Getting There

By plane

Moscow (MOW) has four main airports:
  1. Sheremetyevo International Airport (SVO) +7 495 232-65-65,.
  2. Domodedovo International Airport (DME) +7 495 933-66-66,.
  3. Vnukovo International Airport (VKO) Tel: (Head Office) +7 495 436-71-9,.
  4. Bykovo Airport - the smallest one (BKA) +7 495 558-47-38.
Moscow is, by far, the main air traffic hub of Russia and will continue to be as both Sheremetyevo and Vnukovo are undergoing major development plans (both are due to build brand new and large terminals in the next years) and Domodedovo plans to more than double terminal space to 225,000 m² in 2006 and to invest a further $300 million into construction and upgrades in 2007-2008.

In 1980-1991 all international flights to Moscow landed at Sheremetyevo International Airport, commonly called Sheremetyevo II and soon to be renamed "Terminal B". The home base of Aeroflot, Sheremetyevo II was built before the 1980 Summer Olympics. Sheremetyevo I is actually Terminal I of the same airport; however, it is located across the runway from Sheremetyevo II and for practical purposes is a separate airport. Sheremetyevo I and its new Terminal C handle only domestic flights and flights to Belarus. A new Sheremetyevo-III ("Terminal A") is under construction for completion sometime in 2009.

However, in recent years Sheremetyevo has been eclipsed by Domodedovo, which is rather more modern and has better transport links to the center. Many international carriers, including British Airways and Lufthansa, have switched to Domodedovo and since 2005 it has catered to more passengers than Sheremetyevo. Aeroflot's biggest competitors S7 (Sibir) and Transaero, along with a slew of minnows, are based at Domodedovo.

If you prefer to go to the airport by car, it is best to call a taxi agency and book a cab. All airports have taxi kiosks where you can get yourself a driver at a fixed price. Don't listen to people offering you a taxi around the terminal, it will all end up in a major rip-off. For public transportation see below:

Sheremetyevo II
Sheremetyevo, north of the city centre, is the closest airport to downtown Moscow but the major thouroughfare leading to it, Leningradskoye Shosse, is one of the busiest in the city and is normally a giant traffic jam most of the day.

Most flights from/to Sheremetyevo II are operated either by Aeroflot or by its partner international carriers, mostly members of the SkyTeam alliance. Check-in starts two hours before departure time (three hours for US-bound flights).

Apart from a handful of airlines operating out of the new Terminal C (next door to Sheremetyevo I), most international flights depart Sheremetyevo II. Ground-floor is the arrivals level, with departures being one level above. Most cafes and restaurants beyond passport control are faceless and overpriced. Club Bar boasts Ronnefeldt teas and decent pancakes, however. Note that you have to clear customs before check-in so there's practically no going back after you check-in to the cafeteria or the restaurant upstairs.

The airport has banking and bureaux de change, and ATMs are available in both the arrivals and departures areas. Remember to change your rubles into Euros or USD before departing Moscow, as almost no other country will cash in your rubles for you. Duty-free shops operated by Aerofirst Moscow Duty Free cover a large space, but merely repeat the same choice in five or six outlets. As elsewhere, only the most popular local souvenirs are sold, still with a huge margin. This terminal also has a hairdresser, pharmacy and a medical office as well as at least two travel agencies.

The information desk is in the main hall and sometimes you are lucky enough to get someone that speaks reasonably good English. The number is (495) 956 4666. You can also call an Intourist representatives (available in Terminal 2) that can provide tourist information (495) 578 5971.

A new Terminal A is being constructed next to Sheremetyevo II. All Aeroflot flights (including domestic destinations currently operated out of SVO1) as well as other SkyTeam carriers (Delta, KLM, Air France, Alitalia, CSA Czech Airlines, Korean Air) will relocate there after its completion in November 2007.

Domodedovo
Domodedovo is located south from city centre and is most conveniently reached by AeroExpress train from Paveletsky Train Station (near a metro of the same name). The trip takes about 40 minutes and takes you directly into the airport. Trains depart every hour starting at 6AM (every 30 minutes in peak hours) and cost about 150 rubles. Several per day of them reach Kurskaya metro station. In late 2006 another express to Belorusskaya station was launched, giving another edge against Sheremetyevo. When catching a train from DME to the city, note that there are both regular old suburban trains and dedicated non-stop services from the same platform. Note that Domodedovo is the farthest airport from the centre and cab fares are particularly high. If you arrive after the trains stop running, you'll pay through the nose for the privilege of being transported to downtown Moscow.

By Rail

Moscow has nine railway terminals connected to the Russian Federation's extensive rail network. The state-owned Russian Railways network is broken into regional divisions. Moscow Railways operates the majority of stations and services in the Moscow area, with passenger services operating on 95% of the network. Service in standard (second class) is usually very good - the compartments are four berth, the linen is generally clean and each carriage has a helpful provodnik (attendant) who will even make a glass of Russian tea for travellers who ask nicely.

The three railway stations most likely to be used by visitors to Moscow are Belorussky vokzal , which has trains from Western Europe, Kievsky vokzal which has trains from Budapest, Prague, Kiev, Sofia, Venice and Belgrade, and Leningradsky vokzal with trains from Helsinki, St Petersburg, Murmansk and Tallinn. Trans-Siberian trains leave from Yaroslavsky vokzal ; destinations include Yaroslavl, Archanglsk, Beijing, Phyonyang, Ulaanbaator and Vladivostock. Trains to and from Riga, leave from Rizhky vokzal. Facilities at the larger stations include toilets, shops and food and drink stalls.


Rail services: Due to the large distances involved, almost any trip a Western visitor will make in Russia will be on a night train. Major connecting routes are from Kiev in the south (journey time - 13 hours), St Petersburg (journey time - 8 hours 30 minutes) and Helsinki (journey time - 14 hours) in the north and Western European cities via Warsaw, as well as Budapest and Prague. The Trans-Siberian Railway is a great way to see just how massive a country the Russian Federation is, although the journey takes at least a week.

Russian Gateway Tours can organise rail from/to Moscow and St Petersburg.

As a wholesaler Russian Gateway Tours has access to prices not available generally to the public direct

Below are examples of the more popular routes:
  • Helsinki/Moscow & Moscow/Helsinki
  • St Petersburg/Helsinki & St Petersburg/Helsinki
  • St Petersburg/Warsaw & Warsaw/St Petersburg/
  • St Petersburg/Berlin & Berlin/St Petersburg
  • St Petersburg/vilnius & Vilnius/St Petersburg
  • St Petersburg/Riga & Riga/St Petersburg
  • St Petersburg/Tallinn & Tallinn/St Petersburg
  • St Petersburg/Minsk & Minsk/St Petersburg
  • Minsk/Moscow & Moscow/Minsk
  • Kiev/Moscow & Kiev/Moscow