Getting your bearings
Kuntsevo is a district in the Western Administrative Okrug of Moscow, on the city's western side. It became part of Moscow in 1960 and today mixes factories, residential neighbourhoods and well-connected infrastructure. For a visitor, the practical takeaway is simple: Kuntsevo sits on several transport corridors, so you can reach it by metro, suburban rail or bus, and once here you can move around on foot or by taxi.
How visitors get around
Moscow's public transport is the backbone of any trip, and Kuntsevo is served by the metro, the suburban rail network, trams in the wider area, and a dense web of buses. Fares are cheap by international standards, and the same payment tools — the Troika card or a contactless bank card — work across the metro and city buses. Paper single tickets (the "Ediny" ticket) are also available but cost more than paying with Troika or contactless.
Metro
Two metro stations serve the district directly: Molodyozhnaya on the Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya Line, and Kuntsevskaya, which is served by both the Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya and Filevskaya lines. Parts of the Myakinino area of the district are more conveniently served by Strogino station in the neighbouring Strogino District.
Trains are frequent — on the order of every few minutes — so the metro is the most predictable way in and out. A ride on the metro costs roughly a dollar with Troika or contactless payment, and about two dollars if you buy a paper Ediny ticket. From central Moscow, for example, the Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya Line connects Arbatskaya with Krylatskoye in around half an hour.
Suburban rail
Part of the district's southern boundary is formed by the Moscow–Smolensk Main Line, the main railway heading toward Belarus. Commuter stations on this line connect with the Belorussky railway station in central Moscow, making the suburban train a useful alternative to the metro for reaching the centre. Heading west along the mainline, commuter trains continue to Golitsyno in Moscow Oblast, and on to Kubinka and Mozhaysk. A branch line to Usovo and a freight-only line to Rublevo leave the mainline within Kuntsevo district at Rabochiy Posolok.
Trams
Trams are part of Moscow's wider surface network, but for a visit to Kuntsevo specifically, don't count on them as your primary mode.
Buses
Buses fill in the gaps between metro stations and the residential and riverside areas. Useful routes include:
- Bus 638 — serves the Myakinino area and runs to Shchukinskaya metro station via Strogino.
- Bus 127 — from Rublevo to Kotsyubynskogo Street, connecting to Molodyozhnaya metro station.
- Bus 129 — from Myakinino to the Carpool General Staff, connecting to Krylatskoye metro station.
- Bus 626 — from the 3rd district of Strogino to Molodyozhnaya metro station.
- Bus м35 — a direct city bus from Metro Krasnopresnenskaya to the Krylatskoye police station in the Kuntsevo area, running roughly every fifteen minutes daily; the journey takes about three-quarters of an hour.
- Bus м3 — from Mokhovaya Street to Serebryany Bor, about thirty-five minutes, also roughly every fifteen minutes; from Serebryany Bor you can continue by taxi to Kuntsevo.
City bus fares are around a dollar when paid with a Troika card or Ediny ticket. For route and schedule information, Moscow Public Transport (transport.mos.ru, +7 495 539-54-54) is the official point of contact.
Taxis and ride-hailing
Taxis are plentiful and inexpensive relative to many European cities. A taxi from central Moscow to Kuntsevo takes roughly twenty minutes in normal traffic and costs in the region of seven to nine dollars. The main operators to look for are Yandex Taxi, Citymobil and Maxim; ride-hailing apps are the easiest way to book, since you get a fixed price up front and avoid negotiating. Note that road distances are longer than the straight-line distance — around twelve miles by road versus ten miles direct — so allow for that when estimating fares and times.
Walking
Kuntsevo is a mixed residential and industrial district, and the areas around the metro stations are the most walkable. The historic core — including the Church of Theotokos Orans and the remnants of the 18th-century palace and park associated with Catherine II — rewards a stroll, as does the Moskva River bank, where Stalin's nearby dacha once stood. Between the stations and the outer residential areas, however, distances are long and the streets are oriented to traffic, so it's sensible to combine walking with a bus or metro hop rather than relying on foot for the whole day.
Getting in from the airport
The reference material does not specify which airport serves Kuntsevo or detail airport transfer options, so the reliable approach is to use the city's rail and metro links: Moscow's airports are connected to the centre by dedicated express trains (Aeroexpress) and suburban rail, and from the central rail terminals you can continue by metro to Molodyozhnaya or Kuntsevskaya. Alternatively, a ride-hailing app booked on arrival will take you directly to Kuntsevo; expect the fare to be higher than an in-city trip, and confirm the price in the app before you set off.
Practical tips
- Get a Troika card early — it works on the metro and city buses and is cheaper than paper single tickets.
- Contactless bank cards are accepted at metro gates and on buses, which is handy for short visits.
- Use the metro or the Belorussky-bound commuter trains for trips to and from central Moscow; both are frequent and inexpensive.
- Book taxis through Yandex Taxi, Citymobil or Maxim rather than hailing on the street.
- Check official operator websites (mosmetro.ru, transport.mos.ru) for current fares and routes, since aggregator estimates can be out of date.