploshad Lenina/Vokzalnaya, on the third new line that opened in 2020. The metro is closed at night.
None of the lines does split like in Stockholm, so it’s easy to navigate the metro. What can make it a bit tricky is that the station names are in Belarusian, while they are often listed with their Russian names. Often, the Russian and Belarusian station names are similar, but not always.
It is cheap to travel by metro in Minsk, and the price is the same no matter how far you travel. When entering the metro system one has to pay with a token or a card. Tese will be bought in the station building, right after the entrance. There are separate entrances and exits.
Taxi
Previously, it was common to see yellow Volga cars (Russian cars) with black and white checkered patterns and a taxi sign on the roof. Nowadays, there are taxis of all possible makes, and perhaps Dacia is among the more popular ones. The fare for a taxi ride varies depending on the company you use, but it is significantly cheaper than in Western Europe. If the driver does not use a taximeter, it's best to agree on the price in advance. Taxis can be ordered by calling the number 007.
Taxicar in Minsk.
Buses and trams
If one plan to go with the buses or trams the best thing is to get a recent city map with a public transport scheme. Tickes are bough in advance at special ticket stands. Tickets are for one journey only. And should be stamped with the red buttons that busses and trams are equipped with,otherwise the tickets aren’t guilty. It’s possible to buy a monthly pass for busses, trams or both means of transport. Those tickets don’t have to be stamped but names should be written on the back for the ticket to be guilty. If necessary it’s possible to buy tickets from the driver, but that is both inconvenient and more expensive that getting tickets in advance. Ticket controls are common.
Prospekt Frantsiska Skorpini became Prospekt Nezavisimosti in 2005. Foto: Anders Thorsell,
FFAgency
Going out of the city by elektrichka and train
Tickets can be purchased at the train station or at a special ticket counter. Currently, there is no train connection with the EU.
Minsk train station.
Minsks airport
Minsks international airport is located about 70 kilometers outside Minsk. A taxi between the airport and the center of Minsk is about 20 USD/EUR.
MINSK TRAVEL GUIDE - BELARUS
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