Let me lead you through the streets of Moscow

by Anni Pelmeni

Moscow can boast a variety of the means public transportation. Alongside with the Metro system, there are buses, trams, trolleybuses.

What still however seeks to be aspired is the quality. Do not look for timetables or lines’ maps: public transportation in Moscow is sheer chaos. They neither follow any schedule nor have any strictly regulated itinerary. In many cases buses are privately owned (so called Marshrutka) and follow the rule of demand: whenever or wherever there is an increasing need for transport, the new bus lines will emerge.

As a tourist you most likely would like to avoid the matter of public transportation, as it is neither a pleasant experience nor that easily comprehensible. Just in case you still venture to try get around on your own, you should know that tickets are purchased by a driver and there are no stop announcements, so watch out where you are going.

by Anni Pelmeni

Marshrutka is a demand-driven type of privately owned bus. Meaning that if they appear when and where there is a need to transport masses of people from point A to point B. There are no clear itineraries nor are there any reliable timetables. What are your chances to know what bus runs where? Basically zero, unless you have a native to explain you what Marshrutkas are common in that part of Moscow.

On certain routes and at certain time-period they might run every 1-2 minutes and still be completely packed. Itinerary of Marshrutka is usually displayed on the front or side window, so you can check out where it is going before you get in [that is, if you are fluent enough in reading Russian and fluent in Moscow geography as well]. It does not necessarily stop only on the publicly arrange bus-stops, you can ask a driver to make a stop where you need it, that is if you can communicate that to a driver. Similarly if you raise your hand (like a hitch-hiker) alongside the road, Marshrutka may stop at your demand to pick you up, if there are still places available. The price varies between 15 to 30 rubles: you will see a sign in the bus which informs of the price in each particular bus. Price politics is completely arbitrary. Once you get inside Marshrutka, you should transmit money to a driver, do not expect a ticket in return.