bureaucracy at Domodedova Airport?
 

I'll be going there soon, for 2 days in Moscow. Assuming all of my papers are in order, what will the security/passport control be like? I'm from the UK, flying in via ZRH. Is is just like any other airport or are there added 'hassles' that take longer than usual?

DFlock1

I landed there in July this year. As a British passport holder with a tourist visa the entry formalities were straightforward and probably quicker than on my return to LHR.

Absolutely no problem. DME is by far the easiest entry/exit point in the Russian Federation. Other facilities in the airport aren't up to much but Immigration is fine.

Add my agreement to V8 and S. Main problem if there are a few flights arriving together and insufficient passport control booths open, when the queue can take a bit of time to clear. However, in my experience SVO is worse than DME for this.

Rumour has it that smiling at the passport officer is a bad idea ... something to do with smiling at a stranger means, in Russian way of thinking, that one is up to no good!

I also found immigration at DME pretty smooth.

One tip: it seems to be local culture that if you have children with you, then you don't need to queue and are perfectly entitled to barge your way to the front. This obviously goes against the grain of British culture, but just smile and go along with it! Its all part of the great Russia experience!

DME Procedures
 

When you exit pier, you normally turn lfet, and keep left, (right is for Russians), if the hall is busy, try to stay slightly left of centre, as theis line serves 3 or 4 desks.

Get your form filled in on board, and present with a slight smile.

The bagage belt is usually the one slightly right of centre as you enter the reclaim area. Often not signed. The delay can be very long, so dont fret if the immigration is slow.

Usually exit via the nothing to declare line, but the customs often stop shuttle traders.
Then the fun starts: IF POSSIBLE get your hotel to send hotel car. they will have signage for you. If takign a local taxi, up to 100US$....beware.
There is a overground train into the city, and there are shuttle bus's to the nearest metro station.

Allow 2 hours for taxi to centre.

I have taken 30 mins just getting out of car park, so be patient.

Have a great time in Moscow.

For the return both Swiss and BA have very nice exec lounges, and the fast track departure clearance (entrance is just to the left of the normal exit), might be slower than the normal.

Yes, it is often slower to clear inbound at T1 LHR, than DME.

Good luck.

Thanks for all the replies. So basically, keep my head down, hide the microfilm well, pass security with only the barest hint of a smile, and then catch a taxi to the hotel.

Out of interest, I'm staying in the Metropol. It's costing a fortune (£250 a night). Has anyone stayed there? Also, they've said they can provide a taxi transfer (one way) for 90 US dollars. I take it this is a bit steep?

Regards

Flock

A little bit, although prices in Moscow going through the roof arguably it is worth it for some piece of mind. If you opt for getting a taxi at the airport, don't take the first price on offer. Force your way past the scrum of drivers and head towards one of the taxi kiosks. The closer you get the keener the price becomes.

Flock
Under no circumstances should you take one of the mafia taxis from the airport. At best you'll get ripped off.... If you have Russian contacts they'll be be able to arrange something for about €50, euros have now taken over as the preferred currency in Mother Russia.

Moscow has now gone off the chart for prices, I've stayed at the Metropol many times, not a bad hotel for Moscow, our preferred rate there is about €235 plus tax and breakfast which puts it at over €300 per night. Also, in Russia it's illegal to pay for anything in any other currency than roubles so your nightly rate will be converted into roubles but at their conversion rate, which is typically about 20% in their favour. Hotel is in a good location and only a few minutes from Red Square.

Moscow is my favourite city in Europe, send me a PM if you want some good restaurant and bar recommendations etc

Good luck

I flew into SVO2 last January - fantastic place - 100% recommend, both airport and Moscow. Really looking forward to my next trip

:ok: :ok: :ok: :ok: :ok: :ok:

taxis at DME
 

The basic theory of getting closer to the taxi booth is very good. And it does work.

Many times I have managed to get 50$ fare to Renaissance Hotel.

The hotel rate for a designated pick up or drop, is 80-90US.

The hotel exchage rates are based on CU not US, and the difference is increasing, and not to our favour.

The quoted hotel rack rates do not include up to 20% tax, when you calculate your expenses, use the Rbs and convert on XE.com or similar, add 4% as a hedge against commission etc.

windy

Many thanks.

It will be an experience if nothing else!

Explained to me that the photo in the passport is you not smiling, and the Russian officers do a very precise comparison, so they want that you should be the same.

You will notice that part way through the process they do indeed do a very formal stare at your face, they are doing this check. Probably something dreamed up by the KGB years ago. You can smile at other times.

You don't need to speak to them. They are quite used to Westerners not speaking Russian. But if you do a nice "spasibo" as you leave they will do a little smile and it will be appreciated.

The only locals who can afford to travel by air with children are New Russians. They barge to the front of every queue, airport or not, with children or not. This has always been the way for Russians who think they are the elite. The Communist Party officials did it, and before them the Czar's family and nobles did it.

Eta pravda:ok:?!! Well, it is Russia, so nothing surprises me. Certainly, that slow formal stare is quite disconcerting the first few times one meets it. How they now cope with my bored resigned look I have no way of knowing :O;).

[The only locals who can afford to travel by air with children are New Russians. They barge to the front of every queue, airport or not, with children or not. This has always been the way for Russians who think they are the elite. The Communist Party officials did it, and before them the Czar's family and nobles did it.[/QUOTE]

Absolute stereotypical nonsense.. a bit of Thread Creep here... Queue jumping and to$$ers who think they're more important that anyone else is not unique to Russia. There are plenty decent hard-working Russians who are just trying to get on in a place where it ain't that easy... The fact that they're probably better dressed than the average westerner says more about the pride they take in their personal appearance than it says about their bank balance...

Sorry spiney but WHBM is pretty close with his observation. My wife (Kazakh) does it also, much to my embarrassment. But for her it works, she has no shame, and I tag along without the usual tedious queueing. She is very much a "new" Russian in some respects, but hardly rich or elite, just brazen.
And thread creep? Maybe, but then again perhaps of interest to anybody who gets pushed aside in the process.

Sorry, but I'm just wondering if you have the experience of Russia that some of the rest of us here do ?

Interestingly Mrs WHBM :) (Russian) is resigned to it in Russia but infuriated by it in Britain.