Book your ticket online from the "Way to Russia" Web site (see Resources below). There's a link just underneath the title bar called "Russian Trains Timetables" that will lead you to schedule and booking options.
Call Rail Europe at (888) 382-7245 for telephone booking. You can also book tickets from the "Rail Europe" Web site (see Resources below).
Book tickets early for peak travel times like the holidays. Never plan more than 45 days in advance because tickets become invalid after that period. You'll simply end up buying them twice.
Get your ticket on the train if you absolutely must board and don't have time to wait in line. You'll pay a hefty price (usually a "gratuity to the conductor" upwards of 50 percent of the total ticket price), but you won't have to wait in a long line at the station and risk missing your train.
Save a few dollars by opting for second class. The difference in comfort is negligible. The difference in price is $50 or more depending on the season.
Invest in a Sleeper, especially when traveling overnight. You'll have greater comfort for a better night's sleep on your way from Belarus to Poland.
Split the difference between first class and a full Sleeper car by choosing a couchette. They're one step down from first class, offering a bed (most often a pull-down bunk), without privacy.
Choose the Berlin Express line to travel between Poland and Belarus. It not only features direct service between Berlin and Moscow, but it also stops along the track (in Poznan, Warsaw and Minsk, for example).
Take the standard commuter rail from "Minsk-passazhirskiy," the primary track running through the Belorussian city. This line has the most frequent departures to Warsaw.
Take the Vostok-Zapad Express from Minsk, one of the faster ways of reaching Warsaw (at just under 9 1/2 hours).
