Russia travel Forum

Sheremetyevo International Airport (SVO)

Location: The airport is situated 16 miles (26km) northwest of Moscow.
Time: Local time is GMT +3 (GMT +4 from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in September).
Contacts: Tel: +7 495 232 6565.
Transfer between terminals: Most international flights will arrive at Sheremetyevo II. Sheremetyevo I, about 15 miles (24km) away, serves domestic flights. Public and Express buses, taxis and free airline shuttles are available between the terminals.
Getting to the city: Taxis are available from outside both terminals; passengers should avoid the renegade taxi drivers and go to the official taxi counter. Rates are fixed. There is an express bus services, which leaves from outside Sheremetyevo 1 and 2 for the nearby metro stations that connect to the city centre. Minibuses are also available.
Car rental: Car rental companies include Avis, Hertz, National and Budget.
Airport Taxis: A taxi ride to the city centre takes around 30 minutes (traffic dependent) and should cost around $40. Taxis touts operate in front of both terminals and are to be avoided. Book a taxi from one of the official taxi company booths. It is advisable to prebook a taxi and be met on arrival.
Facilities: Moscow Airport is a soulless, dimly lit, grey building and long stopovers here should be avoided if possible. The staff are slow and inefficient and the queues for passport control and check-in are long. Once through check-in, however, the facilities are fine, including bureaux de change, restaurants, bars, duty-free shopping and a post office. Disabled facilities are limited but wheelchair transfer from the aircraft to the terminal building can be arranged in advance. Left luggage counters, a business conference centre and ATMs are available in Terminal 2.
Parking: Parking is available close to each of the terminals. Most offer free parking for the first 5 to 15 minutes. Autosher charges RUB 10 per hour and BRK charges RUB 150 per hour.
Departure Tax: None.
Website: svo.aero/en/
See full guide to Moscow International Airport

Pulkovo International Airport (LED)

Location: The airport is situated 10 miles (16km) south of St Petersburg.
Time: Local time is GMT +3 (GMT +4 from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in September).
Contacts: Tel: +7 812 104 3450.
Transfer between terminals: The two airport terminals are a considerable distance apart and are only connected by taxi; fares are usually exorbitant.
Getting to the city: Bus No.13 leaves for Moskovskaya Metro Station from outside Terminal 2, from where metros go to the city centre. Taxis are also available from both terminals; prebooking a taxi is far cheaper. Passengers who are staying in a major hotel can arrange to be picked up.
Car rental: Hertz car rental is represented at both terminals.
Airport Taxis: Taxis are available outside the terminal. Be sure to agree on a price before leaving the airport as tourists are often overcharged.
Facilities: Pulkovo is a 'no frills' airport. There are some services available however, including a few duty-free shops, a bureau de change, snack bars, restaurants, a post office, Internet access and an ATM.
Parking: Free parking is offered in unguarded lots close to both terminals. Otherwise parking near Terminal 1 costs RUB 100 per hour or RUB 350 per day. Parking for Terminal 2 incurs the same hourly rate, but costs RUB 400 daily.
Departure Tax: None.
Website: www.pulkovoairport.ru/eng/
See full guide to St Petersburg Airport

Moscow Domodedovo International Airport (DME)

Location: 22 miles (35km) south of Moscow city centre
Time: Local time is GMT +3 (GMT +4 from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in September).
Contacts: Tel: +7 495 933 6666.
Getting to the city: A highway links Moscow city with the passenger terminal at the airport, making access by public transport, taxi or private car possible. There are trains linking the airport to Paveletsky Rail Terminal in Moscow city centre. The trains run every 30 to 60 minutes and the trip takes about 40 minutes. There are also express trains to Belorussky Rail Terminal via the Kursky and Kalanchevskaya stations. A coach service between the airport and the Domodedovskaya station on the Moscow Metro runs every 15 minutes and takes about 30 minutes.
Car rental: Car rental companies at the airport include Europcar, Hertz and Sixt.
Airport Taxis: There are share taxis between the Metro station and the airport, and the fare is 100 rubles. The official taxi operators are MV-Motors, Gorodskoe Taxi (City Taxi) and Formula Taxi.
Facilities: There are shops, cafés and restaurants in the Trade Centre on the 2nd floor of Domodedovo, and more cafés, bars and shops located on the 1st floor. There are postal, phone and e-mail facilities available in the airport, as well as currency exchange and wire transfer facilities. The airport also boasts a DVD movie theatre.
Parking: There is short- and long-term parking available at the airport.
Website: www.domodedovo.ru/en/
See full guide to Domodedovo International Airport

Koltsovo International Airport (SVX)

Location: The airport is located about 15 miles (25km) from Ekaterinburg city centre.
Time: GMT+5 (GMT+6 from March to October).
Contacts: Tel: +7 343 224 2367.
Getting to the city: There are several ways to connect to the city from the airport. Bus 1 takes passengers to the central Ekaterinburg railway station (Sverdlovsk), and bus 67 connects to the downtown Airlines ticketing agency. Yellow minibus cabs operate between the airport and the railway station. There are numerous taxis available outside the terminal (negotiate fares before departure), or private car pick-ups can be booked fairly cheaply.
Car rental: Hertz and Europcar are represented at the airport.
Facilities: The airport has exchange bureaux, bars, a restaurant (in the adjacent hotel), fast-food outlets, a hairdresser, shops, public telephones and baggage storage facilities.
Parking: The airport has 790 short-term parking spaces and 300 long-term parking spaces. Parking is in front of the main terminal and costs RUB 50 per half hour up to RUB 1,000 per day. Long-term parking costs RUB 200-300 per day.
Departure Tax: None.
Website: www.koltsovo.ru
See full guide to Koltsovo International Airport
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Adler-Sochi International Airport (AER)

Location: The airport is located 14 miles (22km) southeast of Sochi in the Adler district.
Time: Local time is GMT + 3
Contacts: Tel: +78622440088.
Getting to the city: Bus 124 runs directly into the city. Some other buses are available but are much slower.
Car rental: Hertz car rental is available from the airport.
Airport Taxis: Taxis are always available outside the airport, but negotiating a price is the best idea. The average cost of taxi into the city is around RUR500.
Facilities: Sochi International Airport offers cafes, bars, a post office and banks and currency exchange offices.
Parking: Short-term parking is available.
Website: sochi-airport.com
See full guide to Sochi International Airport
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Vladivostok Airport, also known as Knevichi Airport. (VVO)

Location: The airport is 31 miles (50km) outside Vladivostok.
Time: GMT + 11
Contacts: +011 7 (423) 230-68-90
Transfer between terminals: Terminals are within easy walking distance of each other.
Getting to the city: Bus: The airport is served by two buses that stop at the airport terminal square and then travel into Vladivostok. Bus 107 and 101 both travel to central Vladivostok. Fares are RUB 55.
Car rental: No major rental companies offer services at the airport. Passengers wishing to rent a car will need to organise a rental through their travel agent before flying to Vladivostok. Local drivers licenses are essential when hiring a car.
Airport Taxis: Taxis wait outside the terminal, but it is often difficult to find a good deal. A share-taxi costs RUB 500 to RUB 600 and private taxis cost between RUB 800 and RUB 1200. Be sure to agree on the price before leaving the airport.
Facilities: Bank, ATMs, currency exchange, luggage storage, medical centre, mother and child room, handicapped facilities, wifi, souvenir shops, newsstands, duty-free shops, a coffee shop and a restaurant are all available within the terminal.
Parking: Parking bays are located just outside the terminal.
Departure Tax: None.
Website: www.vvo.aero
See full guide to Vladivostok Airport
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Irkutsk International Airport (IKT)

Location: The airport is located five miles (8km) from downtown Irkutsk.
Parking: Parking at Irkutsk International Airport is free for the first 10 minutes, then charges RUB 50 per hour.
See full guide to Irkutsk Int. Airport
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