Travel Information

    • Local time

    • Electricity

    • Flying to/from Moscow

    • Moscow Metro

    • Taxi

    • Currency. Money and exchange


Local time:

Since 27 March 2011 Moscow Time has been UTC+4 year-round.

Electricity:

220 volts, 50 Hz. Round, two-pin plugs are used in Russia.

Flying to / from Moscow, Moscow Airports:

There are three major airports in Moscow (Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo and Vnukovo) servicing international and domestic flights. Note that the destinations served by different airports can vary, so confirm your airport when you buy your tickets. .

If you come from abroad you are likely to arrive either at Sheremetyevo2 (https://www.svo.aero/en/main) or Domodedovo (https://www.dme.ru/en/) International Airports.

The fastest and cheapest way to get to the city centre are Aeroexpress trains (https://aeroexpress.ru/en/). They connect Domodedovo Airport with Paveletskaya Metro Station (green radial and circular lines) and Sheremetyevo2 with Belorusskaya Metro Station (green radial and circular lines).

For timetables and fares please visit https://aeroexpress.ru/en/aero/route/domodedovo.html and https://aeroexpress.ru/en/aero/route/sheremetyevo.html.


Moscow Metro (Underground):

Due to constant traffic jams Metro is the best option for a fast, efficient and convenient way for getting around Moscow (https://en.mosmetro.ru/). It is easy to use it, although there are no signs in English inside, so have your itinerary ready beforehand. All the lines have its own color (https://en.mosmetro.ru/navigation), and there is a ring-line (brown) which has crossings with all other radial lines. Metro entrances are marked with large red 'M' signs.

The open hours are from 5.20 a.m. to 1.00 a.m. The trains are generally reliable: you will rarely wait on the platform more than three minutes. Nonetheless, trains get packed during rush hours (8.00-9.00, 17.00-19.00).

Tickets & Prices:

The Metro has no special zones. Payment does not depend on the length of the trip and there's no time limit for using your ticket. As of May 2012, a single trip costs 28.00 RUB (≈$1.00). You can also save money and buy multiple-ride tickets (for 5, 10 or 20 trips) – they are less expensive and save you the hassle of queuing up every time. The tickets are sold at manned booths ("kassa") or ticket vending machines within the stations. The vending machines at most stations sell one or two trip tickets only. Details of prices and multiple purchase discounts are on the official website (https://en.mosmetro.ru/payment).

Taxi in Moscow:

Although there are many private cars in Moscow that cruise around as “unofficial taxis”, it’s more safe to use “official taxis” recognizable by typical 'chess' signs on the top and a yellow colour. If you don't speak Russian you are strongly recommended to ask your hotel staff to book a taxi for you. It's best to provide at least an hour's notice before you need the taxi.

Currency. Money & Exchange:

The official currency in Russia is the ruble (rouble), which is abbreviated as RUB. Each ruble is divided into 100 kopecks (copecks).

Notes: 5000, 1000, 500, 100, 50 and 10 rubles.

Coins: 10, 5, 2 and 1 rubles; 50, 10, 5, 1 kopecks.

It is not allowed to pay for products or services in a currency other than rubles. Currency exchange offices can be found in airports, major hotels, train stations and on city streets, as well.

Currently an average exchange rate is as follows:

1 EUR ≈ 40.40 RUB

1 USD ≈ 32.60 RUB

1 UAH ≈ 4 RUB

1 KRW ≈ 0,028 RUB

1 CNY ≈ 5.12 RUB

Credit cards, especially Visa and MasterCard, are becoming more widely accepted. However Russia is still largely a cash-based society, so it’s better to have some cash with you. Use your credit card to withdraw money at ATMs. There are plenty of them, especially in the centre. To avoid credit card frauds you are recommended to opt for cashpoints in banks, shops, etc. rather than on city streets.