This section provides information on the Moscow metro (map, ticket purchase and navigation), basic information about the ground public transport, as well as tips on how to use it.
Moscow Subway (METRO)
Moscow Subway (or Metro) is a key part of the city’s public transport system. It`s the easiest and the fastest way to move around Moscow. 14 lines with 215 stations connect all the parts of the City.
Key info about Moscow Metro:
- Open hours: from 5:30 AM till 1:00 AM.
- A ticket price for one journey is 55 rubles (~ 0,8 euros)
- Tickets are valid for all the stations in any direction.
- You can buy tickets at ticket counters or at self-service terminals.
- Free Wi-Fi is avalable in all the Moscow metro cabs.
- Most railway stations, including all three stations that service high-speed Aeroexpress trains (Kievsky, Paveletsky and Belorussky) are located near the stations of Koltsevaya line.
Moscow Metro map
Official mobile app of the Moscow Metro
An official Moscow Metro mobile appliation can help you to build your route, plan a journey time and navigate easier in Metro. Moreover it informs you about all the reparation works and other situations which can affect the trains circulation.
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ABOVE-GROUND MOSCOW PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Key info about Moscow public transport:
- A ticket price for one journey is 55 rubles (~ 0,8 euros)
- You can buy tickets at a driver, at self-service kiosks, installed at some bus stops and at Metro ticket counters.
- Tickets are valid for busses, trolleybusses, trams and metro through the territory of Moscow.
- Allocated traffic lanes for faster circulation of public transport
- 11 night bus routes with 30 minutes intervals
- Some bus stops are equipped with USB charge plugs
- Free Wi-Fi is avalable in Moscow public transport.
Moscow public transport can be a tricky thing
We recommend that you avoid using public transportin Moscow other than the metro if you don’t speak Russian and do not know the city well enough. There are over 800 routes and 12,000 stops of municipal ground transport in Moscow (i.e. city buses, trolleybuses and trams), and each route has its own individual schedule (waiting time can vary from 7 to 30 minutes and transport on a certain route can operate 24 or just 16 hours a day). Navigation and stop announcements are only in Russian. Even locating the bus stop you need and finding your way to it from a metro station might be problematic.
It’s true that compared to taxis Moscow, public transport can save you money, but the inconveniences and the risk of getting lost outweigh the potential saving. Another issue with above-ground transportation is Moscow traffic. During peak hours the speed of traffic may drop to 10-15 km/h.
There are digital screens at any busstop in the City center, showing coming busses, their destination (in Russian) and time till arrival. If you know a number of your route you can understand how long it will take to wait for it.
Fares of Moscow Public transport
Sceheduled above-ground public transport (buses, trolleybuses and trams) running in Moscow and the Moscow Region is city-owned; bus fares and rules of operation are regulated by the city government. You can purchase tickets from a driver, in ticket booths, automated ticket rminals at some bus stops and at Metro ticket offices.
The cost of one ride from is 55 rubles. If you buy a ticket for 20 or more rides, each of them will cost you around 30-35 rubles.
Official mobile app of Moscow public transport
The official app will help you to build your route, it informs how long a journey will take and where at the moment your bus of tram.
A few rules of using Public transport in Moscow:
- Use the front door to get on and other doors to get off.
- Validate your ticket in a turnstile-terminal or a validating machine installed inside the bus at the entrance to the passenger compartment.
- On some routes you are supposed to signal a driver to stop by pressing the call button located on the handrail near the exit.
- Fare collectors work on buses. The fine for riding without a ticket is 1000 rubles. This fine is paid only in a bank; cash payment to a collector will not be valid and is prohibited by law.
More information about the fares, routes and rules is available at http://transport.mos.ru/en/.
Another means of transport, one that Russians call ‘marshrutka’, is worth a separate note. Marshrutkas are numerous minibuses with 15-20 seats running on fixed routes mainly in dormitory districts of Moscow in addition to full-sized municipal transport. These are privately owned. The fare is usually around 30-40 rubles; it is paid in cash to the driver at the time of boarding. The two main advantages of marshrutkas are speed and frequency (they depart as soon as they are full). Downsides — they are overcrowded, you need to know your route and tell the driver in a timely manner when to stop and drop you off.
Bus as a chance to explore the city
Autobus route Б (which sounds like the English ‘B’) goes along the Garden Ring (in Russian sounds like Sadovoye Koltso) of Moscow; it operates around the clock and has no final stop. Letters Бкр (‘Bkr’) on a bus mean that it follows the inner radius of the Ring; letters Бч (‘Bch’) mean it goes along the outer radius. A ride on this bus may present you with an unexpected opportunity to take it slow and thoroughly enjoy the beautiful views of this modern city through panoramic windows. A city tour like this would be particularly exciting at night or on the weekend, when there is no heavy traffic. Making the full circle around the Garden Ring will take you about an hour.
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