Moscow Getting there & around

Getting there & around

Local transport

Taxi

Almost any car in Moscow can be a taxi, so get on the street and stick your arm out. Many private cars cruise around as unofficial taxis, known as 'gypsy cabs', and other drivers will often take you if they're going in the same direction. Expect to pay R100 to R150 for a ride around the city centre.

Official taxis - recognisable by their chequerboard logo on the side and/or a small green light in the windscreen - charge about the same. No driver uses a meter (even if the cab has one), and few will admit to having change.

Don't hesitate to wave on a car if you don't like the look of its occupants. As a general rule, it's best to avoid riding in cars with more than one person. Problems are more likely to crop up if you take a street cab waiting outside a nightclub, or a tourist hotel or restaurant at night. Women need to be particularly careful.

If you book a taxi over the phone (hotel staff will do this for you if you don't speak Russian), the dispatcher will normally ring back within a few minutes to provide a description and license number of the car. It's best to provide at least an hour's notice before you need the taxi. Some reliable taxi companies (with websites in Russian only) :

Central Taxi Reservation Office (Tsentralnoe Byuro Zakazov Taxi; 927 0000; www.cbz-taxi.ru)

Eleks Polyus (707 2707; www.taxi-14.ru)

MV Motors (775 6775; www.7756775.ru)

New Yellow Taxi(940 8888; www.nyt.ru)

Taxi Bistro (327 5144; www.taxopark.ru)

Taxi Blues (105 5115; www.taxi-blues.ru)

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Bus & tram

International services

International bus services offer the cheapest means of getting to Russia, although services to Moscow are limited.

Berlin Linien Bus (975 3309; www.berlinlinienbus.de; Leningradsky vokzal) Operates a daily bus service between Berlin and Moscow (€66, 12 hours).

Eurolines (975 2574 or 737 6743; www.eurolines.com; Leningradsky vokzal) Offers a bus service between St Petersburg and various Western European capitals.

Domestic services

Buses run to a number of towns and cities within 700km of Moscow. Fares are similar to kupeny (2nd-class) train fares. In general, travelling by bus is not as reliable or as comfortable as travelling by train, so it is best only for destinations with poor train services, including some Golden Ring towns. They tend to be crowded, although they are usually faster than the prigorodnye trains.

Book domestic tickets at Moscow's long-distance bus terminal, the Shchyolkovsky bus station (Shchyolkovskaya), 8km east of the city centre. Queues can be bad, so it's advisable to come here and book ahead, especially for travel on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

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Air

International fares fluctuate dramatically, depending on the season, economy and other factors. Russian domestic fares tend to be more stable.

For general information on international airfares, as well as some tips for budget travellers, see www.waytorussia.net/transport/international/air.html.

Airlines

The former Soviet state airline, Aeroflot, has been decentralised into hundreds of smaller airlines ('baby-flots'), most with a regional focus. The upshot of this orgy of aerobatic entrepreneurship is relatively unregulated skies. Tales of Russian-airline safety lapses are commonplace, so do some research before booking your flight on one of the regional airlines. Aeroflot and Transaero are two national airlines that serve all major domestic destinations and meet international standards for safety and service.

Airline offices of international companies in Moscow include:

Aeroflot (753 5555; www.aeroflot.com/eng/; ul Petrovka 20/1, Petrovsky District; Chekhovskaya)

Air France (937 3839; www.airfrance.com; ul Korovy Val 7, Zamoskvorechie; Oktyabrskaya)

Alitalia (967 0110; www.alitalia.com; World Trade Centre, Krasnopresnenskaya nab 12, poezd 7, Barrikadnaya; Ulitsa 1905 Goda)

Austrian Airlines (995 0995; www.aua.com; Korovy Val 7, Zamoskvorechie; Oktyabrskaya)

British Airways (363 2525; www.britishairways.com; Business Centre Parus, 1-ya Tverskaya Yamskaya ul 23, Tverskoy District; Belorusskaya)

Delta Air Lines (937 9090; www.delta.com; Gogolevsky bul 11, Kropotkinskaya; Kropotkinskaya)

Finnair (933 0056; www.finnair.ru; Kropotinsky per 7, Khamovniki; Park Kultury)

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (258 3600; www.klm.com; ul Usachyova 33/2, Khamovniki; Sportivnaya)

LOT Polish Airlines (775 7737; www.lot.com; Trubnaya ul 21/11, 3rd floor, Petrovsky District; Tsvetnoy Bulvar)

Lufthansa (737 6400; www.lufthansa.com; Renaissance Moscow Hotel, Olimpiysky pr 18, Petrovsky District; Prospekt Mira)

Malév-Hungarian Airlines (202 8416; www.malev.hu; Povarskaya ul 21, Barrikadnaya; Barrikadnaya)

SAS (775 4747; www.scandinavian.net; 1-ya Tverskaya Yamskaya ul 5, Tverskoy District; Mayakovskaya)

Swiss Air (937 7767; www.swiss.com; Paveletskaya pl 2, Zayauzie; Paveletskaya)

Transaero (241 4800; www.transaero.ru/english; 2-y Smolensky per 3, Arbat District; Smolenskaya)

Airports

Moscow's five airports serve a range of destinations. For information on flights in and out of all airports, call 941 9999 (Russian only). The easiest and surest way to get from any airport into the city is to book your transfer in advance through a travel agent. The driver will meet your flight with a sign and drive you straight from the airport to your destination in the city.

Bykovo

The little-used Bykovo airport (code BKA; 558 4933) is about 30km southeast of the city centre on Novoryazanskoe shosse. Prigorodnye trains run from Kazansky vokzal (Kazan train station) to Bykovo vokzal, 400m from the airport (R30, one hour, every 20 minutes). You can also pick this train up at Vykhino, near Vykhino metro. A taxi to/from the city centre is about R800 and can take 1½ hours.

Domodedovo

Moscow's second airport, Domodedovo (code DME; 933 6666; www.domodedovo.ru, in Russian), has undergone extensive upgrades in recent years in order to service more international flights. Most notably, all British Airway flights now fly in and out of Domodedovo. It's about 40km south of the centre.

A super-convenient express train leaves Paveletsky vokzal (Pavelets station) for Domodedovo airport (R100, 45 minutes, every 30 minutes). This route is particularly handy, as you can check-in to your flight at the Paveletsky vokzal. Taxi fare to/from the city centre is R700 to R800, with the trip taking up to 1½ hours, depending on traffic.

Sheremetevo-1&2

Sheremetevo (code SVO; www.sheremetyevo-airport.ru) has two terminals. Moscow's main international airport is Sheremetevo-2 (956 4666), 30km northwest of the city centre. It services most flights to/from places outside the former Soviet Union. From the smaller terminal, Sheremetevo-1 (232 6565), most flights are to/from St Petersburg, the Baltic States, Belarus and northern European Russia. Bus No 517 and airport shuttle buses run between the two terminals.

Minibuses travel between Rechnoy Vokzal metro station and Sheremetevo-1, with Sheremetevo-2 the middle stop in both directions. They make the journey as soon as they are full, which is about every 30 minutes or less. At Rechnoy Vokzal, leave the metro platform by the exit at the front end of the train. Minivans wait at the road, 100m from the station. The combined metro and minivan trip to/from Sheremetevo-2 takes about one hour; to/from Sheremetevo-1 is about 10 minutes extra. City bus No 551 also follows this route, but takes much longer. At Sheremetevo-2, minibuses leave from a stop 200m in front of the terminal (just to the right of the car park). Make certain your shuttle is going in the right direction.

A taxi arranged on the spot between Sheremetevo airport and the city centre takes about 45 minutes and should not cost more than R800.

Vnukovo

About 30km southwest of the city centre, Vnukovo airport (code VKO; 436 2813; www.vnukovo-airport.ru/eng/index.htm) serves the Caucasus, Moldova and Kaliningrad. New high-speed trains run between Kievsky vokzal and Vnukovo (R76, 35 minutes). They run every hour between 7am and noon and between 5pm and 8pm. Outside these hours, you can take a marshrutka (minibus) from Yugo-Zapadnaya metro (R30, 30 minutes). A taxi to/from the city centre can take over an hour and costs about R800.

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Car & motorcycle

There's little reason for travellers to rent a car for getting around Moscow, as public transport is quite adequate, but you might want to consider car rental for trips out of the city. Beware that driving in Russia is truly an unfiltered Russian experience. Poor roads, maddeningly inadequate signposting, low-quality petrol and keen highway patrolmen can lead to frustration and dismay.

Rental

Car rental is usually only considered for trips out of the city.

Be aware that many firms won't let you take their cars out of the city, and others will only rent a car with a driver. This latter option is not necessarily a bad one as cars with drivers aren't always more expensive. Also you can avoid the trouble of coping with Russian roads and police.

The major international car-rental firms have outlets in Moscow. Generally it is best to reserve your car before you arrive - advance reservations and special offers can reduce the price by 50% or more. Prices for on-the-spot hire with basic insurance start at €80 per day. The major car-rental agencies will usually pick up or drop off the car at your hotel:

Avis (578 7179; www.avis-moscow.ru/en/; Sheremetyevo-2)

Europcar (363 6418; www.europcar.ru/eng/; Domodedovo)

Hertz (937 3274; www.hertz.ru; Smolnaya ul 24; Rechnoy Vokzal)

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Boat

To/from Moscow

In summer, passenger boats from Moscow ply the rivers and canals of Russia all the way north to St Petersburg, and south to Astrakhan or Rostov-on-Don. The navigation season is generally May to September.

The St Petersburg route follows the Moscow Canal and then the Volga River to the Rybinsk Reservoir; then the Volga-Baltic Canal to Lake Onega; the Svir River to Lake Ladoga; and the Neva River to St Petersburg.

The main southbound route takes the Moscow Canal north to the Volga. It then follows the Volga east before heading south all the way downstream to Astrakhan (which is nine days from Moscow), via Uglich, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Ulyanovsk, Samara and Volgograd.

The Moscow terminus for these sailings is the Severny Rechnoy Vokzal (Northern River Station; 457 4050; Leningradskoe shosse 51; Rechnoy Vokzal). Take the metro to Rechnoy Vokzal, then walk 15 minutes due west, passing under Leningradskoe shosse and then through a nice park.

Some cruise companies:

Capital Shipping Company (458 9624; www.cck-ship.ru, in Russian; Severny Rechnoy Vokzal, Leningradsky sh 51; Rechnoy Vokzal) Operates cruise ships departing regularly from Moscow's Severny Rechnoy Vokzal.

Cruise Company Orthodox (943 8560; www.cruise.ru; ul Alabyana 5; Sokol) A Russian company that also caters to foreigners, meaning English-speaking staff and upgraded accommodation. Cruises go all the way down the Volga River to Rostov-on-Don, through the locks of the Rostov-Don Canal.

Cruise Marketing International (800 578 7742; www.cruiserussia.com; 3401 Investment Blvd, Ste 3, Hayward CA USA) Offers a series of 11- and 15-day cruises between Moscow and St Petersburg, with stops in little villages and Golden Ring towns.

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Train

Moscow has rail links to most parts of Russia, most former Soviet states, numerous countries in Eastern and Western Europe, and China and Mongolia. Prices are for a kupe (2nd-class in a four-seat couchette) ticket on a skory (fast) train.

Confusingly, the whole Russian rail network runs on Moscow time. You'll usually find timetables and station clocks on Moscow time, but if in doubt confirm these details carefully. The only general exception is suburban rail services, which stick to local time.

Classes

On long-distance trains, your ticket will normally give the numbers of your carriage (vagon) and seat (mesto). For more details of travelling on Russian trains, see Lonely Planet's Russia & Belarus or Trans-Siberian Railway.

Compartments in a 1st-class carriage, also called soft class (myagky) or sleeping car (spalnyy vagon, SV or lyux), have upholstered seats and also convert to comfortable sleeping compartments for two people. Not all trains have a 1st-class carriage. Travelling 1st class costs about 50% more than a 2nd-class ticket.

Compartments in a 2nd-class carriage, usually called 'compartmentalised' (kupeny or kupe), are four-person couchettes.

Reserved place (platskartny), sometimes also called hard class or 3rd class, has open bunk accommodation. Groups of hard bunks are partitioned, but not closed off, from each other. This class is low on comfort, privacy and security.

Types of train

The regular long-distance service is a fast train (skory poezd). It stops more often than an intercity train in the West and rarely gets up enough speed to merit the 'fast' label. Foreigners booking rail tickets through agencies are usually put on a skory train.

Generally, the best of the skory trains (firmenny) have cleaner cars, more polite attendants and much more convenient arrival and departure hours; they sometimes also have fewer stops, more 1st-class accommodation or functioning restaurants.

A passenger train (passazhirsky poezd) can take an awfully long time to travel between cities. They are found mostly on routes of 1000km or less, clanking and lurching from one small town to the next.

Suburban trains

When taking trains from Moscow, note the difference between long-distance and 'suburban' trains. Long-distance trains run to places at least three or four hours out of Moscow, with limited stops and a range of classes. Suburban trains, known as prigorodnye poezdy or elektrichka, run to within 100km or 200km of Moscow, stop almost everywhere, and have a single class of hard bench seats. You buy your ticket before the train leaves, and there's no capacity limit.

Most Moscow stations have a separate ticket hall for suburban trains, usually called the prigorodny zal, which is often tucked away at the side or back of the station building. Suburban trains are usually listed on separate timetables and may depart from a separate group of platforms.

Stations

Moscow's nine main train stations (vokzal):

Belorussky (Belarus; Tverskaya Zastava pl; Belorusskaya) For trains heading west, including trains to/from Belarus, Lithuania, Poland and Germany, and some trains to/from the Czech Republic.

Kazansky (Kazan; Komsomolskaya pl; Komsomolskaya) The start and end point for trains to/from the southeast, including Kazan and Central Asia.

Kursky (Kursk; pl Kurskogo Vokzala; Kurskaya) Serves points south and east, including Vladimir, the Caucasus, eastern Ukraine, Crimea, Georgia, Azerbaijan.

Kievsky (Kyiv, or Kiev; pl Kievskogo Vokzala; Kievskaya) Serves points southwest, including Kyiv, western Ukraine, Moldova, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, Romania, Bulgaria and Venice, as well as some trains to/from the Czech Republic.

Leningradsky (Leningrad; Komsomolskaya pl; Komsomolskaya) For trains heading to/from the northwest, including St Petersburg, Vyborg, Estonia, Helsinki.

Paveletsky (Pavelets; Paveletskaya pl; Paveletskaya) For trains to/from points south, including the express train to Domodedovo airport.

Rizhsky (Riga; Rizhskaya pl; Rizhskaya) Serves Latvia.

Savyolovsky (Savyolov; pl Savyolovskogo Vokzala; Savyolovskaya) For trains to/from the northeast including Yaroslavl.

Yaroslavsky (Yaroslavl; Komsomolskaya pl; Komsomolskaya) Serves Yaroslavl and the longest-distance trains, including those to Mongolia, China, Russian Far East and anything east of the Urals.

Left luggage

You can check your bags at most hotels and train and bus stations. Look for signs for Камера Хранения (kamera khraneniya) or Автоматическиe Камеры Хранения (avtomaticheskie kamery khraneniya). The latter refers to left-luggage lockers. Both options are usually secure, but be sure to note the opening and closing hours. To utilise the lockers:

1 Buy two tokens (zhetony) from the attendant.

2 Find an empty locker and put your luggage in.

3 Decide on a combination of one Russian letter and three numbers, and write it down.

4 Set the combination on the inside of the locker door.

5 Put one token in the slot.

6 Close the locker.

To open the locker, set your combination on the outside of the door. After you've set your combination, put the second token in the slot, wait a second or two for the electrical humming sound, and pull open the locker.

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Travel documents

Tickets

For long-distance trains it's best to buy your tickets in advance. Tickets on some trains may be available on the day of departure, but this is less likely in summer. Always take your passport along when buying a ticket.

Tickets are sold at the train stations themselves, but it is much easier to buy tickets from a travel agent or kassa zheleznoy dorogi (train-ticket office). These are often conveniently located in hotel lobbies. One agent selling airplane and train tickets is GlavAgentstvo, with the following outlets:

Belorussky vokzal (Belarus station)

Leningradsky vokzal (Leningrad station)

Lubyanka ploshchad (924 8728; Detsky Mir, Teatralny proezd 5/1; Lubyanka)

Pushkinskaya ploshchad (290 2771; Tverskoy bul 14/5; Pushkinskaya)

Sheremetyevo-1 airport

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Subway & light railway

Metro

The metro is the easiest, quickest and cheapest way of getting around Moscow. Many of the elegant stations are marble-faced, frescoed, gilded works of art. The trains are generally reliable: you will rarely wait on the platform more than two minutes. Nonetheless, trains get packed during rush hour. Up to nine million people a day ride the metro, more than the London and New York City systems combined. Sometimes it feels like all nine million are trying to get on one train.

The 150-plus stations are marked with large 'M' signs. Magnetic tickets are sold at ticket booths (R13). It's useful to buy a multiple-ride ticket (10 rides for R120, 20 for R195), which saves you the hassle of queuing up every time.

Stations have maps of the system and signs on each platform showing the destination. Interchange stations are linked by underground passages, indicated by perekhod (underground crossing) signs, usually blue with a stick figure running up the stairs. The carriages now have maps inside that show the stops for that line in both Roman and Cyrillic letters. The system is fairly straightforward. The biggest confusion you may find is that often when two or more lines meet, each line's interchange station has a different name.

In late 2005, the first station of a new mini-metro line opened, serving the up-and-coming area known as Moscow-City (Moskva-City). This area, west of the Kremlin, along the north bank of the Moscow River, will be served by two new stations (Delovoy Tsentr and Mezhdunarodnaya).

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