How to get into Russia in 2024? Are there any flights into Russia in 2024? Which airports are open? What are the alternative ways to flying? How to buy the tickets to Russia?
The most common ways to get into Russia is via international flights, trains, or road travel, depending on the location and proximity. International flights arrive at major airports in cities like Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and others. Train routes connect Russia with neighbouring countries, offering an alternative mode of entry, particularly from Europe and Asia. Road travel is possible through border crossings, although it’s essential to be aware of visa and entry requirements for each specific mode of transport. As with any international travel, checking and complying with the latest regulations and entry procedures is crucial.
FLIGHTS
The easiest and quickest way to get into Russia is flying. With which countries does Russia have a direct flight connection?
Due to the latest geopolitical tensions, there are presently no direct flights between Russia and the US, as well as its satellite countries located in various parts of the world but mainly in the EU. Of course, this adds difficulties for ordinary travelers when traveling between those countries and Russia, and vice versa. However, it doesn’t make it impossible, as there are connecting flights available.
The Reality is: Russia has regular direct flight connections with almost 40 countries.
Multiple airlines, both Russian and foreign, offer flights to Russia. For example the big well-known airlines such as Turkish Airlines, Emirates, Qatar, Air China, Etihad, El Al, China Eastern just to name a few. Those airlines connect Russia well with Asia and Middle East. Currently, Air Serbia stands out as the sole airline offering direct flights from the European region to Russia. Africa is connected through a few international carriers such as Royal Air Maroc, EgyptAir, and Ethiopian Airlines.
The Russian airlines including Aeroflot or Rossiya Airlines operate international flights covering Asia, the Middle East, and Southern and Central American regions.
Which countries have direct flight connections with Russia?
In short – the list is long. See the detailed lists for EUROPE and Turkey, ASIA & MIDDLE EAST, AFRICA and AMERICA:
EUROPE, Caucasus and Turkey
List of Countries with Direct Flights to Russia
| Direct flight Connection Country | Destinations in Russia |
|---|---|
| Azerbaijan | Moscow Saint Petersburg Sochi Kazan Yekaterinburg Novosibirsk Ufa Mineralnye Vody Astrakhan Grozny Tyumen Surgut Volgograd Krasnoyarsk Perm |
| Armenia | Moscow Saint Petersburg Sochi Kazan Yekaterinburg Novosibirsk Samara Ufa Mineralnye Vody Volgograd Chelyabinsk Makhachkala Kaluga Nizhny Novgorod Surgut Tyumen |
| Belarus | Moscow Saint Petersburg Sochi Kazan Yekaterinburg Kaliningrad Nizhny Novgorod Perm Ufa |
| Georgia | Moscow Sochi |
| Serbia | Moscow Saint Petersburg |
| Turkey | Moscow Saint Petersburg Sochi Kazan Yekaterinburg Novosibirsk Ufa Mineralnye Vody Chelyabinsk Grozny Makhachkala Vladikavkaz Stavropol Nalchik Nizhnekamsk Samara Nizhny Novgorod Volgograd |
ASIA & MIDDLE EAST including South Eastern Asia
See the List of ASIAN & MIDDLE EASTERN Countries with Direct Flights to Russia
| Direct flight Connection Country | Destinations in Russia |
|---|---|
| Afganistan | Moscow |
| Bahrain | Moscow |
| China | Irkutsk Khabarovsk Moscow Novosibirsk Saint Petersburg Vladivostok Chita |
| India | Ekaterinburg Moscow |
| Iran | Moscow |
| Iraq | Moscow |
| Israel | Moscow Mineralnye Vody Saint Petersburg Sochi |
| Kazakhstan | Chelyabinsk Ekaterinburg Grozny Kazan Krasnoyarsk Mahachkala Mineralnye Vody Moscow Omsk Saint Petersburg Sochi Ufa |
| Kyrgyzstan | Chelyabinsk Ekaterinburg Irkutsk Kazan Krasnoyarsk Mahachkala Mineralnye Vody Moscow Nizhnevartovsk Novosibirsk Saint Petersburg Samara Sochi Surgut Tyumen Ufa |
| Laos | Vladivostok |
| Maldives | Moscow |
| Mongolia | Irkutsk Krasnoyarsk Ulan-Ude |
| Myanmar | Novosibirsk |
| Oman | Moscow |
| Qatar | Moscow |
| Quwait | Moscow |
| Sri-Lanka | Moscow |
| Syria | Moscow |
| Tajikistan | Chelyabinsk Ekaterinburg Irkutsk Kazan Krasnoyarsk Mahachkala Mineralnye Vody Moscow Novosibirsk Orenburg Saint Petersburg Samara Sochi Surgut Tyumen Ufa Vladivostok |
| Thailand | Ekaterinburg Irkutsk Krasnoyarsk Moscow Novosibirsk Perm Saint Petersburg Vladivostok Khabarovsk |
| Turkmenistan | Moscow Kazan |
| United Arab Emirates | Ekaterinburg Grozny Kazan Moscow Mineralnye Vody Nizhny Novgorod Novosibirsk Saint Petersburg Samara Sochi Surgut Tyumen Ufa Vladikavkaz Volgograd |
| Uzbekistan | Blagoveshchensk Ekaterinburg Grozny Irkutsk Kazan Krasnoyarsk Mahachkala Mineralnye Vody Moscow Nizhny Novgorod Novosibirsk Omsk Perm Saint Petersburg Samara Sochi Surgut Tyumen Ufa Vladivostok |
AFRICA
See the List of AFRICAN Countries with Direct Flights to Russia
| Direct flight Connection Country | Destinations in Russia |
|---|---|
| Algeria | Moscow Saint Petersburg |
| Egypt | Chelyabinsk Ekaterinburg Kazan Mineralnye Vody Moscow Nizhnekamsk Nizhny Novgorod Novosibirsk Perm Saint Petersburg Samara Sochi Ufa Volgograd |
| Morocco | Moscow |
| Tunisia | Moscow Saint Petersburg |
| Seychelles | Moscow |
| Ethiopia | Moscow |
AMERICA
See the List of AMERICAN Countries with Direct Flights to Russia
| Direct Flight Connection Country | City in Russia |
|---|---|
| Cuba | Moscow |
| Venezuela | Moscow |
How to book accommodation in Russia
AIRPORTS
All the main cities in Russia have at least one airport so see which cities of Russia directly connected with other countries by air.
Moscow and Saint Petersburg stand out as the most visited cities. Here’s a brief overview of the two:
Moscow
Moscow has 4 international airports, located in different parts around the city: Sheremetyevo (SVO), Domodedovo (DME), Vnukovo (VKO), and Zhukovsky (ZIA). All airports are very well connected with the city by trains, buses and taxis of course.
If you are flying to Moscow, it’s always a good idea to check exactly where in the city you need to go and choose the airport accordingly. Moscow is by far the largest city in Europe, and sometimes, the airport commute might take a long time. For example, Sheremetyevo (SVO) Airport is the closest to the city border, but if your final destination in Moscow is in the southern part of the city, it makes more sense to choose Domodedovo (DME).
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg has 1 international airport called Pulkovo (LED). It is located close, in the southern part of the city and is connected to the city by regular bus services from the airport to the closest subway stations. The buses operate daily from 5:15 am to 1:36 am, departing every 15 minutes. Once you reach a subway station in Saint Petersburg, you can easily access almost any part of the city.
Temporary closed Airports in Russia
Which airports are temporary closed in Russia?
In 2024, for security reasons, 11 airports in southern regions bordering Ukraine are currently unavailable for use in Russia.
List of Temporary Closed Airports in Russia
| Anapa |
| Belgorod |
| Bryansk |
| Elista |
| Gelendzhik |
| Krasnodar |
| Kursk |
| Lipetsk |
| Rostov-on-Don |
| Simferopol |
| Voronezh |
It is impossible to predict when those airports will be reopened. If you need to travel to those cities, consider using alternative transportation such as train or bus services or flying to other cities of the region with open airports. Here is the list:
List of Open Airports in the South of Russia
| Astrakhan |
| Grozny |
| Magas |
| Mahachkala |
| Mineralnye Vody |
| Nalchik |
| Sochi |
| Stavropol |
| Tambov |
| Vladikavkaz |
TRAINS OR ROAD TRANSPORT
If flying is not the preferred option, there are alternative ways available, such as train or road (e.g., by car or bus). Russia has a very extensive railway network, and although train rides are slower than flying, Russian trains are known for being clean, safe, and punctual. Long-distance sleeper trains are also a popular way to travel within the country and abroad. For example, a train or a bus ride can be combined with a flight if you need to reach a smaller city or town, for example flying into Moscow and then taking a train to Nizhniy Novgorod.
Trains
Currently, Russia is internationally connected by train with the following countries: Abkhazia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Mongolia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Train connections with the EU is currently suspended.
The Russian trains are operated by the state-owned company Russian Railways (RZD) (the RZD link might not open if you’re trying to reach from abroad, so use VPN). Train timetables and tickets availability in Russia can also be checked at travel search and booking services such as tutu.ru.
Bus
Using a bus is an alternative when traveling into Russia from European Union countries, as flights and trains are not currently available. However, bus rides are long, and the journey can be very uncomfortable, especially when crossing the EU border, as the waiting queues at the most commonly used border crossing points can be horrendous. Additionally, the situation with overland border crossing changes rapidly; checkpoints are being closed, opened, and closed again at almost no notice. So it is highly recommended to understand the implications of this kind of travel and keep up with the latest updates. On the good note, the bus ride is always a cheaper alternative to most other ways, so it’s worth considering if you are on the budget.
In case you would like to use a bus to arrive from the EU, here is the list of most commonly used bus companies:
Lux Express is a European bus company currently operating in Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Russia.
In Russia, you can only reach Saint Petersburg with them.
Ecolines is another European bus service provider that serves over 20 countries, including Russia, with access to the main Russian cities such as Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and even Nizhniy Novgorod and Kazan. You can find the latest Ecolines route map on their website.
Car
Traveling by car to Russia is possible even with EU-registered vehicles. One thing to remember is that third-party car insurance is compulsory in Russia, so purchasing a Russian insurance policy (commonly known as an ‘insurance green card’) before your trip is necessary. This can be purchased online from the Russian insurance agencies such as Kola Travel.
The road quality in Russia has significantly improved in the last 5 years. Plenty of petrol stations are available, equipped with all the facilities one might expect in a developed country, such as cafes, toilets and car washes. The most commonly used Petrol Station brands are LukOil, Gazpromneft and Rosneft.
In addition to free roads, Russia has a growing network of toll roads where you have to pay for the distance driven. The toll roads in Russia are managed by the state company called Avtodor.
The toll roads operate as a gated system, not a vignette one, requiring payment at the gates every time you enter or exit the toll motorway. The latest Toll Roads network can be checked on Avtodor’s website.
Payment can be made in cash, with a Russian bank issued credit or debit card, or with a pre-installed electronic transponder that can be purchased or hired before you travel. Using transponder allows not to stop at the toll gates and the fares with transponder are a also a up to 15% lower. Fares vary depending on the day and time, with lower rates during workdays and at night. Latest fares information can be found on Avtodor’s website.
And the good news for EU drivers is that fuel in Russia is 3-4 times cheaper than in the EU.
Read more about fuel cost and fueling options in Russia here.
HOW TO BUY FLIGHT OR TRAIN TICKETS IN RUSSIA
Some flight booking services do not offer flights to Russia, even if the flight exist and even if the flight is operated by a non-Russian airline.
Use the booking systems that do:
Flights
Aviasales is a flight search and booking engine that covers all flights worldwide, including all Russian domestic and international flights. Tickets can be purchased online both inside and outside of Russia using credit or debit cards (including MIR, VISA and MasterCard) issued by Russian and foreign banks.
Trains and Buses
Train tickets in Russia can be purchased directly online from RZD, at any railway station ticket terminal, or at the train ticket offices. In 2022, RZD made a decision to temporarily block access to its website and online resources from abroad to protect the system from attacks originating outside the country. So if you’re outside of Russia it can only be accessed through a VPN connection. There are plenty of services out there that offer VPNs; just choose a trustworthy one that provides VPN servers in Russia.
tutu.ru – Originally a train timetable information resource, tutu.ru has evolved into a train & buses ticket search and reservations service. Although it has a limited English version, it is very commonly used inside Russia.