Pre-arrival Information
How to navigate Moscow on your first day in the city
You are only a few days away from your trip to Russia – how exciting! But we understand it can be a little scary, too, so we prepared a handy guide to help you in your first hours in Russia. With this guide, you will be able to comfortably navigate the city of Moscow. Enjoy!
Cell phone service
Your trip will most likely start from a big transport hub, like the airport / railway station. There should be free wi-fi in case your home service provider doesn't allow you to connect to a cell network in Moscow.

We recommend to visit an official shop of any Russian mobile network (MTS, Megafon, Beeline, Tele2) and purchase a SIM-card. You will need to present your passport. The probability that staff of such shops in airport or in railway station speaks English is higher than anywhere else.

In order to use the internet on your first day in Moscow you can use public Wi-Fi. Most streets in the city center, parks and almost all public transport provide free internet access. Wi-Fi networks are available at over 1,000 locations. Each of them will be marked accordingly to keep you informed. To connect, select "Moscow_Wi-Fi_Free" among accessible networks, open the browser and register. This can be done through text messages; you should enter your Russian phone number, and receive a text message with a code.

We also advise you to bring a powerbank with you (most airlines and railway carriers allow you to carry a 20000 mAh powerbank).
Navigation resources
To make it easy for you to navigate Moscow, we have compiled a list of navigation apps for you. Download them before your trip! To navigate the metro you will need the Yandex Metro app , for navigation in public transport you will need Yandex Maps app and taxi apps like Yandex Taxi. Feel free to download and save this picture of the Moscow Metro map as well.

Find these apps in the App Store and Google Play. We recommend you bookmark the basic address in advance!

For the future: Skolkovo Innovation Centre is easily accessesd via MCD - new railway lines recently integrated in Moscow Metro system. Skolkovo railway station is a part of MCD D1 line.

Lastly, we also recommend to purchase transportation card Troika (in Russian: Тройка). This card allows you to pay less for each journey on public transport. You can buy a card in any metro station (central metro stations have English speaking staff or you can do this in a ticket vending machine). Until that moment, Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPass are available practically on all types and vehicles of Public transport in Moscow. This payment method isn't always available at MCD stations.
How to get to your flat
When you arrive, there won't be a Skoltech representative at the airport or railway station, so these instructions are to be followed on your own. We recommend avoiding unofficial taxi drivers who will be offering you their personal and private services after you pass customs– they are good enough, but most probably don't speak English and/or most likely don't accept cashless payment.
That's it! Good luck in your arrival. We look forward to meeting you soon:)