Europe: Sleeper Train: Warsaw to Minsk

Europe: Sleeper Train: Warsaw to Minsk

This was actually one of the best train journeys I have ever done. Back in January 2008 the train pulls into Warsaw Central station. The train is quite long. Very long in fact, especially when me and my Travbuddy was at one end of the platform, and our sleeper cabin as at the other end. The train staff thought we were mental running at full speed and we just made the train on time before it pulled out,

The sleeping carriage is the same as you would expect from any other sleeper train service. The cabin we had has 4 single beds, two on each side of the wall and a table next to the window. That is all you get. Oh, and dim lights as well. It gives the cabin a spooky feel.

The journey itself was exciting. After a long day walking around Warsaw, we were feeling very tired. So the train pulls out, and after a beer, we fell asleep. After about 3 hours and 30 minutes, we were woken up by the border control. Not a problem. After the checks with customs we fell back asleep. Then I got woken up, and looked outside the window because the carriage was been shaken. The carriages were being lifted off the track so the wheels can be changed underneath as the tracks in most former Soviet countries have wider tracks than the rest of Europe. After this was done (after an hour), the train leaves the depot at Brest and it takes around four hours to get to the Belarusian capital. The route goes through a forest and in the middle of winter this is quite spooky with heavy snow laid on the ground, with no buildings or street lights to be seen. It was clear skies, so the stars were shining brightly and the light reflecting off the snow. You can picture the scene.

Warsaw Station: is a huge station. So many platforms, but it also has a huge booking hall with a special section for international tickets. Toilets are not worth going in, and there is a left luggage place under the booking hall, which is cheap and has around 3-4 people working in there (all men with moustaches). Lucky nothing was nicked to be sold at the local market. There are loads of small shops selling everything you need, from shoes, bags to food. There is also a McDonalds, and an internet café.

Minsk Station: If you need any information and you don’t speak Russian, forget it. This is a typical former Soviet station, and one of the impressive ones as that, as Stalin wanted to show westerner’s who were travelling into the USSR that the country looks great, so he had the station and city gates outside built to impress visitors (which were lack off). Smaller than Warsaw station, it has the usual booking hall and toilets, but that’s about it. I actually didn’t find it that grand, especially when you have tramps in the subway underneath the station with the smell of s##t.


Warszawa Wschodnia ab 21:00
Mazowiecki ab 21:29
Mrozy ab 21:43
Siedlce ab 22:08
Lukow ab 22:30
Miedzyrzec Podl. ab 22:57
Biala Podlaska ab 23:17
Malaszewicze ab 23:50
Terespol ab 00:36
Brest Central ab 04:10
Minsk Centralyne ab 06:18
Minsk (BY) Wed, 23.09.09 to 08:04

and the way back

Minsk (BY) ab 20:40
Minsk Centralyne ab 22:24
Brest Central ab 02:40
Terespol ab 02:38
Malaszewicze ab 02:51
Biala Podlaska ab 03:25
Miedzyrzec Podl. ab 03:47
Lukow ab 04:23
Siedlce ab 04:45
Mrozy ab 05:07
Minsk Mazowiecki ab 05:22
Warszawa Wschodnia 05:49