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By Taxi
Many Moscow drivers are happy to go a little bit out of their way for a few extra rubles, so taxis are cheap and ubiquitous. Just stick your arm out on any big street and a driver will stop.
Name your destination and then agree on a fare -- the better your Russian the lower the price. A five-minute ride is generally $1.00 to $2.00 and $4.00 to $5.00 should get you across the city.
If you don't want to ride in a gypsy cab you can find more expensive registered taxis waiting around train stations, hotels and big intersections.
It's generally best to agree on the fare beforehand, as even the registered cabs rarely use meters (and when they do, it can sometimes be even more expensive). Use common sense when getting into a vehicle - if you don't like the look of someone, or don't want to get in a car with more than one person in it already, just say no and wait for the next one.
By Metro
Moscow's subway system is one of the most efficient and beautiful in the world. Stations in the center have enormous ceilings with opulent mosaics, chandeliers and statues. For most of the day trains run flawlessly every minute and a half or less.
In the center, no place is more than a 10-minute walk from a metro station, and stations are well distributed throughout the suburbs. Even if you plan on getting around by car while you're in Moscow, it's worth taking a ride on the metro just to gawk at the underground palaces.
Some of the most spectacular stations are on the circle line, but Arbatskaya on the dark blue line (there's a not-so-impressive Arbatskaya on the light blue line), Ploshchad Revolyutsii, Novoslobodskaya and Mayakovskaya are also worth a look.
If you're interested in the Moscow Metro, definitely have a look at metro.ru.
By Foot
Though most of Moscow looks like it was designed for the movement of Politburo motorcades, the city does have good places to walk. In the center things are close together and many theaters, hotels and restaurants are minutes from each other.
Alexandrovsky Gardens, the Boulevard Ring and Red Square are some of the center's prettiest places to walk. If you want to explore the city away from six lanes of traffic, there are a few architectural treasures to be found in the narrower streets of Kitai-Gorod and south of the Old Arbat. Outside of the center the city is more spread out and walking is usually impractical.
Still, outer Moscow is home to Sparrow Hills, Kolomenskaya and the Botanical Gardens, and many of Moscow's best places to stroll.
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A Moscow bus ticket. |
By Bus, Trolleybus and Tram
In some parts of Moscow the bus, trolleybus and tram are the only form of public transport. You can usually buy tickets from the driver and stamp them in a machine on the bus. On an increasing number of routes, conductors are again becoming commonplace in an effort to crack down on fare-dodging. They also charge 3 rubles (less than 10 cents) for a journey. Sheets of 10 tickets are available in the metro and at transport kiosks for 25 rubles, and monthly passes of all kinds are also on sale.
If you don't have a ticket and get checked by the rare inspector, the fine is 10 rubles (about 35 cents). You may also get kicked off the bus.
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