Moscow Airports Guide

Moscow has 5 international airports – Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo, Zhukovsky and Ostafyevo. 

Together, all three serve more than 100 million passengers a year, ranking Russia as the 13th busiest country in the world. First three are mentioned in the section Best airports in Europe on the list of 50 Best Airports in the World, proving that passengers are satisfied with its amenities, available services and interior.

Here we’ll try to summarise all the useful information about Moscow airports.

Airports in Moscow

Sheremetyevo Airport (SVO) is one of three international airports that serve the city of Moscow. It’s located around 29 km from the centre of Moscow, the capital of Russia. With more than 45 million passengers annually, Sheremetyevo is the busiest airport in the Russian Federation. This airport serves as a main hub for the Russian International airline Aeroflot and a hub for more than 30 airline companies, including Air France, British Airways and Finnair.

Domodedovo Airport (DME), officially known as Mikhail Lomonosov International Airport, is an international airport located in Domodedovo, approximately 42 km from Moscow. With around 30 million passengers annually, Domodedovo ranks as the second busiest airport in Russia. Being also one of the largest airports in Russia, Domodedovo Airport is a hub for major airlines such as Emirates, Etihad Airways and British Airways. The airport serves as a main hub for Red Wings Airlines, S7 Airlines, Smartavia and Ural Airlines.

Vnukovo Airport (VKO) is the oldest and smallest out of three Russian international airports, located around 28 km from Moscow. Vnukovo is one of the biggest charter airlines in Russia with around 24 million passengers a year. Therefore, the airport connects to nearly 100 destinations all around the globe. The airport serves as a main hub for airlines like Azur AIr, Pobeda and Utair.

Zhukovsky Airport (ZIA) is situated in Moscow Oblast, around 45 km from the center of Moscow. Also known as Ramenskoye Airport or Zhukovsky Airfield, Zhukovsky operates with all charter and low-cost flights. It serves as a hub for Pegas Fly, Belavia, Ural Airlines and Somon Air.

How to get from the Moscow Airports to Moscow city center

Considering that the airports offer good and frequent connections to the city centre of Moscow, it is fairly easy to reach the city. All means of transportation can be seen in the table below.

One you get to the centre of Moscow, you gain access to the city’s train stations, like Kazansky and Leningradsky, from where you can continue your trip.

	Sheremetyevo Airport	Domodedovo Airport	Vnukovo Airport	Zhukovsky Airport
Airport shuttle	✘	✓	✘	✓
Train	✓	✓	✓	✓
Public bus	✓	✓	✓	✓
Transfers	✓	✓	✓	✓
Taxi	✓	✓	✓	✓
Uber	✓	✓	✓	✓

NOTE: 

• Very few taxis operate during the night, so it is best to book one beforehand.
• Before entering a taxi, always name your destination and the price; the driver might accept it or try to haggle. If the price is above 1500 PУБ (~ 22,00 €) look for another taxi.

Which Moscow Airport is the best?

Choosing the best airport in Moscow to fly into depends on your personal preferences. Most importantly, it matters where you’re departing from, the location of your accommodation and the purpose of your visit to Moscow.

If you wish to focus on the sights of the city, then the closest airport is Sheremetyevo, though the other two aren’t far behind. Moscow is filled with numerous beautiful sights, especially in the heart of the city.

An example of exquisite Russian architecture is the St Basil’s Cathedral, which is listed as UNESCO World Heritage and viewed as one of the most unusual and unique buildings in Europe.

Sheremetyevo Airport is the closest to the centre of Moscow, therefore making it a cheaper option when taking a taxi to the heart of the city.

Vnukovo Airport is particularly interesting to nature lovers, since on your way to the center you can stop at many nature parks, including Troparevsky, Troparevo and Yugo-Zapadnyy Lesopark. These reserves proved to be perfect for a relaxing picnic before setting off to your next adventure.

Zhukovsky Airport provides wonderful scenery of the Moskva River that flows all the way to central Moscow.

If coming from Domodedovo Airport, consider visiting the Tsaritsyno Museum-Reserve, the open-air museum Kolomenskoye and The State Tretyakov Gallery. The airport is well connected to Moscow by trains, so it shouldn’t take you long to get there.

The 6 major train stations located in the centre of the city are Leningradsky, Kazansky, Yaroslavskiy, Paveletsky and Kievsky.

In case your accommodation is situated in the greater Moscow area, you can effortlessly reach it in many ways. For instance, you can take public transportation, call a taxi, book a private transfer or rent a car.

More information on what to see in Moscow can be found in our guide.

Travelling from one Moscow airport to another

You can easily get from one Moscow airport to another with Aeroexpress, which departs every 30 minutes. Aeroexpress is a railway company that provides transportation services between the rail terminals in Moscow and Moscow airports.

Average travel time ranges from 1 to 3 hours, depending on where you are departing and your final destination.

Alternatively, you can always book a transfer or taxi. However, since they are expensive, it is recommended to travel by train.

Traveling from Moscow airports to other cities

Unfortunately, from Sheremetyevo Airport, Vnukovo Airport and Zhukovsky Airport you can catch buses only to Moscow. However, in Domodedovo Airport you can also travel to Domodedovo, Ryazan, Krasny Put, Vzletnaya, Rastunovo, Kolomna and Lukhovitsy. To see more information about bus timetables, click here.

On the other hand, once you get to the Moscow Bus Station, you can continue your journey to other cities and countries. In order to find transportation or more information about the bus timetables, check our GetByBus homepage.

Moscow – Berlin	Moscow – Warsaw	Moscow – Kiev
Moscow – Paris	Moscow – Saint Petersburg	Moscow – Minsk

Moscow Airports Map

Moscow Airports FAQs