Getting Around Russia: Transportation Guide

By Air

The hub of all flights in and around the Russian Federation are the four air terminals in Moscow. Vnukovo Airport (30km); Domodedovo (40 km) and Bykovo Airport apart from the international cum domestic terminus at Sheremetyevo. All four are well connected by coach services to the Central Air Terminal in the city. Cabs and rental vehicles are also available at the terminals. Other facilities are limited to duty free shops, cafes and rental companies. Flights connect these airports to many destinations in the Russian Federation ( Bratsk, Irkutsk, St. Petersburg, Khabarovsk, Yalta, Kharkov, Volgograd) .

After the disintegration of USSR, the national carrier Aeroflot splintered in to numerous 'Baby Flots’.  All these airlines now fly into Russia under different guise/names but the fleet remains as obsolete and the service as poor as it ever was.   It also has  resulted in virtually unregulated skies. Russia has the worst regional safety record in the world. But when faced with a 57-hour train ride or a long and tedious road journey, many opt for a 3-hour flight. To be on the safe side, take a seat on a flight which has is flying to an international destination ultimately instead of a domestic-only flight itinerary.

By Road

The Russian roads are extensive and bus services connect many destinations within the country but are not for the foreign traveller. But it is certainly one of the most economical ways to get around, especially if time is not of primary concern. Fortunately for tourists, the urban public transport system is very good. It includes metros, tramways, trolleybuses, bus services and cabs. Travellers taking cabs should stick to officially marked taxis and never offer lifts or share the cab with strangers.

Driving in a private/ hired vehicle is another way to travel around Russia. But road rules are strictly enforced by the GAI, the State Automobile Inspectorate (Gosudarstvennaya Avtomobilnaya Inspektsia) who may slap on the spot fines for speeding or driving without headlights/seatbelts or even for offering lifts/hitching rides. In such instances, the fine should be paid in roubles only, not in any foreign currency and always collect the receipt.

Essentials to remember when driving in Russia are the daunting distances between places. Sample a few - Moscow to St. Petersburg (700km); Moscow to Minsk (690km); Moscow to Odessa (1347km). Paperwork must be in order and handy - all drivers need a passport with valid visa, driving license/International Driving Permit, registration papers and comprehensive insurance including third party coverage. The last is not mandatory but is strongly recommended. Visitors must register their visas at a hotel/motel and preferably have their vehicle number and other information endorsed on the visa. Visitors staying for longer than six months will need to get a Russian Drivers License. Traffic drives on the right of the road and road signs are posted in Cyrillic as well as in the Latin alphabet.

By Train

Russia has an extensive network of rail tracks but most are reserved for freight trains - the railways are Russia's lifeline to its distant and remote towns and cities. There are just a few long distance passenger services open to foreign tourists, who must book seats well in advance. One reason is that a train ride is cheap, comfortable and a great way to see the changing landscape of Russia.

Trans-Siberian Railway :The most exciting way to see Russia is to take a trip on the Trans-Siberian Railway. It is a six-day journey  covering a distance of almost 10,000km from the time it departs from  Moscow till it arrives at Vladivostok on the Pacific coast. The train travels through vast forests of birch and pine, log-cabin settlements and across the enormous expanse of the steppes. Depending on the nature of your travelling companions, your choice of paperback novels and the friendliness of your carriage attendant (a vital factor) life on the rails can be fascinating. The scenic route takes the traveller past Siberia's Lake Baikal, a waterway as big as Belgium and home to the world's only freshwater seal,  through multicultural Irkutsk, an appealing city along the rail-line.  The enroute town of Ulan Ude is home to the country's seat of Buddhism, the monastery of Ivolginsk Datsan. The entire journey is an experience never to be forgotten with its multiple stops and its parade of trees and faraway towns that recede into the wilderness as you whiz past. The Trans-Siberian is the world's longest train ride - crossing 7 time zones with 91 stops on its epic journey from Europe to the far eastern coast of Russia along the Pacific Ocean. Train comforts include superb first class compartments, restaurant car and attendants on call.

By Sea/River

The Russian Federation has many ports along its Pacific and Baltic shores in the north and in the Black Sea, down south. Major ports include Vladivostok, Magadan, Nakhodka and Petropavlovsk in the east of Russia; Murmansk and Archangelisk along the Atlantic Ocean and the ports of St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad in the west. Black Sea ports are at Sochi and Novorossiysk. Cruise companies cover the Baltic and the Black Sea in their regular itineraries.

Russian rivers crisscross the entire country and provide the oldest and most commonly used  ways. It is possible to travel long distances across Russia on passenger boats. The main passenger services ply between Moscow and St Petersburg, and between Moscow and various points on the Volga and Don, including Yaroslavl, Nizhiny Novgorod, Volgograd, Astrakhan and Rostov-on-Don. You may take steamships that are high speed or hydrofoils. River cruises are also available on the Volga, Lena, Ob, Don, Amur and Irtysh Rivers.