Getting to Moscow
Municipal Transport
The Moscow Metro
Taxis
Rental Cars

Daily air service to Moscow can be found from all major European capitals, New York, Hong Kong and other Asian cities. Among the airlines with regular flights are:

Aeroflot, Air China, Air France, Air India, Alaska Airlines, Alitalia, ANA, Balkan, British Airways, CSA, Delta, Finnair, JAL, KLM, Korean Air, Lufthansa, LOT Polish, Malev, PIA, Sabena, SAS, Swissair, THY and Transaero. There are also charter service available from most major cities in Europe and North America. European air passes are available at www.europeflightpass.com

Major rail gateways to Moscow are Helsinki, Warsaw, Prague and Budapest. Other trains run from Amsterdam, Athens, Berlin, Brussels, Bucharest, Frankfort, Paris, Riga, Tallinn, Helsinki, Venice, Vilnius, and Warsaw.

Bus service can be found from Tallinn Estonia, Helsinki Finland, and from Kirkenes Norway.

Moscow's most popular form of public transportation is its world-famous Metro. For foreign urbanites accustomed to the subway systems of their homelands, riding the Moscow Metro and visiting its opulent stations is an attraction in itself (for more information on the Metro as an attraction, see the Metro page in points of interest.)

There are over 150 Metro stations in Moscow, all of them open from 5:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. The entrances to all stations are marked by a big letter "M". At a cost of tk, one token can take you anywhere in the system. Multi-trip plastic cards and season passes can also be purchased. Each of the ten Metro lines is marked by a different color, and before riding a train you should always confirm your route by checking one of the large maps posted in every station. This is especially important, because at present all the directional signs in the subway (as well as in most of the city) are printed in Cyrillic only. You may be surprised how fast you learn to read Russian. See the illustration above for translations of the most common signs. You may also wish to avoid riding during the peak commute hours of 7:30 - 10:30 a.m. and 4 - 7:30 p.m.

These three types of vehicles operate throughout the city, and run from 5:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. To ride a bus, trolley-bus, or tram you first need to purchase a coupon, which the driver punches upon entering the vehicle. Coupons are sold in books of ten, and you can buy them in the Metro station ticket offices, in the Metro halls, and at the city news-stalls or kiosks. You can also purchase them on the buses themselves, but they are more expensive on-site. If your stay in Moscow is prolonged, you might consider purchasing a monthly pass, which can be bought for one or all types of public transport.

The route-taxis, all called "marshrutki," are the passenger mini-buses with a white strip and specific draught line along the bus body. There is also an information panel where the route line is displayed. The route-taxi terminals are most often located close to the Metro station entrances, by department stores, etc. Each mini-bus may carry 11 passengers, and there is a luggage compartment in back. You may get in at the terminal, or if a free space is available, the route-taxi may pick you up at any municipal transport stop (just wave to it). The fixed-fee is .60-$1.00.

Taxis are widely available throughout Moscow. They are usually easily identifiable by their yellow color and draught-lines along the sides. Before getting into a taxi, settle on a price with the driver (it costs about $30 to go from one end of the city to the other, but most of your rides will be far shorter). There is also a central taxi service, which you can call at 927-0000 or 927-2108, day or evening.

You can pretty much rent a car of any grade in Moscow, with or without a driver. Because of the local traffic peculiarities and the typically non-English speaking traffic police, it is probably best for most people to get a driver. If you check in the Moscow Times, you can often find a car and driver for as little as $60 a week.

Auto-Sun: 280-4444
AVIS Car Rental (Sheremetyevo II): 240-9932, or 578-5646 Europecar (Sheremetyevo II): 923-9749, 578-3878
Green Line. Taxi, Rent-a-Car, and Limousine Service: 954-9094/0067/5970
Hertz Car Rental (Sheremetyevo II): 284-4391, 578-7532 "INZH" - Car Hire (Khoroshevskoye Shosse Ave, 38-a): 941-1032
Mosrentservice (Sheremetyevo II): 963-9173/45 578-0919 Ochakovo Rent Service: 437-1564