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Have you arrived in the capital and want to spend your time as rationally, usefully and profitably as possible? Then this review article is for you. In Moscow, it is actually quite easy to get lost, and a visitor is seen from afar, so you will immediately be attacked by taxi drivers and granny merchants. Also, they will certainly try to drag you on the most expensive excursions, they will strongly advise you to visit fashionable restaurants and stay in luxury hotels. Not always expensive – it means high quality and convenient. Therefore, we will teach you to rest economically and prudently. Believe me, the capital is so huge and interesting that it would be a pity to spend extra money on maintenance costs like a bed, a toilet, food, etc.
Today we will give you 10 valuable tips on how best to save money in a metropolis, especially if it is Moscow.
10 Housing
Saving money on a hotel by choosing the cheapest option on the Internet is obviously a lost option. There is a risk that you will be “thrown” far from the center or the conditions will be, to put it mildly, unsuitable (mattresses with stains, creaking floors, dusty curtains, etc.). On the other hand, it makes no sense to book accommodation in more economical hotels, for example, in Shakhtar (located in a residential area), where a place for one will cost 1600 rubles. Keep in mind that you will spend most of your time on the road (metro plus traffic jams), on excursions, and also on shopping trips. Therefore, it will be enough to book a bed up to 700 rubles in a shared hostel, which is full right on Red Square. And chat with numerous neighbors – you will learn about other useful “life hacks” of the capital.
9. Third Sunday of the month
We advise you to travel to the capital so that at least 1 day of travel falls on the 3rd Sunday of the month, when many museums and other interesting places in the capital are open for free admission. Of course, there will be nightmarish queues for a “free” raid on cultural places from the very morning, which must also be taken into account. By the way, museums are also free for everyone on the Night of Museums, which is usually held at the end of May and on some holidays (keep track of them according to the annual calendar).
8. Troika Map
If you are going on a trip for a week, then the Troika card will be a profitable purchase. It will be necessary to write down the so-called “unlimited ticket” on it (a day will cost a little more than 200 rubles, three days about 415, a week about 830). This ticket allows you unlimited travel on public transport, which is essential to save valuable time and resources. In order to quickly find the best route between the point of departure and destination, install navigation programs (Google Maps, Yandex Transport, and others). By the way, there are also night minibuses in the capital, which run quite often – every 30 minutes, so you can go home by public transport even at 2-4 am. With a Troika card, such a ticket will cost only 40 rubles.
7. Food
It’s no secret that this is one of the most expensive items when visiting any capital. In a crazy rush and limited time, it is not so easy to plan places where you can have a tasty and inexpensive meal, so we often stop at the choice of catering. The price of an average check in such establishments can reach 1,5 thousand rubles per one. It is much more profitable to buy groceries in the supermarket and quickly cook up a snack in the hostel kitchen. At the same time, for shopping, prefer the famous Auchan and Magnit, inexpensive markets.
6. Restroom
Tourists spend long hours looking at the sights and architecture of the capital, getting from one point to another. No wonder that during the day the issue of “toilet” is raised several times. Dry closets and paid points in parks are not at all pleased with the price, so you need to look for another loophole, for example, visit the water closet of fast food restaurants. The latest in the capital is full on every corner, and you can safely go to the toilet, recover and comb your hair without the need for a mandatory order. Most often, tourists “run” to McDonald’s, Burger King and various pizzerias.
5. Savings in a cafe
For those who are not friendly with the stove at all and are used to eating at least semi-finished products, and at most in a cafe, there are also economical options in the capital. For example, it is important to get to “happy hours”, which often fall at lunchtime from 11 to 16. So you can enjoy a comprehensive hearty business lunch worth up to 500 rubles. Also, canteens (student and “home-style”), patties, pasties, shawarma and dumplings will always help out, where you can eat a large portion of cholesterol, but hearty food for only 100-200 rubles. If you are not too lazy, then on a trip you can look for coupons on special portals that allow you to sit in some decent establishment for a promotion with a 50% discount.
4. Izi.Travel app
A very important and convenient software for those who like to walk around the city all day long. Thanks to the smartphone application, you can make a plan for the main sights and memorable places of the capital, accompanied by your own “audio guide”, which will not chaotically drive you to new points, so much so that there is no time to take pictures (which is typical for people of the profession). There are already a couple of dozens of convenient excursions available in the application that can fill several weeks of your stay in Moscow.
3. Things that can be bought cheaper in Moscow
Many tourists cannot do without traditional shopping in a new place. So, the capital is a losing place in this regard, since clothes, dishes, cosmetics, decor and souvenirs are sold at a huge markup. But! If you hurry up, you can find very profitable places, so much so that prices will be lower than in the provinces. For example, these are the Moskva shopping center, discount centers in the Olympic and on the street. Orzhonikidze, markets, etc. Do not forget about the good old Auchan, as well as economy stores and chains.
2. Free cultural events
Why do people go to the luxurious capital? Of course, for the spectacle, which includes visits to various cultural institutions and events. And even if you missed the third Sunday, do not be upset, because Moscow is a tourist city with a lot of events, including free ones. We offer to track current and available options (lectures, seminars, concerts, performances, performances, exhibitions, etc.) on the Yandex website. Poster (pay special attention to the “Free” section).
1. The cheapest way to get to the capital
And “for a snack”, we left the most burning question for a novice tourist – how profitable it is to get to the capital from local cities of the Russian Federation and other post-Soviet countries. Of course, the bus remains the cheapest way: being on the road for about 13-15 hours, you spend up to 1,5 thousand Russian rubles, respectively, a distance of 1-2 days will cost a couple of thousand. Of course, physically and psychologically, the trip is harder than by plane or train, but it allows you to save up to 50-70% of the cost of transport services. Yes, and modern intercity buses are often equipped with comfortable seats, Internet access and air conditioning. Lucky people can try their luck on a Bla-bla car and leave for the capital for the specified money in a car or a comfortable sprint.
Here is such a useful review for people who are planning a trip to the beautiful and interesting capital of Moscow. Do not be afraid of the metropolis and the notorious chaos, because thanks to access to the Internet in our time, you can solve most of the pressing problems that arise.