Belarus Tourist Traps

Taxi and registration

by A-Friend-Of-Belarus

To be honest with you, I didn't have any problems in Minsk but that's because I was well informed when I came to this lovely city. However, you should be careful when it comes to taxis. They're pretty expensive, especially if they see you're a foreigner, so my advice would be not to use any taxis. Don't forget to make a registration! if you stay in a hotel they will do it for you. Otherwise, you can have a lot of problems when you leave the country. Think positive. An innocent man has nothing to be afraid of. Minsk Metro works perfectly, and if you want to go to the Airport - buy a bus ticket (around 4000 rubles, less than 2 euros) at the Central Bus Station next to the Main Train Station.

Taxi drivers

by Tobias_Plieninger

Some Taxi drivers try to cheat foreign tourists:There are thee possible ways of cheating:1. Nightprice at day time2. Fast taxameter3. High price and no taxameter Try to pay a lower price.If this doesn't work. ...You have to pay the money and don't be angry.If you had driven in your home country you would have payed much more. The best way is that you don't use a taxi. All taxis drivers are Mafia!If you have no alternative.Ask people for the normal price.Always negotiate a price before you get in.Take only official taxis.

Belarus Border - DON'T Pay to jump the queue!

by rboittier

Going from Poland to Belarus by car we were offered by some Polish guy the chance to get to the front of the queue by giving him $100. The thought of my 5 kids having to endure a long wait made me part with my cash.DON'T GET FOOLED! I was sent to the front of the queue for Polish Passport control then was merged into a single queue for the Belarus border. A guy who was behind me at the first queue ended up passing the border at THE SAME TIME as us in the end and he refused the queue jump offer.On the way back to Poland, I swiftly declined the same offer from a Belarussian guy to pay to jump the first queue!Incidentally, the crossing by car to & from Belarus is terrible. Allow plenty of time to your schedule. We waited 9 hours going and 12 hours returning at the border at Brest. If you do take your own car, perhaps arrive very early in the morning, or at night to avoid a long queue. Or...

Visas and stuff

by K1W1

Gettting a visa for Belarus is not easy. Most western citizens will require an invitation before going to the embasy. This can be taken care of by a travel agent for a fee. In most cases it will be a fictional piece of paper!A transit visa (doesn't require invitation) may be sufficient as it gives 2 days to look around on the way through. That will cost $25 if done over 5 days or $45 on the spot.

Be careful, the beggers and...

by nathanss

Be careful, the beggers and street vendors will try to tell you they will die if they don't make any money this week. My brother lives their and I was feeling very sorry for this lady, who said that this man was going to beat her if I didn't buy this coat from her. What I didn't know was that it was her son. She was just trying to get my pity. And she did!

It's not difficult for local...

by minchanka

It's not difficult for local people to recognize a foreigner. Taxi drivers, sellers, waiters in cafes expect to get more tips from a foreign tourist, sometimes those expectations are increadibly high. So be ready to bargain. And... Good Luck! :)

BELARUS / KHATTIN PLACE

by CAMILLEHADDAD

WHERE THEY HAD LOT OF VICTIMS DURING THE 2ND.WORLD WAR2.160.000 PEOPLE HAD KILLED .

avdb1948's Tourist Trap Tip

by avdb1948

Well Tourism has not really...

by blue-viggen

Well Tourism has not really happened here yet though I am sure this is just a matter of time. Remember to bring your camera.