How to get to your hotel from a Moscow airport at night: Taxi or Bus

This guide explains how to get to your hotel from a Moscow airport at night, for travelers who land late and do not read Russian. After about midnight the Aeroexpress trains stop, and the metro closes at 01:00, so the choice narrows to a taxi, a transfer or a night bus.

The recommended way is a taxi from an official desk in the arrivals hall, or an app, with the price agreed before you leave. The night bus is a cheaper, slower fallback at some airports, and its details should be checked.

Quick answer: Take a taxi from the official desk in the arrivals hall, or an app, and agree the price first; reports for the center range from ₽₽ to ₽₽₽, in 40 to 90 minutes. A night bus runs from Sheremetyevo.

At a Glance

Total time	About 40 to 90 minutes by taxi, depending on the airport and the traffic
Typical cost	₽₽–₽₽₽ for a taxi to the center (reports differ); a night bus costs a small fare, ₽ in an older source
Last updated	Oktober 7, 2026

What You Need Before You Start

• Your hotel's address in Latin script and in Russian, saved on your phone
• Your hotel's confirmation that it can receive you late at night
• Rubles in cash, since the payment methods for foreign cards were not verified
• A phone with data or a booked transfer, if you plan to use an app
• Patience for a ride of up to 90 minutes in the city's traffic or at night

Compare Your Options

Option	Duration	Price	Notes
Taxi from the official desk or an app	About 40 to 90 minutes	₽₽–₽₽₽ to the center (reports differ)	The practical choice at night, door to door. Use the desk in the arrivals hall or the app, and agree the price first. Whether apps work for foreign visitors was not verified.
Pre-booked private transfer	About 40 to 90 minutes	Agencies quote in euros; one guide gives an upscale transfer price (₽₽₽) to the center	A driver waits in the arrivals hall with a fixed price per vehicle. Good for a late arrival, heavy luggage or a group, but costlier than a local taxi.
Night bus from Sheremetyevo	About 45 to 70 minutes or more, depending on traffic	₽ (older source)	Route H1 runs about every 30 minutes at night, from about 00:30 or 01:00 to about 05:30 or 06:00, according to sources; reports differ on whether it goes to Planernaya or through the center to Yugo-Zapadnaya. Check the current route.
Night bus from Vnukovo	Not verified	Not verified	One guide lists a night bus, route H11, from Vnukovo; the route, the hours and the stops were not verified.
Wait for the metro or the first train	Until about 05:30 for the metro, and the early morning for the trains	A metro fare, plus the Aeroexpress ticket if you use it	A choice if you land in the small hours and your hotel check-in is in the morning anyway. The airports have waiting areas, but the details were not verified.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Tell the hotel your arrival time

Before you fly, send the hotel your flight number and the time you expect to arrive, and ask whether the reception is staffed at night. Save the address in Latin script and in Russian on your phone, and take a screenshot, so that a driver can read it without a data connection. Ask the hotel for the nearest metro station as well, in case you need to describe the place.

Tip: Ask the hotel what a normal taxi fare from the airport costs.

Step 2: Check what is still running

The Aeroexpress trains stop at about midnight, in some sources earlier, around 23:00 to 23:30, and the metro closes its entrances at 01:00 and reopens at 05:30. If you land before those times, the train and the metro may still work; if you land later, plan for a taxi or a night bus. The Aeroexpress guides of this site give the timetables.

Tip: Check the timetable of the last train on the day you fly.

Step 3: Find the official taxi desk

In the arrivals hall, look for the official taxi counters. Guides name Yandex Go at Sheremetyevo, a company called Domtrans at Domodedovo and a service called Taxi Vnukovo 24 at Vnukovo, though these names change. The Yandex Go app is described as the official ride-hailing app serving Sheremetyevo. Ignore people who run up to you and offer a ride, even if they say they are official.

Tip: Use the desk inside the hall, not a person at the exit.

Step 4: Agree the price and the payment

Say or show the address, and ask for the price before you get in. Sources report that the app and the desk give a fixed or estimated price, and that a ride to the center costs a moderate-to-upscale price level (₽₽–₽₽₽), depending on the airport and the destination. Keep rubles in cash, since card payment for foreign cards was not verified.

Tip: Write the price down or take a photo of the screen.

Step 5: Ride to the hotel

Expect about 40 to 90 minutes from Sheremetyevo, depending on traffic, according to one guide, and a longer trip from Domodedovo, up to one and a half to two hours, according to another. At night the roads are quieter, so the lower figures are likely, but this was not verified. Sit in the back, and keep your own bags with you.

Tip: Check the route on your own map app to see that the driver is going the right way.

Step 6: Check in and keep the receipt

At the hotel, ring the bell if the door is closed, and show your booking and passport at check-in; the hotel will explain its own registration rules. Keep the receipt or the confirmation of the ride until the end of the trip, in case of a dispute. If you cannot reach the hotel, call the number on your booking.

Tip: Ask the driver to wait until you are inside.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Counting on the Aeroexpress after midnight: the trains stop at about midnight or earlier, so check the last departure before you rely on it.
• Counting on the metro after 01:00: the entrances close then, and the metro reopens at 05:30.
• Accepting a ride from a person who approaches you in the hall or at the exit: use the official desk or an app, and agree the price first.
• Arriving without the hotel's address in Russian: a driver at night may not read Latin script, so show the Russian address too.
• Not telling the hotel about a late arrival: the reception may be closed, so confirm in advance.
• Assuming that every airport has a night bus: Sheremetyevo does, with details to check, and the others were not verified.

Tickets, Payment and Booking

For a taxi, the safest ways are the official desks in the arrivals halls and the Yandex Go app, which guides describe as the official ride-hailing service at Sheremetyevo; whether the app accepts foreign cards or foreign phone numbers was not verified, so keep rubles in cash. A pre-booked transfer from an agency has a fixed price per vehicle, often in euros.

• Touts: people who approach you in the hall or outside may charge several times the normal price, even when they say they are official.
• Night bus: pay the driver or a machine at the stop; the fare was ₽ in an older source, and the payment methods for foreign cards were not verified.
• Metro and Aeroexpress: the rules for tickets and payment are explained in the Aeroexpress and metro guides of this site.

Check the current rules on the official sites of the airports and the operators.

Moscow Vibes Tips

• At Sheremetyevo, a forum guide says the night bus leaves from Terminals E and F, with a board that shows the next departure; check the current stop, since the terminals have changed.
• If you land between midnight and 05:30, the hotel may allow an early check-in for a fee, so ask in advance.
• A taxi at night is usually quicker than by day, since the roads are quieter, but the price may be higher; compare with the app's estimate.
• Download an offline map of Moscow before you fly, so that you can follow the route in the taxi without data.
• Keep a card with the hotel's phone number and address in Russian in your pocket, in case your phone battery dies.
• For a long wait until the metro opens, the airport's terminals have cafes and seats, but check which are open at night.

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FAQ

What is the safest way to get to my hotel at night?

An official taxi desk in the arrivals hall, or a taxi app, with the price agreed first. Avoid people who approach you offering a ride.

How much does a night taxi cost?

Reports for the center range from ₽₽ to ₽₽₽, depending on the airport and the destination. Domodedovo is the farthest.

Do the trains run at night?

No. The Aeroexpress stops at about midnight, in some sources earlier. See the Aeroexpress guides of this site for the timetables.

Does the metro run at night?

No. The entrances close at 01:00, and the metro reopens at 05:30.

Is there a night bus?

Sheremetyevo has the night bus H1, according to several sources. Vnukovo may have route H11; the other details were not verified.

Can I pay with a foreign card?

It was not verified for taxis and buses, so carry rubles in cash.

Is it safe to take the night bus?

A forum user described it as busy with late-night passengers; a taxi may be more comfortable with luggage or alone, though this is a matter of preference.

Can I go with luggage or children?

A taxi or a transfer is the easiest at night. A bus has steps and an uncertain route.

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