How much does a Moscow trip cost?

You are thinking about visiting the Russian capital, but you are not sure if it is worth it and if you can afford it? Below you will find the costs you can expect to encounter there, in order to prepare an approximate budget for your trip to Moscow, and some aspects you need to consider in order to have a pleasant and carefree visit to the Russian capital.

The following prices are valid at the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020.

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	Visa to Russia and travel insurance: you will need it, if you come from a country that does not have visa-free tourists exchange with Russia. For example, German citizens have to pay about 35 € for a visit to Russia. Today you can also easily apply for a visa online. If you are coming from the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France, Sweden or Netherlands you can use viselio.com services to get a paper or e-visa.
	International travel, flight and train tickets: If you live on the other side of the world, most of your travel budget will be spent on reaching the country. This is especially true for airplanes. But don't worry! Today there are flight search engines with the help of which you can compare the prices from multiple airlines, and there are price calendars where you can see the dates with the lowest air ticket prices. The most important thing is not to set a very strict itinerary in advance. Current prices: in January 2020, a round trip from New York to Moscow will cost you 505 € via kiwi.com, 526 € via trip.com (where you can also find train tickets) about 512 € via omio.com (here we'll find train tickets as well as bus tickets). The outbound and return flights from Berlin starts at 121 €, but that's with the airline Pobeda (with hand luggage only up to 36x30x27 cm). The only thing that can be added is that there are many tempting flight offers from budget airlines, but remember that these are only suitable for people who fly with hand luggage only. For example, if you take sports equipment (skis, snowboards) with you, this type of baggage can be carried free of charge in addition to checked baggage (in the worst case, instead of free baggage allowance), but with low-cost airlines you'll have to pay a surcharge. The same applies to hand luggage only tariff variations (Lite, Light, Basic, etc.): in this case there is no checked baggage and you can not take anything in addition to it. Further information can be found on the page Conditions of Carriage of the largest European airlines.
	Transfer from Moscow airports and travel on site: The largest Moscow airports (Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo) are connected with the city center by Aeroexpresses (special trains). Traveling on these trains is much cheaper than with a taxi. A trip on Aeroexpress costs 500 ₽ (450 ₽ online in advance). After that you can continue your journey by subway. But trains don't run around the clock, they start working around 6 am and finish around midnight, in addition, traveling by subway with luggage is not particularly convenient. So under certain circumstances there is no alternative to a taxi, and in the case of a group travel the price is justified anyway. The taxi prices at the airport are not regulated in this case, so it is not advisable to take the taxi there because it will be very, very, very expensive. So you have to preorder online or by phone (in the latter case, if there is only a verbal agreement, it is better to have a few options with such an agreement). On kiwitaxi.com you will find prices as low as 2000 ₽ (1 hour waiting time included, you can pay either in advance via the website or later to the driver at the airport), on suntransfers.com - from 40.44 €, the price includes unlimited waiting time in case of delay, in any case the price includes Meet&Greet services. You can explore the whole city of Moscow by public transport. The Troika Card (rus) of the Moscow Metro is valid for all means of transport and reduces travel costs by up to 38 ₽ per trip, the card deposit is 50 ₽.
	Accommodations in Moscow: On the Internet there are many possibilities for every taste and budget, but you have to be careful, because some "entrepreneurs" simply copy the data from big resources (like hotels.com or booking.com) to their website and, when you try to order something from them, start offering something else and at a completely different price. Therefore, it is better in Moscow (as in most cases in most countries of the world) to order accommodation from large providers such as those already mentioned. The main thing is to find a hotel or apartment within walking distance of a subway station if you intend to use public transport, but where exactly (in the city centre or on the outskirts) - is not particularly important.
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	Catering in Moscow (food and drinks): Well, only the most stubborn guests of  city can get into trouble with it. If there is no café or restaurant nearby, there will be a supermarket or hypermarket (be it Pyaterochka, Auchan, Diksi, Lenta, etc.). The prices there are certainly not too high. In addition, you can order food from these supermarkets online.
	Sightseeing, entertainment and excursions in Moscow: here there are also many possibilities. To begin with, you should make a bus or boat trip through Moscow. If the weather permits, one can get a lot of pleasure during a walk through the city. Visits to museums or theatres cost not very much: Bolschoi-Theater: A ticket for an opera or a ballet costs on average from 3500 (and up to 15000 ₽). In most museums and galleries a ticket costs less than 1000 ₽: Armoury Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin 1000 ₽, Tretyakov Gallery 500 ₽, Pushkin Museum 400 ₽. If you wish, you can also go to the museum (for a walk in the city centre, etc.) with a guide.
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