From the airport to the city centre Russia
While Moscow is fortunate enough to have three aero-express trains (fast suburban trains providing direct connections between the three airports and three railway stations in the capital), in the other major cities, buses are generally used to shuttle between the airport and the city centre. However, if you are busy, unfamiliar with the city and its transport network, and do not speak the language, it is much more convenient to choose to leave the airport by taxi or VTC.
For taxis, choose an official taxi company that often has an information desk at the airport where some English will be spoken. Their drivers, who wait for customers in the lobby with the others, often wear distinctive signs (orange vests for example). With them, the price list is fixed in advance and you are safe from unpleasant surprises. In any case, you must absolutely avoid the "taxi on the run", without meters, and ask the driver to provide you with a price range before departure.
The most practical is to take a VTC (with Yandex Taxi or Uber), but this is only possible if you already have Internet access. Don't try to use the data from your European package in Russia, it would quickly cost you hundreds of euros. It is sometimes possible to buy a local sim card at a bargain price when there is an official shop in the airport lobby. If there are only small stalls or street vendors, it is better to refrain and buy it later (see our "Hello" sub-heading, "Daily life" section). In this case, you might be able to use the public wifi at the airport to order a car, but keep in mind that the signal does not always reach the forecourt, and the driver will in any case be unable to call you.
Arrival by train Russia
Arriving in Moscow from Paris via Berlin, Warsaw and Minsk has been a dream come true for decades, but is unfortunately no longer possible since 2017. The reason for this is a legal vacuum on the border between Russia and Belarus. As both countries are part of a customs union, their common border in Russia has the status of a national rather than an international border, and Russia has de-installed its international checkpoints from the Belarusian borders and does not seem to want to relocate them. Thus, you cannot be issued at the border with the migration card that validates and officializes entry into Russian territory. Without an official passage through customs, the entry of foreigners is of course illegal (but the passage remains open for holders of Russian or Belarusian passports, who are therefore not concerned). It is frequent that FSB agents enter the train at its first stop in Russia to check the passengers' papers.
Even if the passage is still illegal, many travellers say that they were still able to enter Russia via Belarus, travelling on trains from Paris or Berlin, and therefore carrying Belarusian transit visas (as visa-free stay in Belarus is only valid for travellers arriving and departing from Minsk airport). Passengers on tourist trains such as the Tsars' Train departing from the East Station, the Nice-Moscow or the Strizh departing from Berlin can often enter without any problem. It is in fact a matter of image and these rather tourist trains are tolerated by the authorities for marketing reasons. The migration card that is given to foreign passengers on board the train has a space for the Belarusian visa and a space for the Russian visa, allowing them to slip through the net. This semi-legal entry is therefore only possible for those passengers who boarded the train before arriving in Belarus and were therefore given this migration card. However, crossing the border is still technically illegal, so travel agencies no longer sell tickets for these trains. You have to go to the train station for information or contact German or Polish agencies.
The same situation has lasted for a few months in 2017 at Russian airports. Flights from Belarus had been redirected to the "domestic" sector of the airports, so that foreigners could suddenly no longer use them because their entry into the territory of the Federation could not be controlled and accounted for. As Minsk is an important airport hub for travel between Russia and Europe, the problem could be solved, but it still took a few months. As regards the land border, the situation has been bogged down for three years and does not seem to be about to change. It is also said to be a choice of Russia in retaliation against Belarus, which in 2017 chose to introduce a visa-free regime of 5 days for European citizens (extended to 30 days in 2019).
Arrival by train to Moscow is therefore still legally possible by train 006K from Kiev via Kharkiv (you have to book your ticket on the Ukrainian Railways website (https://booking.uz.gov.ua/en or on Omio https://www.omio.fr/). Another option is to take the Chisinau-Moscow train No. 341Ф in Kiev: you must then buy your ticket on the spot in Kiev because the connection is operated by Russian railways and is therefore not for sale on the Ukrainian Railways website. Since you have to exchange your e-ticket for a paper ticket at the counter, if you bought your e-ticket on the Russian Railways website, it can only be exchanged at a Russian counter!
There is also a train between Kiev and St. Petersburg but it passes through Belarus, so it is not possible for a foreign traveller. On the other hand, one can reach St. Petersburg by train via Riga (train No. 002T), Tallinn (train No. 33, which goes to Moscow), or via Helsinki (high-speed train "Allegro" to St. Petersburg and train "Tolstoy" No. 31 to Moscow via St. Petersburg). Further east, one can also enter Russia by train from China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan.
To plan your journey and arrival, we recommend that you check the "international routes" page of the RZhD website, Russian Railways (https://pass.rzd.ru/static/public/en?STRUCTURE_ID=5125) and of course "Seat 61", the train travel bible (https://www.seat61.com/), which references all existing routes in Western and Eastern Europe.
Arrival by boat Russia
It is quite possible to arrive in Russia by boat, usually as part of Baltic cruises that call at St. Petersburg or Kaliningrad. It is also possible to reach St. Petersburg by ferry from Stockholm via Helsinki.
European travellers arriving in St. Petersburg or Kaliningrad by boat are entitled to a special visa-free regime for 72 hours, but they must spend the night on the boat and be accompanied by a sworn guide on all trips. It may be preferable to opt for an e-visa, available for these two regions (see our "Visa" section below).
Public transport Russia
Train. Russia is the country of the train par excellence, and the railway network is very developed. Considering the distances, it is the easiest and most pleasant way to go from city to city. Train tickets can usually be bought on the RZhD website (www.eng.rzd.ru). For some slow trains elektrichka which operate connections to the suburbs or sometimes between two nearby cities (e.g. Krasnodar and Novorossiysk), tickets can only be bought at the station
Most trains are sleeper trains that cover very long distances, even if they can only be used for a few hours. The first class carriages are called "Luks", they have two beds per compartment and sometimes even a private bathroom. They are very expensive, so some trains simply do not have them. In second class "Coupé", there are four beds per compartment, and the toilets are already at the end of the corridor. And in third class "Platzkart", the compartments have disappeared! On one side of the corridor there are open stalls with four bunk beds around a small table, and on the other side there are two bunk beds arranged along the wall. For a tourist, the platzkart is often warmer (you meet all your neighbours) and more reassuring: you don't get locked in a compartment with strangers. In addition, you can enjoy the panoramic windows on both sides of the train.
For "relatively" short journeys (sometimes 5 or 6 hours), Russia is setting up a network of fast seated trains, called Lastochka. These comfortable and modern carriages can be found from St. Petersburg, Moscow, Ekaterinburg and Sochi to the surrounding suburban and medium-sized cities. It is perfect for organizing day trips.
Finally, for trips between St. Petersburg, Moscow and Nizhniy Novgorod, you can take the Sapsan, the new ultra-modern high-speed train that connects St. Petersburg to Moscow in 3 hours 45 minutes and Nizhniy Novgorod in 8 hours. It is planned that the line will eventually extend to Kazan
Bus and marshrutka. If by misfortune the train is full, does not leave at the desired time or does not serve your destination (which can be common for small towns), it is still very easy to get from point A to point B, and this, without using a private car. Countless private companies run a very impressive fleet of buses and marshrutkas ("Soviet" minibuses), which criss-cross every corner of the country. Wherever you want to go, there is a marshrutka that goes there! To find it, you can check the timetables on the Internet. To do so, Yandex Raspisania (www.rasp.yandex.ru/) and Tutu.ru (www.tutu.ru/) refer to a good part of the available routes (by train, bus, elektrichka, plane...) and are the two references to keep absolutely in mind when travelling in Russia. However, not everything is included (especially most of the routes in marshrutka). In this case, you should go to the bus station (called avtovokzal) to ask for information at the ticket office, where you can also buy your ticket. The avtovokzal is usually located right next to the Zh/D vokzal (railway station). The bus and minibus system is less comfortable, but more flexible than the train system: there are more departures, prices are lower and the territorial coverage is very thin
Finally, if there is no train or bus, nothing is lost: you can find a taxi at the bus station to take you wherever you want. Beware of the price though: it is better to share with other travellers going in the same direction. Otherwise, there is of course the plane!
Urban transport. Moscow and St. Petersburg are equipped with an excellent suburban rail network (elektrichka or Lastochka version). It is very easy and pleasant to get around using the underground networks, which are also renowned for the architectural beauty of the stations! Many other large cities in Russia also have their own metro, often with tram or trolleybus lines, with some local variations (the Volgograd metro-tram!) The prices are relatively low (60 RUB for a metro ride in Moscow, half as much in the provinces). On the other hand, trains do not run at night
In some cities, there is a network of city buses with regular operation and fixed stops. This is not the case with the urban marshrutkas, which are used to fill the gaps in the more "official" network. Before taking one, you should be sure of yourself: its final destination and some stages of the journey are indicated on a sign in the window, but the rest is rather intuitive. There are informal stops, known to regular travellers but whose existence does not materialize otherwise. If not, you will have to tell the driver where you want to get off. For more peace and quiet, check with him on the way up that he passes the desired place.
Bike, scooters & co Russia
Self-service bicycle rental services are available in Moscow, St. Petersburg and some other provincial cities. Although it is becoming more and more widespread, cycling is still a recent phenomenon in Russia. Neither the roads nor car drivers are yet really adapted to it. And it is much more dangerous to cycle in Moscow than in other European capitals. It is therefore absolutely not recommended to test your bike on a Moscow 2x4 lane. Limit yourself as much as possible to parks and waterways.
With a driver Russia
Taking a VTC in Russia is very cheap for European visitors, and it is also a simple, reliable and fast way to reach your destination (beware however of traffic jams, very frequent in Moscow). The two main services are Uber and Yandex Taxi, which have in fact merged (even though the two applications coexist, which is convenient for tourists as Yandex services often encounter problems with foreign credit cards). Most self-employed taxi drivers also work with Yandex. The advantage of the application is that the price is fixed in advance, so there are no unpleasant surprises. If you choose to hail a taxi on the street, don't hesitate to negotiate if the price seems too high!
A trip to the centre of town costs up to 300 RUB in the provinces and 600 RUB in Moscow or St Petersburg, the price can double if you go to the outskirts or triple if you go to the airport.
By car Russia
Travelling by car in Russia is quite possible and pleasant, if you are not in a hurry and have a good heart. In particular, the car can be very convenient for exploring areas poorly covered by the railway network and venturing off the beaten track. On the other hand, it's a tricky undertaking: the state of the roads often leaves a lot to be desired (as does the driving of some Russians!). One must also be careful with trucks, and refrain from driving in the city if it is not absolutely necessary: between traffic jams and the hazardous practice of the highway code, it is not really the most pleasant thing. Finally, keep in mind that the tolerated level of alcohol at the wheel in Russia is 0%, and that you will be punished very severely if the police check you for violations.
Arriving in Russia with your own car. For this you will need to be in possession of your driver's license and an international license (this will not necessarily be required when crossing the border, but may be required by the police on the road). With of course the vehicle papers, an insurance and a visa containing the information about the car (this is to be specified when applying for a voucher/invitation). As with the train, it is impossible to cross the Belarusian border by car if you are a foreigner
Rent a car in Russia. A very attractive option economically speaking: a mid-range rental car costs about 30 €/day in Russia, including the price of insurance, which you get from the rental company. All you need is your driving licence and an international driving license.
Accessibility Russia
Russia is very bad at taking account of reduced mobility. As regards public transport, there are no lifts in the metro, and only a few Moscow buses are equipped with a ramp.
Other elements to be taken into account include: the PMR non-compliance of tourist places (fortunately this is no longer the case for large museums), old cobbled city centres, narrow and very poorly maintained pavements (or sometimes the lack of pavements on the outskirts of cities). In short, although the situation is slowly improving, Russia is not yet adapted to PRMs.
Tourist traps Russia
Under no circumstances should you get into a "wild" taxi: a private car without a Yandex sticker or "taxi" terminal on its roof. You would be much more likely to be scammed on the price, or even mugged.
