Today I was leaving Ukraine after 9 days, and 7 days in Kiev. We left the hotel by 10 and took the metro back four stops to the Central Railway Station. 

 
 

There is the SkyBus to the airport from the railway station but the last time I came here I couldnt find where to get it. It stops at a metro station further out but we didnt want to take the risk of it already being full. There were minivans waiting that said they would goto the airport for 80 UH ($4) so the same price as the SkyBus

 
 

They wait for passengers to fill and luckily we were the last two so we didnt have to wait long. Our flights were 2 hours apart and I learnt from Odessa they want paper boarding cards not epasses. As this was the hub of Ukraine International I was able to goto a check in counter to get mine. 

 
 




 

























 

I exchanged my 6096 UH for 210 Euros. After passing thru security my friend left for his flight home so I wandered around for two hours. My flight to Minsk was 3pm and I chose the back row. 

 
 

Seated next to me was an American girl also leaving after attending Eurovision with some other friends. The onboard announcement said the weather in Minsk was 19 degrees "and thats ok"!   On arrival in Minsk it was clear blue skies after all the clouds and drizzle in Kiev the last few days. The terminal was a bland Soviet looking building. 

 
 

Entry requirements for Belarus have changed recently. I tried on my St Petersburg - Vilnius trip in 2015 as its only a 2 hour bus ride from Vilnius but arranging the Russia visa was problematic so I decided to leave Belarus for another time. 

I planned this trip a year ago when a visa was still required. Fortunately this year they have just introduced the 5 day visa free entry rule. I had my hotel and flight information ready but you also need proof of insurance. There are booths to buy insurance but I had all my printouts as we are covered thru work. 

 

After reading all my documents for a long while she stamped my passport and let me in.. phew!.. I then exchanged 100 Eu for 190 BR. The exchange rate is easy, just double Euros. 

 

Tourist info told me where to get the minibus into the city. There were no seats left so I was going to wait for the next one but people still went in and stood in the aisle so I went in. The fare was 4 BR ($3). 

 
 

We arrived at the Central Railway Station and opposite the Gates of Minsk two towers. From there it was a 20 min walk to find my apartment. The city was very historical and not as Soviet as I had expected it. It was also flat, great for cycling, and empty of tourists or crowds compared to Kiev. 

 
 

The lady from the apartment had been texting and emailing me but I had no wifi. The apartment was on Lenina St in a very historical street. This was a last minute change from the one I booked on Karl Marx St. 

Eastern Europe apartments can be confusing. This block which ran the length of the street all had the same address 3 Lenina. I was to find block no. 2. I'd been thru this in Macedonia. More confusing the doors were in the back not on the street. 
 
 
 

This was a much bigger one bedroom suite then the bachelor apartment I had booked. She gazed in awe when I told her I had just come from Eurovision. 
 
She told me there was a supermarket upstairs from McDonalds on the corner. I got a gyros for 7 BR ($5.50) a shower and tried to rest from last nights Eurovision late night home. 

This apartment was 'Royal Stay Group Minskrent' thru Expedia. They gave me the original room price for the bachelor of 50 Euros/nite 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 




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