Getting Around Moscow
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.
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.