Exchanging Money In Moscow

[visaveteran1 33]

Our rent, only, when we lived in Kazan' (on local rates not tourist) was 12000 rubles for a three room flat. 5000 can get you by in a month IF you own a flat. We managed to easily get by on 5000 for the rest of our expenses for a month.

Just got back from Russia. The cab fare between SVO 2 and SVO 1 was $60 (wanted to get $80 but i refused)! I paid $40 back in October. I think the cab mafia is getting very greedy. And, of course, Americans pay higher fares. I was in Siberia for almost a month. The costs are going through the roof.

$60 is what I paid too in August. In rubles it was going to be almost $80 going by his exchange rate. I was late for my flight (which I wound up missing anyway) so I didn't haggle. (I hear it's pointless to haggle anyway.)

Having said that, I certainly got my money's worth. When we went outside, the traffic was gridlocked inside the airport. So he told me he would take me in his personal car, parked just outside the airport. Despite all kinds of alarm bells going off in my head, we dragged my luggage through an active construction area, dodging cranes and back hoes and weird pneumatic thumping machines, jumping over trenches, I even tripped on some kind of mine cart track. Finally we crawled through a hole in a chain link fence and got in his car. I couldn't have gotten that kind of fear-for-your-life excitement spending $60 at Disneyland.

There is a sense of fear and excitement and adventure when visiting Russia at times, and in certain situations, that makes for great stories and memories you can't find elsewhere. I went for a ride in a Russian ambulance recently when i had some stomach problems. My wife was concerned so somehow i went from getting a kindly home visit from a nurse or practitioner to going to the hospital in a bumpy unheated refrigerator van. Suddenly I'm off into a new adventure. The visit to the hospital was VERY interesting. They don't get too many Americans showing up there. They actually treated me like a VIP and let me use the doctors bathroom to give a urine sample because the patient bathroom was too funky. A young doctor spoke with me in passable English and told me I appeared to be OK and they didn't charge me any money...which in Russia is a really unique experience.

[KGSodie 0]

Our rent, only, when we lived in Kazan' (on local rates not tourist) was 12000 rubles for a three room flat. 5000 can get you by in a month IF you own a flat. We managed to easily get by on 5000 for the rest of our expenses for a month.

Just got back from Russia. The cab fare between SVO 2 and SVO 1 was $60 (wanted to get $80 but i refused)! I paid $40 back in October. I think the cab mafia is getting very greedy. And, of course, Americans pay higher fares. I was in Siberia for almost a month. The costs are going through the roof.

that's why my policy in many situations is to not say anything and let my guy do the talking. this way no one knows there's an american in their car or trying to rent their apartment or etc.

When I was in Russia, that's precisely what Natasha would say me: "Kevin, keep your mouth closed!"

[mox 298]

When I was in Russia, that's precisely what Natasha would say me: "Kevin, keep your mouth closed!"

Same here. She'd look at me and discretely put her finger up to her lips. That's when you put on your best Viggo Morteson "Easter Promises" face. That's where you do the heavy-lidded disdainful/disinterested look and hope it doesn't come across as looking constipated.

[KGSodie 0]

Our rent, only, when we lived in Kazan' (on local rates not tourist) was 12000 rubles for a three room flat. 5000 can get you by in a month IF you own a flat. We managed to easily get by on 5000 for the rest of our expenses for a month.

Just got back from Russia. The cab fare between SVO 2 and SVO 1 was $60 (wanted to get $80 but i refused)! I paid $40 back in October. I think the cab mafia is getting very greedy. And, of course, Americans pay higher fares. I was in Siberia for almost a month. The costs are going through the roof.

$60 is what I paid too in August. In rubles it was going to be almost $80 going by his exchange rate. I was late for my flight (which I wound up missing anyway) so I didn't haggle. (I hear it's pointless to haggle anyway.)

Having said that, I certainly got my money's worth. When we went outside, the traffic was gridlocked inside the airport. So he told me he would take me in his personal car, parked just outside the airport. Despite all kinds of alarm bells going off in my head, we dragged my luggage through an active construction area, dodging cranes and back hoes and weird pneumatic thumping machines, jumping over trenches, I even tripped on some kind of mine cart track. Finally we crawled through a hole in a chain link fence and got in his car. I couldn't have gotten that kind of fear-for-your-life excitement spending $60 at Disneyland.

In February of last year, it cost me about $40. I had only just met Natasha in person at the airport, and no sooner did we embrace than the hawker for the cabs interrupted us. He and Natasha spoke briefly, and then we walked through the terminal to find a place to sit. The hawker followed us the entire why, animatedly speaking with Natasha who kept telling him no. We found a bench and sat down and she sent him away. After 20 minutes or so, he returned, and we got up to leave the terminal. As we had literally one foot out of the door, he must have lowered the price because Natasha then turned to me and said "we will take a taxi"! So maybe haggling does work, though it is true I really didn't understand enough Russian to follow the conversation.

[Satellite 1]

Just got back from Russia. The cab fare between SVO 2 and SVO 1 was $60 (wanted to get $80 but i refused)! I paid $40 back in October. I think the cab mafia is getting very greedy. And, of course, Americans pay higher fares. I was in Siberia for almost a month. The costs are going through the roof.

You guys are just suckers, that's my conclusion after reading this over and over again. Last time I was going between SVO1 and SVO2 I paid 15 rubles to ride in a shared taxi with other Russians! Nobody would have charged me more even if I spoke English only.

Read before you travel:

http://www.sheremetyevo-airport.ru/?act=part&pid=2

If you can't read have your fiancee read it to you!

[mox 298]

You guys are just suckers, that's my conclusion after reading this over and over again. Last time I was going between SVO1 and SVO2 I paid 15 rubles to ride in a shared taxi with other Russians! Nobody would have charged me more even if I spoke English only.

Read before you travel:

http://www.sheremetyevo-airport.ru/?act=part&pid=2

If you can't read have your fiancee read it to you!

I don't buy it. You've got a huge advantage, speaking the language. I may be a sucker (it wouldn't be the first time), but I think you underestimate the language barrier in Russia. For a westerner, it's practically impenetrable. I consider myself a well-traveled person, and I'm rarely intimidated. But it took ever bit of traveler savvy I had just to make my connection to Kazan. I knew there was an Aeroflot shuttle that runs (if memory serves) every 1/2 hour, and that was the original plan. But as I said, I was running late for my flight. I didn't have the luxury of waiting for the next shuttle.

I've been to a lot of international airports, and Sheremetyevo is by far the most traveller-unfriendly international airport I've ever traveled through. I include Riyadh in that summation, and don't even get me started on that airport.

Even finding out where the Aeroflot shuttle parks turned out to be a chore when I did wind up taking it later that evening, because nobody actually knew the answer. (lost luggage, had to go back from SVO1 to SVO2, long story...) None of the Aeroflot counter people spoke English (a requirement for an international airport imo), and when I did manage to find the shuttle, it was running an hour late anyway.

And this is all *after* I'd done a lot of research because I knew getting through Sheremetyevo was going to be difficult. But having said all that, it's an experience I wouldn't trade. Call me a glutton for punishment, but I look back on it as a pretty interesting adventure. I'll be a lot better prepared next time.

[KGSodie 0]

Just got back from Russia. The cab fare between SVO 2 and SVO 1 was $60 (wanted to get $80 but i refused)! I paid $40 back in October. I think the cab mafia is getting very greedy. And, of course, Americans pay higher fares. I was in Siberia for almost a month. The costs are going through the roof.

You guys are just suckers, that's my conclusion after reading this over and over again. Last time I was going between SVO1 and SVO2 I paid 15 rubles to ride in a shared taxi with other Russians! Nobody would have charged me more even if I spoke English only.

Read before you travel:

http://www.sheremetyevo-airport.ru/?act=part&pid=2

If you can't read have your fiancee read it to you!

I went from SVO to a hotel that was a LONG way away - almost an hour by taxi. For 15 rubles????

[mox 298]

I went from SVO to a hotel that was a LONG way away - almost an hour by taxi. For 15 rubles????

LOL, it took me an hour to get from SVO1 to SVO2 on my return flight from Kazan because of some rain. Had the only taxi driver in Russia that refused to drive on the shoulder.

[KGSodie 0]

I went from SVO to a hotel that was a LONG way away - almost an hour by taxi. For 15 rubles????

LOL, it took me an hour to get from SVO1 to SVO2 on my return flight from Kazan because of some rain. Had the only taxi driver in Russia that refused to drive on the shoulder.

Sounds like he must also have insisted on keeping all 4 tires in contact with the ground at all times too. You sure he was Russian???

[mox 298]

Sounds like he must also have insisted on keeping all 4 tires in contact with the ground at all times too.

Ah, you know this guy then!

You sure he was Russian???

Drunk, in no hurry to get anywhere fast, over-charged me. Yeah, at the very least he was a Muscovite.

[visaveteran1 33]

Just got back from Russia. The cab fare between SVO 2 and SVO 1 was $60 (wanted to get $80 but i refused)! I paid $40 back in October. I think the cab mafia is getting very greedy. And, of course, Americans pay higher fares. I was in Siberia for almost a month. The costs are going through the roof.

You guys are just suckers, that's my conclusion after reading this over and over again. Last time I was going between SVO1 and SVO2 I paid 15 rubles to ride in a shared taxi with other Russians! Nobody would have charged me more even if I spoke English only.

Read before you travel:

http://www.sheremetyevo-airport.ru/?act=part&pid=2

If you can't read have your fiancee read it to you!

A sucker does not know he's getting the business...I'm well aware of it. I happily pay because I'm handicapped (gunshot wound...Vietnam 1968) and the Russia buses and shuttles operate like the wind...variable. With a two-hour connection time for my flight to Siberia, I'm not paying roulette with missing the flight and sleeping in SVO 1 to save 60 clams. The true sucker counts his pennies as he sleeps on the airport floor.

[mox 298]

How was your visit by the way? I don't think we got a trip report from you. There's a fine for that you know.

[Satellite 1]

Russia buses and shuttles operate like the wind...variable. With a two-hour connection time for my flight to Siberia, I'm not paying roulette with missing the flight and sleeping in SVO 1 to save 60 clams. The true sucker counts his pennies as he sleeps on the airport floor.

Based on your "opinion" you have never been on Russia's buses, shuttles, or shared taxis. As a person who has ridden all three numerous time I can assure you they work like clock work. The US can learn a thing or two about public transit from the Russians. I probably made it from SVO1 to SVO2 in a shared taxi faster than in a taxi, because with a taxi I'd lose 15 minutes negotiating the price! And the only difference between a shared taxi and a regular one is how many seats and how many people ride with you. But hey, its your money, I just prefer to spend mine on something else.

[Bobalouie 0]

Our rent, only, when we lived in Kazan' (on local rates not tourist) was 12000 rubles for a three room flat. 5000 can get you by in a month IF you own a flat. We managed to easily get by on 5000 for the rest of our expenses for a month.

Just got back from Russia. The cab fare between SVO 2 and SVO 1 was $60 (wanted to get $80 but i refused)! I paid $40 back in October. I think the cab mafia is getting very greedy. And, of course, Americans pay higher fares. I was in Siberia for almost a month. The costs are going through the roof.

$60 is what I paid too in August. In rubles it was going to be almost $80 going by his exchange rate. I was late for my flight (which I wound up missing anyway) so I didn't haggle. (I hear it's pointless to haggle anyway.)

Having said that, I certainly got my money's worth. When we went outside, the traffic was gridlocked inside the airport. So he told me he would take me in his personal car, parked just outside the airport. Despite all kinds of alarm bells going off in my head, we dragged my luggage through an active construction area, dodging cranes and back hoes and weird pneumatic thumping machines, jumping over trenches, I even tripped on some kind of mine cart track. Finally we crawled through a hole in a chain link fence and got in his car. I couldn't have gotten that kind of fear-for-your-life excitement spending $60 at Disneyland.

Always haggle. Every time they come at me wanting 2500rub and I tell them no way, 1000! They come down to 2000 usually, and I tell them 1000. They usually start comming down in 100rub increments after that, so I make a move to another cabbie, and they grab my bags and say "1000 OK". Make the move to another cabbie, and they will agree to your price.

[Bobalouie 0]

Russia buses and shuttles operate like the wind...variable. With a two-hour connection time for my flight to Siberia, I'm not paying roulette with missing the flight and sleeping in SVO 1 to save 60 clams. The true sucker counts his pennies as he sleeps on the airport floor.

Based on your "opinion" you have never been on Russia's buses, shuttles, or shared taxis. As a person who has ridden all three numerous time I can assure you they work like clock work. The US can learn a thing or two about public transit from the Russians. I probably made it from SVO1 to SVO2 in a shared taxi faster than in a taxi, because with a taxi I'd lose 15 minutes negotiating the price! And the only difference between a shared taxi and a regular one is how many seats and how many people ride with you. But hey, its your money, I just prefer to spend mine on something else.

15 minutes? more like 15 seconds. I am more than willing to pay $40 for the ride. That is what they charge for a cab ride minimum to the airport around here. Even if you live 1 mile from the airport, $40 please. Like Mox, I usually only have 1 hour or at most 1 hour 15 minutes to catch my flight to Sochi at SVO1. SVO1 is not a place I want to spend the night after traveling for 18 hours.

Edited February 15, 2008 by Bobalouie