Tour on two mainlines

Russian Railways together with the Belarusian Mainline have organized the first railway tour – the Belarusian Voyage. The trains departed from Moscow Smolenskaya station on August 5 and 12 with Minsk as their destination. The duration of the trip is 4 days. The tour package includes railway transportation, excursions with a guide, museum tickets, transfers and meals.

As 1520international was told by Nikolai Kostenko, the head of Russian Railways’ Passenger Transportation Department, the key prerequisite for the organization of the Belarusian Voyage was the increase in tourist traffic between the two countries.

Thus, in January-June this year alone, the volume of passenger traffic between Russia and the Republic of Belarus exceeded 1 million 5 thousand people, or 2.4 times higher than in the same period last year. The figures for the first half of 2022 are also 5% higher than in January-June of the pre-pandemic 2019.

The rolling stock for the railway cruise, including sleeping cars and compartments, was provided by Federal Passenger Company, a subsidiary of Russian Railways. RZhD Tour was in charge of the tourist program. The Belarusian Mainline, for its part, offers maintenance of cars in the points of turnover on the territory of the country and provides infrastructure.

The program of the Belarusian Voyage includes two alternatives routes - with a visit to Brest or Grodno. They have a common departure point (Moscow Smolenskaya) and destination (Minsk). Passengers were also offered a choice of two dates - August 5 and 12. On each day there is one train for the two routes (departure and arrival time is the same). Number of seats for one date is 296. All tours were sold out.

The journey via Brest includes a sightseeing bus and walking tour of the city, a visit to the Brest Fortress and Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park. For those who chose the route via Grodno there is an excursion to the Old Castle and Tyzenhauz Karolina Folwark (agro-farm), as well as a tour of a Lutheran Church.

In the capital of the Republic of Belarus - Minsk - tourists visited Mir Castle Complex, included in the list of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage.

The price of the tour for 4 days/3 nights varies depending on the route and type of car. It includes two meals a day (breakfast and lunch), railway and sightseeing tickets, and transfers. A Russian passport or a birth certificate for a child is required for registration for the trip. 

The organizers of the Belarusian Voyage are already considering the possibility of assigning additional journeys. The final decision will be made based on passenger feedback.

"So far only two dates are planned, but I am sure that this route will be in demand," - previously noted Roman Barakovskikh, RZhD Tour general director. 

Anna Yakusheva

15 auguste 2022