How to get from Sheremetyevo Airport (SVO) to central Moscow
Train, bus, taxi or car sharing – here are some fast and easy ways to reach the downtown.
1. ‘Aeroexpress’ train
The fastest way to get from this airport to the center of Moscow is the ‘Aeroexpress’ train, which has a station right in the airport terminal. With no traffic on the way, you’ll arrive at the ‘Savelovskaya’ train station in 45 min and the ‘Belorussky’ train station in 53 minutes. You can get onto the subway at both, from which it’s convenient to go anywhere in the city.
The ‘Aeroexpress’ train makes stops at the Moscow Central Circle rail line and Line D1 stations: ‘Odintsovo’, ‘Bakovka’, ‘Skolkovo’, ‘Nemchinovka’, ‘Setun’, ‘Rabochiy Posyolok’, ‘Kuntsevskaya’ (‘Kuntsevskaya’ subway station), ‘Slavyanskiy Bulvar’ (‘Slavyanskiy Bulvar’ subway station), ‘Fili’ (Fili subway station), ‘Testovskaya’ ‘(Vystavochnaya’, ‘Delovoy Tsentr’, ‘Mezhdunarodnaya’, ‘Shelepikha’ subway stations), ‘Begovaya’ (‘Begovaya’ subway station), ‘Belorusskaya’ (‘Belorusskaya’ subway station), ‘Savelovskaya’ (‘Savelovskaya’ subway station), ‘Okruzhnaya’ (‘Okruzhnaya’ subway station)
The first train leaves Sheremetyevo at 5:45 am, while the last departs at 9:15 pm.
Tickets cost 600 rubles (approx. $7). You can buy tickets in advance at aeroexpress.ru. The website only accepts Russian debit/credit cards, but you can buy tickets at the airport or at the train stations in cash.
2. ‘Аeroexpress’ bus
Aeroxpress and city buses.
The ‘Aeroexpress’ express bus (route № 1195) departs every 10 minutes from Terminal B & C and arrives at the ‘Khovrino’ subway station (the north of the green line).
During the journey from Sheremetyevo Airport to Moscow, the express bus makes a stop at ‘Gostinitsa’ (near Terminals D, E and F). The ‘Aeroexpress’ bus departs every 15 minutes.
Travel time to the nearest subway station is about 20 minutes. And you’ll need another 30 minutes to reach the city center.
The bus from ‘Khovrino’ departs from exit No. 2. The bus stop is located near the ‘Severnye Vorota’ (‘Northern Gate’) bus station.
You can check the timetable here. You can buy tickets online with a Russian debit/credit card or at the bus or ‘Aeroexpress’ ticket offices at the airport for 400 rubles (~$4.50) in cash.
3. Commuter bus
A regular bus is a cheaper way to reach the center of Moscow, but you might end up getting stuck in a traffic jam. Also it accepts only Russian debit/credit cards (no cash payment option).
To ‘Rechnoy Vokzal’ subway station (green line):
– Bus No. 851 runs from 5:37 am to 11:46 pm; 61 rubles (~$0.70). Travel time is about 50 minutes.
To ‘Planernaya’ subway station (purple line):
– Bus No. 817 runs from 5:23 am to 12:12 am; 61 rubles (~$0.70). Travel time is around 40 minutes.
– Mini bus No. 948 runs from 6:30 am to 10:00 pm; 85 rubles (~$1). Travel time is around 30 minutes.
To ‘Kitay-Gorod’ subway station (purple line)
– Night bus H1 runs from 1:00 am to 6:00 am, every half an hour, 1 rubles (~$0.70).
4. Taxi
The trip from the airport to the city center costs about $50 or more if you’ll order a taxi.
But, you can book a taxi for cheaper (about $20-$30) using the following apps:
– ‘Yandex GO’ iOS/Google Play /AppGallery (many languages).
– ‘Uber’ iOS/Google Play /AppGallery (many languages)
– ‘City Mobil’ iOS/Google Play /AppGallery (available in English).
You can choose payment in cash if you don’t have a Russian debit/credit card.
When you arrive at the airport, you can get online with free WiFi in the terminal and book a taxi. The driver will probably ask you to call after passing through border control, because waiting in front of the airport is free only for the first 15 minutes and then it gets quite expensive.
5. Car sharing
Several car-sharing companies are available at Sheremetyevo. You will need an ID, a driver’s license, a Russian debit/credit card and a smartphone with a Russian SIM card. You’ll also need to sign a contract with the rental company in order to access its vehicles (you can also do this online). The leading companies are: Delimobil; Yandex.Drive; and BelkaCar. You should download the apps in advance to find the nearest car.
6. Rent a car
Major car rental companies can also be found at Sheremetyevo: ‘Europcar’, ‘Rentmotors’ and ‘REX Rent’ services. You can book a car online or by visiting the rental office. Booking in advance doesn’t influence the price much, but it does provide a greater choice of car models.
Go to the airport’s website for more information.
