The Minsk-Simferopol train provides a connection between the Crimean peninsula and Belarus, therefore, despite the difficult relations between Russia and Ukraine, it continues to function. Travel time is just over a day, however, if this is too long for you, you can use other means of transport.
Minsk
The capital of modern Belarus was founded in 1067, at the same time there are first mentions of it in chronicles and legends. The city has always been closely connected with the Crimean peninsula by trade and economic relations, so the route Minsk - Simferopol is still very popular. The total area of the city is about 350 square kilometers, it is home to almost 2 million people.
Today the city is the largest political and economic center of Belarus, it is here that the headquarters of the Union of Independent States (CIS) is located. During the Great Patriotic War, Minsk was subjected to massive attacks by fascist invaders, as a result of which, for July,In 1944, no more than 70 intact buildings remained in it. The city had to be rebuilt almost from scratch, which took several years.
Simferopol
The capital of the Crimean peninsula was founded in 1784 and since then has been the largest commercial and industrial center of the region. The Minsk-Simferopol route appeared a little later; initially, postal and trade carts ran along it. Passenger traffic opened there much later and today is represented by trains, planes, buses. You can also take this route with your own car.
It is known that Scythian Naples was located on the site of today's Simferopol in ancient times, the remains of which are still preserved on the peninsula and are popular with tourists. About 330 thousand people live in the city, since 2009 there has been a trend towards an increase in the number of residents of Simferopol and its environs.
Distance between cities
There is a thing that interests travelers who are going to go on the route Minsk - Simferopol - distance. It will directly depend on which vehicle you choose to travel along this route. When traveling by car, you will have to drive about 1100 kilometers, the situation is complicated by the fact that sections of highways are periodically closed for repairs, so the length of the route can increase by 200-300 kilometers.
When traveling by train, the travel distance increases slightly andis about 1200 kilometers. It is faster and easier to fly by plane, it will overcome 1080 kilometers much faster than a bus, train, and even more so a car. However, due to the aggravated relations between Russia and Ukraine, it is not recommended to fly over the space of the latter.
Can I get there by train?
Minsk - Simferopol - train number 100, which previously ran on this route, has recently been canceled at the request of the Ukrainian Railways, and now it will not be possible to get to the Crimean peninsula without transfers. All the trains that previously traveled to Simferopol from Ukraine now complete their journey in the village of Novoalekseevka. Then you can transfer to a bus that will take you to the border village.
Previously, the entire journey on this train took 29-30 hours, but now it has to spend much more time due to transfers and border control. The train, which used to go along the route Minsk - Simferopol, passed through Melitopol, Kharkov, Sumy and Bobruisk, the longest stop on the route was Kharkov (29 minutes). The cost of tickets was about 4 thousand rubles (reserved seat), the compartment cost 8-10 thousand. Since the train was abolished in December 2014, it is best to check with the ticket office of the station for information about its analogues.
Bus Service
If you plan to travel the route Minsk - Simferopol by bus, you will have to disappoint. There has been no direct communication passing through the territory of Ukraine since 2010. The only option,which you can take advantage of - offers from travel companies that organize a trip there and back. But there are some difficulties here, if you plan to go only one way, you will have to take care of this in advance, otherwise you will overpay a large amount.
You can also take a bus with a transfer, for example, from Minsk, first get to Moscow, and then transfer to the route going to Sevastopol exclusively through Russia. However, in this case, the travel time will increase significantly and amount to more than two days, since the distance will almost double.
Or maybe by plane?
There is no direct flight Minsk - Simferopol as such, so you can get from one city to another only with the help of other flights with transfers. When flying with a transfer, the travel time will be from 5.5 to 17 hours, taking into account the waiting time for another flight. The proposed routes include a transfer in Moscow, there is no other air service between the capital of Belarus and the Crimean peninsula.
Almost all flights are operated by Aeroflot, once a day a transfer service is provided by S7. Ticket prices vary depending on what time of day you fly, how long your transfer in Moscow lasts, and in which class you bought the ticket. The price ranges from 8 to 15 thousand rubles, it is best to check the detailed information at the ticket office of the airport in Minsk or Simferopol.
Conclusion
Simferopol - Minsk - a route that, due to politicalevents turned out to be unnecessary and was replaced by other, inconvenient and unprofitable analogues. Residents of Belarus and Russia are now traveling around Ukraine, spending additional time resources on this. Whether this route will ever return to its usual track or not is still unknown.
Please note that the fare may change constantly, it is best to check it at the box office in advance. Also ask about the cost of baggage allowance, the rules for crossing the border between the two countries, as well as the sights that you can see in both cities. And do not forget to take care of your place of residence if you go on vacation. Have a nice trip!
