Belarus Help

Everything I have read indicates difficultly in getting a visa to Belarus. For this reason I have not spent much time examining the options.

My suggestions to you are to check out the 'thorn tree' on lonely planet's website where you may be able to get more detailed information from travelers who may have done the same thing.

If unsuccessful and with time to spend why not go to the Ukraine where no visas are required for US passport holders.

The visa biz makes Belarus less attractive as a destination.Ukraine sounds good but you need be sure that your transport doesnt take you thru Belarus bcuz you need a Belarussian transit visa and those cant be obtained at the border. Russia has similar visa headaches

Traveling through Belarus is a complete shake-down and red-tape nightmare. I considered passing through Belarus on my way from St. Petersburg to Vilnius, but as I researched it, I became convinced that it wasn't worth the effort. A Belarussian visa makes a Russian visa look cheap by comparison. You have to pay an "entrance" and "exit fee" upon arrival and exit from the country, which rumor has it, can often approximate how much money you carry on your person. Plus, you have to register all of your foreign currency upon arrival. After I read that and a few more ridiculous bits of red-tape, I decided to spend my time and money somewhere else. Rumor also has it, however, that the rules have relaxed quite a bit in the past few years. If you really want to visit this part of the world, my suggestion is to use a travel agent who specializes in Russian/Belorussion travel. They'll take care of all the messy visa issues for you.

HI,

Thanks everybody. I think I'll just skip Belarus. They seem to have a long ways to go if they want travelers to visit. I do plan on spending time in Ukraine, so good suggestion there. As I'll be going to Russia, I think one visa headache is enough!

All the best,

Jason