Thomas McMillan

Train

20/06/2008

04/05/2010

Route notes

This route takes you through Belarus which means that you need a transit visa. It took us about three days to sort out the visa when we were in Moscow. Don’t worry we did not have to site in the Belarus Embassy for three days we just had to go there on three separate days with different paperwork! A bit frustrating but all part of the fun of overland travel and it gives you a great insight into Russian style bureaucracy.

The train was a sleeper, we were in a three bunk cabin with a Russian chap who spent the first half an hour trying to swap bunks with us as he was on the top bunk which is not as long as the other bunks and very close to the roof!

We were woken by the stewardess at about 6am who kicked us out of bed with a lot of shouting to change our bunks into chairs. Not sure why she woke us so early and why there was so much shouting as it was a few hrs until we got to the border check point.

We only had our passports checked leaving Belarus and not entering and they were checked by Russian immigration which was very odd! As always they were very thorough, it took three of them to check my passport and paperwork as my hair was much longer than my photo! The polish immigration was a standard affair and we were soon in Warsaw.

I have to admit that this was not the most relaxing journey but it was real journey and one I’d recommend doing as we got chatting to the locals and it gave us a great insight into Russia and their relationship with Belarus.

Tom McMillan
3 years ago