Arriving in Moscow by Plane
 The vast majority of
foreign travelers arrive in Moscow at Sheremetyevo Airport's Terminal 2. Sheremetyevo
was built for the 1980 Olympics, and for a city of 8 million-plus, it's tiny. The building
has a reputation as a seedy place prowled by even seedier taxi drivers. It's not quite
that bad, but customs can be an ordeal, smoking is ubiquitous and the taxi drivers are
aggressive.
When
you get off your plane at Sheremetyevo you will be herded into a dingy basement to stand
in the passport control line. After your passport is stamped, you will collect your
baggage and go through customs. Passport control takes a minimum of 20 minutes for
foreigners. Customs ranges from no time to all day. (See the front and back of a customs declaration form.)
When
you leave customs you will emerge in a crowd of taxi drivers tripping over themselves
trying to offer you a ride into town. If you don't want to haggle, there's a taxi desk in
the center of the arrivals hall, but of course, for a higher price. You can pre-arrange a transfer by our own
drivers for about $45 each way. In that case, a driver with a sign will meet you right
outside the customs area and safely deliver anywhere in Moscow. The ride to or from the
city center should run about 45 minutes.
There's
no metro stop at the airport, but there is a regular “marshrutnoye taksi,” a
minibus that runs along a fixed route for a fixed fare and allows passengers to get on or
off wherever they want, that will take you to “Rechnoy Vokzal,” the nearest
metro station, for 50 cents. A slower bus service runs less frequently but is cheaper. But
if you don’t speak Russian, taking public transportation is probably not a good idea.
Sheremetyevo-2: Arrival
Hall
The arriving air passengers get to the
first floor, where they find a currency exchange office if it is open, a refreshment room,
a bar and an information bureau.
Arrival Hall key:
1.
Supervisor |
5. Newspaper booth |
9.
Flowers |
| 2. Medical help |
6. Transit
document |
10. Police/Militia |
| 3. Currency
exchange |
7. Bar, cafe |
11. Intourist |
| 4. Lost luggage |
8. Intourist
bureau |
12. Mother and
child room |
|
|
13. Lost and Found |
Sheremetyevo-2:
Departure Hall
The departure hall
where passengers are registered is on the second floor. At your service
here are a post office and kiosks. After passengers clear customs and passport control,
they can roam around several duty-free stores.
Departure Hall key:
1.
Currency exchange
2. Post office
3. Bank
4. Barber shop
5. Information |
6.
Souvenirs
7. Booking office
8. Mother and child room
9. Excess baggage
10. Transit hall |
Most
flights to destinations within Russia and the former Soviet Union are served by Moscow's
other four airports:
 Sheremetyevo Terminal 1
Is located on the opposite site of the runway it shares with
Sheremetyevo-2. Vans and buses running from the Rechnoi Vokzal metro station to
Sheremetyevo Terminal 2 usually continue on to Terminal 1. Taxi and bus rides to
Sheremetyevo-1 are 5 to 10 minutes longer than to Sheremetyevo-2. Prices are about the
same.
Bykovo
Is conected to the center of Moscow by suburban trains that run to
Kazansky Rail Station. At the airport you can pick up the train at a station about 400
meters from the terminal. Leaving the city, trains headed to Vinogradovo, Shifernaya or
Golutvin usually stop at Bykovo. Taxis to the center usually cost about $40. Our own drivers
can also be hired for transfers to/from Bykovo.
Domodedevo
Vans run between Domodedevo and the Domodedovskaya metro station. The
ride costs 50 cents and usually lasts about 30 minutes. Taxis to the center usually run
around $30-50. Our
drivers can also meet and safely deliver you and your luggage.
Vnukovo
Vnukovo Airport is connected to the Yugo-Zapadnaya metro by a 50-cent
minivan ride. Taxi rides to the city center are around $35 or you can hire our own driver to
take you there safely. |
