Transfer from Domodedovo airport to Moscow

Are you sure you're arriving too late for the Domodedovo Express? This schedule http://www.domodedovo.ru/en/main/getting/1/aero/1/ shows that the last train in from the airport to Moscow is midnight. Of course, you'd then need to get from the train station to your hotel; I forget when the Metro stops running, and you may not want to take the Metro, at a late hour with luggage, if you're not familiar with Moscow. I've only arrived at Sheremetevo, but the Sheremetevo Express was nice and easy to use, with bilingual signage and announcements. Be aware that the Moscow Metro, while wonderful, has Cyrillic signage only. If you've never been to Moscow before and/or don't read Cyrillic, I would recommend a prebooked car into town; you can take the train on your way back. Following on the above, if you don't know the Cyrillic alphabet, get the book Teach Yourself The Cyrillic Alphabet TODAY and learn it! Your trip will be 10 times easier and more enjoyable.

Thanks. Our plane arrives at 23:00 so we were concerned that we wouldn't be able to make the midnight train with customs, etc. Plus, that late at night it seems your advice of scheduling a car pickup might be better. We are working on the cyrllic alphabet.

It's not customs that will take time, it's immigration (the former is about goods, the latter is about people). The immigration lines for foreigners took forever, and the lines for returning Russians were only milliseconds faster. Once through immigration, getting your bags and going through customs was no harder or more time consuming than anywhere else. You're right, you may not make the last train, and even if you could, you will DEFINITELY want a prebooked car at that hour after the arrival experience. Russia is definitely more daunting than, say, Prague or Budapest, but it's fascinating. I had the advantage of being with my Russian-speaking sister for some of the time. Cyrillic is invaluable (I'm so glad you're learning it), and if you go outside Moscow or St. Petersburg, do not expect to find ANY language other than Russian. St. Petersburg was, by far, the most "English friendly," but I managed in Moscow (I had been there before, so I knew how to use the Metro, some basic numbers, how to ask for the toilet, etc). continued...

continued.. If you need a restaurant, you can rely on Il Patio Planet Sushi. You see, a British chain of Italian restaurants, Patio Pizza, opened a bunch of places in Russia, then the name changed to Il Patio (they have more than just pizza). An equally popular Japanese chain was Planet Sushi (again, they have more than just sushi). Then, they merged. So, these restaurants have Italian AND Japanese food under one roof! Upon entering, just say "pizza" or "sushi" to be sent to the correct section. They all had English menus, so even if my server didn't speak English, I would point to what I wanted in the English menu, and they could recognize the dish from the Russian menu. Prices were reasonable (for Moscow and St. Petersburg) and they have many convenient locations. Like many restaurants in both cities, they're open extremely long hours (from before noon to way past midnight). And, like many restaurants in both cities, they have free WiFi (usually on the Beeline network). I wish they had such places in other countries! Most (I think all, but can't remember for sure) had non-smoking sections, but I never did learn the word for this. They would ask me, I wouldn't understand them, they would mime smoking a cigarette, and I would say "nyet." Lastly, you'll probably be the only foreigner in the place, since these are not tourist places or special occasion places, so you get to see "real Russians." As in other parts of the former Soviet empire, the last cuisine Russians want when they go to a restaurant is their own - they can get that at home.

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