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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.

title: Moscow


text:
Moscow (disambiguation)

There is more than one place called Moscow:

Russia

 * Moscow - The capital of Russia.

United States of America

 * Moscow (Idaho) - A city in the state of Idaho.
 * Moscow (Kansas) - A city in the state of Kansas.
 * Moscow (Maine) - A city in the state of Maine.
 * Moscow (Ohio) - A city in the state of Ohio.
 * Moscow (Pennsylvania) - A city in the state of Pennsylvania.
 * Moscow (Texas) - A city in the state of Texas.
 * Moscow (Tennessee) - A city in the state of Tennessee.
 * Moscow (Wisconsin) - A city in the state of Wisconsin.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Moscow (disambiguation)


text:
Moscow (Idaho)

Moscow is a city in North Central Idaho with a population of around 22,000 people, an agricultural center and the home of the University of Idaho. The surrounding area is generally referred to as the Moscow-Pullman area -- Pullman is a city in Washington, that is fairly symbiotic with Moscow. They are 8 miles apart.

Understand
Unlike the larger Idaho cities of Boise and Pocatello, which also have public universities but also characters distinct from their respective schools, you won't confuse Moscow for being anything other than a hard-core college town. Founded in 1889, the University of Idaho is the single dominant institution in the city in just about every respect. The presence of Washington State University in similarly college culture-intensive Pullman less than 10 miles (16 km) away only adds to that feel.

Moscow is in the heart of a region known as the Palouse, noted for its rolling hills. Once outside the city and the university's sphere of influence, agriculture becomes the driving force in daily life.

By plane
The closest airport for commercial flights is the Moscow/Pullman Regional Airport, east along Hwy 8/Hwy 270. The next closest airports are the Lewiston-Nez Perce County Regional Airport  located  south in Lewiston and Spokane International Airport',  north. Spokane International Airport is the major airport in the region served by several airlines including Southwest Airlines which means cheaper and more competitive fares than to Lewiston or Moscow/Pullman Regional Airports. The Wheatland Express Airport Shuttle connects Spokane Airport to Colfax, Pullman and Moscow. Horizon/Alaska Air serve all three airports from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport where you can sometimes find comparable rates to fly into the smaller airports and avoid the 1½-hour drive from Spokane.

By car
US-95 and Highway 8 both cross through Moscow.

Get around
Bus travel has grown to be a lot better. Bus services are run by the Wheatland Express with many stops on and off campus, which also features a shuttle between Moscow and Pullman. Cars are not required to get around Moscow, the town is fairly small and if you're willing to bike or walk, you can get almost anything done here. If you do need a car, there are car rental services available at the airport,  Budget (+1 509-332-3511) and Hertz (+1 509-332-4485), and in town (Ambassador Auto, +1-800-422-0297). Enterprise Car Rental (+1 208-746-2878) is available if you fly into Lewiston.

There is a bike trail between Moscow and Pullman. Bicycles are a common mode of travel in summer, but not in winter, due to the colder, wet weather. In the summer, it is very common for residents to bike-commute back and forth to work between Moscow and Pullman. There is also a bike trail between Moscow and Troy, to the east.

There are, at any given time, two to three taxi services in Moscow. There is significant turnover as they go out of business.

See
Moscow is a pleasant town where a great deal of the population is made up of full-time or half-time students rather than full-time or half-time workers. Thus most of the businesses in the area are adapted to cater to the students, or other visitors. It has a few points of interest.

Do
Moscow is fairly well located for outdoor activities.

 * Hiking - There are various national forests within easy driving distance; including places like the Hoodoo mountains and Saint Joe National Forest. Hikers should be wary of the roads, as not all of them are easy to navigate for all vehicles (or even any vehicles). Forestry Service roads are often easier hikes than the hiking trails. Be well prepared whenever hiking in Idaho.
 * Skiing - Also available.
 * Mountain Biking - Moscow Mountain has a wide variety of mountain biking/hiking trails for a wide range of skill levels.
 * Mountain Biking - Moscow Mountain has a wide variety of mountain biking/hiking trails for a wide range of skill levels.
 * Mountain Biking - Moscow Mountain has a wide variety of mountain biking/hiking trails for a wide range of skill levels.

Buy
There are various Vandal (University of Idaho local sports team) souvenirs available, as well as a good number of other goods. Some local stores sell gems at reasonable prices, for a more unique souvenir.

There are stores with hiking, biking, and other gear for outdoor activities; if you shop around.

Eat
There are a variety of restaurants, but many are chain stores. Restaurants serving food other than American, Mexican, Italian, or Chinese are harder to come by. National pizza and fast food chains are also present.

Drink
Moscow has quite a variety of bars that cater primarily to the college students. Most of the bars are located downtown.

title: Moscow (Idaho)


text:
Moscow Oblast

Moscow Oblast is the region surrounding the city of Moscow in the heart of Central Russia. For this proximity to the capital of Russia Moscow Oblast is often called Podmoskovie (Russian: Подмосковье, Pohd-mohs-KOH-vie).

The region borders Kaluga Oblast to the southwest, Smolensk Oblast to the west,Tver Oblast to the north, Yaroslavl Oblast to the northeast, Vladimir Oblast to the east, Ryazan Oblast to the southeast, and Tula Oblast to the south.

Podmoskovie is easily accessible from Moscow and while staying in the metropolis you may always dedicate a day or two to explore the neighbouring region's attractions. Moscow Oblast can be worth a longer visit as well, offering a variety of historical cities, natural sights, and leisure opportunities.

Cities

 * — the massive megalopolis that is the capital and principal city of Russia contains within it everything
 * — a large, old town, famous for its beautiful kremlin
 * — a small city best known as the former residence of Pyotr Ilich Tchaikovsky; the manor where he composed Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker is now a museum
 * — a city nearly 900 years old, with its own kremlin and the oldest church in Moscow Oblast, the Church of St John the Baptist (14th century)
 * — a town famous for its Central Air Force Museum, one of the world's largest aviation museums
 * — a major industrial city and the largest in Moscow Oblast; former location of Lenin's country estate
 * — home to the Trinity Monastery of Saint Sergius, the spiritual center of the Russian Orthodox Church
 * — an old city to the south of Moscow, which has its own kremlin, Vysotsky Monastery, and Vladychny Convent
 * — a small town with its own kremlin, which contains the wonderfully preserved Dormition Cathedral (1399) and its interior frescoes by Russia's greatest painter Andrei Rublev, as well as the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery and some extravagant 19th century dachas

Other destinations

 * — an 18th century noble estate, nationalized for Lenin's use as a dacha; Lenin spent his last years here as his health deteriorated and the estate is now a large museum in his memory
 * — Chekhov's countryside estate-museum, where he wrote much of his best works
 * — an 18th century noble estate, nationalized for Lenin's use as a dacha; Lenin spent his last years here as his health deteriorated and the estate is now a large museum in his memory
 * — Chekhov's countryside estate-museum, where he wrote much of his best works

Understand
Moscow Oblast is the economic and political heart of Russia and is by far its most populous oblast—excluding the city of Moscow itself, the region has approximately seven million residents. Destinations in the region are easily accessible by day trips from Moscow and have an extraordinary amount of sightseeing for the interested traveller.

On 1 July 2012, a significant chunk of the Moscow region, including the towns of Troitsk and Moskovsky, Kievskyi settlement and stretching out all the way to Kaluga region was re-designated as part of Moscow itself. While this has not affected the character of the territory immediately, they will inevitably be integrated more and more into the city, thus making this area a unique tourist destination to see still (almost) rural places right before they urbanize.

Moscow Oblast is in the UTC+3 time zone.

Talk
Within Moscow Oblast, more English and other European languages are spoken than in most of Russia, but travelers should still consider familiarizing themselves with some key Russian phrases.

Moscow Oblast lacks any signs using the Roman (as opposed to Cyrillic) alphabet, except the signs on some major highways. Even there, expect to find differing titles of the same place. For instance, while driving you can see signs displaying "Moscow", "Moskow" and "Moskva" within a short distance.

Get in
In most cases travelling to the Moscow Oblast is done via the transport hub of the city of Moscow.

By plane
The airports of Moscow with international flights are located either inside Moscow Oblast or in the outer parts of Moscow proper and have direct bus or commuter train (elektrichka) connections with the cities of Podmoskovie, as following:

 * From - elektrichka to Moscow goes through the cities of Domodedovo and Vidnoe (Aeroexpress trains proceed directly to Moscow without any stops).
 * From - bus 21 or 48 to the town of Lobnya, bus 38 to the city of Dolgoprudny, bus 41 or 43 to the city of Khimki.
 * From - bus 1043 to the town of Odintsovo or connections with Kiev railway: 1043 to Vnukovo station, 32 to Tolstopalcevo, 878 to Kokoshkino.

If you want to get to any other part of Podmoskovie from the airports - hire a taxi or proceed through Moscow.

By train
There are three kinds of local commuter trains operating from Moscow to Moscow Oblast and neighbouring regions:
 * Elektrichka (ordinary trains). Be aware of 2 hours break after morning rush hour on weekdays for all local trains except bound to Pushkino from Yaroslavskiy train station.
 * Express trains (several a day in all major directions from Moscow to the further lying cities in the region (Mozhaysk, Zvenigorod, Istra, Volokolamsk, Klin, Dmitrov, Dubna, Sergiev Posad, Monino, Noginsk, Orehovo-Zuevo, Kurovskoe, Kolomna, Kashira, Chekhov, Serpukhov and Naro-Fominsk to name major of them) and sometimes neighboring cities outside the region. Expresses run only during rush hours, typically 1 to each destination each morning and evening.)
 * Sputnik trains - as fast and comfortable as express ones but connecting Moscow with its largest satellite suburbs: Mytischi, Korolyov, Pushkino, Zheleznodorozhny, Lubertsy, Ramenskoe. Those usually run each hour or two, with possible breaks off-rush hour

Both express and sputnik trains are further divided by brands. The major brands are following:
 * Original Sputnik trains. Those were first expresses in Moscow Oblast and hence have given colloquial name to all short-ranged expresses. Typically but not always served by 6- or 8-wagon trains of yellowish color with 6 doors each.
 * Aeroexpresses serve airports and typically don't stop in Moscow Oblast. They are also more expensive.
 * Various named expresses serving long-range destinations like Fedor Chizhov to Alexandrov. Some expresses may continue quite further beyond Podmoskovie (to Tver and Yaroslavl for example) and still serve cities of Moscow Oblast.
 * "Expresses REX" are one of more common types of the above, with typical blue coloring and picture of a dog. They serve both short-range and long-range destinations.
 * Latest appearing brand are "Lastochkas", using red-colored trains, produced by Siemens AG. They now serve Khimki, Solnechnogorsk, Mozhaysk, Orehovo-Zuevo, Klin and Serpukhov, with trains bound to Zelenograd, Tver, Nizhny Novgorod, Smolensk, Oryol and Kursk.

Multiple types of expresses may be confusing, especially as brand, serving particular destination, may change with time. While not typical, train, using specific brand coloring, may serve destination of other brand, or - for older types - even run as a simple elektrichka. You may need to check particular type of train using timetables or asking locals in such situations.

When you're trying to buy a ticket, both from ticket office and from vending machine, you usually should know exactly, which kind of express you're boarding, especially with Lastochkas. Ask for help or opt for ticket office when unsure. Pricing and discounts are different for different types of expresses.

Although your destination will be within Moscow Oblast, if the express is bound outside Moscow Oblast, you will need to provide your passport to buy a ticket (this rule is enforced in Russia everywhere). Tickets for expresses bound outside Moscow Oblast are also unavailable from vending machines for local trains (which do not require your passport).

Long-distance trains in most cases have no stops in Podmoskovie. The only large stop for long-distance trains in the region is Ozherelye for south-bound trains from Moscow and Saint-Petersburg. Volokolamsk and Mozhaisk may have 1 or 2 trains in each direction daily.

By bus
Primary bus operator for Podmoskovje is Mostransauto. There are some routes, serviced by commercial operators and Mosgortrans (Moscow-city public transport operator), almost all of those connect Moscow with its suburbs (see complete official route list of all operators ). Mostransauto however covers the region with extensive network of bus routes (and couple of tram and trolleybus systems), that would satisfy needs of almost all travellers.

 * For most routes service ends about 22:00-23:00 or earlier. Major exceptions are buses to New Moscow (working as part of city network now until about 01:00) and some particular buses to nearest suburbs (but don't get your hopes up too much for them).
 * Most plentiful buses connect Moscow with any little corner of the Moscow region - typically with largest cities though, but not only district centers. Those buses have numbers 300-499, 1021-1077 for Mostransauto routes, and 500-599,1001-1004 for Mosgortrans routes (numbers over 1000 are for buses serving New Moscow, though many 5xx and some 3xx and 4xx serve New Moscow also, sometimes without oblast at all). These buses have a common trait of getting in jams in vicinity of the city. Two rules of thumb for determining where a jam will be (except traffic accident jams, where a navigator would help): most jams start from Moscow and ends at largest neighbouring cities, to the point that there wouldn't be a jam, if next cities are not so big or close. Secondly, time for jams is extended (with respect to what you'd think normally) rush hour. Malls add to jams on weekends as well. Skipping those jams with local trains may be tricky because of the distance between railways and highways. If you'd pursue this route, either check particular direction, or just go maximum of the route by train, and then most probably there'll be a connecting bus (if your destination is major, that is). Another trait is that they are starting at numerous locations in Moscow, check official site for details. Most buses just connect with the nearest metro stations though.
 * Another bulk of buses would just connect whatever location with closest railway station (or sometimes large city). Most of those buses run within district (with numbers in 21-99) or city bounds (numbers 1-20). The network is significantly geared towards this configurations, due to the considerations about jams above; to the point, that next category of buses, running between districts in horde direction is significantly smaller and harder to find (except when they connect a city without railway to nearest railway station). Basically when planning your route you have to have a railway network routes in mind and understand that you're unlikely to get from one radius to the next one unless you know your timetable exactly.
 * There are trolleybuses in Khimki, Podolsk and Vidnoe and trams in Kolomna. The single tram line in Noginsk is out of service since June 2013, and despite proposed plans reopening is unlikely.
 * Flagging. Generally not working in cities (except minibuses), and may often work outside cities. Usually depends. Your best bet is always to get to the stop, at least if it's not far. Some long-running buses (especially 3xx-5xx) would not stop on every stop, so you need to know exactly, where to catch them.
 * Rates for buses are divided into regulated and non-regulated rates. They have following traits:
 * Buses with regulated rates may have a plank with route number shown in black or electronic display only. Regulated rates as of 2016, are:
 * ₽43 per ride within city + ₽4 per each starting from  for intercity (up to about ₽120 for longer distances):
 * Pre-paid card "Strelka" gives about ₽13 discount for each ride;
 * Routes, listed here, have different rates for intercity directions.
 * Buses with non-regulated rates would always have a plastic plank in front of then with route number shown in red. Almost all routes bound to "Old" Moscow use non-regulated rates, as well as most commercial operators and most minibuses. Non-regulated rates are usually 10-50% higher than regulated rates, as a rule of thumb. They are also less dependent over distance, up to single rate for several intercity directions;
 * Useful phrases when asking for the rate in the bus: "по городу" (pah-GOU-ruh-duh, within city), if your start and destination are within city bounds; "до конца" (dah-kuhn-TSAH, to the end), if you intend to ride the bus to the end stop. Otherwise it is wise to know the name of your exact destination beforehand.

Get around
In general, the most efficient means of public transport in the region is the network of suburban electric rail, called elektrichki (электрички, eh-lehk-TREECH-kee), which radiates outwards from the capital. Elektrichki depart from the main Moscow rail stations. Detailed and up-to-date suburban train timetables (including frequent changes) are available online in Russian. For point-to-point travel between cities and towns besides Moscow, buses and minibuses (marshrutki) are usually the best public transport option. Extensive information on routes and timetables of buses and minibuses, as well as routes of trams and trolleybuses in the Moscow region (in Russian), however it does not cover commercial operators, which can be a good alternative in many directions.

Go next
Moscow Oblast is the biggest central hub for Russia in its entirety; you can get to anywhere in Russia from here. Some nearby popular destinations include the cities of the Golden Ring, Saint Petersburg, and Novgorod.

title: Moscow Oblast


text:
Moscow to Urumqi

The usual overland route from Europe into China is the Trans-Siberian Railway, crossing Russia to Lake Baikal then travelling either via Mongolia or Dongbei (the former Manchuria) to Beijing. However, a less-travelled but equally fascinating itinerary runs from Moscow in Russia to Urumqi in China via Kazakhstan. This route is not so well-travelled or documented, so it demands more research and preparation, but gets you further off the tourist beat.

Prepare
This is not a trip where you can wing it. You need to sort three things in advance: the language (at least three), visas (at least two), and trains.

How much can you organise yourself, and what do you need an agency to help with? It depends on your language & business skills and sheer dogged perseverance, but you'll probably find it straightforward (in English) to book accommodation and trains within Russia and across Kazakhstan. Since the visa process has been outsourced, you probably need the help of a visa-support agency to get your visa (in UK the brand leader is Real Russia), and they can also help with the Kazakh-China trains. Once into China it gets easier again.

Talk

 * English: it's surprising how far this will get you. Anywhere in Russia or Kazakhstan that's in the habit of seeing tourists will know where their next dollars, pounds or euros are likely to come from. Other West European languages are much less likely to be understood. Get a decent translation app for your mobile: fellow-passengers and officials will often make use of these.
 * Russian: your main need is to get safely across Moscow, so you need to be comfortable with reading Cyrillic signage for public transport. Once aboard your train, the steward is familiar with the point-grunt-da-nyet of multiple nationalities. Russian is also widely spoken in Kazakhstan.
 * Kazakh: no-one expects you to know any, but a few civilities will be appreciated. It is a Turkic language, so speakers of Turkish will recognise many cognates. e.g. numbers and days of the week are very similar. It is spoken not only in Kazakhstan, but also by the ethnic Kazakhs in northern Xinjiang.
 * Chinese: once you get off the train in Urumqi, you need some basic Mandarin for survival. English is seldom understood, nor your attempts at pronouncing in Mandarin the place you need to go. Get directions to places written down in English and Mandarin and print them in advance to show, e.g. to taxi drivers. A few Uyghur civilities are nice-to-know but not mission critical.

Accommodation and trains
Accommodation must be booked in advance to support your visa applications. This is the easiest part to plan because there's a wide range available, bookable by internet in your own language and currency in the standard way. See "Sleep" listings for the preferred stopover cities along your route. But you can't book until you've sorted the trains. Beware also that some small hotels and hostels in China do not honour bookings made by westerners, no matter what documentation you wave at them. Pick those whose website looks westerner-friendly, and where recent guest reviews give you confidence.

Trains likewise must be booked in advance to support your visa applications. Not only are they your accommodation for some six or seven nights, but they are also evidence of how you plan to get in and out of the country, instead of a plane ticket. Prior booking also avoids you trying to negotiate at a crowded ticket window in your limited Russian or whatever.

The most difficult part to sort out is the final leg from Kazakhstan across the border to Ürümqi. There are only two trains a week; one of those two may not run; the booking horizon is short; and the Kazakh Railways website doesn't accept western payment cards. Also, tickets to Ürümqi are only issued if you have a valid Chinese visa, but in order to get that visa you need to show a train booking. . . who said that the Golden Age of grand railway journeys was dead? So what this means is that you need to figure out this final leg first, then all the other railway connections and city stopovers fall into place. Then be ready to book everything just ahead of applying for your visas. At this point your passport becomes unavailable for 2-3 weeks, so your other travel plans are compromised.

See under "Trains" below for details, but the one that is pretty sure to run is the Kazakh train (#14ts) which leaves Almaty-2 shortly after midnight, Saturday gone, Sunday come. It runs north via Almaty-1 overnight to Aktogai, where it combines with the train from Astana (Nur-Sultan) and Karaganda. It now turns east to Dostyk, crosses the border with long waits either side, and continues east to reach Ürümqi by 10:20 on Monday. Coming back, train #13ts leaves Ürümqi Main Station after 23:00 on Monday, to reach Aktogai around 18:00 Tuesday. Here it divides, the front portion continuing via Karaganda to Astana for Moscow, while the rear portion goes south to reach Almaty by 06:00 Wednesday.

So this is the better route from Moscow via Astana, but from Almaty it's a zigzag taking 30 hours. A second, more direct Chinese train may run (and still ran as of Oct 2019) from Almaty via Khorgos, taking 24 hours. It leaves Almaty-2 at 08:30 Monday, reaching the border that evening and Urumqi by 10:20 Tuesday. No timetable is available for the westbound run, but it's believed to leave Ürümqi Main Station around 23:00 Saturday to reach Almaty-2 very early on Monday, there to turnaround and become the eastbound 08:30.

After all that, booking trains in Russia is comparatively easy. See Russian train travel, and much of the general advice on the Trans-Siberian Express page is relevant. (For example, which station in Moscow does your train depart from? There's quite a choice.) Useful websites include poezda and Russian Railways.

Visas
This will be the most vexing part of your preparations. Most western travellers (ie on European, UK, US or Canadian passports) need at least two visas in advance, for Russia and for China, but it could work out at 3 or 4. It's either impractical or impossible to get these along the way. Consular processing time may be much longer than you can stop over. They might be prepared to issue a visa to a resident foreigner - eg the Chinese Embassy in Kazakhstan would grant a Chinese visa to a US citizen residing there to teach English - but not to someone passing through c/o the flophouse hostel.

 * If you travel overland from western Europe to start this itinerary in Moscow, the simplest route is via Germany, Poland and Belarus. You'd therefore need a Belarus transit visa - which must be valid for double-transit if you return the same way. This allows 48 hours to pass through the country, adequate for transit but not for stop-over. If you do want a stop-over (and Minsk is fascinating) then get a Belarus tourist visa. Although there are sometimes alarming rumours about barriers at the Russian border, through-travel along this route has for some years been trouble-free (as of autumn 2019). Problems may arise if you fly into Belarus and take the train east, because the visa regimes differ for the air and land borders. Routes avoiding Belarus, via Ukraine or Scandinavia, add more bother than they save.

 * You need a tourist visa for Russia. Journey times are long across this vast country, and you surely want to see some of the cities along the route, so a transit visa isn't suitable. If you return the same way, it needs to be a double-entry visa: this has the same application form and processing time but higher fee, and much more rigour over supporting documentation. One common train route into Kazakhstan, described below, re-crosses for a few minutes back into Russia before trundling on east across Kazakhstan. Border procedures ignore this, so you don't need an extra entry validity.

 * You don't need a visa to visit Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. This visa waiver was extended piecemeal several times, but since 2018 has been made permanent.

 * For the other Stans, you don't need a visa for Kyrgyzstan for visits of up to 60 days. This is not far off your route so Bishkek and Issyk Kul are a simple side-trip, especially if you'd planned some days slack because of uncertainty over the days of running of the Urumqi trains at the time you committed to the trip. US citizens still need a visa for Uzbekistan but most other westerners don't: Samarkand and Bukhara are fabulous, but they take you a long way off the natural Moscow-Urumqi routes. Visas are still required, and are a hassle to obtain, for Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, which lie even further off-route: "stan-bagging" is a whole separate project.

 * You need a tourist visa for China. Their standard issue is a multi-entry visa valid for two years, so side-trips eg to Hong Kong don't create extra hassle. They will want to see complete documentation not just of your trip within China, but the total itinerary from leaving your home country to returning there. The problem of needing a visa to buy a train ticket into China, yet needing a ticket to get a visa, can be resolved by the visa support agency - in effect they hold your passport "in escrow" to sort both. Another approach is to get your visa for some simpler trip to China then re-use it for the Moscow-Urumqi route: after all, you can never see the whole of China on a single trip.

In all these countries, you may have to register on arrival, and again if your stay exceeds five days. Your accommodation will usually do this for you.

Go
The route from Moscow to Ürümqi, without any side-trips or stop-overs, involves a direct train to Astana or change of trains to Almaty, then a final train onward to Ürümqi. Pros & cons:
 * Astana is the more direct route and the more interesting city - it has real contrasts of culture, and has clearly had a lot of money spent on making it a showpiece capital. It has one weekly train to Ürümqi.
 * Almaty has lots to see & do but feels like a Russian city, of which you've maybe already seen plenty. It's only slightly further than via Astana, and is the route to the other 'stans. It has at least one and maybe two trains a week to Ürümqi.

Moscow to Kazakhstan
For Astana: The direct train east from Moscow runs every second day, even dates. Train 84 leaves Moscow Kazan station at 22:48 and arrives in Astana 54 hours later at 08:00. Return train 83 (likewise even dates) leaves Astana at 11:10, arriving Moscow at 15:30 after two nights aboard.

The route to Astana from goes east through several interesting Russian cities, notably, ,  and. After 40 hours you reach the Kazakh border at. The first city in Kazakhstan is, and the train then heads south across the steppes to the capital. This train continues south to Karaganda, which has connections to Almaty and Ürümqi, but Astana is much the better place to stopover or change trains.

For Almaty: the direct train from Moscow has been axed. Either travel to Astana as above then take the 13-hour train down to Almaty; or change at Saratov. There are frequent trains between via  to, taking 16 hours. The onward cross-border train runs on even dates and takes 53 hours, south as Train 8 from Saratov around 19:30 reaching Almaty by 13:00 two days later, and north as Train 7 from Almaty at 01:30 to reach Saratov around 14:00 two days later. Southbound from Saratov, the train crosses the Volga river, and reaches the Kazakh border at, about 24 hours from Moscow. The first stop in Kazakhstan is Uralsk, also known as. The train heads east and, by a quirk of the border, crosses back into Russia for an hour - border procedures ignore this. Then back into Kazakhstan and east to then (about 48 hours from Moscow) turning southwest passing near the former Aral Sea. You're now on the historic Silk Road across the desert, and notable stops include the ancient city of and Kazakhstan's third city. (Change at Shymkent for side-trips to Tashkent in Uzbekistan, or to Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan). One more night on the train brings you to around 13:00. Don't jump off by mistake at Almaty-1 station on the north edge of the city! Stay aboard to the downtown terminus of Almaty-2, near accommodation and sights.

The Trans-Siberian Railway used to run via Petropavlovsk, but has been diverted north to avoid exiting and re-entering Russia. You can explore a long stretch of it without straying too far from your route towards Astana. See main Trans-Siberian article, but excellent destinations along the way are Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan and Yekaterinburg. Agreeable Omsk is the most easterly you can sensibly venture, with a six hour back-track to Petropavlovsk.

To explore more of Central Asia, you can also take direct trains from Moscow for example to Bishkek or Tashkent, and reach Almaty by bus or train.

Kazakhstan to Urumqi
There are two main railway stations in Astana - check for current info on which one your train is using.

Eastbound: Two trains cross the border - probably. The one which is surest to run is the Kazakh train, a dilapidated ex-Soviet affair with 4-berth sleepers. From Astana, Train #54ts departs on Saturday at 16:45 and runs via to to Aktogai. Meanwhile from Almaty-2 station, Train #14ts leaves shortly after midnight, Saturday gone, Sunday come, and runs north to Almaty-1 then overnight to Aktogai. The trains meet at Aktogai towards noon and are coupled together. The combined train turns east to Dostyk, and sits there for 3-4 hours for Kazakh border exit procedures and change of bogies from Russian to Chinese railway gauge - you have to get off for all this. Then it crosses the border late evening at, with a two-hour time-zone switch and another lengthy wait off the train. Finally around midnight it continues east to reach by 10:20 on Monday.

So this is the better route from Moscow via Astana, but from Almaty it's a zigzag taking 30 hours. There's a more direct train from Almaty via Khorgos, taking only 24 hours. This is a Chinese train, with modern, comfy sleeping cars. This route opened in summer 2017 to great fanfare, then was ever-so-quietly axed a few weeks later. In 2018 and 2019 it's running again, virtually empty because no-one knows about it, and there's no saying whether it will continue. This train (#103ts) starts from Almaty-2 at 08:30 on Monday, reaching the border at that evening. Kazakh exit, bogie change and Chinese entry take several hours, then it's onward (now badged as Train K9790) to reach Urumqi by 10:20 on Tuesday.

Westbound: The Kazakh train (#13ts, but shown as K9797 on Chinese departure boards) leaves Urumqi shortly after 23:00 on Monday. It reaches the border around 07:00, spends several hours either side, then comes into Aktogai around 18:00. Here it divides, with the front portion reaching Astana around 12:30 on Wednesday. The rear portion goes south, arriving at Almaty-1 for 05:30 and Almaty-2 for 06:00 on Wednesday.

The westbound Chinese train departs Urumqi around 23:00 Saturday, taking 24 hours via Khorgos to arrive Almaty-2 near midnight Sunday; there it turns around to become the 08:30 eastbound to Urumqi.

All international trains use Ürümqi Main Railway Station, aka "Wulumuchi", 20 km northwest of Ürümqi city centre. So too do the long-distance fast trains to Lanzhou, Beijing, Xian and Wuhan. Some western timetables, tickets and travel agents refer to "Wulumuchi Nan" or "South Station" but this is out of date: nowadays the south station has only local & regional services, and the long-distance trains don't call there.

Go next
Since you've gone to all the bother of getting a Chinese visa and getting in to Ürümqi, you probably want to explore more of the country. And you pretty much have all of China ahead of you - but not entirely, because there's a lot of it already behind you. The western tip of China is actually further west than Lahore in Pakistan! So one option is to backtrack west to Kashgar on the old Silk Road, by train or bus. Seek advice before planning to go even further west into Kyrgyzstan or south down the Karakoram Highway into Pakistan: the mountain passes are difficult in summer and snowbound in winter.

Most itineraries go east to Lanzhou: frequent high speed trains take 11 hours from Ürümqi. Here the options fan out: to Xian with its famous Terracotta Army (3 hours from Lanzhou, an easy day-trip), and to Beijing with connections to Shanghai or Guangzhou (for Hong Kong and Macau).

title: Moscow to Urumqi


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Moses Lake

Moses Lake is a city in the Columbia River Plateau region of Washington State.

Get in
Moeses Lake is located at the junction of Interstates 90 and SR-17, approximately 177 miles east of Seattle and 100 miles west of Spokane. Road is the only practical way in, there is no commercial air or rail service. Greyhound has four departures daily to Seattle from a stop at the southeastern edge of town (see below).

 * I-90.svg I-90 is located south of town. Moses Lake is accessed from Exits #176 (W. Broadway) and 179 (SR-17 'Othello, Moses Lake, Ephrata'). Located 177mi/283km (2hr44min) east of Seattle and 100mi/166km (2hr) west of Spokane.
 * WA-17.svg SR-17 goes through town connecting Moses Lake to Ephrata to the northwest (20mi/32km) and Othello to the south (26mi/39km).

By bus
on 1810 Kittelson Rd NE, on SR-17 & Kittelson Rd (Exit #179 of I-90) in the outskirts of town serves as a de facto bus station for:

 * 20 Big Bend Community College - Ephrata
 * 30 Moses Lake - Warden
 * 40 Moses Lake, Soap Lake, Ephrata, Quincy, George

title: Moses Lake