Stay inside the gates when changing Metro lines
Follow the sign with your next line’s number and colour. A normal exit into the city and re-entry starts a new paid journey.
THE CITY IS EASIER THAN IT LOOKS
Moscow.
Metro.
Made simple.
Get through the gates, board the right train and change lines with confidence. A field guide for getting around.
Let’s get going ↘↓ No guesswork. No fine print.
MOSCOW · UNDERGROUND01 / FIELD GUIDE
Next stop —
a confident journeyМ
a confident journeyМ
PUBLIC TRANSPORT. PLAIN LANGUAGE.
THE BASICS
IN 10 SECONDS ↗
IN 10 SECONDS ↗
05:30–01:00
usual Metro entry hours
75 ₽
one Metro ride with Troika
Check the destination
on the train, as well as the line colour
01 / AT THE GATES
How do I pay?
For a single ride, tap a card.
For more journeys, compare your options.
2026 fares · Metro & MCC · Official fares ↗
PLAN YOUR DAY’S FARE
How many rides in a day?
Compare the Troika Wallet fare with a one-day pass. Metro and MCC only.
300 ₽Troika saves 115 ₽
02 / ON THE PLATFORM
Every line.
A little different.
Choose a line. Find its direction,
train types and the details worth checking.
All line guides · all stations, trains & passenger flow+
SokolnicheskayaZamoskvoretskayaArbatsko-PokrovskayaFilyovskayaKoltsevaya · Circle lineKaluzhsko-RizhskayaTagansko-KrasnopresnenskayaKalininskayaSolntsevskayaSerpukhovsko-TimiryazevskayaLyublinsko-DmitrovskayaBolshaya Koltsevaya · Big CircleButovskayaNekrasovskayaTroitskayaRublyovo-ArkhangelskayaMoscow Central CircleBelorussko-SavyolovskyKursko-RizhskyLeningradsko-KazanskyKaluzhsko-Nizhegorodsky
A reference guide, not a live departure board. Frequency varies by section, day and service changes. Check closures and engineering works ↗
THE NETWORK / MAP
A whole city.
One map.
Number + colour + name.
Use all three to find your way.
Map: IKhitron, based on work by Sameboat · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Unmodified.
03 / ALONG THE WAY
Change lines.
Keep your ticket.
A transfer can be free if you follow the rules.
Especially when it takes you outside.
HOW THE NETWORK CONNECTS
Metro → Metro
0 ₽Use the passage inside the station
Metro ↔ MCC
90 minFollow a designated interchange route
Metro ↔ MCD
90 minSubject to your ticket and fare zone
Use the same card
throughout your journey ↗
throughout your journey ↗
Some MCC and MCD transfers go outside
At designated interchanges, free transfers are possible within 90 minutes of the first tap. Use the same Troika or supported bank card. Ticket and fare-zone conditions apply.
On MCD, tap out as well as in
This closes your journey and calculates the correct zone. If there are no gates, find a validator. Fares outside the Central zone are different.
04 / YOUR FIRST JOURNEY
From street to seat.
Take it easy.
Find the entrance
Look for the red M. After the security check, have your card ready. Tap the gate reader and wait for the green signal.
Pick your direction
Find your station on the sign above the platform. Check the destination on the arriving train: some services terminate before the end of the line.
Let people get off
Stand beside the doors, then move into the carriage. On escalators, hold the handrail, stand on the right and do not sit on the steps.
Check the exit number
A station may have several entrances. Look for the street name and exit number: both are shown on station signs and navigation apps.
!
Wrong direction? Get off at the next station and follow signs for the opposite direction. You do not need another ticket while you remain inside the paid area.
05 / GOOD TO KNOW
What if…
Useful answers before you need them.
I arrived late. Is the Metro still open?+
Normal entry and transfer hours are 05:30–01:00. Trains do not all stop at exactly 01:00, but do not rely on a late connection. The first train does not arrive at every station at 05:30 either. Check your station on the Metro website. Night buses and taxis are available overnight.
Does the platform clock count down to my train?+
Traditional interval clocks usually show the time since the previous train departed. Modern information screens may show the next arrival separately. Read the label as well as the numbers.
Can I use a foreign bank card or my phone?+
Visa and Mastercard issued outside Russia do not work in Russia. Phone payments depend on your card, device and payment service. For a visitor, the most predictable option is to buy a Troika card at a ticket office and top it up with cash. Standard Apple Pay with a Russian bank card is not a workaround.
Two lines have the same colour. Are they connected?+
Kalininskaya (8) and Solntsevskaya (8A) are separate lines without a direct connection. Identical station names do not always mean an easy transfer either. Plan with the current network map.
Need assistance, a lift or an escort?+
Ask station staff or contact the Passenger Mobility Centre: +7 495 622-73-41. Book planned assistance at least 24 hours ahead. Check your specific station exit and lift availability in advance.
I dropped something onto the tracks. What now?+
Stay on the platform and alert station staff immediately. Do not go onto the tracks or try to retrieve the item yourself. In a life-threatening emergency, call 112.
YOU KNOW THE WAY NOWA big city.
Open the Metro map ↗