Apartments vs Hotels in Belarus (and in Minsk) - Russian Ukrainian Belarus Travel Music Woman Dating News

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Apartments vs Hotels in Belarus (and in Minsk)
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Posted by: Laters

I'm planning a trip this fall to Minsk and I keep hearing about people staying in apartments vs hotels. Can anybody provide information on what is better in Minsk? Also if there are any recommendations for accomodations and/or where can I make reservations?

Thanks in advance.

Posted by: Khashyar

Hi Laters...

Welcome to the Russian Meeting Place forums... We look forward to being a part of the discussions here...

I stayed in a privately rented apartment (which you can find many advertised in the Minsk Russian language newspapers), and it is MUCH cheaper than a hotel.

Last summer, we paid $10 per night for the apartment (and saw many apartments advertised for $10, $15, and in high cost scenerios, $20 per night).

From what I read, hotels for foreigners are going to be much more than that.

If you have a girlfriend or friend in Minsk, ask them to look through the Russian language newspapers, make some calls, and arrange an apartment for you. She should know exactly what I mean if you ask her.

If you need help with this, Lena knows someone who works in Minsk who could probably make the phone calls and find you an apartment and make the arrangements...

Good luck in making the arrangements for your trip, and welcome again to the forums...

Khashyar

Posted by: Laters

Thanks for the warm welcome. I'm excited about visiting Minsk. I am meeting a woman there but right now don't really want to rely on setting something up for me.

Who can you recommed I contact? Also I found a website that specializes in renting apartments in Belarus. belarusrent.com

Ever heard of them?

Also I heard if I do stay in a hotel, that they are strict with visitors and coming and going, like theirs a curfew. Any truth to this?

Posted by: Khashyar

Hi Laters...

I enjoyed Minsk, it's not a big city, and yet it has some interesting coffeshops, museums, and other sights....

There is also a surprisingly good Indian restaurtant in Minsk that is run by a transplanted Indian man.

I hope you have a great time there...

You know, I haven't heard of Belarusrent.com, but they certainly could be reputable.

Yes, I think that you will have much more flexibility in an apartment than in a hotel. Your girfriend will feel more comfortable going to an apartment, because sometimes Russian women who accompany men to their hotel rooms are viewed as prostitutes and it can feel uncomfortable for the Russian woman.

And, many hotels will make you pay for an extra person if you bring anyone else to your room (Many Russian/Belarusian hotels seem to be strict about this).

My wife Lena was against us staying in a hotel when I went to see her in Belarus last summer (before we were married).

One of her reasons for this was that it would be pretty expensive (They tend to charge foreigners much more than they charge Belarusians and Russians for the same hotel room). And, Lena was very considerate and caring to me in wanting me not to spend a lot of money during my trip.

The second reason that Lena felt uncomfortable with us staying in a hotel was because she felt that everyone would think that she was a prostitute if she came to a hotel with me. She wanted to find us an apartment to rent instead, and she find a decent fully-furnished apartment for $200 for the month. I think that the apartment was the better choice.

I asked Lena about the person she knows in Minsk, and this person is out of town for the summer, so I am sorry but she can help you with apartments.

How much is Belarusrent.com charging you for an apartment?

If they are asking too much, then maybe we can think of someone else who Lena might know in Minsk who can look in the newspaper for you and arrange an apartment for you. If you do want a friend of Lena's to search for an apartment, it might be a nice gesture to offer the friend $10 or so for their time in making phone calls, etc....

By the way, were you the one who sent us an email regarding Belarusrent.com?

I want to make sure that I am answering your email as well as your post here...

I hope you have a wonderful trip... As I mentioned, I really enjoyed Minsk, and September should be a good time to go (good weather, fewer tourists).

Please let us know if we can help you in another way.

Khashyar

Posted by: Khashyar

Hi again...

I just re-read your email again, and I read that you also were asking about visas...

I'm going to post a new thread about visas so that others can more easily find that information, ok?

I think that you can also receive other feedback that way as well...

Khashyar

Posted by: ConnerVT

Quote:

Originally posted by Khashyar
From what I read, hotels for foreigners are going to be much more than that.

This is absolutely true. I refer to it as The Westerner Tax.

Once they discover you are a foreigner, you can expect prices to go up several hundred percent!

This past June, when Natalya and I vacationed in Sochi, I had her handle all of the arrangements of finding our hotel and flights from Moscow. Partly because I wanted her to be comfortable with the choice of accommodations, part to see how her mind worked at doing this, and part to avoid the dreaded Westerner Tax. It was funny, as the travel agent, although having been given my passport and visa information, didn’t kick in the price boost when quoting her prices (must have been someone new to the job). But when we went to pay for the reservations she had made (after I arrived in Russia), they tried to triple the cost. I have never seen Natalya that, uh, animated!

I hope it is never directed at me.

Needless to say, we paid the originally agreed price.

Posted by: Dennis/Natasha

Hello.

I m sorry for my bad english... You can rent appartament in Minsk for 30-50 $ every days. But its will VIP apartaments. More simpel cost 10-15$. Hotels cost 35-300$ ( like hotel Minsk ****).

Posted by: Laters

Hi all, thanks for all the input. I'm definitely going for an apartment. Yes Khashyar, I was the one who sent you an email. Thanks for responding.

I haven't heard back form belarusrent.com or another place I inquired with. I did hear back from one place at russianlinks and their apartment prices start at $45 for a studio. Nothing like what you all have been quoting.

However the other agencies that haven't responded to my requests, listed prices as low as $20 but again they have yet to respond to any of my emails. Oh well.

This expensive agency may be my only option if I don't hear back from anyone else.

Posted by: Dennis/Natasha

Laters if you want i can help you. I can call in agency and book apartament for you. you will pay only when you come for per day. Just say what you need. I know for 30-50$ you can get 2 beds room VIP apartament with gacusi. I live in Minsk .. so.. its easy for me help you

Natasha

Posted by: Laters

Natasha, that would great! I'll send you pm, so we can discuss this off the boards.

Posted by: Laters

Are official invitations good for apartments? I heard that they are only good for hotels.

Posted by: Khashyar

Hi Laters...

I am assuming that you mean are tourist visa's also good for staying in an apartment?

You should double check this, but I believe that once you have an invitation, you can stay where you would like, unless you have specifically made a reservation at a hotel.

Again, I received a private invitation for Belarus, and then a business visa for Russia (both with double entries so that I could leave and then enter both of those countries if I wished)...

I believe that with a tourist visa, you are required to stay AT LEAST one night in a hotel.

If you do NOT want to stay in a hotel, I would recommend getting either a private visa (your girlfriend would have to arrange this for you), or a business visa (which is somewhat more expensive than a tourist visa, but has more flexibility regarding your length of stay and where you stay.

On a side note, the two times that I traveled across the border from Russian to Belarus by train, it seemed like a domestic train trip because there was absolutely NO customs or visa checks between Russian and Belarus.

I think that in many ways, Belarus and Russia are still treated as the same country, as Belarusians seem to have the same (or almost the same) rights as Russians in Russia.

Khashyar

P.S... Laters..... Lena is working on a very extensive translation project for the next few days that just was offered to her, so she was not able to receive that information about Belarus that she wrote you about... But, she definitely will get the information for you.

Posted by: Laters

Thanks for the info Khashyar! And tell Lena I said thanks for not forgetting about me.

Peace - Ty