Shelly

I am trying to figure out the least expensive yet most manageable way to get to Belarus from Italy. Unfortunately, I only have a range of a few days so Eurail or Europass will not work. So far, the best flights (times and prices) are into Warsaw rather than Minsk.<BR><BR>I am now trying to find out the best mode of transportation from Warsaw to Brest, Belarus. I've had difficulty finding web-sites with this information.<BR><BR>Should I take a train from Warsaw to Brest or a bus? What can I expect from either the train or the bus?<BR><BR>Any other helpful hints would be most appreciative. This will be my first visit to both countries, so any info would be great.<BR><BR>Also, if anyone has any wonderful ideas on flights to Minsk, I'm open for ideas and suggestions. I'm going in May and need to get this travel booked VERY Soon!!<BR><BR>Looking forward to any ideas you may have.

ohme

All I can tell you is be brave and travel by train in Russia-the cheapest!However you will feel you are back in the time of Dr Zhivago-the trains are very old, basic and oh so dirty!But then again,cheap.Try to buy First class but don't even think of them being comparable to what it means but you want cheap.....

Marc David Miller

Some things to remember--Belarus is not Russia, and first class sleeping cars in Russia are no worse than Amtrak (I've been on several in the last three years, in European Russia, Estonia and Siberia). Take a look at some of the other Russian posting for verification.<BR><BR>Also, take a look at <BR><BR>www.inyourpocket.com<BR><BR>for some travel information on Belarus.<BR>

jahoulih

I haven't been to this part of Europe, but according to www.bahn.de (the German Rail site) there are several trains each day from Warsaw to Brest, and the trip takes about 4 hours. I think you should be fine flying to Warsaw and taking the train from there.<BR><BR>Hint: To check schedules at www.bahn.de, use Warschau or Warszawa for Warsaw and Brest Central for Brest.

jahoulih

By the way, taking the train all the way from Italy may be quicker than you realize. For instance, you can leave Milan at 11:25, get to Mannheim at 19:22, leave at 19:33, reach Hannover at 22:36, leave at 22:59, and get to Brest at 15:01 the next day.

wxyz

I agree with Ohme-the trains in the former Soviet Union are a flashback-pretty awful but cheap.We barely survived the train ride from St Petersburg to Budapest!The train rattled,rolled and they had to waste about 6 hours at the Ukraine/Hungary borders to change the wheels because the tracks were specially made to be different from the rest of Europe.The passport control guard was strange/weird too,spoke away in languages we didn't know but we listened<BR>politely because he had a huge dog by his side!<BR>To compare these trains to Amtrak is like comparing the first flying machines to a Jet plane !

wxyz

I agree with Ohme-the trains in the former Soviet Union are a flashback-pretty awful but cheap.We barely survived the train ride from St Petersburg to Budapest!The train rattled,rolled and they had to waste about 6 hours at the Ukraine/Hungary borders to change the wheels because the tracks were specially made to be different from the rest of Europe.The passport control guard was strange/weird too,spoke away in languages we didn't know but we listened<BR>politely because he had a huge dog by his side!<BR>To compare these trains to Amtrak is like comparing the first flying machines to a Jet plane !

Shelly

Thanks for the information!!! I have a few more questions......<BR><BR>I checked the train web-site and it shows me a schedule, but doesn't list a price. How can I get a price?<BR><BR>Now -- if it's only 120 miles from Warsaw to Brest, why does 4 hours on the train seem like a long time? Forgive my lack of knowledge, but this will be my first international trip, so I'm trying to learn and ask as many questions as possible.<BR><BR>Also, how far is the airport from the train station? Will a taxi be the best way to get to the station? <BR><BR>I'm hoping to meet relatives in Brest for the first time, so I want to get to Brest as quickly as possible (and within a reasonable cost). I prefer to travel all in one day rather than flying into Warsaw and staying overnight to catch the train the next day.<BR><BR>According to www.bahn.de, the train we would want to take is a sleeper car. Does this mean we would have a section to ourselves? Also, how difficult is it to get across the border?

jahoulih

Topping--anyone with more answers for Shelly?