In recent years Belarusians more often spend their vacations abroad, but prices for tickets and tours from Minsk deter some citizens. However, smart locals discovered a way to save. By booking a tour or flight that’s departing from Kiev, Belarus women and men can save up to 50%, according to KP.by. Then all they need is just a trip to the capital of Ukraine, which costs very little if traveling by bus. It even makes sense to fly because of the size of the savings.

Belarusians save on costs of travel by departing from neighbouring states

When it comes to planning a vacation, Belarusians have to deal with high prices for trips. Many people can’t afford such expenses.

So, they found a way to save a lot of money on travel by buying trips from Moscow, Warsaw, or Vilnius. But the majority of citizens find it the most convenient to depart from Kiev as it’s the closest city to Minsk where a visa isn’t required. The distance between Minsk and Kiev is only 580 kilometres (360 miles).

Tour operators in Minsk can’t offer many options of cheap tours to their clients. Belavia is the local international airline and there is limited competition. As to Kiev, a lot of airlines are available for tourists and as the result several companies offer competitive prices.

Visa-free entrance as another way to save money

Belarusians prefer not to spend a lot of money on their vacation, so they often choose destinations among countries where they can get without a visa. For a large family the cost of applying for a visa adds up.

Belarus citizens are able to visit 76 countries without visas as tourists. Thus, the Belarusian passport was ranked at 64th position in the world in May 2018.

The most popular countries to travel among Belarus residents are Turkey, Egypt, Ukraine and Russia. These destinations are known for affordable prices on hotels, food and transport.

Georgia, Albania or Montenegro are favoured by those who can splurge up a little bit. These countries provide tourists with good quality service but still are cheaper than flying to Cyprus, Israeli, Tunisia, or Bali.

Another widely used life hack is to search for trips on Ukrainian or Russian tour operators’ websites.

• For example, to spend a week in The Hilton in the seaside resort of Hurghada, Egypt, with departure from Minsk will cost USD $2,100.
• The exact same trip with departure from Kiev is priced at only $970.

Thus, Belarus women save even over 50% by purchasing trips on Ukrainian websites.

Two for the price of one

Another option allowing to save is to use connecting flights, as opposed to flying direct. Often you are able to visit two countries instead of one and pay half the price for such a trip. During a stopover, many tourists opt for quick bus trips to see the city and put another tick on the list of countries they have visited.

If one of the flights is delayed, travellers are eligible for some perks. If you’re waiting for 2 hours and more, you should be provided with food. In case the flight is delayed for over 14 hours, a tourist should be offered a room in a hotel and a free shuttle to the airport.

Previously we reported that Belarus registered growth in the number of international visitors after implementing visa-free regime for travellers who stay less than 5 days. In general, 6% more international arrivals has been recorded in 2018 as compared to the previous year.