Getting there and around

Sheremetyevo, north of the city centre, is the closest airport to downtown Moscow but the major thouroughfare leading to it, Leningradskoye Shosse, is one of the busiest in the city and is normally a giant traffic jam most of the day. The surest way to get to Sheremetyevo in time is to take a non-stop Aeroexpress train from Savyolovsky Railway Terminal. These depart from a dedicated terminal on the hour from 7AM - to 11AM and from 2PM - 10PM, with an extra service at 1PM on weekends, and now connect directly to SVO2, with a shuttle bus service to SVO1/C. The journey takes 35 minutes. The service has been extended to the Belorussky Railway Terminal as well. It is also possible to reach Sheremetyevo from Metro stations Rechnoi Vokzal or Planernaya, the northwest termini for the green and purple line respectively.

Domodedovo is south of the city center and is most conveniently reached by AeroExpress train from Paveletsky Train Station (near a metro of the same name). The trip takes about 40 minutes and takes you directly into the airport.

Vnukovo is located southwest from the city centre. Take the bus 611 or Marshrutka to/from metro station Yugo-Zapadnaya. Buses depart about every 15 minutes with a trip time of about 30 minutes.

Bykovo is a regional airport located southeast from city centre. It only serves a few short-haul domestic flights due to its short runway. Take the "elektrichka" commuter train from Kazansky Train Station.

By train
Moscow has rail links to most parts of Russia, most former Soviet states, numerous countries in Eastern and Western Europe, and China and Mongolia.

The regular long-distance service is a fast train (skory poezd). It stops more often than an intercity train in the West and rarely gets up enough speed to merit the 'fast' label. Foreigners booking rail tickets through agencies are usually put on a skory train. Generally, the best of the skory trains (firmenny) have cleaner cars, more polite attendants and much more convenient arrival and departure hours; they sometimes also have fewer stops, more 1st-class accommodation or functioning restaurants. A passenger train (passazhirsky poezd) can take an awfully long time to travel between cities. They are found mostly on routes of 1000km or less, clanking and lurching from one small town to the next.  Russian Railway operates the high-speed Sapsan trains, shrinking the Moscow-to-St. Petersburg trip to 3h 45min.

The Moscow Metro
Moscow's most popular form of public transportation is its world-famous Metro. The metro is the easiest, quickest and cheapest way of getting around Moscow. Riding the Moscow Metro and visiting its opulent stations is an attraction in itself. There are over 150 Metro stations in Moscow, all of them open from 5:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. The entrances to all stations are marked by a big letter "M". Magnetic tickets are sold at ticket booths. It's useful to buy a multiple-ride ticket, which saves you the hassle of queuing up every time. Each of the ten Metro lines is marked by a different color.

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

Route-taxis
The route-taxis, all called "marshrutki," are the passenger mini-buses with a white strip and specific draught line along the bus body. There is also an information panel where the route line is displayed. The route-taxi terminals are most often located close to the Metro station entrances, by department stores, etc. Each mini-bus may carry 11 passengers.