The Cheapest Way from Moscow's Airports into the City: Bus 1195 to Line 2
- Moscow airports
- SVO
- bus 1195
- Moscow metro
- budget transport
Not keen on spending a few hundred on a taxi from the airport into town? Airport bus 1195 plus metro Line 2 is currently the cheapest combination: a 450-rouble ticket + a metro fare of about 79–90 roubles, and you are in the city centre in about an hour.
The whole route
1. Clear immigration, collect your bags, find the right exit
Once you are through customs with your luggage, leave through the exit next to the YooMoney counter. This exit is a bit out of the way, so take care not to head off towards another terminal.
2. Turn right outside and you are at the stop
Turn right as you come out and there is the airport bus stop, stand number C1, with "от Мс Ховрино" on the sign — meaning "from Khovrino metro station".
3. Buy your ticket from the conductor
A uniformed conductor on the platform will come over and sell you a ticket: 450 roubles per person, and you can pay by card or in cash.
Large notes are not accepted — conductors often cannot change 1,000 and 5,000 rouble notes, so get some small change beforehand.
4. Ride bus 1195 all the way to the terminus
The red bus 1195 runs straight to the end of the line, and the terminus is the Line 2 metro station, so there is no need to worry about which stop to get off at.
5. Into the metro: all luggage goes through the scanner
At the terminus, follow the crowd into the metro station. Every piece of luggage goes through the security scanner, and big suitcases have to be lifted onto the belt.
6. Tap in at the gates — one card covers two people
The metro gates accept cards (a Troika card or a single ticket). One card can be tapped twice in a row: let the first person through, then tap again for your companion.
Costs
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Airport bus 1195 | 450 roubles per person |
| Metro, one way | about 79 roubles (the author is not certain; a cash single is usually 90 roubles — check the ticket machine) |
| Total | about 530–540 roubles per person |
Practical tips
- Navigation goes haywire on this stretch: while the bus is moving, your phone's position jumps around constantly. Don't panic — just get off with the majority, because the terminus is the metro station.
- This bus is actually not especially cheap (450 roubles is close to airport express coach pricing), but it is far cheaper than a taxi and barely affected by traffic.
- With a lot of luggage, keep in mind the lifting at the bus luggage hold and at the metro scanner.
- Buy your metro ticket or top up your Troika card once you reach the metro station — there is no need to queue at the airport.
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