vocabulary travel and transport b2

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Vocabulary topic - travel & transport.

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Travel and Transport

Travel vocabulary: using english for travel.

Travel vocabulary is one of the most useful areas of language learning today, as more people than ever are travelling far and wide for business and pleasure. There are many useful words and phrases we use when travelling and dealing with transport.

Although our travel plans have been put on hold for a while due to the Coronavirus pandemic , the world is slowly starting to open up again. This means we need to be ready with our travel language and vocabulary for when we can get a flight, a bus or a train!

For non-native speakers , travel vocabulary is a particularly useful topic of study and always a popular subject, allowing you to enjoy organising your travels without worrying about language issues.

Explore travel  vocabulary  here and learn useful  vocabulary related to travelling and using public transport. We have included useful words related to using trains, buses, cars, taxis, planes and boats, so you can have your travel phrases covered, whatever your mode of transport.  

General English Travel Vocabulary:

to arrive , to depart, to leave, to stay,

to cancel, cancellation, cancelled, delay, delayed

to book, to reserve, reservation, to cancel a reservation

holiday, business trip

suitcase, bag, luggage

trip, journey, to travel, map

travel agent, brochure

ticket office, fare, price, single/return ticket

by foot, on foot

travelling by plane, by train, by taxi, by car, by boat

roundabout, road, traffic lights, speed limit, junction, cross roads, road signs

Image source

Transport Vocabulary and Useful Phrases:

Wheels, steering wheel, dash board, indicators, headlights, roof, bonnet, boot, engine, battery, windscreen wipers, garage, car mechanic, petrol station, service (a ‘check up’ for a car)

Double decker, single decker, passengers, bus driver, bus stop, bus station, bus conductor, coach, luggage hold, bus lane

Bus travelling phrases:

the next stop, the last stop, to get on/off the bus, to buy a ticket

Train station, platform, track, level crossing, locomotive, underground, cross-country, local, return, single, ticket, carriage, first/second class, train driver, ticket inspector, waiting room, seat, timetable, guard, season ticket, fare, travel card, buffet car

Train travel phrases:

to catch a train, to check the timetable, on the platform, to travel cross-country

to get on the train, to embark, to set off (on a journey)

to get off the train, to disembark, to alight

ticket machine – a machine where you can buy your train tickets

ticket gate – a mechanical gate blocking access, where you need to insert your ticket to pass through

the buffet car – a carriage on a train where you can buy drinks and snacks

Grand Central Station , New York City – image source

Cab, black cab (official English taxi), fare, taxi rank, taxi driver, tip ( noun and verb )

Taxi travel phrases:

to hail a taxi / to flag down a taxi (when you raise your arm to get a taxi driver’s attention to encourage it to stop in the street)

to pay the fare (the fare is the fee for the journey)

to tip the driver (verb) / to give the driver a tip (noun)

Aeroplane, airport, airline, wing, runway, pilot, gate, passport, excess baggage charge, cabin crew, flight attendant, air steward/stewardess, security, turbulence, seatbelt

take off, landing

turbulence (uncomfortable, sudden movements of a plane due to air pressure/temperature changes)

hand luggage (luggage you take into the cabin with you)

hold luggage/checked luggage (luggage you check in for stowage under the aircraft)

over-head locker (where you can put your hand luggage)

boarding card, customs, departures, arrivals, lounge, aisle seat, window seat, check-in, in-flight movie, in-flight entertainment

terminal 1, terminal 2 / T1, T2 (a terminal is where passengers go to buy tickets, check in luggage, go to their boarding gate etc.)

boarding gate – where passenger go to board the plane (i.e. to get on the plane), located inside the terminal building

A plane takes off – image source

Plane travel phrases:

to put luggage/bags in the hold

to board the plane

prepare for take off, the plane will be taking off in 30 minutes

prepare for landing, the plane will be landing in 20 minutes

to fasten your seatbelt, to buckle up (‘buckle up’ is slang for ‘fasten your seatbelt’)

the flight was quite turbulent, to experience some  turbulence,  there was some light/heavy turbulence

“How was your flight?”

“It was good, thanks, except there was some turbulence during the descent that made me spill my drink!”

“Great – it was a smooth flight and I slept most of the time.”

Ferry, cruise ship, harbour, deck, port, sea, ocean, cabin, captain, sail, sea sickness , crossing, on board, life belt/jacket, foot passenger, buffet, port side, starboard

• The difference between a boat and a ship: boats are small to mid-sized vessels, often used for pleasure trips. Boat is also a generic term for water vessels. Ships are normally larger and are used to carry cargo, passengers or smaller boats.

Boat travelling phrases:

to embark  (to get on the boat) / to disembark (to get off the boat)

‘choppy’ seas / rough seas / strong waves

Calm waters will provide a peaceful cruise for this ship  –  image source

calm waters / still waters

to sail, to have a good crossing (a ‘crossing’ is when you go from one place to another on a boat/ship) – e.g.  “Did you have a good crossing?”

to go out on deck (to go outside on the ship)

welcome aboard/on board (you might hear this when you embark for the first time)

the captain’s table (where the captain sits at dinner – sometimes passengers might get an invitation to site at the captain’s table at some point during their cruise)

• ‘Plain sailing’ is an idiom that means an event that goes smoothly: ‘It’s all plain sailing from here’

It’s a great day to be ‘out on deck’ – image source

English at the Train Station

Useful travelling vocabulary for using the train, including phrases you may want to say, phrases you may hear and comments you might want to make about travelling by train:

• Train times on timetables are always given in the twenty-four hour clock format. So, 5.15 pm would be 17.15 and 9.05 am would be 09.05.

A busy airport – image source

“How was the journey?”

“It was fine, the train arrived on time and I managed to buy a coffee from the buffet car.”

“Terrible, the first two trains were cancelled and then I had to stand up for the entire journey.”

“My train was delayed, so I passed the time by browsing in the station bookshop”

English vocabulary at the airport

Travelling vocabulary for using planes and visiting the airport, including phrases you might hear at the airport and sentences you might need to say when travelling by plane:

Click here to explore more essential English vocabulary and phrases for everyday situations.

When travelling and using transport, you might also need to ask for directions. Check out how to ask for directions in English when travelling around a city with our directions page. Our article includes possible questions you might want to ask and answers you could receive when navigating your way around a new town.

Let us know your thoughts on travel vocabulary

What do you find most difficult about using English when travelling?

Do you find any of these phrases related to travel and transport confusing?

Can you think of other useful English travel vocabulary for using different modes of transport?

TEFL teachers, how do you incorporate travelling vocabulary into your English lessons?

2 thoughts on “ Travel and Transport ”

Thank you for the provided phrases and words. I would also like to see a short dialogue or common phrases when someone got lost in a city or trying to get somewhere, so that there should be various options for speaking about traveling ina city

Hi Tatyana, thanks for your comment. A dialogue like this is a great suggestion. We will looks to add something like this to the travel and transport page soon. In the meantime, you might find our directions page useful, as this contains phrases for asking for directions when travelling in a city.

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Vocabulary Exercises B1

Vocabulary exercises b2, vocabulary exercises c1, practice english vocabulary b2 exercises – travel and transport.

• English Vocabulary B2 Exercises

A . Choose the correct answer.

1    You need a passport to cross the …………… between Mexico and the United States.

        A edge          B line

        C border       D rim

2    The hotel where we are …………… is quite luxurious.

        A living         B remaining

        C existing     D staying

3    When you …………… your destination, your tour guide will meet you at the airport.

        A arrive        B get

        C reach         D achieve

4    It can be quite busy here during the tourist …………… .

        A season      B period

        C phase        D stage

5    David …………… me to the train station every morning.

        A goes          B takes

        C has             D makes

6    I always enjoy our school …………… to France.

        A excursion B journey

        C trip             D travel

7    Hurry up, or we’ll …………… the bus!

        A avoid         B miss

        C drop           D lose

8    The brochure says that the hotel has a great …………… of the sea.

        A appearance   B look

        C sight          D view

9    I must remember to …………… a souvenir back from Spain for my grandmother.

        A go              B take

        C bring          D keep

10    The …………… from London to Berlin is about 919 kilometres.

        A measure   B length

        C gap            D distance

11    Make sure you …………… a hotel before you come to our island, especially in the summer.

        A book          B keep

        C put             D take

12    I live in Barcelona, but my …………… town is Madrid.

        A birth          B home

        C native        D origin

1 C   2 D   3 C   4 A   5 B   6 C

7 B   8 D   9 C   10 D   11 A   12 B

B . Circle the correct word.

1   I hope to go on a trip round the world / earth one day.

2   You learn a lot about the local territory / area by speaking to local people.

3   It’s good to have someone to lead / guide you when you are on holiday.

4   I get the train to work every day and the fare / fee is quite expensive.

5   Captain Cook discovered Australia on a voyage / travel to the Pacific.

6   Most tourist attractions in London charge an admission fee / ticket .

7   The sunset over Niagara Falls really is a magnificent look / sight .

1 world   2 area   3 guide   4 fare   5 voyage

6 fee   7 sight

C . Complete using the correct form of the words in the box.

1   Let’s go to the airport to ………………… Grandpa off when he flies back home.

2   If it starts to rain, ………………… for a nearby cave to wait for it to pass.

3   We would like to remind all guests that they must ………………… out before midday.

4   Please ………………… in and stop so that I can buy something to drink.

5   Every Saturday night my dad ………………… us up outside the cinema.

6   I think the neighbours have ………………… away for the weekend.

7   John’s up ahead so Greg is pedalling fast to ………………… up with him.

8   We’re going on holiday tomorrow, but we’ll call you when we ………………… back.

1 see   2 make   3 check   4 pull    5 picks

6 gone   7 catch   8 get

D . Write a phrasal verb in the correct form to replace the words in italics . Add any other words you need.

1   We can start our journey ………………… towards the mountains at dawn.

2   Dad fetched the luggage while Mum registered ………………… at the hotel.

3   I asked the taxi driver to let me get out ………………… outside the train station.

4   Oh, no! I’ve forgotten my passport! We’ll have to go back ………………… and get it!

5   The most exciting moment is when the plane leaves the ground ………………… .

6   Stop the car! I think we’ve hit ………………… a dog.

7   I don’t think a horse can ever stay at the same speed as ………………… a car.

1 set out/off   2 checked in   3 drop me off

4 turn round   5 takes off   6 run over

7 keep up with

E . Write one word in each gap.

1   The speed ………………… in towns is 50 km/h and you shouldn’t go faster than that.

2   Why don’t we ………………… the scenic route along the coast?

3   If you buy your plane ticket ………………… advance, it’s often cheaper than if you wait.

4   I can’t remember the name of the hotel we stayed at off the ………………… of my head.

5   I’m sorry I’m late! I ………………… my way and had to ask for directions.

6   My mum’s away in Germany on a business ………………… at the moment.

7   The bank? Well, turn left here, then go ………………… ahead for a kilometre and it’s on the left.

8   If you look on your left-hand ………………… as we turn this corner, you’ll see Big Ben.

9   I’ll look round the shops in the morning and then ………………… sightseeing in the afternoon.

10    My grandma hasn’t driven since she ………………… an accident last year.

11    I love visiting foreign places, ………………… the sights and learning about other cultures.

12    During the 70s, many British people started to go ………………… holiday to Spain.

13    While you’re in London, you should take a tour ………………… the Houses of Parliament.

1 limit   2 take   3 in   4 top   5 lost   6 trip   7 straight

8 side   9 go   10 had   11 seeing   12 on   13 (a)round/of

F . Choose the correct answer.

1   I’ve always dreamt ………… China.

      A to visit        B of visiting

      C I visit           D visit

2   The travel agency is arranging for us ………… at a really nice hotel.

      A stay             B of staying

      C to stay        D staying

3   My dad says he always regrets ………… more.

      A to not travel

      B not travelling

      C he not travel

      D of not travelling

4   John seems keen ………… how to drive as soon as he can.

      A of learning  B he learn

      C for learn     D to learn

5   Now, class, I’d like you all to write ………… a description of your last holiday.

      A me               B to me

      C it me            D about me

6   When you arrive …………, have your passport ready.

      A to the airport

      B in the airport

      C on the airport

      D at the airport

7   The Joneses have invited us ………… to Australia with them this summer.

      A going               B for going

      C about going   D to go

8   The in-flight entertainment may differ ………… that advertised.

      A to                 B from

      C in                  D at

1 B   2 C   3 B   4 D   5 A   6 D   7 D   8 B

G . Use the word given in capitals to form a word that fits in the gap.

It’s not always easy being a ( 1 ) ………………… ( TOUR ). You spend half your time making ( 2 ) ………………… ( ARRANGE ) for your holiday and the other half worrying about sticking to the ( 3 ) ………………… ( TIME ). I think it’s relaxing sometimes to spend a holiday at home. There are no ( 4 ) ………………… ( CULTURE ) problems, you don’t need someone to be the ( 5 ) ………………… ( PHOTOGRAPH ) and you know that the local ( 6 ) ………………… ( INHABIT ) are always friendly!

1 tourist   2 arrangements   3 timetable

4 cultural   5 photographer   6 inhabitants

H . Complete the sentences by changing the form of the word in capitals when this is necessary.

1   Beijing has changed so much in the last few years that it’s almost …………………. ( RECOGNISE ).

2   The number of cars …………………. ( WORLD ) is about a billion and is increasing all the time.

3   The new maglev trains run on a completely …………………. ( DIFFER ) system from ordinary trains.

4   Living in a foreign country really does …………………. ( BROAD ) your horizons.

5   I can’t find a …………………. ( DIRECT ) flight from London to Delhi so I’ve booked one that changes in Frankfurt.

6   All passengers must complete a visa form upon …………………. ( ARRIVE ) at Singapore airport.

7   You can still see old milestones by the side of the road in England, showing the …………………. ( DISTANT ) to the nearest town.

8    The Museum of Transport has a full-sized jet plane next to the …………………. ( ENTER ).

1 unrecognisable   2 worldwide   3 different

4 broaden   5 direct   6 arrival   7 distance

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Topic: Travel

Travel is an extremely popular topic in the B2 First (FCE) exam. Candidate should expect to read, listen and be asked travel related questions, so knowing a wide range of vocabulary related to travelling and holidays will be very beneficial on the exam day.

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Flying First Class

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The Best Weekend Breaks

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Travel and Holidays

Practice for the first part of the speaking paper by answering these questions all related to the topic of travel… read more

A Fascinating Place

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Studying Abroad

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A Year Travelling!

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Summer Holidays!

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Travelling Around The World

Listening or reading about people’s trips and travel experiences is fairly common in the B2 First Exam. Practice your listening… read more

Travel and Transport Vocabulary

In this section you will find vocabulary about travel, transport, and getting around. This vocabulary is for beginners and intermediate students.

• At the airport
• Things for travel
• At the bank
• At the post office
• Airport customs
• Types of transport
• Using transport
• Train travel
• Car vocabulary

Travel and transport (Topic vocabulary in contra ...

•   Game Code: 1863515
•  English     19      Public Destination B2 Unit 2 Eg.a.b.(pg.13)
•   Play   Study   Slideshow   Share  Tiếng Anh cô Hương Giang  23 #B2 #travel and transport

Share Travel and transport (Topic vocabulary in contrast)

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• A. 1 You need a passport to cross the ............ between Mexico and the United States. line rim border edge
• A. 2 The hotel where we are ............ is quite luxurious. existing living remaining staying
• A. 3 When you ............ your destination, your tour guide will meet you at the airport. achieve reach get arrive
• A. 4. It can be quite busy here during the tourist ............ . phase period stage season
• A.5 David ............ me to the train station every morning. makes takes has goes
• A. 6 1 always enjoy our school ............ to France. excursion journey travel trip
• A.7 Hurry up, or we'II ............ the bus! avoid miss lose drop
• A.8 The brochure says that the hotel has a great ............ of the sea. view appearance sight look
• A.9 I must remember to ............ a souvenir back from Spain far my grandmother. bring go keep take
• A.10 The ............ from London to Berlin is about 919 kilometres. measure distance length gap
• A.11 Make sure you ............ a hotel befare you come to our island, especially in the summer. put book keep take
• A.12. 1 live in Barcelona, but my ............. town is Madrid. native home origin birth
• B.1 I hope to go on a trip round the WORLD / EARTH one day. world
• B.2 You learn a lot about the local TERRITORY / AREA by speaking to local people. area
• 3 It's good to have someone to LEAD / GUIDE you when you are on holiday. guide
• B.4 I get the train to work every day and the FARE / FEE is quite expensive. fare

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At a crossroads and other travel and transport inspired idioms

• Games and Role Plays

Vocabulary - travel and transport idioms

LESSON OVERVIEW

This lesson plan deals with travel and transport idioms. Students get a lot of exercises to discover their meanings and practise them in writing as well as speaking. The worksheet can supplement our lesson plans on travelling which you can find here and here .

FROM THE LITERAL TO FIGURATIVE MEANING

First, students have to complete one exercise on vocabulary related to roads and travelling, however, they focus on the literal meanings of given words and phrases. Then, they have to analyse a picture and try to guess what the idiomatic meaning of the given phrase is. Then, they need to also think of an example of being at a crossroads . Next, students move to idiomatic expressions, read the sentences and decide whether they are true or false. If false, students have to explain what the underlined expressions actually mean. Moreover, students work in pairs and discuss some situations which include the idioms with their partners.

IDIOMS WITH DIFFERENT MEANS OF TRANSPORT

Students start with completing given idioms with different means of transport such as train, boat, car, etc. Of course, they also have meanings of these idioms. The list of idioms in that task includes, e.g. be in the same boat, a sinking ship, be on the gravy train , etc. To put them in practice, students finish some dialogues using the idioms and their own ideas.

The last part of this travel and transport idioms worksheet will help students to practise and remember all idioms from the worksheet. Students work in pairs and choose a card from a stack of cards. Each card has one word on it. They have to improvise a short dialogue using any idiom they remember with that word. The optional version of this task could be a Pictionary style game where students have to try and draw the idiomatic expression and the other classmates guess the idiom (thanks Audrey for the suggestion!).

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to set/ to put something in “train”. Is that correct? Isn’t it “motion”? on slide 12

Nope, not an error. It’s a thing 🙂 See: https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/set-something-in-train https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/put-set-sth-in-train https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/set-something-in-train

How do I get the magnifying glass?

It’s in the slides in the e-lesson plan (slide 23)

I think there is a slight mistake in slide 10. Tell your partner: “when was the last time you were at a crossroads” Should it not read “when the last time you were at a crossroads was” ??? Not sure but if they are are all indirect questions, shouldn’t the first one be too?

Deborah, thank you for your comment! I think you’re right. That should have been an indirect question, but it sounded a bit odd, so we’ve simplified it a bit and changed it to “tell your partner about the last time you were at a crossroads”.

It should read “The last time you were at a crossroads was when”?

No, forget that! Just checked again.

Awesome class. The explanation on how to use the magnifying glass was extremely valuable.

Thanks! Good to hear it helps 🙂

Can you offer more American English lesson plans?

Hi Cris! By default, we follow the British English spelling rules but we often provide vocabulary in both AmE and BrE versions. As you can see, we also often use AmE videos (there’s simply wider choice there) but we rarely do any lessons super-focused on American English. Would you like to see more lessons like that?

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What I’m trying to say is… (clarifying and explaining)

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The trains and stations of the Moscow Metro

2 Comments · Posted by Alex Smirnov in Cities , Travel , Video

The Moscow Metro is the third most intensive subway system in the world after Tokyo and Seoul subways. The first line was opened on May 15, 1935. Since 1955, the metro has the name of V.I. Lenin.

The system consists of 12 lines with a total length of 305.7 km. Forty four stations are recognized cultural heritage. The largest passenger traffic is in rush hours from 8:00 to 9:00 and from 18:00 to 19:00.

Cellular communication is available on most of the stations of the Moscow Metro. In March 2012, a free Wi-Fi appeared in the Circle Line train. The Moscow Metro is open to passengers from 5:20 to 01:00. The average interval between trains is 2.5 minutes.

The fare is paid by using contactless tickets and contactless smart cards, the passes to the stations are controlled by automatic turnstiles. Ticket offices and ticket vending machines can be found in station vestibules.

Tags:  Moscow city

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Tomás · August 27, 2012 at 11:34 pm

The Moscow metro stations are the best That I know, cars do not.

Alberto Calvo · September 25, 2016 at 8:57 pm

Great videos! Moscow Metro is just spectacular. I actually visited Moscow myself quite recently and wrote a post about my top 7 stations, please check it out and let me know what you think! :)

http://www.arwtravels.com/blog/moscow-metro-top-7-stations-you-cant-miss

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WOTS: Transport and Travel

In this episode, Stephen and Ashlie have a friend called Jazz visiting from abroad. They take Jazz on a trip around London to see  the sights and famous places. 

Nick meets a man who lives on the River Thames and a photographer who creates digital visions of London in the future.

The City of London

Nick talks about the history of The Thames and then is shown around a houseboat on the river. Later, he meets some artists who create incredible images of London in the future.

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Transport and Travel Scene 1

Stephen's friend comes to London and Ashlie and Stephen show him around.

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Transport and Travel Scene 1 - Language Focus

Rob the teacher talks about using the present perfect to describe events and experiences.

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Transport and Travel Scene 2

Ashlie, Stephen and Jazz take a trip on the London Eye to enjoy the views of London.

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Transport and Travel Scene 2 - Language Focus

Rob the teacher talks about using the past simple and the present perfect.

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Claudia Looi

Touring the Top 10 Moscow Metro Stations

By Claudia Looi 2 Comments

Komsomolskaya metro station looks like a museum. It has vaulted ceilings and baroque decor.

Hidden underground, in the heart of Moscow, are historical and architectural treasures of Russia. These are Soviet-era creations – the metro stations of Moscow.

Our guide Maria introduced these elaborate metro stations as “the palaces for the people.” Built between 1937 and 1955, each station holds its own history and stories. Stalin had the idea of building beautiful underground spaces that the masses could enjoy. They would look like museums, art centers, concert halls, palaces and churches. Each would have a different theme. None would be alike.

The two-hour private tour was with a former Intourist tour guide named Maria. Maria lived in Moscow all her life and through the communist era of 60s to 90s. She has been a tour guide for more than 30 years. Being in her 60s, she moved rather quickly for her age. We traveled and crammed with Maria and other Muscovites on the metro to visit 10 different metro stations.

Arrow showing the direction of metro line 1 and 2

Moscow subways are very clean

To Maria, every street, metro and building told a story. I couldn’t keep up with her stories. I don’t remember most of what she said because I was just thrilled being in Moscow.   Added to that, she spilled out so many Russian words and names, which to one who can’t read Cyrillic, sounded so foreign and could be easily forgotten.

The metro tour was the first part of our all day tour of Moscow with Maria. Here are the stations we visited:

1. Komsomolskaya Metro Station  is the most beautiful of them all. Painted yellow and decorated with chandeliers, gold leaves and semi precious stones, the station looks like a stately museum. And possibly decorated like a palace. I saw Komsomolskaya first, before the rest of the stations upon arrival in Moscow by train from St. Petersburg.

2. Revolution Square Metro Station (Ploshchad Revolyutsii) has marble arches and 72 bronze sculptures designed by Alexey Dushkin. The marble arches are flanked by the bronze sculptures. If you look closely you will see passersby touching the bronze dog's nose. Legend has it that good luck comes to those who touch the dog's nose.

Touch the dog's nose for good luck. At the Revolution Square station

Revolution Square Metro Station

3. Arbatskaya Metro Station served as a shelter during the Soviet-era. It is one of the largest and the deepest metro stations in Moscow.

Arbatskaya Metro Station

4. Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station was built in 1935 and named after the Russian State Library. It is located near the library and has a big mosaic portrait of Lenin and yellow ceramic tiles on the track walls.

Lenin's portrait at the Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station

5. Kievskaya Metro Station was one of the first to be completed in Moscow. Named after the capital city of Ukraine by Kiev-born, Nikita Khruschev, Stalin's successor.

Kievskaya Metro Station

6. Novoslobodskaya Metro Station  was built in 1952. It has 32 stained glass murals with brass borders.

Novoslobodskaya metro station

7. Kurskaya Metro Station was one of the first few to be built in Moscow in 1938. It has ceiling panels and artwork showing Soviet leadership, Soviet lifestyle and political power. It has a dome with patriotic slogans decorated with red stars representing the Soviet's World War II Hall of Fame. Kurskaya Metro Station is a must-visit station in Moscow.

Ceiling panel and artworks at Kurskaya Metro Station

8. Mayakovskaya Metro Station built in 1938. It was named after Russian poet Vladmir Mayakovsky. This is one of the most beautiful metro stations in the world with 34 mosaics painted by Alexander Deyneka.

Mayakovskaya station

One of the over 30 ceiling mosaics in Mayakovskaya metro station

9. Belorusskaya Metro Station is named after the people of Belarus. In the picture below, there are statues of 3 members of the Partisan Resistance in Belarus during World War II. The statues were sculpted by Sergei Orlov, S. Rabinovich and I. Slonim.

10. Teatralnaya Metro Station (Theatre Metro Station) is located near the Bolshoi Theatre.

Teatralnaya Metro Station decorated with porcelain figures .

Taking the metro's escalator at the end of the tour with Maria the tour guide.

Have you visited the Moscow Metro? Leave your comment below.

January 15, 2017 at 8:17 am

An excellent read! Thanks for much for sharing the Russian metro system with us. We're heading to Moscow in April and exploring the metro stations were on our list and after reading your post, I'm even more excited to go visit them. Thanks again 🙂

December 6, 2017 at 10:45 pm

Hi, do you remember which tour company you contacted for this tour?

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The Moscow Metro Museum of Art: 10 Must-See Stations

There are few times one can claim having been on the subway all afternoon and loving it, but the Moscow Metro provides just that opportunity.  While many cities boast famous public transport systems—New York’s subway, London’s underground, San Salvador’s chicken buses—few warrant hours of exploration.  Moscow is different: Take one ride on the Metro, and you’ll find out that this network of railways can be so much more than point A to B drudgery.

The Metro began operating in 1935 with just thirteen stations, covering less than seven miles, but it has since grown into the world’s third busiest transit system ( Tokyo is first ), spanning about 200 miles and offering over 180 stops along the way.  The construction of the Metro began under Joseph Stalin’s command, and being one of the USSR’s most ambitious building projects, the iron-fisted leader instructed designers to create a place full of svet (radiance) and svetloe budushchee (a radiant future), a palace for the people and a tribute to the Mother nation.

Consequently, the Metro is among the most memorable attractions in Moscow.  The stations provide a unique collection of public art, comparable to anything the city’s galleries have to offer and providing a sense of the Soviet era, which is absent from the State National History Museum.  Even better, touring the Metro delivers palpable, experiential moments, which many of us don’t get standing in front of painting or a case of coins.

Though tours are available , discovering the Moscow Metro on your own provides a much more comprehensive, truer experience, something much less sterile than following a guide.  What better place is there to see the “real” Moscow than on mass transit: A few hours will expose you to characters and caricatures you’ll be hard-pressed to find dining near the Bolshoi Theater.  You become part of the attraction, hear it in the screech of the train, feel it as hurried commuters brush by: The Metro sucks you beneath the city and churns you into the mix.

With the recommendations of our born-and-bred Muscovite students, my wife Emma and I have just taken a self-guided tour of what some locals consider the top ten stations of the Moscow Metro. What most satisfied me about our Metro tour was the sense of adventure .  I loved following our route on the maps of the wagon walls as we circled the city, plotting out the course to the subsequent stops; having the weird sensation of being underground for nearly four hours; and discovering the next cavern of treasures, playing Indiana Jones for the afternoon, piecing together fragments of Russia’s mysterious history.  It’s the ultimate interactive museum.

Top Ten Stations (In order of appearance)

Kievskaya station.

Kievskaya Station went public in March of 1937, the rails between it and Park Kultury Station being the first to cross the Moscow River.  Kievskaya is full of mosaics depicting aristocratic scenes of Russian life, with great cameo appearances by Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin.  Each work has a Cyrillic title/explanation etched in the marble beneath it; however, if your Russian is rusty, you can just appreciate seeing familiar revolutionary dates like 1905 ( the Russian Revolution ) and 1917 ( the October Revolution ).

Mayakovskaya Station

Mayakovskaya Station ranks in my top three most notable Metro stations. Mayakovskaya just feels right, done Art Deco but no sense of gaudiness or pretention.  The arches are adorned with rounded chrome piping and create feeling of being in a jukebox, but the roof’s expansive mosaics of the sky are the real showstopper.  Subjects cleverly range from looking up at a high jumper, workers atop a building, spires of Orthodox cathedrals, to nimble aircraft humming by, a fleet of prop planes spelling out CCCP in the bluest of skies.

Novoslobodskaya Station

Novoslobodskaya is the Metro’s unique stained glass station.  Each column has its own distinctive panels of colorful glass, most of them with a floral theme, some of them capturing the odd sailor, musician, artist, gardener, or stenographer in action.  The glass is framed in Art Deco metalwork, and there is the lovely aspect of discovering panels in the less frequented haunches of the hall (on the trackside, between the incoming staircases).  Novosblod is, I’ve been told, the favorite amongst out-of-town visitors.

Komsomolskaya Station

Komsomolskaya Station is one of palatial grandeur.  It seems both magnificent and obligatory, like the presidential palace of a colonial city.  The yellow ceiling has leafy, white concrete garland and a series of golden military mosaics accenting the tile mosaics of glorified Russian life.  Switching lines here, the hallway has an Alice-in-Wonderland feel, impossibly long with decorative tile walls, culminating in a very old station left in a remarkable state of disrepair, offering a really tangible glimpse behind the palace walls.

Dostoevskaya Station

Dostoevskaya is a tribute to the late, great hero of Russian literature .  The station at first glance seems bare and unimpressive, a stark marble platform without a whiff of reassembled chips of tile.  However, two columns have eerie stone inlay collages of scenes from Dostoevsky’s work, including The Idiot , The Brothers Karamazov , and Crime and Punishment.   Then, standing at the center of the platform, the marble creates a kaleidoscope of reflections.  At the entrance, there is a large, inlay portrait of the author.

Chkalovskaya Station

Chkalovskaya does space Art Deco style (yet again).  Chrome borders all.  Passageways with curvy overhangs create the illusion of walking through the belly of a chic, new-age spacecraft.  There are two (kos)mosaics, one at each end, with planetary subjects.  Transferring here brings you above ground, where some rather elaborate metalwork is on display.  By name similarity only, I’d expected Komsolskaya Station to deliver some kosmonaut décor; instead, it was Chkalovskaya that took us up to the space station.

Elektrozavodskaya Station

Elektrozavodskaya is full of marble reliefs of workers, men and women, laboring through the different stages of industry.  The superhuman figures are round with muscles, Hollywood fit, and seemingly undeterred by each Herculean task they respectively perform.  The station is chocked with brass, from hammer and sickle light fixtures to beautiful, angular framework up the innards of the columns.  The station’s art pieces are less clever or extravagant than others, but identifying the different stages of industry is entertaining.

Baumanskaya Statio

Baumanskaya Station is the only stop that wasn’t suggested by the students.  Pulling in, the network of statues was just too enticing: Out of half-circle depressions in the platform’s columns, the USSR’s proud and powerful labor force again flaunts its success.  Pilots, blacksmiths, politicians, and artists have all congregated, posing amongst more Art Deco framing.  At the far end, a massive Soviet flag dons the face of Lenin and banners for ’05, ’17, and ‘45.  Standing in front of the flag, you can play with the echoing roof.

Ploshchad Revolutsii Station

Novokuznetskaya Station

Novokuznetskaya Station finishes off this tour, more or less, where it started: beautiful mosaics.  This station recalls the skyward-facing pieces from Mayakovskaya (Station #2), only with a little larger pictures in a more cramped, very trafficked area.  Due to a line of street lamps in the center of the platform, it has the atmosphere of a bustling market.  The more inventive sky scenes include a man on a ladder, women picking fruit, and a tank-dozer being craned in.  The station’s also has a handsome black-and-white stone mural.

Here is a map and a brief description of our route:

Start at (1)Kievskaya on the “ring line” (look for the squares at the bottom of the platform signs to help you navigate—the ring line is #5, brown line) and go north to Belorusskaya, make a quick switch to the Dark Green/#2 line, and go south one stop to (2)Mayakovskaya.  Backtrack to the ring line—Brown/#5—and continue north, getting off at (3)Novosblodskaya and (4)Komsolskaya.  At Komsolskaya Station, transfer to the Red/#1 line, go south for two stops to Chistye Prudy, and get on the Light Green/#10 line going north.  Take a look at (5)Dostoevskaya Station on the northern segment of Light Green/#10 line then change directions and head south to (6)Chkalovskaya, which offers a transfer to the Dark Blue/#3 line, going west, away from the city center.  Have a look (7)Elektroskaya Station before backtracking into the center of Moscow, stopping off at (8)Baumskaya, getting off the Dark Blue/#3 line at (9)Ploschad Revolyutsii.  Change to the Dark Green/#2 line and go south one stop to see (10)Novokuznetskaya Station.

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Jonathon Engels, formerly a patron saint of misadventure, has been stumbling his way across cultural borders since 2005 and is currently volunteering in the mountains outside of Antigua, Guatemala.  For more of his work, visit his website and blog .

Photo credits:   SergeyRod , all others courtesy of the author and may not be used without permission