Moscow

As elsewhere in Russia, strict visa requirements apply. See Russia#Get in for details.

By car
By car

The direct way to drive from Germany, Poland, or Belarus is along the E30 road. However EU or American citizens have to get Belarussian visas to pass through Belarus, so it could be more convenient to go via Latvia the nearest border crossing between EU and Russia on this direction using the E22 which starts in Riga.

Easy access from Finland through Saint Petersburg and Novgorod is along the E18 road. This route is also known as Russian Federal Highway M-10. Traffic on the M-10 is heavy and driving less relaxing.

Foreign cars – especially expensive ones – might attract unwelcome attention, and there is cumbersome paperwork involved.

Many entry points to Moscow - that is, the overpasses carrying the major highways 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; you'll be allowed to proceed if you have all the proper documents.

By bus
By bus
Eurolines
Operate coach services into Moscow. Typical fares would be £10 one-way to Riga, Latvia, or £60 to London in the United Kingdom.

Intercity busses to Russian and some former Soviet Union cities depart from the intercity bus station автовокзал at Shelkovskaya Metro station the last station of the dark blue line, in northeast Moscow. This is the only place in Moscow from which public transportation is available directly to Suzdal. Also, some intercity buses depart from Komsomolskaya, Tushinskaya, Yugo-Zapadnaya, Vykhino, and Domodedovskaya Metro stations.

By ship
By ship

Moscow used to be served by regular passenger ships. A system of navigable channels and locks connects the Moskva River with Volga River, which in turn, through the Volga-Baltic channel, provides a way to the Baltic Sea using the Onega, Ladoga and Neva rivers and further from Ladoga Lake through the White Sea channel to the White Sea; to the south through the Volga-Don channel to the Don river and the Azov and Black Sea; while Volga itself flows into the Caspian Sea. In the Soviet times this allowed the official propaganda to refer to Moscow as "a port on the five seas". There is no scheduled passenger traffic anymore on any of these routes.

There are 2 river terminals in Moscow, on each end of the series of major bridges over the river; these are not capable of being drawn up, and not all of them are of sufficient height to allow large ships to pass. The North Station, in Khimki neighborhood, provides berths for cruise ships to Saint Petersburg, as well as Astrakhan, Rostov-on-Don and other cities along the Volga. The South Station closest Metro: Kolomenskaya ceased to be used commercially, since the Oka River, of which the Moskva is a tributary, has silted to the point of being impassable.

By plane
By plane

Moscow IATA: MOW has four main airports:

Sheremetyevo International Airport
IATA: SVO +7 495 232-65-65 (http://www.svo.aero/en/).
Domodedovo International Airport
IATA: DME +7 495 933-66-66 (http://domodedovo.ru/en/).
Vnukovo International Airport
IATA: VKO Tel: Head Office +7 495 436-71-9 (http://www.vnukovo.ru/eng...).
Ostafyevo Airport
ICAO: UUMO (http://ostafyevo-airport.com/)

Moscow is by far the main air traffic hub of Russia and will continue to be as both Sheremetyevo and Vnukovo are undergoing major development plans.

During the years 1980-1991 all international flights to Moscow landed at Sheremetyevo International Airport, commonly called Sheremetyevo II, which was recently renamed "Terminal F". The home base of Aeroflot, Sheremetyevo II was built for the 1980 Summer Olympics. Sheremetyevo I now "Terminal B" is an old Soviet era domestic terminal of the same airport. Today Sheremetyevo also has three new terminals - C, D the new Aeroflot's home and E.

In recent years, Sheremetyevo has been eclipsed by Domodedovo, which has undergone a recent renovation and has always had a direct commuter rail link to the city. Many international carriers, including British Airways and Lufthansa, have switched to Domodedovo and since 2005 it has catered to more passengers than Sheremetyevo. Aeroflot's biggest competitors S7 Sibir and Transaero, along with a slew of minnows, are based at Domodedovo.

If you prefer to go to the airport by car, it is best to call a taxi agency and book a cab. There are many agencies that can provide this service, and the cost ranges from €30-50 or more. Be sure to check the list of official taxi operators on the official websites of airports. (http://www.domodedovo.ru/...), (http://www.sheremetyevo-a...). With telephone or online pre-booking you will be able to get a taxi for a cheaper price. All airports also have taxi kiosks where you can get yourself a driver at a fixed price, but a bit higher than if you book taxi online or by phone in advance. Don't listen to people jumping at you in the terminal as soon as you clear customs with offers of a taxi in several languages - at best it will get you a major rip-off, and may be unsafe to boot. For public transportation see below: