FROM AIRPORT TO THE CENTER OF MINSK
We will tell you in detail how to get from airport to the center of Minsk, as well as how to get from Minsk to the airport. There will be a lot of useful information that will help save not only time, but maybe also money.
Table of contents:
- General points about Minsk International Airport
- From Minsk-2 airport to the center of the city
- Express bus
- Train
- Private transfer
- Taxi
- Rent a car
- How to get from Minsk to the airport
Bus 300E runs along the route Minsk city center — airport 24/7
General points about Minsk-2 airport
Minsk-2 International Airport is the main air harbor of Belarus. The largest and perhaps the only international airport in the country. Of course, there are also charters to Egypt and Turkey from Grodno and Gomel airports, but there are not many of them. 99% of all passenger traffic in Belarus passes through Minsk-2.
Good to know:
Airport Minsk-1 in the center of the city has not been operated for a long time. Today, a large residential area Minsk Mir is being built instead of the runway of the old airport.
Below are a few general points about the airport Minsk-2.
- Airport coordinates: 53.889734, 28.034245
- The airport is located almost 50 km from the center of Minsk
- ATA code — MSQ
- This is a modern airport with all the infrastructure.
- Today, the airport has two runways that can accommodate aircraft of any size.
How to get from Minsk-2 airport to the center of Minsk
There are several ways here. Below is a detailed description of each of them.
From/to the airport by bus (shuttle)
This route is operated by a state-owned carrier. Tickets are cheap and getting to the airport is relatively quick and easy.
Important to know:
All scheduled transport departs from the 1st floor of the airport, from the arrivals area, between sectors 5 and 6 approximately.
- Numbers of buses and shuttles: 300E, 173E, 1400, 1430. The letter E in the number means Express.
- Departure — each hour. During rush hours — each 30-40 minutes.
- The ticket price is about $3-4.
- You can pay in cash (in Belarusian rubles) or by card. Tickets can be bought directly from the driver upon boarding.
- All about the money of Belarus, where to change, what currency to bring into the country, read the article: currency in Belarus.
Advice:
Unlike many airports in the world, at Minsk-2 airport the exchange rate is exactly the same as everywhere else in Minsk and the country. There is almost no difference. Since the currency sphere is fully regulated by the state, money can be changed immediately upon arrival at the exchange office at the airport.
This is the schedule of shuttle 1400. There is also a 300E bus that runs once an hour.
- The most convenient for most tourists is bus 300E
- Travel time — 55 minutes.
- On the way, there is only 1 intermediate stop near the Uruchcha metro station at the exit / entrance to the city.
- The final stop is right in the city center near the main railway station — at the central bus station.
- Route 300E end point coordinates: 53.890252, 27.554900
- By the way, this bus leaves from here to the airport
By train from Minsk airport to the Minsk city
I will briefly tell the whole history of the development of budgetary funds. And draw your own conclusions.
Approximately in the year 2005, a lot of money was allocated from the budget, and by 2010 a direct high-speed railway line was built from the center of Minsk to the airport. It was a significant event. And in fact, in half an hour, without traffic jams and delays, strictly on schedule, you can get to the airport. It was very convenient, and some sources still write that there is a railway line to the airport.
However, no sooner had the trains been launched to the airport than the city authorities began to talk about the need to build a second runway at the airport. Since the passenger traffic is growing, and the second runway is very necessary.
Two years later, the railway line was dismantled, and a second runway was built in its place. And now it’s 2022, there is no railway line to the airport, but they started talking about it again. So far, as a project, but we’ll see what happens next.
Good to know:
Today, there is no way to get to the airport by train, but they promise to solve this issue by 2029-30.
As for the need to build a second runway, here’s an example:
- London Gatwick Airport: just one runway
- Annual passenger traffic — about 38 million
- Takeoffs and landings per year — about 260,000
- Airport Minsk-2: two runway
- Annual passenger traffic — about 5 millio
- Takeoffs and landings per year — about 28,000
See the difference? One airport can transport 38 million people with one runway, and the second one with 8 times less passenger traffic definitely needs a second runway. And such projects are not cheap 🙂
Important to know:
All data on passenger traffic is taken for 2018-19, during the pre-Covid period.
Private taxi transfer from the airport to Minsk
Minsk is a modern city and there are several large international taxi services that can be called from the phone. Below are some general points:
- Yandex taxi and Uber work fine in Belarus, but you can’t call them to the airport.
- You need to pre-order a transfer from the airport to Minsk.
- You will be met right at the exit from the arrivals area with a sign.
- Travel time to Minsk is 30 minutes.
- The price is not fixed, but for all major services it is the same — about $ 40 per car.
- This is a good option, an ordinary taxi driver is not cheaper, but more on that below.
Where to find a transfer from the airport to Minsk:
- Airport control service. You can order a car in advance by phone: +375 33 631-73-73 (short number 7373). The counter is on the ground floor between the 5th and 6th sectors.
- A large international aggregator for transfers from the airport to the city center: IntuiTravel
- And, of course, the most important player in this market in Minsk: KiwiTaxi
Total:
Transfer from the airport to the center of Minsk is a great option. Prices are not high, given that the drive is almost 50 km. There is a choice of carrier. I recommend this option. But where exactly to order a transfer, decide for yourself, all methods are safe and convenient, and the prices are almost the same.
Taxi at MSQ Airport
Regular taxi from the airport to Minsk
When leaving the arrivals area you need to go through a line of taxi drivers offering to take you cheap to the city. As at any airport in the world, so in Minsk, there are no differences. Below are the general points:
- There are a lot of taxi drivers at any time of the day.
- They are not very intrusive, as happens in some countries for example. And not very annoying.
- Belarus is a safe country, this applies to all areas for tourists. Read more about this in the article: safety in Belarus for tourists.
- All taxi drivers at the airport are licensed. There is zero chance that you will fall for a scammer or bandit who will rob you and take all your money. This method is just as safe as all the others above.
- Even the price, if you bargain, will be the same $ 40 per car, well, or a little more expensive.
But among all this, there is one point that you should keep in mind.
Important:
If you catch a taxi on the spot, always immediately agree with the driver on the final amount. Better not to go by taxi meter. I’ll explain why.
According to the laws of Belarus, every taxi car must be equipped with a taximeter, like everywhere else. And all fares must be placed on the panel in front of the passenger (in a conspicuous place). But the state does not regulate these tariffs in any way.
Each taxi driver (legal) has 4-5 different tariffs in the taximeter: in the city, outside the city, at night, at rush hour, and so on. And many taxi drivers have «a tariff for a fool»: 20 times more expensive than usual. And about once every couple of months an article appears in the local news about how another taxi driver drove a tourist from the airport to Minsk for $ 300. And worst of all, even the police won’t do anything. The driver has a license, a taximeter, all the documents, and he sets the rates himself.
In 99% of cases you will get there normally according to the taxi meter. Such cases as I described above are not frequent, but they do happen.
Car rental at Minsk airport
Very briefly. There are car rental desks at the Minsk airport. There are both international rental companies and national ones. Since the country is safe, and there are no scams in this area, choose in general by price. Yes, we also look at reviews and ratings of the company, but in this country this is not the main factor. If you need a car while traveling in Belarus, then read the detailed article: rent a car in Belarus. There will be all the pitfalls and personal experience.
But globally:
- It’s simple
- Safely
- Local drivers are polite
- The roads are all of excellent quality and free (subject to car rental)
- And since the country is small, in one day you can easily see many interesting sights outside of Minsk.
- For example, Nesvizh Castle will leave a lot of impressions, and it takes an hour to drive here from the Minsk. Sights of Minsk.
How to get from Minsk to airport Minsk-2 (MSQ)
Everything is the same, only in reverse order. All options are priced the same. Here are a few important points:
- Buses and shuttles depart from the central bus station
- Coordinates: 53.890252, 27.554900
- The most convenient bus is 300E. It runs once an hour, and more often during rush hours.
- You can buy a ticket at the bus station or directly from the driver when boarding. It makes no sense to buy tickets in advance, I don’t remember that there would not be enough seats on the bus.
- The train to the airport does not run yet, as the direct railway line has been dismantled.
- Standard price for a taxi from anywhere in Minsk to the airport: $ 30-40
Platforms at the Central bus station, from where all buses and shuttles depart to the airport
In conclusion: getting from Minsk-2 airport to the center of Minsk and back is easy. And it’s not expensive. There is often public transport, there are transfers and even ordinary taxi drivers. The choice is yours.
As for me, ordering a transfer online is the most convenient option. You left the arrivals area, you were met with a sign and immediately went to the city at a fixed price. The main thing to remember is that if you want to pay in cash, then in Belarus payment is possible only in Belarusian rubles. And the currency can be changed at the airport in the exchange office at the average rate for the country.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: below are the links that will be needed in organizing an unforgettable trip to Belarus:
