When heading to Central Europe by land, many travelers travel via Brest. The border with Poland passes here in three places, so you can easily choose the one that suits you the most. You can also enter the territory of Ukraine at three different customs points.
Brest: border with Poland and Ukraine
Brest is a unique frontier place. Six border crossings are located nearby at once. The most popular post "Warsaw Bridge" is also called "Tolmachevo" and "Brest". The border with Poland is crossed daily by many cars and trains. A little further away are the customs crossings Domachevo and Peschatka. On the border with Ukraine there are border crossings Mokrany, Tomashovka and Oltush.
Closest to the city of Brest is the border with Poland. The distance to the city center from Terespol is only 5 kilometers. The nearest border point with Ukraine is about 50 kilometers away.
Terespol border crossing
On the western outskirts of the city is Brest - a border town. There are 6 crossings right next to it: Varshavsky Bridge (PP"Brest"), Domachevo, Peschatka, Mokrany, Tomashovka and Oltush.
Varshavsky Bridge is the most popular customs border crossing in Brest. Here you can cross the border with Poland both in a live queue and by e-mail. Registration is carried out via the Internet no later than three hours before entering the territory of the border crossing. This crossing is convenient because after it a direct route to the capital of Poland - Warsaw begins. The downside is the huge queues. Sometimes the wait here lasts for five or six hours. This is the main and main border in Brest. The customs office is officially called "Terespol".
There are several corridors of control, which are divided into border, customs, sanitary and quarantine (including phytosanitary), automobile and veterinary.
The advantages of this border crossing is that life is already in full swing at the border. There are small towns near Terespol: you can rent a hotel, stop by for souvenirs, and shop at the supermarket.
The Pajero shopping complex in the village of Horbow is especially popular with tourists traveling by bus. Here everyone makes a stop both on the way to Europe and on the way home.
Alternative border crossings: Domachevo
If you don't want to stand in a long queue, you can use the Domachevo customs border checkpoint. It also has international status. The road to Domachevo runs along the Belarusian-Polish border and starts from the Terespol border checkpoint. You need to move about 45 kilometers to the south in the directionUkraine, drive through the villages of Priluki, Znamenka, Zbunin.
Point "Domachevo" is convenient for travelers who are heading to Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, as well as to the Polish Lubin and further to Krakow, Kielce and others. Very close to this border checkpoint is the town of Vlodava. If you are heading to it, it will be easier for you to cross the border at Domachevo.
Peschatka: border crossing without queues
At a distance of 55 km north of Brest there is another international border checkpoint - Peschatka. This is the border located farthest from Brest. Customs with Poland is the least busy here, there are no or very few queues. Don't stay for more than an hour. If you go to Warsaw, you will see many settlements on the way. This is a minus if you need to move quickly, but a plus if you want to see Poland. "Peschanka" is suitable for those who are heading to the Polish city of Bialystok. From here you can also drive to the Kaliningrad region. There are two routes to get to Peschatka: through Kamenets, and then take it to the left, or through the village of Vysokoye, which is northwest of Brest.
Crossing the border by train
For travelers traveling on their own, the train is a great option for crossing the border. This is especially true on Saturday, when large queues of buses and cars gather at the customs post. By train, you can get both to Polish Warsaw itself and to Terespol, located right next to Brest. The train crosses the border in just half an hour, customs officers stand at the stations. Those from the Belarusian side may not ask anything at all. Poles cancheck things, ask about the purpose of entry. Of course, the visa will also be checked. A ticket for the train Brest - Terespol can be bought in advance electronically. It will cost only about 300 Russian rubles. It is perhaps the most convenient way to buy a ticket via the Internet, because in Belarus you will have to pay in Belarusian rubles.
Crossing the border by train is the only way for pedestrians to enter the EU, as they are not allowed to enter the Terespol border post. Bicyclists are not allowed to pass through this customs either.
A border fence has been put up on both sides along the railway lines from the border line to the very station of the Polish town of Terespol. This is done in order to protect the country from the smuggling of cigarettes, which can be thrown out the window on the way of the train. Moreover, illegals will not be able to jump out of the train.
