We will be spending a short time in Moscow, we would like to spend some around the Kremlin and Red Square in the evening is it safe at night , we are staying a couple of miles from those sites, and is it best to take a taxi or metro. Any thoughts on night time in Moscow is welcome thank you.
Where are you staying? We took the metro most when we were in Moscow. We downloaded a metro map to plan our routes. Know that the changes between metro lines typically involve lots of walking and stairs. We felt safe in Moscow at night and on the metro. Be sure to try Georgian food. One chain, Khachapuri is very friendly and tasty, and they have menus in English.
Thank you for that, we are staying in the Dorogomilovo area, at the Radisson Royal, looks like If we go straight down Unitas Novyy Arbat we will arrive at the Kremlin, has any one use Uber in Moscow or St Pete?
Uber - yes, used many times, both in Moscow and St.P. However, your US Uber app will not work in Russia (Uber Russia has been acquired by Yandex Taxi) - as soon as you try to launch it, it will require an update and end up downloading - in most cases - Yandex Taxi app. You can also download Uber Russia - but you'd have to jump through a couple of hoops - and it's not really worth it. Bottom line - to save time I'd recommend downloading Yandex (and/or Gett, CityMobile, Taxovichkoff, etc.) while still in the States. Generally, no need to have your CC on file with any of these (except Uber, but Uber Russia also accepts cash as an option). The interface is not all that different from Uber, but I'd recommend a couple of trial runs (without actually ordering) to familiarize yourself with different options, pricing tiers, and the map of the city.
Radisson Royal (aka Hotel Ukraina) is indeed about a half-hour walk from the Kremlin, and Novy Arbat looks pretty nice after dark. That said, I'd recommend a different route for your first after-dark walk: I'd start somewhere along Tverskaya (Mayakovskaya or Pushkinskaya/Tverskaya), walk towards the Kremlin (stopping by Yeliseevsky store), but take a left at Kamergersky Lane, then a right onto Bolshaya Dmitrovka, then a left before you hit Mohovaya, walk past the new and then the historic stage of the Bolshoi, cross the road at Metropol, take the stairs onto Nikolskaya and end up on Red SQ that way. Then walk past St.Basils into Zaryadye park, then back onto Varvarka and towards Kitay Gorod.
A really nice walk, maybe a couple hours total. Totally safe, with lots of people still out and about well after midnight, weather permitting.
For metro - install Yandex Metro app (works offline), for ground transportation download Yandex Transport.
Even if you don't get a local sim card, there's free WiFi everywhere, including metro trains - but registration is not always straightforward (it doesn't always work with my American number).
Thank you very much for the great info, perfect for what we want to do
I added two nights in Moscow after completing the Tallinn, Helsinki, St. Petersburg tour in June. Walked to the Bolshoi after dark and through Red Square and Kremlin too. As long as you remember your city wits....you’ll be fine. The area and buildings are lit up at night, lovely to admire. Splurge on a cocktail at the Hotel National before catching your metro home.
Good to see someone rooting for National in lifelong National vs Metropol rivalry - ever since A Gentleman in Moscow came out, Metropol seems to have gotten the upper hand :-)
We did a land tour and river cruise of Russia and our tour company has a tour called Moscow by Night.
Many of us did the tour and loved it. Traffic was almost nonexistent and we were able to see a lot more of the city. Also, it was great with the city lights.