Other Means Of Public Transportation
There is also a short monorail line, running from VDNKh to Timiryazevskaya. A ticket costs the same as the Metro, but the gates don't accept standard Metro multi-trip cards. The Moscow monorail is slower and does not run as frequently as the Metro every 6 min at peak hours, 16 min rest of the time, opens later, and closes earlier. It is useful to get to the Ostankino Tower, or to get to the exhibition centre from the Metro Silver 9 line.
A convenient way to get around the center is the newly opened 2008 Hop On Hop Off tour bus service operating in the historic city center of Moscow. Buses go every 30 min in a loop around Moscow and stop in front of most of the major hotels. Live English speaking guides on board will answer all your questions. The price is 750 rubles for a ticket valid for 24 h, and you may board and disembark at any stop along the route as many times as you like. (http://www.hoponhopoff.ru/)
By Marshrutka
Marshrutka is a jitney-like mode of transport that falls between private transport and conventional buses. The role of the modern Russian marshrutka is basically similar to the minibus in other countries. It is similar to German Sammeltaxis, Mexican Peseros and American dollar vans. Trip costs can be different, depending on marshrutka line. Usually one trip costs 25 rubles. You give money to the driver after entering the minibus. If you need to get off, you have to shout: "ÐÑÑановиÑе здеÑÑ!" Astanaviti zdes, meaning "Stop here!" (http://www.anaga.ru/trave...). You should shout it as loudly as possible, because the motor roar and the music sounding from the driverâs audio system muffle the passengers' voices. Sometimes the marsrutkers hang out an inscription: "ТиÑе ÑкажеÑÑ â далÑÑе вÑйдеÑÑ", meaning "If you speak quietly, you'll travel far".
You should shout it in Russian, because generally the Marshrutka drivers speak only Russian, and often they even speak Russian poorly.
Generally marshrutkas go a little faster than buses: however they may be operated by reckless drivers and thus become dangerous. Unless you're in a hurry, more convenient buses/trolleys/trams are a safer option.
By Tram
In early 1900s Moscow had an extensive electric tram system, which had firstly been opened in 1899. However as Metro was opened May 1935 and the trolleybus appeared November 1934, the tram network was radically reduced and the most of the tram rotes became to be served by the trolleybuses. In particular, the B tram route to run around the Garden Ring, was changed by the B-trolleybus-route.
Now tram daily usage by the Muscovites is low about 5%, although it still remains vital in some districts for those who need to get to the nearby Metro station. Tram fares are same as bus and trolleybus fares. The tram routes and their time-table: (http://www.anaga.ru/trave...).
By car
If you do use a car to arrive in Moscow, it can be very time consuming and stressful to get around. The street system was never designed to accommodate even a fraction of the exploding population of vehicles; the traffic jams on the Sadovoye Ring often do not clear between the morning and the evening rush hours. Most roadways are in a constant state of disastrous disrepair. You will have to compete for every inch of space on the road quite literally; the proper distance between the vehicles for a Muscovite is close to zero with seasoned drivers in dented "Ladas" who know the tangle of the streets inside out and will not think twice before cutting you off at the first opportunity.
The drivers of the ubiquitous yellow "marshrutka" route taxis can seem to be nearly suicidal, and account for a significant percentage of all accidents, while buses stop, go and barge in and out of traffic at will, blissfully unaware of the surroundings. One bright spot is the relative dearth of the large 18-wheeler trucks on Moscow roads; they do ply the Ring Road, however. From time to time all traffic on major thoroughfares may be blocked by police to allow government officials to blow through unimpeded, sirens blaring. Another problem is parking. There is very little of it. Even if there are cars parked, it doesn't mean its always legal; this would mean finding upon return a hefty fine 3000 rubles or your car being towed "evacuated". Park as soon as you can at a safe place your hotel, for example and use public transit.
But if you managed to have driven in Rome or Athens before, then it's not that hard to get accustomed to Moscow traffic. Just don't try to cross the city during rush hours or you can be stuck for as long as 8 h in traffic jams. In the middle of the day it may take as long as 2-3 h to cross the city and only 1 h by metro.
The safest and easiest time to drive, when the roads are relatively empty and you can reach your destination quite easily, are the following:
on weekends;
in July and August;
during first ten days of January i.e. from January 1 to January 10, which is holiday time almost every year.
Traffic jam information Anyway, before planning the car trip in Moscow, it's always recommended to check one of the many traffic jam information websites. This way you can immediately see if it worth going by car or if it's better to use a metro. The most popular ones are Yandex Probki (http://probki.yandex.ru) and Rambler Probki (http://probki.rambler.ru).
Gas stations: BP, Lukoil, Gazpromneft, Rosneft gas stations all have good quality gasoline.