Russia - DME to the H.I. Sokolniki -- train or taxi?

It seems like most people recommend taking the Aeroexpress to Paveletsky station, and then transferring to the subway. But to get to the Holiday Inn Sokolniki, that would require an additional transfer between subway lines.

On waytorussia.net, they apparently offer a "mid-range" English-speaking taxi service ("AroundMoscow") from DME to the hotel for under 30 Euros. I can even share that expense with another flyertalker. So a taxi "seems" rather affordable. Anyone ever use waytorussia to book a taxi, and which method of transport is better?

Thanks.

Transfer between lines on the metro isn't too difficult, but you should know where you want to go from/to because the signage is all in Russian and almost nobody will be able to speak English. It is definitely worth it to spend an hour studying the alphabet and learning how to pronounce things.

Transfering between lines is not difficult. xyzzy is right on point.

Yeah, I certainly plan to get around by subway. The DME airport train though seems to run only once an hour at mid-day (when the flights from the US arrive). So that potentially could add some significant time. And I would assume the train-subway and subway-subway transfers add time. In Europe, I usually take the public transit into town. But I'm wondering if this one would be worth the effort, given that it seems to have the potential to be time-consuming,and there appears to be a reasonable taxi alternative

If you really want to take a taxi, then do that. There is a fixed-price taxi booth in the baggage claim area of DME. The rate charged depends on the part of the city you are going to. The driver will almost certainly not speak English, but the dispatcher will speak enough for you to be able to get to your destination.

In the middle of the day, the drive from DME to the Sokolniki will probably take 2 hrs or so. If you're not intimidated by the train/metro, it is a much more relaxing/interesting way to go. Taking taxis in Moscow just plain sucks.

The train ride to Paveletsky is about 40 minutes. When you get off the train, walk into the building, swipe your ticket, and turn left. The metro entrance is straight ahead. Take the green line and connect to the red line. Should take no more than 30 minutes. The metro stop at Sololniki is right across the street from the Holiday Inn, you can't miss it.

Take the AE and the underground. Just get a map of the metro and know how many stops you will need before you get on and off. I had a piece of paper with the line and stops in Russian and English. Most of the time people were willing to help.

from a purely practical view, it depends on three things:

1) The day and time of your arrival. If it is in rush-hour on a work day, it will take much more time by taxi. Worse in the morning (when most traffic goes into the city) but even in the evening it can be bad.

2) How much luggage do you have? The metro is not great if you have big and/or heavy bags. Especially if you need to change lines where there may be stairs without escalators. And the time when it makes the most sense to take the metro (see #1 above) is the time the metro is most packed.

3) Your comfort level with new challenges. If you cannot read any Russian and do not have much experience with different types of metro systems, you can get lost and confused easily enough.

I recommend all my visitors to Moscow to take the trains and metro, but I also ensure they are prepared...

Well, the Waytorussia folks tell me the rate on their website is a typo -- a taxi from DME to the city is $53. At that price, it's an offer I can refuse. :)

The Aeroexpress now has a better mid-day time table now that the literature suggests. If you're coming in on the AA flight from Chicago, there's apparently a train service every half-hour.

http://www.domodedovo.ru/en/main/getting/1/aero/

I understand you need to be a little careful following the signs at DME to the train, but I presume it's managable. I've riden subways from Buenos Aires to Beijing, so how hard could Moscow's be?

It seems like most people recommend taking the Aeroexpress to Paveletsky station, and then transferring to the subway. But to get to the Holiday Inn Sokolniki, that would require an additional transfer between subway lines.


Yes, you get first on the brown line and then transfer to the red line for just a few stops. The metro was busy-busy-busy pretty much all the time when I was there last week-end, but it wasn't always packed :p i.e. sometimes you could move within the train car, and I think I sat down once or twice!

If you are using for sightseeing too, I recommend buying a ten ride right off the bat. Great deal and took us through the weekend, but for a single ride at the end.

From DME we took the express train then metro to the hotel on arrival, but we got in earlier in the day on Friday (10:30 or so) on UA then I believe AA does. The metro was a pain with a bag (carry-on size, but still), as you do walk a bit and have plenty of stairs. It was fine after we dumped bags at Sokolniki.

We actually did a taxi back to DME on Monday morning as I didn't want to deal with what I assumed would be just a jam packed metro on a monday morning. Took less than an hour to get to the airport via taxi, and was definitely more relaxing than fighting the metro a second time with my bag.

Recommendations: find color of line you want, then look at signage on the tracks themselves that show the direction the line is going, the upcoming stops, and the upcoming connection points to other color lines. The signage above the metro platforms (like before you go down escalators) didn't seem to have all the stops. Was a little confusing to me, but with a friend in tow we always got where we wanted! And boy is their metro quick and frequent.

Since you've done the subway thing in large cities you should be fine. It was much more complicated than DC's pathetic system that I use.

Have fun!

We actually did a taxi back to DME on Monday morning as I didn't want to deal with what I assumed would be just a jam packed metro on a monday morning. Took less than an hour to get to the airport via taxi, and was definitely more relaxing than fighting the metro a second time with my bag.

Hmmm -- everybody keeps saying how it's going to take hours by taxi, but your experience would indicate that the taxi is significantly faster.

If you do want a taxi LEAVING DME, there's a booth where you prepay, right? Does anyone know how many rubles that is? We're 3 people, so it's not like taking the train is going to save us tons of money.

Hmmm -- everybody keeps saying how it's going to take hours by taxi, but your experience would indicate that the taxi is significantly faster.

If you do want a taxi LEAVING DME, there's a booth where you prepay, right? Does anyone know how many rubles that is? We're 3 people, so it's not like taking the train is going to save us tons of money.

We were expecting a much longer taxi ride and didn't believe the guy at the desk (we used the taxi service booked at the hotel) when he said 1 -1 1/2 hours. Maybe it's because it was morning and traffic is flowing into the city instead of out of? All I know is we probably beat the metro/train time to DME.

We didn't take a taxi from DME, so can't help you there ... I'd be curious just to hear that information as well though.

If you do want a taxi LEAVING DME, there's a booth where you prepay, right? Does anyone know how many rubles that is? We're 3 people, so it's not like taking the train is going to save us tons of money.It's really easy to book a taxi. Details and expected travel times are here (http://www.domodedovo.ru/en/main/getting/taxi/2/):Arrivals at International Domodedovo Airport you have to book a taxi at special desks, these are located at:

* the domestic arrival hall
* the international arrival hall
* the luggage reclaim hall of the International area
* the luggage reclaim area of the Domestic area

At the desk, you choose a model of car, a route you want to go and pay for your trip according to the existing tariffs. The taxi operator will provide you with a receipt, a coupon for a trip and calls a security member, who will accompany you to a taxi.
The taxi service payment can be made both in cash and by plastic card. VISA, VISA ELECTRON, Maestro, Master Card, Union Card are accepted.
Rates are here (http://www.domodedovo.ru/en/main/getting/taxi/1/)

Hmmm -- everybody keeps saying how it's going to take hours by taxi, but your experience would indicate that the taxi is significantly faster.

If you do want a taxi LEAVING DME, there's a booth where you prepay, right? Does anyone know how many rubles that is? We're 3 people, so it's not like taking the train is going to save us tons of money.We used go-to.ru (http://www.go-to.ru/en/catalog/carrent/iblock/tempelement.php?ID=25772) which costs 1450 rubles from DME to the city and 1200 rubles from the city to DME. Change the price from dollars to rubles on their site, as the dollar rates that are quoted are based on a bad exchange rate. We booked it online and paid the driver.

It took almost an hour going from the HI Sokolniki to DME on a Sunday morning. On the way into town we arrived at SVO (from LED) so I can't comment on the DME-Sokolniki time.

I did the trip DME to this Holiday Inn and back on the train - no big deal and pretty easy. I was towing my rollaboard and backpack which I had to carry up and down some occasional stairs in the stations, but, I didn't really find it that inconvenient.

As others have noted, you'll want to count off stations and pattern match the signs.

When you get off the AeroExpress and intothe Metro station, look for the windows with a mob in front of them and a sign that says Kacci. When you get to the window hold up ten fingers (for a ten ride pass) and given them some cash - I think it's like 250 RUB.

Ride the #5 circle train 3 stops counter clockwise and then switch to the #1 train and ride it 2 stops to Sokolniki. When you get out the hotel will be behind you with a bunch of flags and stuff in front of it and rod iron gates.

The colors of the signs in the stations aren't really indicative of the line colors on the maps. There are numbers for the lines which match the numbers on the map though. The way I found the right trains was to look at the signs overhead on the platforms and find the first few Cyrillic characters matching the last station in the direction I wanted to go in.

There is a map in nearly all the stations I used before you go through the turnstiles somewhere on the wall with a You Are Here arrow. Never saw such a map on the platforms though.

Here is the map:
http://engl.mosmetro.ru/flash/scheme01.html

Thanks for all the helpful advice. Now that I've had to do it myself, I thought I'd provide my own experience.

Upon arrival at DME, we were significantly delayed -- first by a "swine flu check," but second (and more significantly) by the poorly run immigration desk. Basically, they had 3 people staffing foreigner entry for the flight, and it took several minutes to process each traveller. We were in the 3rd row of coach, and it still took 45 minutes to get through the line. So, for our 12:30 pm arrival, it was 1:58 when we cleared customs (keep this in mind if you make a taxi rez, as they seem to charge waiting time after an hour). I knew I couldn't make the 2 pm train, and the next one wasn't for almost another hour. We therefore decided to split a taxi, and were charged about US$65 (consistent with what was posted above) from one of the taxi desks for a ride to the Sokolniki. We could have saved about 6 bucks taking an "economy" car over a "business" car.

The car was great -- a modern comfy Western sedan, the driver was courteous (very little English, but he knew the route), and we arrived at the Sokolniki in less than 50 minutes.

On the return, our fellow flyertalker had left town earlier, so we had no one to split a cab with. I didn't have internet access -- or a phone number to a "discount" taxi outfit -- and my hotel said a taxi would cost about $90 to the airport. Instead of trying to find a better deal (which probably wouldn't have been that hard), we decided to take the train to save money (train fare for 2 is only about $16 total). We were already familiar with the Moscow Metro's quirks, so it wasn't hard to get to the Pavelets station for the aeroexpress (about 30 minutes travel time, switching lines once). The Paveletskya metro station had absolutely no signage (comprehensible to a non-Russian speaker) to steer you to the airport train, but before exiting any turnstiles, we kept asking station attendants for the "airport train." This technique got us to the right doorway, and lo and behold, we entered the airport train station. From there it was easy -- 10 minutes wait, and a 45 minute comfy train ride. Just try to look up the times on the website (link above) before you go, so you can time your arrival at Pavelets accordingly. We got lucky, but sometimes the train only runs once an hour.

OK, having done this, what would I recommend to others? For first timers, I think I'd suggest trying to book a taxi deal in advance. GotoRussia seems to charge about 50 bucks from the airport, but I've heard others are even cheaper. This is especially true for those staying at hotels other than the Sokolniki, which is right across the street from the only Sokolniki station exit. Do not underestimate the difficulty of finding your correct Metro exit, and then navigating to your hotel, upon your arrival in Moscow. Unless you are familiar with cyrillic, it's a lot like having everything in Chinese -- with no English translations! I'm not sure I'd want to undertake this adventure with luggage fresh off a long redeye. I also think the train trip will take twice as long as a taxi, which is a drag if you want to do something the afternoon of your arrival.

For the return trip to the airport -- or for those already familiar with the Moscow metro -- it's a closer call between train and taxi. If I could get a taxi for about $40, I think I'd take it. It's a nicer trip, and it's not all that pleasant hauling your luggage through the Metro stations. You also might be a bit of a "mark" with luggage in the Metro, as a recent flyertalk pickpocket report from St. Petersburg indicates. That said, the aeroexpress does work, and if you want to save money, it does accomplish that. Just expect it to be a little more challenging than your average urban public transportation experience.

Upon arrival at DME, we were significantly delayed -- first by a "swine flu check," but second (and more significantly) by the poorly run immigration desk. Basically, they had 3 people staffing foreigner entry for the flight, and it took several minutes to process each traveller.
I hate to bring us off-topic, but since the purpose of the thread has been exhausted, could you comment on the "swine flu check?" I will be arriving on the BD red-eye from LHR and plan to take the train, but I speak Russian so I'm a little less frightened by it.

I hate to bring us off-topic, but since the purpose of the thread has been exhausted, could you comment on the "swine flu check?" I will be arriving on the BD red-eye from LHR and plan to take the train, but I speak Russian so I'm a little less frightened by it.

I would think you won't get one because: 1) the flight is intra-Europe instead of from the "dangerous" North America; and 2) swine flu panic is fading.

Our flight crew did not know we were going to be checked until the jetbridge was attached. On my flight, a couple of "nurses" randomly went up the aisles checking a few pax for fever with a device held up to the pax's ear. The next day, every pax was screened on the UA flight from IAD.

But I wouldn't anticipate this becoming a regular thing.

I would think you won't get one because: 1) the flight is intra-Europe instead of from the "dangerous" North America...traveling on a US passport with a DC-issued visa on a PNR that's linked to my RDU-IAD-LHR ticket, which is why I was concerned. The US Embassy didn't know when they notified the Consular Affairs mailing list. ; and 2) swine flu panic is fading.True that. Although the first death of a US resident did just occur.

I'm slightly concerned because I'm headed over for a few Eurovision events (yeah, yeah...) and they've announced that they plan to test all spectators for their alcohol content.

I'm slightly concerned because I'm headed over for a few Eurovision events (yeah, yeah...) and they've announced that they plan to test all spectators for their alcohol content.

Not sure whether they'll test arrivals for swine flu, but it does seem like they're gearing up a lot of extra security -- and tourist hassles -- for this event (which I had never even heard of before my Moscow trip). Like during my stay last weekend, metal detectors and police were suddenly deployed to the lobby of my hotel to screen all persons entering the hotel. I actually asked the front desk why the sudden precautions. They said the police were getting ready for Eurovision!

It seems that the Russians are concerned this event could trigger some sort of "terror activities." It's a singing competition, right? It seems bizarre to me but, hey, I'm not Russian.