How long does it take to travel from a South Moscow suburb to SVO?

[Jonathan Matthies 1]

Apparently Katya and Denis' VISAs will be at the DHL office tomorrow morning; but she has been told that she can't make it to SVO in under 4-5 hours from the south of Moscow; due to traffic within the city. She is staying with a friend in a city called Видное (Vidnoye). The DHL office opens at 8am. Google maps shows it takes over an hour to drive from her city to SVO without traffic. There is a Noon and a 2pm flight out of SVO, but she doesn't think she can make it in time. If that's the case, the other option is to fly out of DME, but nothing is syncing up. It's either too early a flight (leaves before she can even pick up the VISAs at DHL), too expensive ($2700 a ticket) , or too long (26 hour flight - layovers in multiple cities for multiple hours).

If she really can't get to SVO for a 2pm flight, our only other option would be to have her leave on Friday the 11th instead of tomorrow the 10th; but neither of us wish to wait a day. However, the more I look the more annoyed I become, because the best option appears to be "wait a day".

[Oksana81 0]

Does she have a lot of luggage? I wonder if it would be faster to take a metro vs. driving especially given current road conditions.

[SMR 368]

Does she have a lot of luggage? I wonder if it would be faster to take a metro vs. driving especially given current road conditions.

I would second this. You can't take the metro all the way, but there is a train that runs from the airport to savelovskaya metro station. The train takes about 35 minutes to get from the metro to the airport. It's not as easy as a taxi, but it's a lot faster. Looking at your Google map, Google says it takes 24 minutes to get to Metro Annino from Vidnoe. Annino is conveniently on the same line as savelovskaya. It would be a long sit on the metro, but you could make it.

[Jonathan Matthies 1]

Well she decided to bite the bullet and delay her departure until the 11th. Poor Denis gets to celebrate his birthday by flying for 16 hours! It'sa safer this way, because who knows what might happen at DHL tomorrow morning. She may have to wait until the afternoon to get her VISAs in hand. I'm 'taking a chance' by buying the tickets before she actually holds them; but it's a calculated risk.

[mox 298]

My experience has been that taking the metro is going to be her best bet. Traffic in Moscow is unpredictable, and the major roads can be completely jammed up even at 2am.

But look: this is your fiancee's country. Even though she's not from Moscow, she is uniquely qualified to travel within her country. Don't try to run her travel arrangements from 5,000 miles away. Of the two of you, she is the most qualified to figure this problem out. Put it squarely in her lap and let her do it. After all, if you were planning a trip through an airport in the US that you've never been to, you wouldn't ask her to plan it for you from Vladivostok, right?

Edited December 9, 2009 by mox

[Jonathan Matthies 1]

My experience has been that taking the metro is going to be her best bet. Traffic in Moscow is unpredictable, and the major roads can be completely jammed up even at 2am.

But look: this is your fiancee's country. Even though she's not from Moscow, she is uniquely qualified to travel within her country. Don't try to run her travel arrangements from 5,000 miles away. Of the two of you, she is the most qualified to figure this problem out. Put it squarely in her lap and let her do it. After all, if you were planning a trip through an airport in the US that you've never been to, you wouldn't ask her to plan it for you from Vladivostok, right?

The ball is squarely in her lap, and always has been. I'm apprehensive enough of about traveling to NY, I'm not about to offer her advise on Moscow traffic patterns. It was disheartening to see her hopes fade when she realized she'd have to spend another day 'of horror' in Moscow. But she said we'll simply suffer through it and meet up a day later. Not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things.

[Kailey 3]

My experience has been that taking the metro is going to be her best bet. Traffic in Moscow is unpredictable, and the major roads can be completely jammed up even at 2am.

But look: this is your fiancee's country. Even though she's not from Moscow, she is uniquely qualified to travel within her country. Don't try to run her travel arrangements from 5,000 miles away. Of the two of you, she is the most qualified to figure this problem out. Put it squarely in her lap and let her do it. After all, if you were planning a trip through an airport in the US that you've never been to, you wouldn't ask her to plan it for you from Vladivostok, right?

The ball is squarely in her lap, and always has been. I'm apprehensive enough of about traveling to NY, I'm not about to offer her advise on Moscow traffic patterns. It was disheartening to see her hopes fade when she realized she'd have to spend another day 'of horror' in Moscow. But she said we'll simply suffer through it and meet up a day later. Not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things.

http://www.aeroexpress.ru/schedule/belorussky_sheremetyevo/

Since some time aeroexpresses go from downtown Moscow to - if i'm not mistaken - every airport. Welcome to Moscow, it's not horrible at all. NY traffic is better though.

[slim 1,525]

My experience has been that taking the metro is going to be her best bet. Traffic in Moscow is unpredictable, and the major roads can be completely jammed up even at 2am.

Nothing like gridlock at 2am in front of Red Square. Pretty cool place to be stuck for a foreigner.

When we were leaving, the taxi picked us up to take us to SVO and we rode for about 45 minutes..... and ended up appx. 10 minutes walking distance from our flat. The cabbie tried to take the "long way around" but ended up doubling back because that way was busy too. No worries as we'd negotiated a flat-rate up front (always, always, ALWAYS do this in Russia! - And everywhere else if you can.) but it took us over two hours to get to SVO and we were staying right near Belorusskiy Vokzal. (Maybe 35-40 minutes on the way in.)

I recommend to everyone when traveling in/around Moscow - either plan on traveling "all day" (for air trips) and dedicate the whole day to transfers to/from airports or travel light and take the trains and subway whenever possible.

[Ted and Marina 0]

How did it work out?

We decided to wait a couple of weeks after interview to be sure visa was in hand.

I also risked buying the tickets just after we learned of the interview date.

Marina returned to Krasnoyarsk to finish packing and telling goodbyes.

I drive to New York to pick her up this Friday

[slim 1,525]

Sounds like a plan!

[Ted and Marina 0]

Plans go to chaos!

Aeroflot was 1 hour late of flight from Krasnoyarsk to Moscow, and they sat on runway in Moscow another hour...

So she missed her flight to New York

Aeroflot put her in motel, and a few meals...but all plans after arrival are in a mess.

A large snow blizzard is heading this way, and should be in New York about the same time she lands on December 19.

(I think she brings Siberia with her)

We may be stuck in New York a few days, as it is a long way home to Alabama by car, with snow blocking the path.