By Tram, Bus, etc., Moscow

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I was used trolleybus in Moscow only twice. To/from Mosfilm museum. I bought 2 tickets for 50 RUB (1 ticket - 25 RUB).
Trolleybusses were comfy. Great view from this type of transportation !
Youc can buy tickets to bus/trolleybus near bus station.
Pros using metro - fast. Pros using bus/trolleybus - view from.

There is a sightseeing bus in Moscow. Routes, fares and other information could be find at http://www.hoponhopoff.ru/our_tours/.
From my point of view it's not very comfortable because of traffic jams. The price is too high (20 euros for 1 day). The good thing is that tour has English commentary.

City transort is busses, trams and trolley-busses. It's better to go by city transport if you need get city regions that situated far from metro stations. There are many traffic jams in the center and it's uncomfortable to go by bus or another street transport there (better walk or go by metro).
Since January 1 2011 the ticket is RUR 25 (EUR 0.63) in the special mini-shops near of metrostations. Besides you can buy ticket for 5 or 10 journeys. You can buy ticket at the driver too but it's more expensive, RUR 28 (EUR 0.70).
For your entrance use the first door only where you should put in your ticket into the special machine with the tourniquet.

When getting off the airplane, keep walking and avoid the guys asking if you want a taxi. You will come to the end where you can either make a right and go outside or head to the area marked trains. By the right, there is a cell phone shop. Buy a cheap cell phone with a sim card. Go outside on the right and you will see the buses. The buses are the cheapest way. Take the bus to Domodedovskaya metro. You will know you are there when you pass a church on the right and the bus stops by a shopping center. Then, take the metro and it will take you where you need to go.
When returning, go to Domodedovskaya metro and cross the street to where there are several buses. You will experience a confusing number of buses and drivers standing around. Ask for the airport and someone will eventually tell you which bus or van will take you.

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Moscow's overground public transport network consists of buses, trolleybuses and trams, which are all operated vy the state-owned company Mosgortrans.

All vehicles can be used with the same kinds of tickets. These can be bought from small kiosks at the main stops or near Metro stations. In 2009 a single ticket cost 20 Rubles. Tickets can even be bought from the driver, but for a slightly higher price (25 Rubles, 2009).

Nowadays most buses are equipped with a turnstile, where you have to put your ticket into a machine to pass through.

An interesting trolleybus route for tourists is bus #7, which sereves a route from Park Pobedy to Kamenny Most near the Kremlin. It goes along the river bank and up to the Sparrow Hills (Vorobyovy Gory) and passes many other sights.

Website: http://www.mosgortrans.ru/

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Please install Russian language pack into your OS and internet browser, if you want to see Cyrillic letters in this post.

Keep in mind famous Moscow traffic jams, we call it Пробки (sounds like “prop key”, you can also translate it as “cork”, good word for this phenomena). Honestly I have never seen “Moscow probki” in London and Paris, and something alike occurs in NYC.

Tip: avoid using overland transportation on workdays and rush hours. Literally between 8.00 am and 9.00 pm in workdays. However it is better than bad:) in mid-day on some streets. Try using our glorious metro and your feet.
It's OK for weekends and public holidays.

Overland transportation
Note: if you want to feel like a local just once it would be a good idea to take a bus, tramway etc. Otherwise, if your purpose is ultimate pleasure and smooth riding to destination, using metro, taxis, gipsy taxis or hiring a personal driver would be likely solution.

Renting a car can be recommended only for long stay, at least 1 years and longer. “Why”, you may ask? Due to Probki and a “special” driving style of Muscovites. Even the locals who live in neighborhood and sometimes visit Moscow, avoid to drive themselves in our Matrix. Yes, to drive here safely and victoriously you have to be: “Bond. James Bond”, Transporter (hello, Mr. Statham!) and somewhat Neo (how do you do, Mr. Reeves). I mentioned Neo because you have to be able to slow down time...

Route planner, very useful link on Moscow transport in English http://msk.rusavtobus.ru/en/

Autobus=bus=автобус (sound like aftoboos). Slow, usually crowded, bad smelled, humid and hot can in summertime.
Disadvantages: common disadvantage for every overland transportation is bad information about routes if you compare with London.

Tramway=Tram=Трамвай (sounds like trumvuy if you spell both ‘u’ like in ‘buy’).
Same pleasure as autobus:)
Advantages: some people may find tramway trip romantic or exotic. As for me I love tramway, because it gives us a kind of “old-fashioned” experience.
Disadvantages: tramway routes are rare. However there are some routes in tourist centre, e.g. in Boulevard Ring.

Trolleybus=Троллейбус (if you spell it in English people around will understand).
Usually you will find trolleybuses on main radial streets like Prospekt Mira (Mira Ave), Leningradsky Prospekt (Ave) etc.
You feel there more comfortable than in bus or tramway because they are more spacious and silent. And someone would love them as along with tramways they are green vehicles.

Marshroutka=Маршрутка. Equal to “public light bus” or so called “shared taxi”. Capacity starts from a dozen passengers. They are usually yellow maxivans and sometimes little buses, invented for more agile passing probki, than other transports can do. It may be funny experience if you love tightness and bumpy ride.
Advantages: you always obtain a seat in there, because it is just impossible to stand full-length.
Disadvantages: please be notified that we have reports about traffic accidents with casualties where participated marshroutka’s. Obviously their drivers not as good as Transporter but drive faster than him! Where possible take bigger vehicles and avoid so called Gazelle

Overland transportation prices 2009
Bus, Trolleybus, Tramway – 25 RUR per one-trip carnet (0,8 USD)
30-days universal smartcard (except Marshroutka) – 700 RUR (appr. 23 USD)

Marshroutka. The most of marshroutkas are private owned unlike other transports, and prices differ depending on route. Common rule is a price like in buses etc, 25-30 RUR. The price always notified in large figures outside and inside vehicle, as well as the route number and destination. You can only pay by cash to a driver on entering vehicle.

Public tranportation is quite well in Moscow. If you don't get to a place by metro, there are always buses, trams, trolleys or minibuses (marshrutki).
It's a cheaper to buy the tickets for buses/trams and trolleys in advance at kiosks (15 Roubles/Dec. 2007) than at the driver (25 Roubles).
If you go by marshrutka you just pay the driver. E.g. the trip from Sheremetyevo Airport to the metro station Rechnoy Voksal costs 40 Roubles (Dec.07).

Moscow has extensive tram services. In the center they are a bit hard to find. This end station is near Metro Belorusskaya and one of the lines goes to Komsomolskaya where 3 major railway stations are located. Some tram lines still have conductors while on others you buy your ticket from the driver and then validate it in a small slot machine.