Arriving in Moscow
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 aggresive.
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 bagage 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. If you do try to bargain and don't speak any Russian, count on paying at least 1,000 rubles, perhaps more. The taxi ride to or from the city center should run about a half an hour to 45 minutes, depending on traffic. (Given the high frequency of massive traffic jams on the road between the airport and the center, however, the trip can last significantly longer.)
The cheapest and most convenient option to make your way into town is on the new Aeroexpress train that runs every half-hour to hour from around 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. between Sheremetyevo-2 and Savyolovsky Station in northern Moscow (metro station Savyolovskaya, on the gray line, one stop above the circle line). After exiting customs, signs on the first floor of the airport will point you to the sparkling, modern terminal that houses the train tracks (as well as a cozy Starbucks, one of only a few in Moscow). The train itself is equally modern and comfortable, with large, luxurious seats and lots of room for baggage. A one-way ticket costs 250 rubles and the trip lasts about half an hour.
In addition to the train, there is also 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 under 100 rubles. A slower bus service to the same metro station runs less frequently but is even cheaper at only 25 rubles a person.
Many flights are also served by Moscow's two other major international airports:
Domodedovo
An express train leaves every half-hour or so from 7 a.m. to midnight between Domodedovo airport and Paveletsky Station at the south end of the Garden Ring (metro station Paveletskaya, on the circle and green metro lines). A one-way ticket costs 250 rubles and the ride takes about 45 minutes. Additionally, passengers can check in for their flights from Paveletsky Station to avoid unnecessary hassles at the airport.
Vans also run between Domodedovo and the Domodedovskaya metro station (on the green line). The ride costs 80 rubles and lasts 25-30 minutes. Taxis to the center usually run from $60 to $80.
Vnukovo
An express train runs between Kievsky Station (at metro station Kievskaya, on the light and dark blue and circle metro lines to the west of the Garden Ring) and Vnukovo airport every hour, with trains from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. from Moscow to Vnukovo and from 8 a.m. to midnight from Vnukovo to Moscow. The ride lasts about 35 minutes and costs 250 rubles.
Vnukovo Airport is also connected to the Yugo-Zapadnaya metro by an extremely cheap minivan ride. A taxi from Vnukovo to the city center runs between $20 and $30.
Most flights to destinations within Russia and the former Soviet Union are served by Moscow's other two airports:
Sheremetyevo Terminal 1
Is located on the opposite site of the runway it shares with Sheremetevyo-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 connected to the center of Moscow by suburban trains that run to Kazansky Station. It is the smallest of all the Moscow airports and only serves domestic flights. 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 between $20 and $30.
