Every traveller faces this question when in Moscow. I was in this dilemma as well. Before travelling to Russia, I read up on all the Moscow travel cards at my disposal. The various cards at my disposal overwhelmed and perplexed me. Several travellers recommended purchasing travel cards. But the majority of the attractions are within the Kremlin or a stroll away.

So the question remains. Travel cards- to buy or not to buy?

A single ride on any public transit without any travel card costs 60 Rubles. But a single ride paid for with a card costs 42 Rubles. Changing public transits multiple times with 90 minutes costs only 65 Rubles. For example, if you take a metro and then hop on a bus or tram or trolleybus with 90 minutes, you pay 65 Rubles only instead of 120 Rubles.

Upon comparing the public transit fares and the travel card fares, I concluded travel cards are cost-effective. So to answer the question, travel cards- to buy or not to buy? Yes, every traveller should buy travel cards to make commuting within the city easier.

Using travel cards saves money while commuting and offers a discount on various tourist destinations. Travel cards apply to metros, buses, trolleybus, trams and monorail.

WHERE TO PURCHASE TRAVEL CARDS AND TICKETS?

Travel cards and tickets for all public transits are available at ticket counters of metro stations, automated ticket machines. Pay using Apple Pay, GooglePay and contactless master or Visa cards. Tap the cards on the turnstiles to pay the fare.

Depending on the duration of your stay and travel plan, you can choose the card that best suits you. Below I’ve simplified the various cards and what they entail.

THE AUTOBUS TRAVEL CARD

Buses are the second popular transport choice for locals. Buses are good options when travelling to areas with lesser metro connections. There are 2 autobus cards- the Autobus for Zone B and the Autobus card for Zone A and B.

Zone A is the Moscow city centre and, Zone B refers to the outskirts.

For commuting to the outskirts of Moscow, you need the Autobus Zone B card. It is a white colour card with blue font.

But for commuting between both zones, you need the Autobus Zone A and B card. It is a blue colour card with white font.

However, these cards apply only to buses and not to metros or other public transits. I wouldn’t recommend this card to first-time travellers. The bus network is good but not as extensive as the metros.

A ticket for a single ride costs 60 Rubles. Swipe or scan Apple Pay, GooglePay and smart cards to pay the fare. Each card has two options. You can choose one that is convenient for you.

• A card with 60 rides costs 2,070 Rubles and is valid for 45 days.
• A 30-day card costs 1,240 Rubles.

TAT/ TBT (trolleybus-bus-tram) TRAVEL CARD

The TAT refers to the three ground public transits where this card is applicable. They are – Trolleybus, Buses and Trams. It is a dark blue colour card with a white font with symbols of the three public transits on the right.

However, the network of trolleybuses and trams is limited. I wouldn’t recommend this card to first-time travellers.

A single ride on any of the three public transits costs 60 Rubles. You can choose from the below-mentioned options :

• 60-rides TAT card costs 2,070 Rubles and is valid for 45 days.
• 30-days TAT card costs 1,240 Rubles.

THE UNIFIED / EDINY TRAVEL CARD

In Moscow for a day? A week? Regardless of the time, the red colour card with white font is the one for you. It is popular, not only among locals but travellers too. The Ediny card is valid on all public transits.

There are different tickets at your disposal. Choose one that is suitable for your stay.

• A single ride on any public transit (metro, tram, bus, trolleybus) costs 60 Rubles and is valid for five days from the day of purchase.
• Two rides on any public transit (metro, tram, bus, trolleybus) costs 120 Rubles and is valid for five days from the purchase day.
• 1-day Unified card for the city centre costs 240 Rubles and 295 Rubles for the suburban. Valid on all public transits. Must be used within ten days from the day of purchase. From the first ride, the 24 hours commence.
• 3-days Unified card for city centre costs 455 Rubles and 565 Rubles for the suburban. Valid on all public transits and must be used within ten days from the day of purchase. From the first ride, the three days begin.

Not sure if you’ll use public transit often during your stay? No worries. The Unified (Ediny) card is the one for you. Select the one that best suits your travel plan.

TROIKA TRAVEL CARD

Troika is the safest and the best travel card not only for first-timers but all travellers and locals alike. The Troika card is easy to use, recharge and it offers discounts at various attractions in Moscow. The Troika card is available in card form, as a ring, bracelet and keychain. The card is valid on all public transits and Zone A and B.

The card is available as a card, bracelet, ring and keychain for a deposit. The deposit fees are – 50 Rubles for the card, 450 rubles for the bracelet, 350 rubles for the keychain and 2,200 rubles for the ring. The Troika card is available at all metro stations, automated ticket machines. The other items are available at the souvenir kiosk at Pushkinskaya, Mayakovskaya and Trubnaya metro stations.

Troika card is a teal colour card with white font and an image of horses.

There are three types of Troika cards. You can choose one while purchasing a Troika card. Below I’ve explained each card and what they entail.

TROIKA CARD WITH FIXED NUMBER OF RIDES

I recommend selecting this card only when you are sure of the number of rides you will take. The card is valid on all public transits. You can top up for 60 rides which cost 2,070 Rubles and have a forty-five days validity.

TROIKA CARD FOR FIXED NUMBER OF DAYS

I highly recommend this card for travellers who are unsure of the number of rides they will take during their stay. This card offers unlimited rides on all public transits for a fixed number of days. After paying the fare, the card gets blocked for 7 minutes.

• Troika card for unlimited rides for one day costs 240 Rubles.
• Unlimited rides for three days costs 455 Rubles.
• Troika card for unlimited rides for 30 days costs 2,245 Rubles. It entails no more than 70 rides on all public transits and is valid from the time of purchase.
• The Troika card for unlimited rides for 90 days costs 5,430 Rubles. It entails no more than 70 rides and is valid from the time of purchase.
• Troika card for unlimited rides for 365 days costs 19,500 Rubles. It is valid from the time of purchase.

Travellers with a concrete itinerary can opt for this card.

TROIKA WALLET CARD

I recommend the Troika wallet card for all travellers regardless of their duration in Moscow. With the Troika wallet card, you can commute on all public transits for a reduced fare of 42 Rubles per ride. This card is a must-have for all travellers as it offers discounts at several attractions in Moscow.

The Troika wallet includes the 90-minute ticket. It entails one ride on the metro or monorail or MCD (Line 14) or MCC and unlimited rides on the ground transport (buses, trams and trolleybus) within 90 minutes for 65 Rubles. For example, 1 metro ride (42 Rubles) + 1 bus ride (42 Rubles) = 84 Rubles. But with this card, you pay only 65 Rubles. It activates upon changing transports.

A single ride using the Troika wallet card costs 42 Rubles on public transports. You can recharge up to 3,000 Rubles. Recharge the card at the metro stations ticket counters, by automated ticket machines or by phone.

*NOTE: The card’s validity is five years from its last usage.

I highly recommend the Troika wallet card for all who are travelling to Moscow. Apart from cheaper fares on all public transits, this card also offers a discount on various attractions in Moscow. This card is valid at the below-mentioned places-

• Aeroexpress trains travel to and from the airports. A single ticket Aeroexpress ticket costs 500 Rubles but, with a Troika wallet card, it costs 420 Rubles. Requires sufficient balance to pay the fare.
• Get a 5% discount on a cruise ship ride on the Moscow River.

The Troika wallet card is valid at several entertainment services, museums, transports.

TIPS WHILE BUYING TRAVEL CARDS

There are a few points to keep in mind while purchasing travel cards. Remember these points while purchasing or recharging your cards to avoid spending more money.

• Travel cards and city passes are different. Travel cards are for public transportation and, city passes offer discounts at various attractions in the city. Do not confuse the two.
• Travel cards are not personalised. Therefore in case of theft or misplacement, the balance amount is impossible to recover. If you have a personal account, then you can transfer the balance to the new card.
• Recharge your card only with the amount you are sure you will need. Recovering the balance is a long and tedious process and may take a while. So always recharge with small amounts.
• Officers frown upon sharing cards on ground transport (buses, trams and trolleybus). Buy separate cards to avoid problems.

MY RECOMMENDATION

I recommend the Troika wallet card. This card is easy to use and recharge and offers various services as well. The other cards can be used only on certain public transits or particular zones unlike, the Troika card which, is valid on all public transits and all zones. This card is available on mobiles which reduces the chances of misplacing the card. Its is the best option for all types of travellers.

I hope this post was helpful and made your travel planning a little bit easier.