Moscow

Since its founding in 1147, Moscow (Russian: Москва, Moskva) has been at the crossroads of history as the capital of empires and a frequent target for invaders. As the capital of the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union, and, today, the Russian Federation, it has played a central role in the development of the largest country in the world. For many, the sight of the Kremlin complex in the centre of the city is still loaded with symbolism and history.

Today, Moscow is a thriving, exuberant capital city that overflows with life, culture and sometimes traffic. A sprawling metropolis, the northernmost megacity on the planet, and the most populous city entirely within Europe, Moscow is home to numerous museums, Soviet-era monoliths and post-Soviet kitsch, but continues to pave the way forward as Muscovites move into the 21st century.

Understand
Moscow is the financial and political centre of Russia and the countries formerly comprising the Soviet Union. It has a population of around 13 million and an area of 2511 km2 after an expansion in 2012. One-tenth of all Russian citizens live in the Moscow metropolitan area. Moscow is the second most populous city in Europe, after Istanbul, and has the most populous metropolitan area in Europe, with some 21 million residents. Moscow is in the UTC+3 time zone; there is no daylight saving time.

Many years since the break up of the Soviet Union, the economy has improved, and the modern era has brought upon a wide variety of construction projects, modern architecture and newer transport systems replacing the derelict ones during Soviet times.

Geography
Moscow is a large metropolis on the Moskva River, which bends its way through the city. The historical center is on the northern bank of the river. The other major waterway is the Yauza River, which flows into the Moskva east of the Kremlin.

Much of Moscow's geography is defined by the 3 'Ring Roads' that circle the city at various distances from the centre, roughly following the outline of the walls that used to surround Moscow. With Red Square and the Kremlin forming the very centre, the innermost ring road is the Boulevard Ring (Bulvarnoye Koltso), built in the 1820s where the 16th century walls used to be. It runs from the Christ the Savior Cathedral in south-west central Moscow, to the mouth of the Yauza in south-east central Moscow.

The next ring road, the Garden Ring (Sadovoe Koltso), derives its name from the fact that landowners near the road in Tsarist times were obligated to maintain gardens to make the road attractive. In Soviet times, the road was widened, and there are now no gardens there.

The Third Ring Road, completed in 2004, is not much use for tourists but is a heavily used motorway which absorbs a bit of Moscow's traffic. It roughly follows the outline of Kamer-Kollezhsky val, the customs boundary of Moscow in the 18th – early 20th century. The outer edge of Moscow is largely defined by the Moscow Ring Road (widely known by its abbreviation: MKAD-Moskovskaya kolcevaya avto doroga), a motorway which is long and encircles the entire city (similar to London's M25 and Paris' Périphérique).

Climate
The climate of Moscow features warm summers and long, cold winters. Temperatures average below freezing for four months a year, between mid-November and mid to late March. Snow cover typically forms in late November or early December and melts in early April.

Get in
See Russia for visa requirements to Russia.

By plane
Moscow ( for all airports) has four commercial passenger airports. The ones foreign visitors are most likely to arrive in are Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo.

To travel between the airport and the city:
 * Aeroexpress is the only rail link to the airport. Trains operate between the airport and the Belorussky Railway Terminal in the northwest section of the city centre. It also makes some additional stops, namely at Okruznaya, Savelovsky train station and Begovaya, where you can take the metro too. Trains stop every 30 or 60 minutes from 05:00 to 00:30. The journey takes 50 minutes and costs ₽500 one-way if you buy your ticket at the airport or ₽450 if you buy your ticket online or via mobile app in advance. The ticket for a couple costs ₽850, for a group up to 4 people - ₽950. Keep your paper or mobile ticket for the entire Aeroexpress journey. From the Belorussky Railway Terminal, the journey to the city center takes an additional 20 minutes by metro.
 * Bus #851 (₽57 for a 90-minute transfer ticket purchased from the driver) and Bus #949 (₽80) operate service between the terminals and the Rechnoy Vokzal Metro Station of Metro Line 2 (dark green). If taking a cheaper regular bus #851 or #817 (see below), the driver hands you a red card, which you then have to validate at the scanner, or you can purchase a ticket or Troika transport card at the ticket machine right at the bus stop in front of Terminal D arrival hall's exit. The majority of drivers don't speak any English, so don't depend on them for assistance. Once you get off the bus, continue by foot a few steps in the direction the bus was going in, and you'll see the metro station on your right in the first opening between the buildings. When returning to the airport, after leaving the Rechnoy Vokzal metro station, cross the street, go around the fence on the other side of the street and look for the bus under the orange-colored shopping center.
 * Bus #817 (₽57 for a 90-minute transfer ticket purchased from the driver) or Bus #948 (₽80) operate service between the terminals and the Planernaya metro station, at the northwest terminus of Metro Line 7 (purple). The journey by bus to the metro stations takes approximately 40 minutes and the journey to the city centre by metro takes an additional 40 minutes. Buses operate from approximately 05:30 to 00:45.
 * Bus #1185 (₽200 operated by Aeroexpress, connects terminals B and C with Khovrino metro station. Every 15 min between 7:45 and 21:15, the journey lasts 20 min. Tickets can be bought online and in the bus.
 * Night Bus H1 operates every 30 minutes between 00:30 and 05:30. The bus operates between the airport, city center (including Kitay-Gorod Transport Hub, where you can change to other night routes), and Yugo-Zapadnaya metro station. Route plan can be found here.
 * Uber, which works in Russia in the partnership with the popular local service Yandex.Taxi, operates service to the city centre for a fixed base rate, before surge pricing, of ₽850-1000 for UberX class, depending on distance. Transfers to the other Moscow airports cost a fixed rate, before surge pricing, of ₽1500.
 * Fixed Price Official Taxis are available, with the price based on the destination neighborhood. A fixed price official taxi costs ₽1800 to the city centre. Note that there is a toll of ₽100 for taking the highway to/from Sheremetyevo Airport.
 * Driving past the toll bar should be avoided whenever possible as there are fees to do so. In addition to entry charge of ₽100/hour (rounded up to the next hour), after entering the toll bar, there is an extra charge from ₽100/hour to ₽300/hour, depending on the distance from the entrance and the comfort of parking—with an unofficial option of an unlimited-time stay for ₽300. However, there are unofficial parking lots near the airport, with daily rates starting at ₽200.

To travel between the airport and the city:
 * Aeroexpress trains operate between the airport and the Paveletsky Railway Terminal in the southeast section of the city centre. Trains depart every 30 minutes from 06:00 to 00:30. The journey takes 50 minutes and costs ₽500 one-way if you buy your ticket at the airport or ₽450 if you buy your ticket online or via mobile app in advance. The ticket for a couple costs ₽850, for a group up to 4 people ₽950. Keep your paper or mobile ticket for the entire Aeroexpress journey. From the Paveletsky Railway Terminal, the journey to the city center takes an additional 20 minutes by metro.
 * Commuter trains are a cheaper method of traveling between the airport and the Paveletsky Railway Terminal. The journey by commuter train takes 75 minutes and costs ₽120.
 * Bus #308 operate around-the-clock between the airport and the Domodedovskaya Metro Station near the southeastern end of Metro Line 2 (dark green). There is plenty of space on the buses for luggage. The buses operate every 15 minutes, but every 40 minutes between 00:00 and 06:00. The trip takes 30 minutes and costs ₽120. From the Domodedovskaya Metro Station, the journey to the center takes another 40 minutes by metro. When headed towards the airport, at Domodedovskaya Metro station, take the exit to the south (downtown side) turn right in the underpass, and follow it to the end, then take the stairs. There are crude stencilled signs of Bus 308 on the pillars to guide you. When you get to street level you will see a tall building across the street with blue words reading "Орехово-Борисово Северное". The bus stop is next to this building.
 * Uber, which works in Russia in the partnership with the popular local service Yandex.Taxi, operates service to the city centre for a fixed base rate, before surge pricing, of ₽850-1000 for UberX class, depending on distance. Transfers to the other Moscow airports cost a fixed rate, before surge pricing, of ₽1500.
 * Fixed Price Official Taxis are available, with the price based on the destination neighborhood. A fixed price official taxi costs ₽1650 to the city centre.

To travel between the airport and the city:
 * Aeroexpress trains operate between the airport and the Kievsky Railway Terminal in the southwest section of the city centre. Trains depart every 30 or 60 minutes from 06:00 to 00:00. The journey takes 40 minutes and costs ₽500 one-way if you buy your ticket at the airport or ₽450 if you buy your ticket online or via mobile app in advance. The ticket for a couple costs ₽850, for a group up to 4 people ₽950. Keep your paper or mobile ticket for the entire Aeroexpress journey. From the Kievsky Railway Terminal, the journey to the city center takes an additional 20 minutes by metro.
 * Buses #911 and #611 operates between the airport and the Yugo-Zapadnaya and Troparyovo Metro Stations, at the southwestern end of Metro Line 1 (Red). The bus journey takes 35-40 minutes and costs ₽36 if using Troyka transport card or ₽55 if paid to the driver. From the metro stations, the journey to the city center takes an additional 40 minutes.
 * Bus #32 operates between the airport terminal and the Novopederelkino Metro Station, at the southwestern end of Metro Line 8A (Yellow). Working hours are from 05:15 to 01:20 with ~15 minutes interval. The bus journey takes 25-40 minutes and costs ₽57 paid by cash to the driver. From the metro stations, the journey to the city center takes an additional 40-45 minutes.
 * Uber, which works in Russia in the partnership with the popular local service Yandex.Taxi, operates service to the city centre for a fixed base rate, before surge pricing, of ₽850-1000 for UberX class, depending on distance. Transfers to the other Moscow airports cost a fixed rate, before surge pricing, of ₽1500.
 * Taxis are best booked either by using a mobile app or over the phone using reputable companies such as LingoTaxi, Ru-De-En-Taxi, RuskoTaxi. Negotiate the price in advance; many taxis charge approximately ₽1800 to the city centre.

To travel between the airport and the city:
 * Bus #441э (₽82) operates between airport and Kotelniki metro station. The bus journey can take from 30 to 60 minutes, dependent on traffic jams.
 * Yandex.Taxi, Gett, Citimobil and other taxi services.
 * Bus+Train service, more information can be found on airport's official website

By train


Moscow is a railway hub, with connections to all parts of Russia and far into Europe and Asia. Due to its hub status, Moscow's train stations are often crowded; trains are the usual form of intercity transport for most Russians. The stations have a reputation for being unsafe but paradoxically the threat of terrorism has improved things: security gates, policing and surveillance deter the casual thugs and villains. Guard your valuables and yourself as you would in any big city.

All long-distance trains are operated by Russian Railways and its subsidiaries, except for a few international trains with other operators. Tickets can be bought at stations or online. For domestic trains, you can show the ticket officer your online boarding pass; however, international trains require a printed ticket. There are usually ticket counters with English-speaking personnel - they may be marked as such, or the clerk may direct you to another counter if they can't cope with your English. See Russia for more details on travelling in Russia by train.

From Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg can be reached in 4 hours via the high-speed Sapsan trains. There are seven departures daily each way, at 06:45, 07:00, 13:30, 13:45, 15:00, 19:25, and 19:45, with some trains stopping at Tver, Vyshniy Volochek, Bologoye, and Okulovka. Fares vary and are cheaper if bought well in advance but usually are in the range of ₽3000-6000.

There are also 13 overnight trains that travel between Moscow and Saint Petersburg and overnight trains are generally cheaper than the Sapsan. The most famous is the luxurious Red Arrow (Красная стрела), a train painted in bright red that departs Saint Petersburg daily at 23:55 while the song Hymn to the Great City plays on its loudspeakers.

From Europe
All trains from Europe halted since 2020

From Eastern Russia and Asia
Tickets for the Trans-Siberian Railway sell out and it is best to buy tickets well in advance. Tickets are sold by the operator as well as via agencies and resellers.

The main line of the Trans-Siberian Railway runs between Moscow and Vladivostok, the biggest Russian city on the Pacific Coast. The Rossiya train leaves Moscow every other day at 13:20, while the slower but cheaper trains #44 or #100 leave every day around midnight. Major stops include Yekaterinburg (24-31 hours; ₽2000-9000), Omsk (35-48 hours), Novosibirsk (46-54 hours), Krasnoyarsk (54-66 hours), Irkutsk (68-81 hours; ₽4700-23000), Ulan Ude (75-89 hours), and Vladivostok (7 days; ₽10000-34000).

The other routes of the Trans-Siberian Railway, between Moscow and China, are more popular among tourists. There are two weekly trains to/from Beijing (US$500-1,200), the Trans-Mongolian (Train #4) via Ulaanbaatar and the Trans-Manchurian (Vostok/Train #20) via Manchuria. Both journeys take six nights but the ride via Mongolia offers more scenery.

Train stations in Moscow
Moscow has 10 train stations, 9 of which are near metro stations close to the center of Moscow. Be sure to note the station from which your train is departing, which will be indicated on the ticket, or online. Three stations (Leningradsky, Yaroslavsky, and Kazansky) are on one huge square, informally known as the "Three Stations' Square". A running joke among Moscow taxi drivers since the Soviet times is to be able to pick up a fare from one of them to the other, taking the unwary tourist on an elaborate ride in circles. Be prepared for enormous queues trying to enter or exit the Metro at peak times, as people are getting off or on the commuter trains.

By car
Many entry points to Moscow over the Ring Road and into the city feature rotating roadblocks, where teams of traffic police may stop a vehicle, especially if it is not featuring Moscow plates. You may be stopped and questioned but you'll be allowed to proceed if you have all the proper documents.

From Europe
Foreign cars, especially expensive cars, might attract unwelcome attention, and there is cumbersome paperwork involved to enter Russia by car.

The direct way to drive from Germany, Poland, or Belarus is along the road, although it requires having permission to enter Belarus. If you can't enter Belarus, an alternative is to go via Latvia using the from Riga.

The provides easy access from Finland through Saint Petersburg and Novgorod. This route is also known as Russian Federal Highway. Traffic on the is heavy.

By bus
It is generally easier to travel to/from Europe or other parts of Russia via plane or train so most visitors to Moscow will not use the intercity buses.

Lux Express operates coach service between Moscow and various cities in Europe. Buses arrive to and depart from the Severnye Vorota Bus Station next to the Khovrino Metro Station on Metro Line 2 (green) in the northern section of Moscow. Destinations include Tartu (14 hours, €49), Riga (15 hours, €55), Tallinn (16.5 hours, €55), Vilnius (18 hours, €66-73), Warsaw (26 hours, €80-92), Minsk (34 hours, €78), Budapest (36 hours, €95-112), Prague (36 hours, €97), and Berlin (40 hours, €97-109).

Many domestic intercity buses stop at the Moscow Intercity Bus Terminal, next to the Shchelkovskaya Metro Station at the eastern terminus of Metro Line 3 (dark blue). Buses to the popular tourist destination of Suzdal operate from this station.

There are also several small bus stops and stations with buses to/from small towns that are not commonly visited by tourists.



By boat
There is no scheduled passenger service to Moscow by boat; however, cruise ships do provide service to the Northern River Terminal, on the Moscow Canal near the Khimki Reservoir. The pier is not convenient to the city and it can take over 2 hours to reach the city centre by car.

A system of navigable channels and locks connects the Moskva River with the Volga River, which is further connected to the Baltic Sea, White Sea, the Azov, the Black Sea, and the Caspian Sea. In the Soviet times this allowed the official propaganda to refer to Moscow as "a port on the five seas".

By bicycle
Moscow is the easternmost destination of the EuroVelo cycling routes. Eurovelo Route 2, the Capitals Route, is a route starting in Galway, Ireland, passing through Dublin, London, Berlin, Warsaw and Minsk before terminating in Moscow.

By public transport
While central Moscow is best explored on foot, it's easiest to use the metro to cover larger distances. The metro is comprehensive, boasts some great architecture, and is relatively cheap. City buses, trolleybuses, trams and metro operated under "Moskovskii transport" franchise by different operators but common fare system.

The simplest way to pay for public transportation is to purchase a ticket for 1 or 3 days in a ticket machine in any metro station. A 3-day ticket costs ₽438. The ticket machines have an English interface and accept credit cards and cash, and the ticket is valid for unlimited rides on the metro, MCC, tram, trolleybus, and city bus. All Mosgortrans-operated lines and legal suburban bus operators accept contactless bank cards.

The cheapest way to use the public transportation system is to purchase a plastic Troika re-loadable smart-card. The card costs ₽50 and can be redeemed for cash at the end of your trip. You can "top up" your balance at any metro station. For each trip taken, ₽40 will be deducted from your card. If you make a change from the metro to a ground transport or other way around within the next 90 minutes of your trip, the next shoulder will cost you only ₽22. The Troika card also can be used in the format of the app for NFC-compartible smartphones. If you pay with a contactless card or via Apple/SamsungPay, ₽44 will be charged from your card account. Alternatively, red single-trip paper cards can be purchased at metro stations at a cost of ₽57, other options include either 2 or 60 trips.

Also there is unlimited tickets for 1, 3, 30, 90 or 365 days which is very useful, if you plan to use public transport a lot.

By metro


The Metro is open from 05:30-01:00. Station entrances are closed at 01:00, and at this time the last trains depart from all of the termini stations. After 01:00, many locals will enter the train station using the exits, which are still open. Service on the ring line runs until 01:30, although entrances are closed at 01:00. The down escalators are also shut off at 01:00.

There is signage in the Metro stations in English and the Latin alphabet, but these signs are not everywhere. Each train carriage has a map in Latin script and there is one near the entrance to each station. Note the direction of the train before you alight. It is worth printing a map of the metro system in both Cyrillic and Latin letters to take with you.

All trains in the system have free WiFi onboard, but you will need to have a Russian phone number to get the authorization code to access the WiFi. Some of the older train cars are not climate controlled.

2 or 3 stations may be connected as transfer points but will each have a different name. There are 2 stations called Smolenskaya and 2 stations called Arbatskaya, but the station pairs are not connected to each other despite having the same name. Some of the stations are very deep underground, and transfer times between certain metro lines can take a lot of time. In the city centre, it can save time to go directly to the above-ground entrance of the line you want to take rather than to enter at a connecting station and transfer underground. On the escalators, stand on the right and walk on the left except for peak hours, when standing on the left side is also allowed.

Some of the train stations include beautiful architecture and it is worth taking a guided tour of the metro system. The most interesting stations in terms of decor are Komsomolskaya (ring line), Novoslobodskaya (ring line), Kievskaya (ring line), Kropotkinskaya (Line #1 - red), Kievskaya (Line #3 - dark blue), Arbatskaya (Line #3 - dark blue), Ploschad' Revolyutsii (Line #3 - dark blue), Mayakovskaya (Line #2 - dark green). Also look at the architecture of the ground entrance building of Arbatskaya (Line #4 - light blue) and Krasnye Vorota (Line #1 - red). History buffs may appreciate that Metro Line #1 (red) has the oldest stations, opened in 1935.

The Vorobyovy Gory Metro Station on Line #1 (red) is unique in that it is on a bridge crossing the Moscow River. This bridge also carries auto traffic road on another level. There is a beautiful view through the transparent sides of the station. A great observing point around Moscow is located nearby on Vorobyovy hills, next to the main building of Lomonosov Moscow State University.

There are a couple of unique trains operating through the system and you will be lucky if you get to ride them. Aquarelle (Watercolor) is a train that includes an art gallery. The train operates daily on Line #3 (dark blue). The Sokolniki Retro Train is a train modeled after the original 1930s trains and it occasionally is placed into service, usually around a major anniversary of the metro system.

The metro is relatively safe, although pickpockets are a problem, as they are in any environment where a lot of people are pressed together. Opportunistic petty crime, such as snatching someone's mobile phone and jumping out just as the doors are closing, is also commonplace. Take the usual precautions at night when gangs of inebriated teenagers may look for an excuse to beat someone up. There is no train guard or conductor, so the first car near the driver may be the safest. Every car is equipped with an intercom to the driver's cabin; they are beige boxes with a grill and a black button near doors, and mostly work, unless visibly vandalized.

By Central Circle train
The city has rehabilitated the old rail loop that lies between the Third Transport Ring and the Ring Road. It was built in the beginning of the 20th century, and last had passenger service in 1934. It was then used for shuttling freight trains in and out of the city without having them clog the main stations. The comfortable Siemens Desiro trains (called "Lastochka" in Russia) provide service between 05:45 and 01:00, with 5-10 minute intervals. The entire circular journey takes an hour and a half. The Moscow Central Circle (МЦК -pronounced as Em-Tse-Ka) is integrated into the Moscow Metro, and is denoted by a pink hollow contour on the maps, but there are few interchanges, with some of the stations marked as adjacent being as much as 15 minutes apart on foot. It is, however, useful for trips that avoid transfers in the center, and the trains are rarely packed. The same tickets as for Metro are valid, and where you need to transfer from one mode to the other (and correspondingly leave the system and enter through the barrier again), the Troika cards would recognize it and not charge you the second time. Unlike the Metro, it is allowed to carry bicycles on the Central Circle.

By bus
Every large street in the city is served by at least one bus route. Most Moscow buses operate 05:30-01:00.

Numbers with an added 'к' or red sign ('к' for короткий — short) are shorter routes than their regular counterparts (for example bus 164 has a longer itinerary than 164к).

Numbers with an added 'м' (magistral routes; 'м' for магистральный) indicate more frequent routes, numbers with an added 'е' ('е' for экспресс, but uses cyrillic 'е' as there is the same letter 'e' in latin alphabet) are express routes (which are subclass of magistral routes) and skip a lot of small stops. Numbers with an added 'н' ('н' for ночной — night) indicate night services, few other routes also operate during the night.

Numbers with an added 'т' indicate diesel bus replacing withdrawn trolleybus line, does not mean anything special. Since August 2020, there is only one trolleybus route Т which connects Komsomolskaya square and 3 railway stations, "Krasnoselskaya" metro station and Yelokhovo Square.

Numbers with interval 901—908 is express buses, that skip many stops.

Main lines of buses are frequent until the late evening.

A useful mobile app called Yandex Maps helps you locate a nearest bus, trolleybus or tram on the line.

By tram
There are several tram routes, although trams are not common in the city centre.

By commuter rail
Local commuter trains (electrichkas) operate between the Moscow train stations and the suburbs of Moscow Oblast, but are of little use for seeing the tourist attractions. Schedules can be accessed online at the official operator site and https://rasp.yandex.ru/.

Strelka and Troika cards are not valid for commuter trains, except if you have a multi-day commuter train ticket on your Troika card. Most stations have ticket machines with credit card and cash accepted.

Since 2019 an MCD (reads as Em-Tse-De) service of frequent trains - similar to Berlin's S-Bahn or Paris' RER - started on two lines, so some railway rides can be paid by Troika card. Single ticket costs ₽38 within the city limits and ₽45 within the closest outskirts.

By monorail
Moscow Monorail is a monorail line with 6 stations. It is slower, less frequent, and has shorter operating hours when compared with the metro (every 30 min, 08:00-20:00). However, the view is picturesque. It is useful to get to the Ostankino Tower, or to get to the VDNKh exhibition centre from Metro Line #9 (silver). Interchanges between Moscow Metro and Monorail is free, no additional fee will be charged.

Fares
Rates for UberX are the cheapest among taxi services. Non-surge rates are ₽50 base fare + ₽8 per minute + ₽8 per kilometer, with a ₽100 minimum.

It is possible to negotiate the price with taxis drivers and not use the meter. Taxi fares within the Garden Ring are generally under ₽250. When negotiating with a street taxi, if you don't like the amount one guy is charging, you'll doubtlessly find another driver in a minute or two. Try to get an idea if the drivers know where they are going as many will pretend they know how to get to your destination just to get your business. Smartphone-based apps eliminate this problem since the drivers follow a GPS and the rates are fixed.

Taxi operators
There are several taxi services operating in Moscow, the most noticeable on the streets being Yandex.Taxi, they're booked via the mobile app. The cars are mainly yellow-black-white Skodas, Kias or Hyundais. They will charge the minimum rate of ₽250 no matter the distance. Other popular hailing apps that often offer cheaper fares than Yandex.Taxi, are Citimobil, Taxi Maxim, Rutaxi - they all have English interface.

If you're not good in Russian, there are several English-speaking taxi services operating in Moscow, the most notable being LingoTaxi. Prices are generally higher but booking by phone is easier.

By car
Using a car in Moscow can be very time consuming and stressful. Moscow beyond the center is cut by railroads, industrial districts and rivers, so the road network is very irregular with tight bottlenecks between well-connected areas. The street system was never designed to accommodate even a fraction of today's vehicles and the traffic jams never seem to clear until the night. Evening jams lasting the entire night into the morning rush hours are rare but not unheard of. You will have to compete for the right-of-way with seasoned drivers who know the tangle of the streets inside out and will not think twice before cutting you off at the first opportunity. One bright spot is the dearth of the large 18-wheeler trucks on Moscow roads. Sometimes, all traffic on major thoroughfares may be blocked by police to allow government officials to blow through unimpeded, sirens blaring.

There is very little parking. Parking illegally can lead to a hefty fine of ₽2500 and your car being towed. If you are driving to Moscow, park as soon as you can at a safe place such as your hotel and use public transit. Parking is usually not free and the costs can be found online. Expect to pay ₽80/hour for the parking within the Boulevard Ring and the district, ₽200/hour - between Boulevard Ring and Garden Ring, ₽40/hour between Garnen Ring and Third Transport Ring. Payment is available through SMS (Russian SIM-cards only), mobile app or at parking columns (usually accepting credit cards only). You have to pay for the full hour upfront, unused money will be sent back to your account. Like many other Russian cities, parking spaces, even parking lots, are disorganized, making safe parking a challenge.

However, if you have driven in New York City, Rome or Athens before, then it's not that hard to get accustomed to Moscow traffic. Just don't try to drive across the city during rush hours or you can be stuck for as long as 3 hours in traffic jams. Check one of the many traffic jam information websites before you start your journey. Taking the metro may actually be faster than driving. The most popular sites are Yandex Probki and Rambler Probki.

As of 2019, many or most local drivers consider official speed limits more of a guideline than anything. Driving up to 19 km/h above speed limit usually isn't punished (at least for locals), and in many places driving 30-40 km/h above speed limit is common in case of light traffic. The punishment system for bad driving is very lax. Some mobile apps give warning about automated cameras and they see wide use. Besides, some cars operate with speedometer broken. This is especially the case of microbus drivers operating on private suburban lines. Reckless driving is common, especially late at night on mostly empty streets. Drunk driving isn't uncommon, especially late at night. Paradoxically, rush hours are a lot safer to drive at, since traffic flow speed is naturally restricted.

Roads are almost empty during holidays at the beginning of January and May as well as during weekends and the summer. Friday evening in broad summer (roughly April to October) show great jams towards outside the city, while Sunday evening and Monday morning show great jams towards the city. Great jams can surround May and winter holidays.

Gas stations: BP, Lukoil, Gazpromneft, Rosneft gas stations all have good quality gasoline.

By ship
Boats are not the best way to move around the city fast, but they do offer great scenery.



By bicycle
Velobike operates a bike sharing network that has over 4000 bicycles available at over 430 bike stations throughout city. To use it, you first have to register on the web site, mobile app or via terminal on bike station. Membership rates are ₽150 per day, ₽500 for a month, or ₽1200 for whole season. Usage fees, which are in addition to membership fees, vary, but the first 30 minutes are free. This is intentional to encourage people to use the system for short place-to-place trips; however, after riding for 30 minutes, you can dock your bike into a station, wait 2 minutes, and then take the bike out again to restart the timer. The service is only operational between April and November. After docking the bike you should get a text message confirmation. If you do not get a confirmation, you should call the company; otherwise, you may be fined.

By hop-on-hop-off bus
The hop-on-hop-off bus is a convenient way for tourists to see the major sights quickly and efficiently. The buses feature English-speaking guides to answer any questions. A 1 day pass costs $24 for adults and $15 for children.

Do
Moscow has many attractions, but many of them are not friendly to a non-Russian-speaker. English-language newspapers like The Moscow Times, Element , Moscow News and others can help to navigate towards English-language friendly attractions and services.

Banyas
Make sure you visit a Russian bathhouse (banya) while in Moscow, as it's an important Russian tradition and some Russians, especially aged 40+, go at least once a week. Have a hot steam, followed by a good whipping with birch branches. While it's not the most pleasant experience, the benefits you'll receive afterward will enable you to understand why Russians are loyal to their banya.



Theatres

 * Bolshoi Theatre, one of the oldest and best known ballet and opera companies in the world.

Ice skating


The winter rinks at Chistye Prudy or Izmaylovsky Park are other alternatives.

Others

 * Sun of Moscow, Europe's tallest ferris wheel (140 m height) opened in 2022.


 * Watch football: Moscow has four teams playing in the Premier League, the top tier of Russian football. They often qualify for European tournaments, and their stadiums are used for international games. The four are:
 * FC Locomotiv Moscow play at RZD Stadium, completed in 2002 with a capacity of 27,000. It's in the northeast of the city, use metro station Locomotiv (aka Cherkizovskaya) on Circle Line 14 and Red Line 1.
 * PFC CSKA Moscow play at VEB Arena, completed in 2016 with a capacity of 30,000. It's in the northwest of the city, use metro station CSKA on Lines 8A and 11.
 * FC Spartak Moscow play at Otkritie Arena (aka Spartak Stadium), completed in 2015 with a capacity of 45,000. It's on the northwest edge of the city, use metro station Spartak on Line 7.
 * FC Dynamo Moscow play at the VTB Arena (aka Lev Yashin Stadium), that was opened on the site of demolished historical Dynamo stadium, in 2019 with a capacity of 25,000. It's north of city centre, use metro station Dinamo on Line 2, or Petrovskiy Park on Lines 8A and 11.
 * Big games (including the 2018 World Cup Final) are often played at Luzhniki Stadium. This Russia's national stadium and doesn't have a resident team. Built in 1956, it was upgraded twice in 1996 and 2017 to a capacity of 81,000. It's southwest of the centre, use metro station Luzhniki on Line 14, or Sportivnaya or Vorobyovy Gory on Line 1.



Learn
Moscow remains the educational center of Russia and the former USSR. There are 222 institutes of higher education, including 60 state universities & 90 colleges. Some of these offer a wide-spectrum of programs, but most are centered around a specific field. This is a hold-over from the days of the USSR, when Sovietwide there were only a handful of wide-spectrum "universities" and a large number of narrow-specialization "institutes" (mostly in Moscow & St.Petersburg). Moscow offers some of the best business/management, science, & arts schools in the world. Moscow is also a popular destination for foreign students to learn Russian.

Work
You will need a work visa which is not an easy process. The visa needs to be arranged well in advance of traveling. It is possible to work in Moscow, you just need to find a good company to support you. The main obstacle for many foreigners will be a mandatory Russian language exam required to obtain a work permit.

Buy
Credit card acceptance is widespread. ATMs are plentiful, display in English and accept the major card networks such as Visa/Plus and MasterCard/Cirrus. Currency exchange offices are plentiful in the city, but be sure to count your change and note that the advertised rates sometimes don't include an added commission or only apply to large exchanges. Be sure to break your ₽5000 and ₽1000 notes where you can since the smaller merchants, street vendors and even many metro clerks often refuse them.

Shopping malls
Large shopping malls are common near metro stations.

Eat


Dining establishments in Moscow range from food stalls near metro stations to quick canteen-style 'Stolovaya' eateries to American-style fast food chains to overpriced restaurants catering to tourists to high-end restaurants where you can spend ₽10000.

Restaurants and cafes promising "European and Caucasus cuisine" generally cater to tourists and are usually bad; seek a restaurant that specializes in a single region instead (Georgian, Russian, Italian, French, etc.).

Many small restaurants offer lunch specials costing ₽200-250. These deals are valid from 12:00 to 15:00 and include a cup of soup or an appetizer, a small portion of the main dish of the day, bread and a non-alcoholic beverage.

Tipping
For information on tipping in restaurants, see Russia.

Ethnic food
Authentic ethnic food from countries of the nearby Caucasus (Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia) is common in Moscow. Japanese food, including sushi, rolls, tempura, and steakhouses are very popular in Moscow. Other Asian cuisines including Vietnamese, Thai, and Chinese are becoming increasingly more common.

Street food
Free-standing kiosks serving sausages, meat pies, or kebobs are plentiful, although the origins of the meat served is questionable and the food has been known to occasionally make people sick.

Muscovites are also fond of their ice cream, consumed in any weather, even in the dead of winter, cheap and usually of superior quality; kiosks can be found all over the center and near all Metro stations.

Fast food chains

 * Burger King, Hesburger, and KFC have locations near almost every shopping mall. It is common to pay extra for condiments.
 * Black Star Burger - Restaurant chain specializing in burgers with locations throughout Russia.
 * Kroshka-Kartoshka – These green kiosks sell microwave-baked potatoes as well as toasted sandwiches and a few drinks. Hot and filling, but rather expensive for a potato.
 * Riksha Ivan ("Ivan the Rickshaw") – Quick Chinese-like cuisine; fried rice with meat to go.
 * Teremok – This chain started as a fast-food specialized on blinchiki, Russian crepes that come with a variety of fillings, with somewhat national old-fashon touch towards style and cuisine. It is however graduated beyond fast-food, where it fails to compete with international McDonalds and the like. Teremok is one of the cheapest chains offering a proper quality 3-course meals, including a soup, a main dish with a salad and a dessert. The drinks are overpriced, but not unreasonably so.
 * Kruzhka – Serves cheap food and mugs of beer. 20 locations around Moscow. The menu is relatively simple, consisting mainly of types of kebab and shawarma, with fries. Sports events are on often shown on televisions or a big screen.
 * Prime Star – Specializing in natural food such as sandwiches and salads. ₽400 for a cold soup, salad, and beverage.
 * Dodo Pizza - Chain restaurant specializing in pizza and pasta with locations throughout Russia. They also offer delivery.

Canteen-style cafeterias
Known as столовая (stolovaya) in Russian, in these establishment, you take a tray, move along a counter with food (either taking the dishes yourself or asking the staff to give you a bowl of soup, a plate of vegetables, etc.) and pay at the cash register at the end of the counter. These self-serve establishments trace their origin to Soviet times, and have decent quality food, no waiting time, and affordable prices. Canteen chains include Café Moo-Moo (30 locations) and Grabli (Грабли). One particularly famous one in Moscow is Stolovaya 57 in the famous GUM department store.

Foodcourts 2.0
This term is used in articles by local food critics: since 2016, several special food courts were opened with independent and small food chains, for those people who get bored of McDonald's-like food. They offer a wider choice of cuisines.

Mid-range

 * Acha Chacha . Leningradsky prospekt, 9b building 1. 12:00-00:00. Cosy restaurant of Caucasian cuisine near Belorusskiy train station that managed to avoid that annoying style of many other Georgian places mainly based on the imagery of Georgia taken from the Soviet era. Cash only but there is an ATM right at the entrance.
 * Acha Chacha . Leningradsky prospekt, 9b building 1. 12:00-00:00. Cosy restaurant of Caucasian cuisine near Belorusskiy train station that managed to avoid that annoying style of many other Georgian places mainly based on the imagery of Georgia taken from the Soviet era. Cash only but there is an ATM right at the entrance.
 * Acha Chacha . Leningradsky prospekt, 9b building 1. 12:00-00:00. Cosy restaurant of Caucasian cuisine near Belorusskiy train station that managed to avoid that annoying style of many other Georgian places mainly based on the imagery of Georgia taken from the Soviet era. Cash only but there is an ATM right at the entrance.
 * Acha Chacha . Leningradsky prospekt, 9b building 1. 12:00-00:00. Cosy restaurant of Caucasian cuisine near Belorusskiy train station that managed to avoid that annoying style of many other Georgian places mainly based on the imagery of Georgia taken from the Soviet era. Cash only but there is an ATM right at the entrance.

Clubs
Nightlife in Moscow is bustling, intense and exciting. It starts quite late; it's common for the headliners to start at 02:00-02:00. Most noticeable are areas near Solyanka street and Krasniy Oktyabr' place. At summer time a lot of clubs opening open-air terraces called "verandas". Most of clubs in Moscow are very picky of who they let in, so make sure you have a positive attitude and dress up if you are going to a fancy club.

Gazgolder (not far from Kremlin) is among the best.

Cafes
Moscow has several café chains with great coffee including Coffeemania and Coffee Bean. Moscow also has a good selection of tea saloons. High-quality infusion teas such as Newby, are widely available in cafes, both in packets and loose.

Asking to add boiling water to the tea you ordered earlier is a practice that some cafes don't welcome, but normally it's acceptable.

Stay safe
Moscow enjoys a relatively low crime rate. Drunk people are the most likely sources of problems. In the past years, lots of policemen were corrupt, and it was best to avoid them. Nowadays Moscow has a Tourist Police force, whose officers are able to speak foreign languages and help tourists. Police officers are equipped with body-cameras.

It is preferable to avoid some parts of the outer districts of Moscow, especially in the south. Some of those areas are notorious for gopniks (drunkards notorious for muggings and starting fights with strangers, and will do so seemingly unprovoked), who normally hang out in sparse residential areas and in industrial zones. The same problems can be witnessed in the surrounding regions and in other Russian cities as well.

While traveling in Moscow, as in the rest of Russia, you should always have your passport with you. If you look non-white, your papers may get checked more often than otherwise. The police may demand to see your papers to check if you have been registered within 7 business days of your arrival into Moscow. Always remember that if you stay in a hotel then you are automatically registered and will be handed a confirmation paper at a time of check-in, so don't worry in this case. The police are usually looking for migrants from Central Asia and unless you fit this profile, you are unlikely to be questioned.

Women should take caution walking alone late at night since they may receive unwanted attention from drunk men. Women should also stay clear of large companies of men in front of bars, restaurants, etc. It is best to walk with a friend if possible.

Streets can become very slippery in winter. Wear shoes or, even better, boots with decent grip to prevent twisted ankles. Ice patches can be hard to spot. A waterproof raincoat is also sensible.

Traffic is poorly handled, and vehicle accident rates are very high.

If you need help with translation, ask students or pupils: younger people are more likely to be able to help you than the older generations.

Connect
For information on using telephones and buying SIM cards in Russia, see Russia.

Mobile Internet is quite affordable in Russia, but you have to buy Russian SIM-card first.

Wireless Internet
Moscow Metro has Wi-Fi in all trains. It is ad-supported.

Mosgortrans has Wi-Fi spots on every bus, trolleybus and tram. Also sometimes you can find Wi-Fi spot on a public transport stop.

Beeline Wi-Fi operates the largest network of both paid and free Wi-Fi access points. If there is a charge, you can pay online via credit card.

There is a large network of free Wi-Fi hotspots in the city centre; check your device in the middle of a busy area and you may find one.

Many cafes and restaurants offer Wi-Fi - ask for password. Most bookstores offer free Wi-Fi, including "Dom Knigi" on New Arbat Street or "Respublika" bookstore on Tverskaya near Mayakovskaya Metro Station.

Some establishments that offer free Wi-Fi may require you to verify an authorization code sent to a Russian phone number before gaining access, but for the most part, foreign numbers also work as of 2016.

Embassies
Moscow is one of the global diplomatic capitals, competing with Berlin, Brussels, Beijing, Paris, London, Tokyo and Washington D.C.. Most of the world's countries have their embassies in the city.

Go next
Since Moscow is the biggest transportation center in Russia and one of the main points of entry for the foreign tourists, it is a convenient starting point for exploring much of European Russia. Even traveling through Moscow to Caucasian and Central Asian countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan etc.) could be cheaper than direct flights from Europe/North America. Travel deals to Moscow are not rare and ticket prices are often pretty low within the former USSR.


 * — Old cities and towns rich in historical buildings in the heartland of Muskovy Russia. There are many tourist companies organizing guided tours, but travellers with rudimentary knowledge of Cyrillic alphabet can do it independently. Many guidebooks are available in English.
 * — the so-called "younger brother of Moscow." Never call Nizhny Novgorod as Novgorod, it's 2 absolutely different cities. Nizhny Novgorod is located about 400 km from the capital of Russia. You can get there from Moscow only 3½ hours by train Lastochka or Strizh. If you want to get there with comfort, then it's best to take tickets in the compartment. However, 3½ hours in a reserved seat are not very tiring for moving.
 * — 13 overnight trains leave Moscow for the 7-hour (or thereabouts) journey, arriving the next morning. Don't try to save on sleeper accommodations; you won't like the coach car unless you aren't counting on getting any sleep at all (but in this case, you'd be better off taking one of the daytime high-speed Sapsan trains - they take around 4 hours, and the vistas rushing by on the other side of the window are lovely). You might even consider paying the extra money for a first class sleeper cabin which has two comfortable beds. Included in the price is a small snack for supper and breakfast. There is also an attendant for each carriage who is willing to make tea in classic metal and glass tea glasses. Very civilised way to travel. Though air travel is a preferred way of transportation.
 * — Known as "Tiny Petersburg" thanks to its city structure. The administrative center of Tver Oblast. The Volga river divides the city into two very different parts.