Russia Transportation Tips by swesn

MOSCOW : METRO STATIONS

Do take some time to study the art and design around the famous Moscow metro stations, the chandeliers, the paintings and mosaic displays, the Soviet details on the lamps, when you take the metro.

Kievskaya, Komsomolskaya, Mayakovskaya, Novokuznetskaya, Park Kultury, Belorusskaya, Revolutsii Ploshchad are some lovely ones. The Muscovites should be so proud.

Mode: AROUND

Type: Subway/Metro

BUYING TRAIN TICKETS

I had difficulty buying train-tickets from train station because the women at the counters could not speak English (which I perfectly understand and never expect them to speak English anyway) and refused to be creative and patient in helping out.

For example, after stating ‘St. Petersburg’, the woman barked at me in rapid Russian, most likely ‘what time’ and ‘which train’. I could only look at her helplessly. If she had written down the time and train number in NUMBERS, I would be able to point to one and the sale could be done. But she simply yelled at me to leave.

At the Central Rail Agency near Chistye Prudy, I was brought to the only woman who spoke English. She reluctantly helped me write down the destination and time so that I could return to the counter to show to the person selling the tickets. In a way, I got help, so I was very grateful.

Bearing in mind the difficulties, you might want to buy tickets from a travel agency and pay a commission. Your alternative choice is to get someone who understands English and knows Russian to write down the details on a piece of paper for you to show to the sales-person. Otherwise, perhaps by pure luck, the person queuing behind you speaks English and can help you.

Mode: TO,AROUND

Type: Train

TRANS-MONGOLIAN TRAIN

Take Train 5 that departs from Ulaan Baator in Mongolia, rather than the trains from the other parts of Russia.

See SIBERIAN SHOPPING. On this train, the long journey to Moscow is constantly interrupted by a hive of activity at each train stop as the Mongolian traders rush up and down the train to sell goods to the Russians.

In a way, it is a good insight to glimpse at how isolated the Siberian towns are and how desperate these townfolks are to obtain material goods.

Mode: TO

Type: Train