Accommodation - Pre-arrival Apartments

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.

Order a taxi directly from the airport to your rental flat. We recommend to order one via the Uber App or Yandex Taxi apps – you'll see the price in advance, will be able to choose the type of the vehicle (considering your bags) and can pay by credit card if you don't have cash on you yet.

We recommend to order a taxi in the Comfort class category or above, because anything lower will most likely not help you with bags or speak English.

The Aeroexpress train leaves from Terminal E to the Belorussky railway station every 30 minutes. Travel time is approximately 65 minutes. You can buy a ticket in the Aeroexpress ticket offices in the airport or the Aeroexpress website, the trip will cost 300 rubles in Standard class, and 800 rubles in Business.

Then when you arrive at the Belorussky railway station, you will need to switch to Belorusskaya metro station and choose the closest station to your flat as your destination. Please remember, this route is not direct, so keep track of your transfers in the Yandex.Metro app. One metro ride costs 57 Rubles.

The Aeroexpress train from the Airport Terminal "Aeroexpress" (Airport exit #3) to Paveletskaya railway station leaves every 30 minutes. Travel time is approximately 45 minutes. You can buy a ticket in the Aeroexpress ticket offices in the airport or the Aeroexpress website, the trip will cost 300 rubles in Standard class and 800 rubles in Business.

Then when you arrive at the Paveletskiy railway station, you will need to switch to the Paveletskaya metro station and choose the closest station to your flat as your final destination. Please remember, this route is not direct, so keep track of your transfers in the Yandex.Metro app. One metro ride costs 57 rubles.

The Aeroexpress train from the Airport Terminal "Aeroexpress" (Airport exit #3) to Paveletskaya railway station leaves every 30 minutes. Travel time is approximately 45 minutes. You can buy a ticket in the Aeroexpress ticket offices in the airport or the Aeroexpress website, the trip will cost 300 rubles in Standard class and 800 rubles in Business.

Then when you arrive at the Kievsky railway station you need to switch to Kievskay metro station and choose the closest station to your flat as your final destination. Please remember, this route is not direct, so keep track of your transfers in the Yandex.Metro app. One metro ride costs 57 rubles.

Every railway station in Moscow is connected to a metro station. Belorussky railway station - Belorusskaya metro station; Kievsky railway station - Kievskaya metro station; Kursky railway station - Kurskaya metro station; Paveletsky railway station - Paveletskaya metro station. As a rule, the station and the adjacent metro station have the same name. Mark this as your starting point in the apps.

Then you choose your metro station and choose "Slavyansky boulevard" station as your final destination. Please remember, this route is not direct, so keep track of your transfers. One metro ride costs 57 rubles.

Your journey on the metro, depending on the starting point, will take from 30 to 60 minutes.

That's it! Good luck in your arrival. We look forward to meeting you soon:)

Get support

If you have any questions, need advice in choosing your accommodation or support in reserving a dormitory place, please contact the Skoltech Dormitory Team at dorm@skoltech.ru, +7 915 350 05 34 (consider working hours).

In case you are a current resident and have an emergency, contact Dormitory Head Irina Morozova at i.morozova@skoltech.ru or at +7-963-6055025.