How to survive border queues? What bus drivers and experienced passengers say

Photo: Lookby.Media

Journalists spoke with drivers of regular Ecolines buses, which travel from Belarus to the west, as well as with experienced passengers who have repeatedly endured long hours of waiting before border barriers, about how to survive them with the least inconvenience. Onliner.by collected opinions.

What to prepare for?

Everyone is already used to guessing the situation when buying a bus ticket. Is it better to travel at the beginning of the week or at the very end? Or perhaps in the middle? Do night buses spend less time at the border? Is it true that the shortest route to Poland is through border crossing points on the Lithuanian border?

— Compared to last year, the situation has certainly improved — this is already noticeable, — says Anatol, an international driver. — More border crossing points have opened, and delays have become shorter. Currently, it takes about eight hours on average to cross the border via the Brest-Terespol crossing, but let's see what happens in summer. I would say that the problem is largely artificially created: too many buses in the queue are empty with "Chartered" signs. It's clear that they are being dealt with: additional fuel tanks are being sought, and checks are being carried out. If all unnecessary vehicles were removed from the queue, the waiting time would significantly decrease.

Павялічыць

— If you travel via Brest, you should always allow the most time for crossing the border, — warns Dmitry, also an international driver. — Last year, when there were the biggest border jams, people with plane tickets allowed a day or even more: they booked a hotel in advance so that if they made it, they could check in, rest as much as possible, and then go to the airport from there. But there were still stressful situations. And it happened that people (probably completely inexperienced) traveled hoping for the schedule. And they failed: they had to urgently change something, look for options, or completely give up their plane tickets — they were very late.

— There are different options: you can plan a transfer in Marijampolė, or you can drop by Vilnius. Yes, the overall journey will be more expensive, and it's not a fact that you'll save significant time. But purely psychologically, such a trip is much easier: you drive more, you stand less, — notes Dmitry. — And you can plan a transfer to your advantage: go to a shop, have coffee somewhere, have a proper breakfast or lunch, just walk around Vilnius a bit. And then take a bus to Warsaw and arrive calmly, essentially without stops.

Since late last autumn, some direct routes between Belarus and Poland have been going through the Berestovitsa-Bobrovniki border crossing. And many note that queues there are always shorter than in Brest.

— We wait less in Berestovitsa — there are simply fewer buses there. Although, sometimes many tourist buses arrive, and then everything gets delayed. But still, at this crossing point, we usually don't deviate from the work schedule as much as it used to happen in Brest. By the way, it's precisely because of such delays that there are later delays in departures from Poland to Belarus, — emphasizes Anatol.

However, both drivers and passengers agree that it is impossible to predict in advance how long it will take to cross the border — it is purely a matter of luck.

— You never guess, — says Anatol. — Yes, logically, more people travel on Friday evenings. Those who go shopping usually return on Saturday, because nothing works in Poland on Sunday. But I wouldn't recommend returning from Poland specifically on Sunday either — who knows what will happen at the border. How many buses, how long the checks will last, and so on. Or you could just hit a shift change at the border crossing — no one knows that either.

What do travelers recommend?

— The problem is not that there's nothing to do on the bus. Thank God, now there are very comfortable rides with monitors in seat backs, with Wi-Fi. But very quickly, all this becomes terribly boring — simply because you're sitting in one place. Well, you watched one movie, dozed off, watched another. And the queue is such that you haven't even gone past the first barrier yet, — says our reader.

Andrei, another traveler, shared memories of how a volleyball and a badminton set were found in his luggage:

— At first, my wife and I played badminton, and then people from the bus joined us, and we switched to the ball.

Certainly, if there's a risk of spending many hours consecutively on the bus, you need to take care of food and water.

— When we go somewhere with friends, we always take some snacks with us. Not even because we're so hungry, but just for variety. If there's nothing to do, eating cookies with juice is already entertainment, — shares reader Ekaterina with us. — From experience, it's always convenient to throw some kind of bar into your backpack. If you don't like sweets, large stores have fairly neutral options with increased protein content — seemingly even healthy. I like to buy children's snacks — easily digestible, pleasant to taste, and the ingredients are good.

Павялічыць

It's important not to forget that not all food is equally suitable for the confined space of a bus.

— Once, some ladies were sitting in front of me who suddenly, at the border, pulled out a foil-wrapped package from their bag and said: "So the Poles don't confiscate it" — and started unwrapping it. I didn't believe it at first. Chicken in foil! I thought all that was left in the nineties in open-plan train carriages. But no, there are still enthusiasts. And then the whole cabin breathed that chicken all the way to Warsaw. Summer, heat — indescribable! — said Ulad from Minsk.

What can they ask at the border?

— The funniest thing is when, after many hours of waiting, you're suddenly pulled off the bus because it's finally time to go through border control. Especially at night! You rub your eyes, shuffle to the check window, and you have to answer questions! And preferably without hesitation — that's the real test, — smiles Valery, who crosses the border from time to time. — Sometimes they ask unexpected things. For example, once they asked me to state my zodiac sign and date of birth. And I didn't immediately get my bearings, almost forgot everything completely out of surprise!

But the zodiac sign is an exotic question. There is a completely standard list that you need to be prepared for.

• What is the purpose of your trip?

Depending on the answer, there may be other questions. For example, those traveling for work or study may be asked to show documentary proof.

— It's clear that many Belarusians travel to Lithuania or Poland just to get to the airport and then fly further. And I have repeatedly seen border guards ask to see plane tickets, both ways, — warns a reader named Maksim.

• How many days are you traveling for?

It's simple: it's important that the visa covers the duration of stay abroad — they pay attention to this.

• Where will you be staying?

If it's a hotel or apartment, they may ask to see the booking. If with relatives or friends, they may ask for the address and contacts of these people.

• Do you have a return ticket?

If you do, show it. If not, you'll have to explain when and how you intend to return.

— I don't know the principle by which some are asked many questions, while others simply have their fingerprints taken and a stamp put in their passport. But it's really unsettling when the person before you passed without problems, and you start getting bombarded with questions, — continues Maksim. — And even though you can show and tell everything, you still sweat buckets. You start thinking: "Well, that's it, they won't let me through." Overall, it seems to me, it's always clear who crosses the border as a job and who is going on a tour and is very nervous.

Павялічыць

Customs. What questions might arise regarding luggage?

Baggage allowance rules are constantly changing and being adjusted. In addition, there are differences depending on the country of entry and the type of transport. Therefore, before traveling, it is best to update the information, and at the border, to avoid problems, you should inform customs in advance about all matters that may raise questions.

— In fact, customs is always a bit of a lottery, — shares Artem. — Alcohol and cigarettes — clearly, everything is precisely stipulated how much of what is allowed. But all these import limits — they really work strangely. Everyone has a smartphone in their pocket, which often costs more than 500 euros new, someone travels with a laptop, someone with a tablet, someone has expensive watches, and so on. And not once in any bus have I seen anyone declare this. Or anyone complain about it upon return. But every time you go, you don't know: what if someone principled decides to calculate the value of all this?

At the same time, a customs officer enters every bus at the border and warns that if passengers have goods that need to be declared, they must still go through this procedure.

In which cases should this warning be taken with full seriousness? If you are carrying:

• large sums of money;
• expensive goods;
• goods whose value exceeds duty-free limits;
• goods imported for sale;
• electronics in packaging;
• several units of the same item;
• art and antiques, cultural values.

— Some passengers actually declare things or money — it's perfectly normal. Yes, it takes a little more time, but believe me, it's a very insignificant delay compared to everything else, — notes bus driver Dmitry.

Павялічыць

— It's always funny to listen to conversations in the queue about how at one border, they say, luggage wasn't checked at all, and at another, it was sent for X-ray. Does no one know that the one who lets you in is the one who checks thoroughly? And upon exit, control goes faster: a stamp in the passport — and goodbye, — wonders Vladimir.

However, stories about being forced to throw away all food and even water bottles at Lithuanian border crossings seem to be a thing of the past.

— Of course, there are rules: you can't carry dairy, meat, and so on. But, in my experience, everything depends on the specific shift and the specific person: some inspect everything very carefully, while others, let's say, also see everything but are more lenient, — says bus driver Anatol. — My tried and true trick over many years in transportation is always to smile and remain friendly. It helps in any situation.

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