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macedonianmike · Joined: 28 Jun 2007 Posts: 64

Any advice for getting through the Moscow airport? Finding baggage, customs, getting from Sheremetyevo 1 --> 2, general advice, etc....?

rusmeister · Joined: 15 Jun 2006 Posts: 867 Location: Russia

If you don't know what you're doing, it's best to have someone meet you.
Avoid the taxis. It's your arm and your leg.
If you do know what you are doing and you are adventurous and just going to Moscow, you can dare to change a little money and find the public buses to the nearest Metro station.

mdk · Joined: 09 Jun 2007 Posts: 425

Why would you want to go to Shremtovo 1? All the domestic flights I've ever taken go from Domodevo and there is a shuttle train to Byelorussia metro.

There is an airport shuttle to Savelovskaya metro which you can ask at the information booth after. Alternatively, the bus to Rechnoi Vokzal metro is 831. There are also numerous marshrutkas (like a jitney) leaving from the area of the bus stop on the lower level. I have stopped riding those since I saw a wreck with a couple of bodies on the way to Shremetovo when I last flew out in March.

Myself, I would either to the express to Savelovskaya or the 831 bus, but I am confident on the metro. You sound pretty innocent, so I think you should have a friend meet you.

Failing that here is a taxi booth where you are probably better off. As soon as you come out of customes you will get swarmed by taxi drivers offering you a ride. I suggest that you go through the taxi booth.

You would be well advised to get a copy of the Lonely Planet guide to Moscow and read it. Moscow is no place for the innocent to go wandering around.

rusmeister · Joined: 15 Jun 2006 Posts: 867 Location: Russia

Larry Paradine · Joined: 22 Jan 2005 Posts: 64

If you take a bus or marshrutni from Sheremetyevo to the end of the metro line, watch out for two gentlemen who ply the old "dropped wad" trick around the bus stop. Just incase you haven't encountered this particular game before, it goes like this: you notice someone hurrying toward you, perspiring profusely and lookiing at his watch. Just as he draws level with you he pulls a handkerchief (or some other object) from his pocket and, in so doing, drops a small packet. He doesn't appear to notice and is in such a hury that he's gone while you're still stammering "I say old man, you've dropped something." Almost at once another man, who's been standing in the queue behind you (or walking behind you) swoops on the packet, picks it up, and you get a brief view of what appears to be a wad of high denomination dollar bills. Suddenly he realises you've seen him and he puts a warning finger to his lips. "You, me, fifty-fifty. Okay?" The best response is to laugh and tell him to "idi svoyu dorogu". It's such an obvious con that I'm amazed anyone could fall for it (not to mention the immorality of even considering the offer) but the fact that this little gag is widely played outside airports, railway stations and general tourist haunts (and not only in Russia) leads one to suppose that there is no shortage of gullible and not entirely honest visitors. I've passed through Sheremetyevo at least a dozen times and almost every time someone tries it on me (the railway station concourse in Samara is another favourite spot).

maruss · Joined: 18 Mar 2003 Posts: 1145 Location: Cyprus

It is much better,cleaner, friendlier and run by the American firm Eastline.....
You can even get the regular train from there to the city centre if you don't want to shell -out for a taxi
Avoid Sheremetyevo if you can-it's notorious for all the things mentioned and more,even though there have been a few minor improvements in recent years!

macedonianmike · Joined: 28 Jun 2007 Posts: 64

I'm flying into Sheremetyevo 2 from NYC and then over to Novosibirsk from Sheremetyevo 1.

expatella_girl · Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 5:30 pm Post subject:

There is an airport shuttle between SVO1 and SVO2. Read here.
http://www.waytorussia.net/Moscow/ArrivalDeparture.html

mdk · Joined: 09 Jun 2007 Posts: 425

I stopped flying on Sibair after I learned that the smoke detectors in the john were disconnected and the passengers were sneaking in there for a quick smoke. I have this fear of being on fire at 30,000 feet. Maybe I am overly sensitive.

Instead I would take the "Tomich" from Yaroslavl voksal. I would get a sleeping wagon for about $300 (in 2004) and be in Tomsk in 56 hours. I would be sure to pack along enough food so I didn't have to be inflicted by the overpriced dining car. We always turned north at Novosibirsk.

If you're not in a hurry, I would suggest the train instead of the airplane.

rusmeister · Joined: 15 Jun 2006 Posts: 867 Location: Russia

Larry Paradine · Joined: 22 Jan 2005 Posts: 64

If you're making a visa run, then trains (to Prague or Warsaw, but requiring a Belarus transit visa) or buses (Eurolines to Estonia, a good Lithuanian service to Latvia and Lithuania), can indeed be fun. but surely this string is about internal travel in Russia. Trains are comfortable and still cheap, but very slow. As for Russian bises, well, I use them a lot, but they are definitely not fun!