Headed to Moscow?

[An_adult-male]

From one year ago arriving in Moscow. I was not sure I wanted to take a Taxi. But knowing ahead of time the two bus number 817 and 851 could take me to the end of a Metro line and/or possible better Taxi rides. I walked out of the airport Sher. II which is a big airport. Thinking I'd have to take the bus. Finally a man that could speak English came up to me quickly. I continued walking as he showed me a price on a paper of $85 dollars. Quote" but for you I can give you for $65 dollar" I replied to him "Yes, but bus 851 or 817 will take me to Moscow. We started to deal and I got the ride for 1000 rubles or $35 dollars. The parking at the airport for any car is by the hour. So I knew he wanted to get one of his drivers rolling. I'm glad I took the ride. Later I discovered that going on the Metro (metro.ru) is out of the question with all the bombings that have happened. Yes the back windows on the trains have been blown out because of it. I do not know if the trains have been fixed up, but I do know the Russian Police were in force checking any ones bags. So just some info. to help you bargain a better price.

  Well if I took the 817 and got to the station. Not knowing what to do. (Like walk 4 blocks down past the 4 smoke stacks to the tram no. 6) . I'ld end up taking a Taxi. This I find is not a good place to get a Taxi. This is where few speak any English. As for Tram 6 (not Tram 6A) only takes you to the far NW corner of Moscow primer. It's tolly buses or get a Taxi still again. What to do? I doubt I'll ever go to Moscow again.

[Turboguy]

There are a lot of places that will let you arrange a transfer from the airport to your hotel or apartment at a reasonable rate.   I paid $ 40.00 two weeks ago.   I sort of like coming out of the customs area and seeing someone there holding a sign with my name that will take me safely (as safe as riding in any vehicle in Russia is with the crazy drivers.)  to my hotel or apartment.   It is great not having to deal with the cab drivers.

I have taken a lot of cab rides to where I am going and if you negotiate and use your head you will be fine and the fares are not that bad considering how far the airport is from the center of town.    I never considered taking busses and metro from the airport but have taken the bus from SVO to Domoldedvio for $ 7.00  (I am sure I misspelled that)

Hey, once you have met a couple of the great ladies in Moscow i am sure you will change your mind about not coming back.

 

[Elen]

Later I discovered that going on the Metro (metro.ru) is out of the question with all the bombings that have happened. Yes the back windows on the trains have been blown out because of it. I do not know if the trains have been fixed up, but I do know the Russian Police were in force checking any ones bags.

 

:? That who uses Moscow metro each day is just speechless about such "revelation":)

(without joking and kidding:? Yes the back windows on the trains have been blown out because of it - that sounds like you have not idea what happened there at all:? (like as we would say because of 9-11 windows were blown out in Twins)

Take a look at train after blow at Avtozavodskay station http://www.vazhno.ru/srochno/9670.html Hardly anybody could doubt the train could be fixed up after that at all:? 

My purpose is far from scare you even more than you are already now (otherwise I would want to say to you  Moscow metro is still the most safe place in the city)  Just that issue is too personal for me. One of my co-worker was lost in that train )


 

[Turboguy]

I have to agree with Elen on this one.   When I was in Moscow two weeks ago I was on the Metro every time I turned around.   Moscow has a Metro system that is one of the best in the world.   I find it well maintained with nice stations and good cars and no visable damage from any bombings that happened last year.  

I seem to remember when I went to Moscow long ago when nothing ran the way it should the Metro was about the only thing that did.   Do I remember something a while back to the effect that they made the guy who ran the metro the Mayor of Moscow because he seemed to be the only guy who knew how to run things well at the time, or did I imagine that?

[Elen]

One of the solution is to find taxi-company where you can order a taxi for transfer on-line. You should not worry about prices in that case as prices are almost the same in all companies. If that variant suits you then ask Fiorella about company she uses ecach time when there is need in taxi

[Elen]

 

Do I remember something a while back to the effect that they made the guy who ran the metro the Mayor of Moscow because he seemed to be the only guy who knew how to run things well at the time, or did I imagine that?

Actually I don't remeber why and how we elected Lushkov but he rules Moscow rather well (though I think you inmagined such fact from his biography:D)

[Elen]

Btw what price for 40 km ride is acceptable in the USA? Just curiously:)

[Turboguy]

So he did run the metro before he ran Moscow?  Correct!

[Elen]

Wonder do you check a statistic about died in car accidents before use your car?:? In comparation with those numbers Moscow metro is just the most safe palce on the Earth

[Photo Guy]

Btw what price for 40 km ride is acceptable in the USA? Just curiously:)

I checked the internet. The New York area, would be about $40, for a shared van, with multiple drops. ($100 for a private van)
I think the shared van had a maximum number of stops: 4.  Doug

[Elen]

Then why do you complain about prices in Moscow? We have prices for oil (and for cars) the same or even more than in the USA.

[Turboguy]

I don't think we complain about the prices in Moscow, just some of them.   I had a cab driver want to charge me $ 30.00 to go from SVO II  to SVO I.   That is a bit of a rip off.  Actually I have paid $ 20.00 a couple of times but even though that is still a rip off It was worth it too me.   The $ 30.00 I was quoted or the $ 40-50 I have heard others quoted is a big rip off considering there is a free bus.

I think the thing that bothers many of us is that you are almost attacked by hordes of Taxi drivers at SVO and many will try to rip you off if they get the chance.   If you take a taxi from the airport to the city or hotel in the USA it will generally be at a consistant rate although a few cab drivers will go joy riding if they think their customer does not know better.   

As far as how it compares, the last two places I flew in the usa were to Vegas and Minneapolis.   In vegas the shuttle bus from the airport is around $ 8.00 to the strip hotels.  In Minneapolis there is a train right from the airport to downtown and for $ 2.50 or so I got where I was going.   A real Taxi will likely be more expensive in the USA than in Moscow and yes, your cars and your gas are not much cheaper than ours. 

 

[Turboguy]

As far as the Metro being "the safest place on Earth"  I think my own bed is a bit safer.    First, I don't think there is much danger of wrecks or bombs on the Moscow metro.  There is a pretty good danger of suffocation or being trampled in rush hour or actually many times of the day.   You don't have to worry much about falling, after all you have never seen a sardine fall over packed gill to gill in a sardine can. 

Actually, I think Moscow Metro is very safe.   I think there is even less danger of getting mugged than in NYC.   The staions are very interesting and the girl watching is great.   I think the Metro may intimidate a few people who live in cities here that don't have a system like it and it is a wonderful way to travel. 

[ConnerVT]

40 km = 24.85 miles, a significantly long ride in either NYC or Moscow traffic.  With the fare schedule below (and no idle time sitting in traffic), Doug is correct at $40 USD.  Of course, NYC airports are more like half this distance from Manhattan.

From http://www.ny.com/transportation/taxis/

NYC taxi cab fares within metro NYC (standard taxi, up to 4 passengers)cabbies can't usually break anything higher than $20. While cabs are relatively expensive for a single person, they can actually be a bargain with 3 or more riders. The rates for taxicabs are as follows:

Initial fare.............$2.00
Each 1/5 mile (4 blocks).$0.30
Each 1 minute idle.......$0.20
Night surcharge..........$0.50 (after 8pm until 6am)
Additional riders........FREE

[Elen]

http://xxltaxi.ru/eng/fares/airport/

That's the average prices for taxi in companies in Moscow

[Bruno]

As far as the Metro being "the safest place on Earth"  I think my own bed is a bit safer.    

Not sure... 95% of people know the dead in a bed :D

 

[Elen]

:D:D