At the time of writing, flights to Russia from many countries (mostly European, North American but also Japan & South Korea) have been temporarily suspended, so if flying to/from any of these nations, you will need to change planes at least once. If travelling from Europe or North America, the most obvious route is via several airports in Turkey, on Turkish Airlines or Pegasus. Air Serbia is also an option as the only airline in Europe to retain flights to Russia, from their hub in Belgrade.

All of the Middle Eastern carriers maintain good air links; Emirates, Etihad & Qatar the largest three, but Air Arabia, Royal Jordanian, Egyptair, Gulf Air, Fly Dubai & Oman Air also offer decent options. In Asia, there are direct flights from China, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam, plus of course exotic holiday destinations, such as The Maldives and The Seychelles.

As a result of fewer airlines operating, prices have risen considerably, particularly to Western European destinations, so either book early, or expect to pay top ruble.

Another possibility, which can save you money, is to fly into one of the CIS countries and change planes there, as all the major Russian carriers have multiple flights to all of the ex-Soviet countries in Central Asia and the Caucasus. Yerevan (EVN), Baku (GYD) and Tashkent (TAS) are the most popular transit points, with Tbilisi (TBS) & Almaty (ALA) also worth considering. If you are flying to Russia using two separate airlines, do leave yourself plenty of time do make your connection (& re-check in any baggage) because if your first flight is delayed and you miss your onward plane, you will need to buy a new ticket.

Moscow has 4 main airports:

Sheremetyevo (SVO)

Situated in the north of Moscow, Sheremetyevo is Aeroflot’s hub for both domestic and international flights, plus Qatar & Etihad. There are regular trains to/from Moscow’s Belarussky railway station, which itself is next to the circle (brown) and the green line.

Domodedovo (DME)

Located in the south of Moscow this is the largest airport in Moscow; Egyptair, El Al, Emirates, Ethiopian & Thai Airways fly from here, and it’s the hub for S7, Red Wings & Ural Airlines domestically. There are regular trains to/from Moscow’s Paveletsky railway station, which itself is next to the circle and the gray line.

Vnukovo (VKO)

Vnukovo is South West of Moscow, and has increased in size in recent years, as it is a hub for Russia’s low coster airlines, particularly for domestic and CIS destinations. Turkish Airlines also fly from Vnukovo several times per day.

Vnukovo has the added bonus that in addition to the aeroexpress train running into Moscow’s Kievsky railway station, which itself is on the circle and both dark & light blue lines, you can take the yellow metro line there directly.

Zhukovsky (ZIA)

The smallest of Moscow’s airports, Zhukovsky is a spillover in the east, mainly for flights from more remote parts of Russia and the CIS with lesser-known airlines. Easy to navigate due to its compact size, the biggest downsize of Zhukovsky is that that it is not connected to Moscow’s train or metro network. You will need to either catch a bus or take a taxi here.

St Petersburg (LED) has just the one airport, Pulkovo, which has flights to almost every domestic and CIS destination you can think of, plus to some further afield. Pulkovo is not (yet) connected to St Petersburg’s rail or metro network so you will need to take a taxi into town, or a bus.

The airports in all large Russian cities operate international flights but the majority of these cater primarily to Russian holidaymakers. They offer mostly charter flights to sunnier climates, and are therefore unlikely to be of much use to foreign travelers looking to enter Russia. However, some (in European Russia) have scheduled flights to destinations such as Istanbul & Dubai, and others (in Siberia and the Far East) to Bangkok & several in China.

Many airports in Russia have undergone considerable renovation in recent years, so although you will occasionally come across a Soviet-style concrete shed in more remote places, nowadays, many are up to international standard.

Do be aware that it is not always possible to check in online for some flights to Russia from abroad; you’ll need to show up at the desk and be checked in manually; this is mainly so that the airline can be sure you are in possession of a valid visa (if you require one).

Clearing immigration and customs in Russia is usually a relatively quick & painless affair. If you hold a passport from an ‘unfriendly’ country (ie, any in the West), don’t be surprised if you are taken aside for questing. This isn’t anything you should be overly worried about, even if the authorities ask to see your phone. As a precaution, you would be wise to delete any numbers with a +380 (the Ukraine country code), as well as any social media which could be considered as anti-Russian, or pro-Ukraine.

You only need to fill in a declaration form is you are carrying above $10,000 in cash, or any restricted goods.

Getting from Moscow airports into the city:

Moscow’s three largest airports, Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo & Vnukovo are all connected to the circle line of Moscow’s metro system with a fast train, called the Aeroexpress. This is a great way of travelling as it’s quick, efficient (usually running every 30 minutes, although it can be hourly at less popular times), great value for money and means you will avoid Moscow’s notorious traffic jams.

Taxis:

Yandex taxi is the largest and best known operator, with an easy to use app for your smartphone. You can use Russian or English, and choose whether you pay cash, or link the app to your Russian credit/debit card.

In theory, you don’t need to speak any Russian to book cabs via the app, although the driver may call you if he can’t find the destination (or you). Don’t expect drivers to speak much, if any English – in fact many of the drivers are from CIS countries and even their Russian isn’t always fluent.

Avoid jumping into any taxi which is waiting at popular tourist attractions, outside major hotels and train stations – in fact any cab which hasn’t been pre-booked is likely to significantly overcharge you, particularly if you don’t speak Russian. This is especially the case at airports; anyone asking you if you need a ride shouldn’t be giving you one, and you can guarantee that you will be ripped off. If you land in Russia and don’t have a taxi app, head for one of the taxi desks in the arrivals section. They are more expensive than booking via your phone but they’re safe and they will give you a receipt. Usually a little English is spoken at these desks. Alternatively, ask your hotel to book you a taxi, and have the driver waiting at the arrivals area with a sign (either with you, or the hotel’s name on it).

Metro:

One of the largest and surely the most beautiful in the world, the Moscow metro is more than just a cheap and easy way to quickly get around Russia’s capital. Many of the older stations date from the 1930s and are works of art in themselves, with some of the more recent additions having a futuristic look about them.

You can buy single tickets or multiple journeys from the automatic booths at the entrance to all stations, or consider purchasing a ‘troika’ (Тройка) card, which you can top up. There are no zones, you pay the same fare regardless of how far you travel.

Metro stations open at around 05:30 and close at 01:00 (the exact times are shown at each particular station), and are kept spotlessly clean – avoid eating or drinking in the carriages. Trains run every few minutes and even more frequently during rush hour. The metro network has expanded considerably in recent years, and in addition to the inner circle line (which is brown), there are also large circle lines, which run over ground and connect to most metro stations.

The metro itself is extremely safe as there are guards at every station, at all times, and some have their own Police unit located within. Signs are now in both Russian and English, although announcements are made in Russian only.

There are also smaller metro networks in several other Russian cities, namely St Petersburg, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Yekaterinburg & Novosibirsk.

Other ways to get around include trams, busses and ‘marshrutkа’ (маршрутка) which is a minibus, running along the same route as busses, but more quickly. You can use your Troika card on these too, or, if the traffic is heavy and the weather is pleasant, consider walking.

Google Maps works reasonably well in Russia (in both Russian and English), but isn’t 100% up to date. Better to use the local Yandex equivalent (Яндекс Карта) which also functions in both languages.