The Minsk - Simferopol train provides the Crimean peninsula with Belarus, therefore, despite the complicated relations between Russia and Ukraine, it continues to function. Travel time is a little more than a day, however, if it is too long for you, you can use other vehicles.
Minsk
The capital of modern Belarus was founded in 1067, at the same time the first mention of it is found in chronicles and legends. The city has always been closely connected with the Crimean peninsula by trade and economic relations, therefore the route Minsk - Simferopol is still very popular. The total area of the city is about 350 square kilometers, almost 2 million people live in it.
Today the city is the largest political and economic center of Belarus, it is here that the headquarters of the Union of Independent States (CIS) is located. During the Great Patriotic War, Minsk was subjected to massive attacks by fascist invaders, as a result of which in July 1944 no more than 70 whole buildings remained in it. The city had to be rebuilt almost from scratch, which took several years.
Simferopol
The capital of the peninsula of Crimea was founded in 1784 and since then it has been the largest commercial and industrial center of the region. The route Minsk - Simferopol appeared a little later, initially mail and trade convoys ran along it. Passenger traffic opened there much later and today is represented by trains, planes, buses. You can also take this route with your own car.
It is known that on the site of the current Simferopol in ancient times was located Naples Scythian, the remains of which are still preserved on the peninsula and are popular with tourists. About 330 thousand people live in the city, since 2009, there has been a tendency to increase the number of residents of Simferopol and its environs.
Distance between cities
There is a thing that interests travelers who are going to take the Minsk - Simferopol route - distance. It will directly depend on which vehicle you choose to travel along this route. When traveling by car, you will have to travel about 1,100 kilometers, the situation is complicated by the fact that periodically sections of highways are closed for repairs, so the route length may increase by 200-300 kilometers.
When traveling by train, the distance along the way increases slightly and is about 1200 kilometers. Faster and easier to fly by plane, 1080 kilometers it will overcome much faster than a bus, train and even more so a car. However, due to the aggravated relations between Russia and Ukraine, flying over the space of the latter is not recommended.
Can I get there by train?
Minsk - Simferopol - train number 100, which previously ran on this route, has recently been canceled at the request of the Ukrainian Railways, and now it is impossible to get to the Crimean peninsula without transfers. All trains that previously sailed to Simferopol from Ukraine now complete their journey in the village of Novoalekseevka. Then you can transfer to a bus that will take you to the border village.
Previously, the whole journey on this train took 29-30 hours, but now you have to spend a lot more time on it because of transfers and border controls. The train that used to go along the route Minsk - Simferopol passed through Melitopol, Kharkov, Sumy and Bobruisk, the longest stop on the route was Kharkov (29 minutes). The cost of tickets was about 4 thousand rubles (reserved seats), the coupe cost 8-10 thousand. Since the train was canceled in December 2014, it is best to check the box office information about its analogues.
Bus service
If you plan to travel the Minsk - Simferopol route by bus, you will have to disappoint. Direct communication through Ukraine has not existed since 2010. The only option you can use is offers from travel agencies that organize a round trip. But here there are difficulties, if you plan to go only one way, you will have to take care of this in advance, otherwise you will overpay a large amount.
You can also take a bus with a transfer, for example, from Minsk, first get to Moscow, and then transfer to the route that goes to Sevastopol exclusively through Russia. However, in this case, the movement time will increase significantly and will be more than two days, since the distance will grow almost twice.
Or maybe by plane?
There is no direct flight Minsk - Simferopol as such, so you can get from one city to another only with other flights with a change. When flying with a transfer, the travel time will be from 5.5 to 17 hours, taking into account the waiting time for another flight. The proposed routes involve a transfer in Moscow; there is no other air connection between the capital of Belarus and the Crimean peninsula.
Almost all flights are operated by Aeroflot; once a day, a connecting flight is provided by S7. The cost of tickets varies based on what time of day you fly, how long your transfer in Moscow lasts, and in what class you took the ticket. The price ranges from 8 to 15 thousand rubles, detailed information is best clarified at the ticket office of the airport of Minsk or Simferopol.
Conclusion
Simferopol - Minsk is a route that was not needed due to political events and was replaced by other, inconvenient and disadvantageous counterparts. Residents of Belarus and Russia are now traveling around Ukraine, spending additional time on this . Whether this route will ever return to its usual rut or not is still unknown.
Please note that the fare may constantly change; it is best to check it at the box office in advance. Also take an interest in the cost of baggage, the rules for crossing the border between the two countries, as well as the sights that you can see in both cities. And do not forget to take care of your place of residence if you are going to rest. Have a nice trip!