Russia Travel Guide: High-Speed Rail, Metro & Trans-Siberian Railway
Transport Guide
2026-10-02
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From double-city high-speed rail and underground palace metro to Baikal rideshares — Russian transport covered from arrival to getting around cities.
Arrival & Getting into Town
| Airport | Getting into Town | Time / Price |
|---|
| Moscow Sheremetyevo (SVO) | Aeroexpress train + metro | ~35 minutes, ~500–600 RUB |
| Moscow Domodedovo (DME) | Aeroexpress train | ~45 minutes |
| St. Petersburg Pulkovo (LED) | Bus 39 + metro | ~50 minutes |
| Irkutsk (IKT) | Taxi | ~20–30 minutes, the city centre is small |
Between Cities
- Moscow – St. Petersburg: Sapsan high-speed rail takes about 4 hours, fares around 4,000–7,000 RUB, book in advance; overnight sleeper trains take about 8 hours and save on a night’s accommodation.
- Trans-Siberian Railway: Take the Beijing–Moscow K3/K19 international train, or travel domestic segments separately; Moscow to Irkutsk takes about 3.5 days.
- Flights: Airlines such as Aeroflot cover major domestic routes; for destinations in the Far East and Siberia over 2,000 km, fly directly.
- Irkutsk – Olkhon Island: Rideshare or bus takes about 4–5 hours, cross the ice directly in winter.
Urban Transport
- Moscow Metro: Single ride costs around 50–70 RUB, use the Troika transport card or bank card; loop line stations feature murals worth a special trip.
- St. Petersburg Metro: Use the Podorozhnik card (top up as you go), known for its depth among European metros.
- Taxis: Yandex Go is the go-to option, with transparent fare calculation; link a payment method in advance (cash accepted).
- Buses & Trams: Buy tickets onboard from the driver or conductor, cash only.
Tips
- The Russian Railways ticket website and app both have an English interface; book popular services 1–2 weeks in advance.
- Metro signs are mostly in Russian, match station names in Cyrillic or use Yandex Maps for navigation.
- Yandex Go can also be used for food delivery and medicine orders, very useful when there's a language barrier.
- Trains are well heated in winter, dress in layers for easy adjustment.