Question by sa93b0: Safety and getting around Moscow?
I am Australian and am going to Moscow for 5 days, and don’t speak a word of Russian. i wanted to know about getting around Moscow, i have read that the metro can get you any where but how will i know what station to get off. what about taxis am i going to be ripped of since i am a foreigner. should i arrange to be picked up by the hotel concierge. also if i shop at high end stores like Ralph Lauren and Armani would you not recommend taking the metro. and what about camera and passport safety.
i know there are a lot of questions but i am concerned any help will be appreciated.
Answers and Views:
Answer by evilgenious448
In Moscow the best form of travel is Metro. It goes everywhere, its quick and trains run every 30 seconds. Yes it can get confusing but the best thing to do would be to print off a map of the metro and carry it around with you in your pocket, that way you shouldnt get lost.
It is a bad idea to take a taxi in Moscow because most Taxi drivers have poor english so they wont be able to understand you.
If going to expensive stores it is safer to avoid the metro but a taxi would not be a better option. Always have your belongings on you and keep an eye out for your purse or wallet because there are pickpockets. The best thing to do if going to expensive stores is to have your hotel concierge to pick you up.
Hope this helps, have a safe and fun trip 😀
Answer by Alan B
Don’t worry too much about safety. Moscow is as safe as anywhere if not a lot safer. metro is fantastic and it will get you where you want to go at super speed.The stations are also works of art and should not be missed.
Your big problem is language so do try and learn a little Russian and cyrillic. Get a good tour guide book or get someone to help you get around who can speak some English would be my advice.
DO take a decent camera, and make sure you have your travel documents with you when you go out, and make sure your visa is registerd.
Travel documents are a security thing and you are likely to be asked for them if you are in a tourist area, espescially if there are parties of school kids about.
Answer by VB
Moscow is generally VERY SAFE, not as safe as Australia, but just a safe as any other major city. I would not worry about your safety that much if you follow some simple rules:
1. Definitely arrange to be picked up by the hotel concierge.
2. DO NOT take “gypsy cabs” – do not hail a passing taxi on the street, as a foreigner, you are putting yourself at risk. I don’t know that many people who had a bad experience, but you do not want to risk it.
3. ALWAYS wear your passport and money in a safe place in front of you, invisible to others (under your clothes, etc). I know a lot of people who kept cash in their backpacks and they were pick pocketed from behind on a metro.
4. If you keep stuff in your backpack and you carry it on your back, make sure there are no very valuable items there.
5. Do not make yourself a target by speaking English loudly on a metro or wearing bright, colorful “foreign” clothes with an Australian flag and a kangaroo hat. Wear clothes that would blend in with the Russian environment – jeans, black, brown, navy blue, white for a shirt or a t-shirt only, not for pants.
6. Do not wear shorts, it is not customary, plus it is quite cold now anyway. You can bring a hat if you get cold easily.
7. When at a bar, never leave your drink unattended.
8. Make two copies of your passport and leave one in the hotel and carry another one in a place different from you passport.
Now, it might sound a little scary but on the whole, chances of you being a crime victim are quite small. Metro is quite safe. The way you know when to get off is by counting stops. For example, you know the stop that you entered and the stop that you need to get off – all you have to do is to count how many stops were made. If is a little hard at first, but I suggest you take the metro on Saturday and Sunday for a start, the crowds are a little more manageable on those days.
Here is the metro map for you:
http://underground-maps-pictures.blogspot.com/2011/05/map-of-moscow-metro-underground.html
As for shopping at Ralph Lauren and Armani, if you do not carry huge bags with “Armani” spelled in large letters, it is okay. If you are planning to spend big bucks, take a taxi cab. I recommend (495) 956-8-956 service – they are very reliable, you just need to order them in advance (40 minutes is usually enough for them to get no matter where you are).
The most common crimes in Moscow are:
1. pick pocketing (I have lived here all my life and I have never been pick pocketed once, because I follow some simple safety procedures, but I know at least four foreigners that were – they were walking with their bags wide open and their money in their backpacks).
2. Turkey drop (very rare) – it is a little bit complicated to explain – so if you see a large sum of money on the ground in front of you, either on the street or in the underground street crossing, do not touch them, do not even go near them, walk past them and pretend you do not see them.
3. being picked on by drunks at night.
Make sure the hotel registers your visa – this is a very important procedure, not to be overlooked.
Always carry your passport and your registered visa with you, you might be asked by a police to prove your visa status and detained without proper documents, although it is highly unlikely.
In case of emergency, here is the address for the Australian embassy in Moscow:
http://www.russia.embassy.gov.au/mscw/home.html
I hope I did not scare you – just be on a alert like in any major city and you will do well. Have a safe trip and enjoy your stay here. 🙂
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