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Travel Information for Pace, CTA and Metra buses and trains. 

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Travel Information

For questions about service and schedule information, please call the numbers below.

Metra Passenger Services (312) 322-6777 Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday – Friday

For schedule information at other times, and for information about trips that may combine a ride on Metra with a transfer to CTA or Pace, call the RTA number below.

RTA Travel Information Center (312) 836-7000 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. 7 days a week

To find an online transit planner and links to other transit agency websites, please click here .

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• RIDER ALERT! College & Deakin stop is out of service today 3/11 and will re-open mid-day 3/12 due to an emergency road closure

FREE public transit serving Moscow, Idaho

SMART Transit offers free rides for everyone in the community. It drives you to all the top destinations in town.

Rider alerts

• No current items

There are no current rider alerts.

• RIDER ALERT! Closed Monday, Feb. 19th for President’s Day. January 8, 2024
• RIDER ALERT! Closed Christmas Day (12/25) and New Year’s Day (1/1) December 13, 2023
• RIDER ALERT! Single bus today, Oct. 25th October 25, 2023

Great reasons to ride SMART Transit

Avoid paying top dollar for gas. Everyone rides free on the fixed-route buses.

Avoid parking and weather hassles

Tired of wasting time hunting for a parking spot? Uneasy driving in ice and snow?  Take SMART Transit! 

Help the environment

SMART Transit is an environmentally friendly way to get around town. Every vehicle on the road produces on average one pound of CO2 per mile. Taking public transportation can reduce CO2 emissions by 45%, decreasing pollutants in atmosphere and improving air quality.

Schedule & Maps

SMART Transit routes take you locations all around town.

Dial-A-Ride

Dial-A-Ride is an affordable transit option for passengers with special needs. It provides pre-scheduled rides with curb-to-curb service. 

For eligible riders, the cost may be covered by Medicaid.

Covid-19 policy

In accordance with City of Moscow guidelines, SMART Transit does not currently require face coverings aboard buses.

Photo curtesy of Design West

Become a SMART Transit supporter

Thanks to our donors. Your generous support of SMART Transit strengthens the community: 

• Enables Moscow citizens—especially seniors and those with special needs—to live independently.
• Transports middle school, high school, and college students to school.
• Reduces use of fossil fuels to help the environment. 
• Provides an alternative to driving a car in ice and snow.

The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) is the unit of local government created to oversee finances,  secure funding ,  and to conduct transit planning  for the Chicago Transit Authority   (CTA), Metra , and   Pace . The RTA also issues Reduced Fare and Ride Free permits , assesses eligibility for ADA Paratransit service , and oversees specialized travel training for people with disabilities and older adults. We service the Northeast Illinois counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will.

Stakeholders and news media can learn about recent work, press contacts, and releases by subscribing to the Connections blog.

Consistent with the RTA Act and by-laws  the agency is overseen by a 16-member Board of Directors . Visit the Board and Committees  pages to learn more. The RTA is led by Executive Director Leanne Redden and the RTA staff has broad expertise in transit administration, financing, planning, and programming.

Doing business with the RTA

The RTA Procurement and Contracting department is responsible for procuring goods, services and commodities on behalf of the RTA. The RTA seeks to do business with experienced and responsible firms utilizing an open, transparent, and competitive process to procure products and services.

The RTA standards incorporate best industry practices that promote accountability and efficiency in our procurement processes

Join the supplier portal , bid on open opportunities, and learn more.

Visit the Careers page to learn more about joining our team.

Please see a disclaimer and conditions of use notice about investor relations   regarding the RTA website.

Planning a trip to Moscow? Our travel guide contains up-to-date, personal information on everything from what to see , to when to visit , where to stay , and what to eat !

• General Information
• What to see
• How to get to Moscow
• Where to stay
• Where to eat

Why visit Moscow?

Majestic churches, impressive historic fortresses, and palatial buildings: Moscow is a fascinating city whose emblematic architecture reflects the turbulent history that has defined Russia throughout the centuries.

The traces of the USSR can be found around every corner of the city , side by side with the iconic relics of Imperial Russia , like the mythical Red Square , the imposing Kremlin , and the beautiful  St Basil's Cathedral . 

Discover a fascinating world of Cold War bunkers, golden-domed basilicas, world-class art museums, and the legendary "palace of the people,"  as the Moscow Metro has been nicknamed. Whether you fancy watching a classical Russian ballet at the Bolshoi Theatre , perusing the fine arts at the Pushkin Museum , or marveling at the sheer size of the monuments to the Soviet state's achievements at the  All-Russia Exhibition Centre , this travel guide will help you on your way!

Where to start?

If you're going to travel to Moscow and you don't know much about the city yet, the first thing to do is to dive into its legendary history - understanding the past will help you understand the present. Next, check out our practical hints and tips on traveling to the city before discovering which of its most important museums , monuments , and attractions pique your interest.

Looking for a place to stay?

Booking your accommodation in advance is the best way to get great discounts. Our detailed guide on where to stay in Moscow  will help you decide which neighborhood you'd like to look for hotels or apartments in, and our hotel search engine will find you the best deals!

Why is our Moscow travel guide the best?

Introducing Moscow is a  city guide written by travelers for travelers  and contains personalized advice to help you make the most of your trip to the city.

All the information in this guide is valid as of December 2022. If you find any errors or have any comments, please feel free to contact us .

Our travel guides

• top attractions
• where to stay
• and much more

Moscow transport: metro, bus & taxi in Moscow | How does it work?

• August 15, 2023

Moscow transport: how does it work? Here we summarized all you need to know about Moscow city public transport (bus, metro, card Troika), but also taxi in Moscow.

Distances in Moscow: walking in Moscow

Walking. The geolocation of your accommodation in Moscow is important, because the distances are great. You’re definitely not going to be able to do it all on foot. Moscow is the largest city in Europe with more than 12 million intramural inhabitants. Besides, Moscow is made for giants, because everything is big: the avenues, the buildings, the metro stations! So, the place of your accommodation is very important. You can check our blog post: Where to stay in Moscow?

Good to know! We have written 2 other blog posts that could be helpful: Maps of Moscow and Moscow Airport Transfer.

Public transport in Moscow: prices and how does it work?

Even if you are going to be able to visit many interesting places around Red Square (see the article: Moscow Red Square ), you will certainly take the metro to get around, but also to see the most beautiful stations . Furthermore, among public transport the metro remains the fastest solution in Moscow.

Good to know! Public transport is free for children under the age of 7. More specifically, 1 adult may not purchase a ticket for 1 child under the age of 7. If you are 2 adults, it is therefore for 2 children that the trips will be free.

Tips for Moscow city transport

Here are my tips to make travel more pleasant and optimized:

• Avoid to take Moscow City transport during rush hours. Especially for ground transportation (lots of traffic jams). You will lose a lot of time, especially for city center trips by land transport. Peak hours correspond to office hours: the standard working day begins at 9 a.m. and ends at 6 p.m.
• Use a mobile application to estimate your journey time as accurately as possible. In Europe, as in Russia, we use CityMapper . It is a free application that allows you to calculate your trips and see all the possibilities to get from one place to another. For the application to work, you must have an Internet connection: either through your French package which can prove to be expensive; either by wifi, in your hotel, in a cafe (very common in Moscow) or by using the free Wi-Fi of the city of Moscow! To download CityMapper on your mobile, just type its name in AppStore or GooglePlay . Then choose the city where you want to use it.
• Buy a transportation card. If you plan to take public transport several times a day or if you come to Moscow for a university or work exchange, it is more economical to take a transport card. I talk about it later in the article.
• Further info about airport transfer here: How to get from airport to Moscow?

Moscow metro: the fastest way to get around Moscow

Beautiful! The Moscow Metro is considered the most beautiful in the world! You can find out which stations are worth a visit in my article: The most beautiful stations in Moscow .

Metro timetables. Times vary by station, but approximately the Moscow Metro is open from 5.30 a.m. to 1 a.m.

Below you can find a map of the Moscow metro, with an example of a metro station. You can find other Moscow maps here .

Metro prices in Moscow

• A single trip = 57 rubles (from February 1, 2020)
• Price for transporting a suitcase in the metro = 60 rubles
• With a transport card , the price of the journey decreases. Example: with the Troika card the price per trip increases to 40 rubles. More details about troika card below.
• You can also pay with ApplePay or GooglePay.

Where to buy metro tickets?

• At the cash desks , where you can buy everything: transport card or one-way tickets. Small flat: most of the time, the employees of the metro do not speak English very well. But they are used to it, you will be able to understand each other.
• At the English terminals , where you can also buy everything. See below for more details on terminal purchases.

Bus, trolleybus, tram in Moscow

Avoid at peak hours. The city center can be literally blocked! Mobile applications are very useful to estimate travel times.

Tram. Trams are very nice to do. It’s a bit special. Tram stops are hard on the road. The cars then stop and let the pedestrians get on or off the tram.

Price of a bus, trolleybus or tram ticket

• One way = 57 rubles (from February 1, 2020)
• With a transport card , the price drops. Example: with the Troika card the price per trip increases to 40 rubles. More details about transport cards below.

Where to buy bus, trolleybus or tram tickets?

To drivers. There are no controllers on each bus, as in St. Petersburg.

By purchasing a transport card in advance at a metro station. There are few terminals installed near bus, tram or trolley stations.

Good to know! It is possible to pay on the metro, but also on buses with your smartphone or a contactless card (Apple Pay or Google Pay)! The price is 44 rubles per way. Beware, however, of bank charges, as for other ruble payments in Russia. See article: How to pay in Russia?

Transport cards in Moscow

Two most interesting solutions for taking Moscow City transport:

Troika card prices

• 1 metro, bus, trolley bus or tram journey: 40 rubles (instead of 57)
• 90 minutes in public transport (regardless of the number of changes): 62 rubles

How to buy a Troika card?

• Cost of purchase : 50 rubles. You can get it at all metro stations.
• Refill . Once the card is purchased, you must reload it. You can choose the amount freely.
• Where? It is possible to buy the card and recharge it at the metro cash desks or via automatic terminals, in cash or by bank card.

The Troika card is interesting if you:

• want to take advantage of lower transportation rates.
• stay in Moscow for a long time (language stays, expatriation, VIE, university exchange), but do not go for frequent daily trips.
• don’t stay long, but you know roughly how many trips you’re going to make or you don’t mind reloading the card often. Why? It is possible, but long and complicated to recover the initial amount of 50 rubles, as well as the rest on the card.

How much does the unlimited Yediny card (central Moscow area) cost?

• 1 day = 24 hours = 230 rubles
• 3 days = 438 rubles
• 30 days = 2170 rubles
• There are no unlimited cards for 2, 4, 5, 6 or 7 days.

More details: Moscow transport website

How to buy a Yediny card?

It is possible to buy the card and recharge it at the metro cash desks or via automatic terminals, in cash or by bank card. The card is activated (the countdown starts) at the time of validation and not at the time of purchase. The card must be activated within 10 days of purchase (day of purchase included).

Here are the pictures of the automatic terminal (in English), when buying a Yédiny card.

The Yediny card is interesting if you:

• stay in Moscow for a long time (language stays, expatriation, university exchange), but make frequent daily trips.
• do not stay in Moscow for a long time, but do not want to estimate your trips in advance (Troika card) while enjoying the unlimited.

Our experience with transport cards in Moscow

When I was working in Moscow, I used the Troika card. It was the most economical solution for me. We also used it later when we both went there. On the other hand, the last time we were there, we took the Yediny card and finally we found it more practical, even if it turned out to be less economical in the end.

Our verdict (compared to our travel habits): budget side, the Troika card is better. But for less headache (how much to put on the card? How much is left?…), The unlimited Yediny card is more practical.

Boat trips in Moscow

There are several boat trips on the Moskva River. In addition, it is even possible to buy an unlimited day ticket. For more information, you can then consult the article: Take a boat trip on the Moskva River.

Getting around in Moscow by taxi

There are several types of taxis in Moscow:

• First, official taxis (sign on the roof);
• Then individuals who do this out of the blue;
• And finally Moscow taxis via mobile applications (private drivers or taxi agencies).

Good to know. The cost of a taxi ride to the city center in Moscow is around 500 rubles. If you want to avoid negotiations, use the taxi apps in Moscow.

Uber Moscow: NO.

It works before, but not anymore, because Uber does not use the classic app in Russia (they have created a special app for Russia, only this app works now). So, you have to download the special Uber Russia app… but this application is only available on the Russian AppStore, so it cannot be downloaded for us. Uber’s competitors in Russia such as YandexTaxi or Gett can be used.

Use the YandexTaxi app to take a taxi in Moscow

The Yandex company is the Russian Google. Initially a search engine, it also offers several services. YandexTaxi is then the taxi service in Moscow, it works everywhere in Russia. You can download the app from the AppStore or GooglePlay . Thanks to this application, it is possible to pay the taxi in cash (by default) or by bank card directly (to be specified in the application). If you are thinking of paying in cash, then have rather small denominations so that the driver can give you change. The application is now in French.

How does YandexTaxi work?

• First, it detects your geolocation.
• Then you indicate your arrival position using the Latin or Cyrillic alphabet.
• It then offers you the estimated prices for each range (thrifty, business, etc.).
• You choose, confirm and wait for the driver to arrive.
• You identify the driver with the indicated license plate, then at the end YandexTaxi collects the race via your bank card (do not forget to put your card info before using the app, otherwise pay in cash).

Other solution. You can also book a taxi in advance on KiwiTaxi website . It’s easy!

Public transport and taxi in Moscow: summary

Getting around Moscow is quite simple, as Moscow City transport is well developed. However, because of traffic jams, the metro is the quickest solution. It isn’t an issue, because the Moscow metro is very clean and beautiful. Taxis are rather cheap and easy to find thanks to mobile applications like, for example, YandexTaxi.

Moscow travel tips:

• Bolshoi Theater: how to buy tickets?
• Where to eat in Moscow?
• Where to stay in Moscow?
• How to get from airport to Moscow?

Top places to see in Moscow:

• What to visit in Kremlin?
• Red Square Moscow: everything you need to know
• Saint Basil’s Cathedral: tickets & what to see inside?

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• Finding Your Way

Finding your way

We make it easy to find your way on transit.

Trip planning tools

The easiest way to plan a trip is to use a trip-planning service. Google Maps or the RTA Travel Information Center can all help you plan your trip.

Plan a trip with Google Maps

You can now get transit and walking directions from Google Transit, a part of Google Maps! Plan your trip on the Web at maps.google.com . More info: Google Maps

Call the RTA Travel Information Center

You can get travel information from the RTA Travel Information Center by calling +1  (312) 836-7000 . Notes:

• The center is open from 6am to 7pm, Monday thru Saturday.
• For faster service, be ready to give your starting point and destination and the day and time at which you wish to travel.
• For RTA Travel Information via TTY, call (312) 836-4949.

Third-party apps

Many third-party transit apps use data from CTA to create trip planners to help you navigate cities on transit, step by step. You can check your device's app store for popular, trusted apps that give transit directions. (We can't control or vet third party apps for you, so use caution downloading third party apps and do so at your own risk.)

Planning a trip yourself

We publish a number of maps to help you find your way.

Additionally, maps are posted in each railcar and station to help you plan your trip when riding the 'L'.

Schedules & Route Guides

Our System Guide helps you find more information about any of our bus or rail routes.

For help determining where to wait for a bus or train, visit our How-To Guides for Riding the Bus and Riding the Train .