MOSCOW SHEREMETYEVO AIRPORT   Passenger Reviews

Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport review by Greg Galik

25 August 2007   Customer Rating :

Never again. Terrible, no place for rest, people sit, eat, sleep on every available square centimetre. Not many of them left as the airport is packed with shops selling the same stuff. You will be well informed where to buy grog, cigarettes, perfumes, but you will never find a sign where is the only one information. Friendly advice to the airport management, there is some spare spaces in the toilets, you can put some shops there.

Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport review by R Rees

10 August 2007   Customer Rating :

Arrived at Sheremetyevo on a 12 hour flight from LA and all of the horror stories I read about this airport were true. The plane was parked on the tarmac and we were bussed to the terminal and passport control. At passport control there were about 1000 people all trying to get through only two lines for foreigners and one line for residents - I was in line for 1 hour 45 minutes. After passport control is the baggage claim area - the only way I can describe it was "complete chaos"! The conveyor belt that carried our baggage was broken and so the workers were crawling back into the unload area and dragging our baggage from there and then throwing in on a huge pile! Luckily I spotted my bag and was able to get a Russian worker to retrieve it for me from behind the wall where it was sitting. I left the airport as quickly as possible, thankful I made it through such an awful place with my baggage.

Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport review by Sally Fraser

31 July 2007   Customer Rating :

Sheremetyevo 2. Flying Lufthansa to Frankfurt on a Friday afternoon. We found this airport to be pleasant and efficient. The layout is good with lots of places to eat and drink and many duty free shops to wander around. Security, customs and check in all went without a hitch and took about 15 minutes in total although we did see longer queues later in the afternoon. Toilets are not the best and mostly without paper. Two problems we encountered are no escalators to the first floor and also once you check through your departure gate, you cannot come out again. Once inside this area, there is very limited plastic seating and no other facilities, so stay outside in the duty free area until your flight is ready to board. There are illuminated signs at each boarding gate displaying the flights leaving from it and you don't have to walk miles to get to them as they are all off the main area in a circular fashion. Would use this international airport again.

Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport review by Nick Fortuna

27 June 2007   Customer Rating :

I've had the misfortune of travelling through Sheremetyevo 2 on a variety of Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa and Aeroflot flights at least once per month over the past 10 years. While announcements were made with much fanfare regarding various facilities upgrades, not much has happened. Sure, border control staff got new cubicles, the dreadful copper ceiling features were removed in the arrivals area, and a couple of plasmas installed - nothing made this airport any more appealing. Morning departures on weekends are the pits - mainly Aeroflot flights leaving and pax queuing well into the main terminal just to get through customs and baggage screening. Check-in is flight-specific and only starts two hours before departure. Once past Customs, one cannot get back into the main terminal building. Not that there is anything to do there. Avoid mid-afternoon arrivals if you can - most of the European flights arrive then. Avoid weekends during summer - charters galore and arrivals queues right up the stairs can take hours to clear. There are no defined queues and processing speeds vary among the border control staff. Duty free shopping overpriced - and in Euro to boot. Irish pub a disgrace - soggy microwaved ham/cheese croissants for around 5 euros. On plastic plates. Draft beers often unavailable. Lots of locals smoking under no-smoking signs. Most lounges upstairs, but no elevators/escalators to get you there. Only one shop sells foreign language reading material - and only accepts rubles. No seating until the gate area. Beware that this is a one-way trip through hand-baggage screening. No toilets, no way back into the main area and no refreshments. What toilets there are scattered around the airport are terrible. Once you've collected the baggage and head out into the dingy arrivals hall, the entire Moscow taxi mafia is there to greet you and offer an 'official' taxi. Best strategy: arrange your pick-up in advance otherwise you'll cop the foreigner surcharge. One bright spot: when it is not busy, I've managed to be in my car within 15 minutes of stepping off the plane. Unless you can't, avoid!

Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport review by J Icban

14 May 2007   Customer Rating :

To be blunt this airport sucks. The other airport across town, Domodedovo, is slightly better, but not by much. Getting through passport control takes anywhere between 5 minutes to an hour, depending on how busy it is. Best way to get through is just not smile, don't say a word unless asked, get your baggage, and get out of there. Staff are unfriendly and unhelpful. Getting out of their isn't too bad. You go through passport control, and into the departure area. There are a couple of decent duty-free shops and a couple of overpriced restaurants and bars there. But while waiting there is no place to sit down, other than a few uncomfortable seats. Nasty bathrooms, too. It's already hard enough as it is going to Russia, with their strict visa regulations. Going through their airport in Moscow-Sheremetyevo doesn't make things any better. In sum, if going through Moscow and through Russia, try going through Domodedovo Airport instead. They have international flights coming from a few countries in Europe, such as Switzerland and the UK. And one more note, if going to Russia, be sure that you thoroughly do your research, much of this information can be found online, as to how to get through customs, how to get into town from the airport, how to transfer from one terminal to another, etc. Because unless you have a friend picking you up there, if you've never been to Russia and don't know anything about it, it will be very difficult as there will be no one there to help you.

Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport review by Neil Allison

9 May 2007   Customer Rating :

Aeroflot from London LHR to Bangkok via SVO return. On the outward journey I was issued with boarding cards for both sectors (only after insisting at LHR check in where the Air France handling staff were not helpful). On arrival at SVO I was faced with a huge queue at the transfer desks manned by 2 personnel. There were at least 200 people from several flights crammed into a totally inadequate space. I had to persuade a security guard that it was unnecessary for me to queue up as I already had my boarding card for SVO-BKK - she eventually let myself and several other passengers through a side door into the departure area - I only just made the onward flight to Bangkok. My luggage did not make the transfer, but was delivered to my address in Thailand the following day. On the return journey I only had a boarding card for BKK-SVO so had to collect a boarding card for SVO-LHR at the transfer desks. About 75 passengers all in a similar position - no one appeared at the desks for 15 minutes after our flight landed. Then 2 personnel appeared - luckily they dealt with the London passengers first, but a lot of pushing and shoving - no proper queue etc. Quite stressful and totally unnecessary - I normally fly Glasgow to BKK on Emirates via Dubai - an absolute breeze as you are always given boarding cards for both sectors and pass swiftly into the departure lounge at Dubai Airport. Why can't the Russians get this right! My luggage also did not make the transfer on the return journey - I am now back in Scotland waiting for it to arrive by road transport from LHR!

Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport review by Norman Sutherland

4 April 2007   Customer Rating :

Arrived and Departed both through SVO 1 and 2. On SVO 2 arrivals was slick and quick - through in 20 minutes. Departures in SVO 2 was less efficient. I found the Restaurants landside very expensive, and airside poor in quality and in selection. Although flying Lufthansa Business Class I was not allowed to use the Lufthansa Lounge, which was virtually empty. Gold Card Members only. SVO 1 Arrivals was very crowded, congested and disorganised - about 45 minutes to get out of the terminal. Departures as evidenced by other posts here is the worst part of this airport and the worst of any Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport review by . About 15 minutes from SVO 1 to SVO 2 in mid morning.

Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport review by David Pryer

29 March 2007   Customer Rating :

Transferred SVO 2 international to SVO 1 domestic. Complimentary minibus transfer between terminals was easy enough and as I was through ticketed MAN-AMS-SVO-KZN I could travel luggage free. My bag however didn't make the transfer, and, although found quickly enough by SVO staff, it didn't arrive in Kazan for another two weeks. SVO 1 is the pits.

Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport review by Szabolcs Mihalyi

26 March 2007   Customer Rating :

4hr stay at SVO on my way from ZRH to BOM. Clean and functional with the charm of communist eighties architecture. Had to present my passport and boarding pass for SVO-BOM (that I already had received in ZRH) at the transit desk, before I was let through to the transit area. This is one big narrow path with shops left and right. Upstairs on the arcade are several lounges and restaurants. No place to sit, except in the restaurants or the waiting lounges next to the gates, where you don't want to spend several hours of waiting, as there is neither shops nor bars nor toilets inside. Given the missing places to sit on I decided to do like all transit passengers seem to do: camping on the corridor's floor upstairs after having bought beer and water for the waiting time. As an experienced rucksack traveller I did not mind, but I am sure others - eg. business travellers in economy or people jetlagged from a longhaul flight - might perceive this situation differently.

Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport review by Vincent Daniele

26 February 2007   Customer Rating : n/a

My first time in Russia, I don't speak Russian and understand less! I had arrived at the International airport and had a 13 hour layover. So I stayed there for 5 hours and then went to the other airport for my domestic flight. Here's my tip, stay at the international as long as you can, it has everything you need. I found it delightful, plenty of food and seats, if you smoke you can sit, eat and have your smoke at your table. There are shops, internet, I think it was great. The domestic airport is different, nothing to do and not many seats, and not as clean. And a $20 cab ride door to door is well worth it. If you have a long layover you can check you bags for a few bucks and don't have to drag them around with you. So forget the horror stories and look forward to it! Oh, one last tip, put a roll of toilet paper in your carry on!

Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport review by John Marchant

29 January 2007

An absolute dungeon. I have to fly through here 10x year due to my job location (Bishkek, KG). Connecting layovers can easily hit double digits in terms of hours. As I write this I am going on 11 hours waiting for my connecting flight to Bishkek. Priority Pass will let you into the "lounge" but it is marginal at best. I would recommend taking only carry on luggage. Those of us that travel through here frequently have renamed the airport Shitemetyevo. Better yet, route through Istanbul, a wonderful airport and if you have a long layover Turkish Air will provide you with a nice hotel room, unlike here where they want $300 for a hotel room. I love the sign hanging outside duty free "Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport review by - It's Another World". Yes, it is! Please bulldoze this airport.

Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport review by Rob McKenzie

20 November 2006

I use Sheremetyevo airport about once a month to return home to Athens or London. Getting checked in is always a pain. Travelling with Aeroflot, they don't open the check in for each flight until 2 hours before departure. So everyone queues up and clogs the security while waiting. And of course the queue is just a mad dash from all sides to get a seat. After that passport control is usually simple. Arriving is another matter. There are plenty of duty free shops, and prices are reasonable. They've recently installed further security at the gate. Be prepared to take off your shoes. Arrival can be a completely different matter. Early morning arrivals appear to be much easier. Getting through passport control can take as little as 20 minutes. Evening arrivals can mean an hour and a half wait. But don't worry, your bags may still not be there for you. So allow about an hour on average to get landside. On the whole the airport is a pit. It had seen better days 20 years ago, and is nothing like a modern airport.

Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport review by Yevheniy Kahanovych

17 November 2006

I use SVO about once a month flying usually to and from T1. Immigration lines on arrivals are ok, about 20 minutes or so. Immigration staff are polite (if you greet them, they respond what they didn;t do, for example, 2 years ago). Everything else is just as bad as it was during old soviet era. Dirty restrooms, dark halls, long lines everywhere. If even departure from there is a sort of torture, I can't imaging what transiting through there (especially changing terminals) is like. The airport continues to be shabby and badly managed place. Avoid it if you can.

Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport review by Roseanne Sherman

15 November 2006

I fly into and out of Sheremetyevo 1 and 2 at least 6 times a year, and I absolutely dread it. The immigration lines are ALWAYS incredibly long - I have had to wait up to 3 hours in line at times. Luggage seems to always survive, though. This airport is always incredibly noisy and people are generally unhelpful. It is true that getting to Terminal 1 from Terminal 2 is interesting and the cab drivers will rip unsuspecting passengers off. The only positive thing I have to say about this airport is there are plenty of duty free shops and there is no charge for luggage trolleys at Terminal 2. There are no luggage trolleys at Terminal 1. SVO-2 has 2 business class lounges; I have only been to one of them. They are nothing special. They just get you away from the noise of the airport.

Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport review by Christian Thurneisen

5 November 2006

International flights usually arrive at SVO-2, where the immigration- procedure takes place, not really in an efficient way, so plan 1 hour to get outside! Now you have to change the terminals, ignore the taxi- drivers completely, unless you are in a terrible hurry to reach your domestic flight at SVO-1: They want to charge you ridiculous prizes, even if you are speaking Russian... So take a yellow transit-bus for some roubles or the free white one (if you are lucky and the bus is about to arrive). For searching bus and getting to SVO-1 plan half an our. Arrived at the domestic terminal SVO-1, you have to pass security first, then try to find your check-in. Don't try too long, get to the immense crowd shifting inside the doors to the counters: finally everyone will arrive at the same "desk". Plan another hour for this. SVO-2 to SVO-1 checked in = 2,5h for non SVO-experienced travellers. If you don't like to sit on the floor, go upstairs, have a look at the impressing scenery with very interesting planes and take some coffee or vodka at the bar. Concerning the check-in for the Aeroflot flight to Kamchatka: The friendly staff found a solution for ANY kind of baggage people were carrying to the counter: tents, small paddle-boats and so on. Don't worry, your baggage will come with you (don't ask me, how it gets from Western Europe to SVO-2)

Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport review by Farouk Mogheth

2 November 2006

I am afraid that the horror stories are notnig but true. Flew Bangkok - SVO- Prague and had the honour of remaining in SVO terminal 2 for 7 hours. The transit system is more than strange where you are waiting for 1 employee to process so many people, then a lady comes taking your passport and ticket..taking you to a transit window (far tooo small for the crowds) and disappearing. The airport itself is old and an embarrasement however this wasnt the main problem. The main problem is the absolutely TERRIBLE and negative approach the staff has there towards people. miserable attitude, rude and they simply couldnt care less. The so called business clas lounge wanted to charge me EUR80 per hour for a lounge that seemed rather like a forgotten attic room with no drinks or decent sofas! got barked on since they take only cash and only Rubbles... no plastic accepted. atleast 6 items were mysteriously borrowed by someone from my bags (bags waiting in transit in cargo) Quite sad since Aeroflot itself is an OK airline and flying with them was not bad however I will never use them again since I dread the thought of spending another minute in Moscow Sheremetyovo not even if I got miles on my frequent flyer. My assessment is that travelling through moscow (even for a very great price) is not a civilised manner to fly. I would rather pay a lot more to bypass this city.

Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport review by Wes Rankin

5 October 2006

It's crazy to think that Terminal 1 is across the tarmac from Terminal 2, and yet you need to take a shuttle bus or marshrutka to get from one to another. Have small change handy, because my driver refused to take my 50 RUR for the 15 RUR ride. The airport is frustrating, but just realize beforehand that you cannot enter or check in until two hours before your flight. You go through security first, then you check in via a random mish-mash of lines that somehow converge at ONE desk (one agent). After that you go through customs, then more security, then if you're lucky you can sit on the floor and wait for your flight to leave. But by the time you're done waiting in line it's probably time for your flight to leave anyway, so floor-sitting is at a minimum.

Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport review by Alane Enyart

26 August 2006

I flew to Moscow via Amsterdam and on to Ufa, Russia and return in July, 2006. I had no problems either way. Customs was a breeze. Ignore the Sheremetyevo horror stories. Be sure to allow enough time get from Shermetyevo 1 to Sheremetyevo 2 (for domestic flights) as it is about a 15 minutes bus ride around the airport.

Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport review by Eloneid Nobre

22 August 2006

I travelled last August 12, to Tokyo and I had to change my flight in Sheremetyevo airport. It was a big nice surprise for me. My check-in at transit was almost immediate. Nothing was complicated. I have no problems. I spent a few nice hours in that Airport.

Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport review by Volodya Bilotkach

11 July 2006

My advice - do not fly through this airport. The transit process is simply ridiculous - you are not checked through to your destination, so you have to wait at the transit counter in the totally disorganized crowd. From time to time they shout out the destinations of those flights ready to depart. In my case, I spent about an hour in the transit area (an hour I could have spent wasting money in the duty-free and supporting the Russian economy). Once through the transit, I was in the mix of Soviet and modern stuff - Soviet architecture and modern shops (high-end ones, of course). Had a beer at the bar - price similar to any other airport in Europe or the USA (KBP is cheaper). Summary - ridiculous transit and unimpressive interior - if you contemplate flying through this airport, give yourself at least three hours between flights.

Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport review by David Bajomi-Lazar

11 July 2006

One of the worst airports in Europe. You often have to wait up to seven hours for your connecting flights and there are very few seats. Many passengers sleep on the floor like homeless people. There are some nice and expensive shops but it's impossible to buy roubles, and it's very difficult to buy basic products. There are some restaurants but the food is not good. Staff are unfriendly, especially at passport and security control.

Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport review by Koji Asada

5 July 2006

We flew into Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport review by to transit from Barcelona to Tokyo. It was BAD. We arrived at 7am and there was no one to take care of us. We were stuck in front of the transit area. We couldn't get in to the transit area for 2 hours. No one would help us and no one could speak English. When we wondered around we were yelled to go back to the transit gate. I was even slapped by one of the officers. No food nor no drinks for two hours. Finally after calling Japan to take care of the situation, someone came to check our passport and let us into the transit area. What a nightmare! The transit area is small and people are unfriendly. They don't know how to smile. Avoid this airport if possible.

Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport review by Ian Morley

15 May 2006

I'd heard a lot of bad stories about this airport - we came in on a domestic flight - no problems although we had to wait until the Vladivostock flight baggage had been cleared before we could get ours (why I ask when they have plenty of carousels). Departed internationally - have flown from Domededova before which was an absolute nightmare - this was a dream compared to that - whisked through check in, customs, passport control. The only downside was that there are very few seats at the gate so most people had to stand. To add to the pleasure the food (although stodgy) and the staff at TGI fridays made a pleasant end to time spent in Russia.

Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport review by Tim Evans

9 May 2006

I was contemplating chaos but there were only 6 people in front of me at the immigration. I was a little lucky; soon there were 50 behind me. I got through in about 15 minutes; they look closely at every passport. So have it all in order. Then the bags came through 10 minutes later. Not too bad at all. 5 days later I left. Waited in pleasant departure hall. Had a beer and chips at nice buffet and watched the flight plan display. At exactly 2 hours before flight went through customs scanner and stood behind 14 people. Within 20 minutes I was past check-in. Then a 3 minute wait at immigration.

Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport review by Jade Barrett

28 April 2006

I have to say we had absolutely no problems, the airport is lovely, the queue for customs takes a bit of time but that's about it. On our way back again it was fine and there was nice places to eat or have a drink. So no complaints whatsoever!

Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport review by Tien-Lun Yao

25 March 2006

Getting out from plane to ground transportation was no problem. But to check-in is a disaster: first security to enter building, second to clear customs, third you can check-in but only for dedicated flights at dedicated counters. Lufthansa runs two Business Class counters which took a long time. A third counter only for cabin baggage pax and only on request of agent. Before you are getting to the gate, the security again. And finally the gate. LH-Business Class pax: Be sure to use first flight or to be higher than Silver only: no lounge access! And the airport is not a nice place to stay. There are a lot of stores but I had the impression it was cheaper to buy on the streets. None is interested if you buy or not and just ignoring you. One plus: If you ever wanted to see highlights of Soviet Architecture you are at the perfect place! And have a Russian dictionary with you. Not all signs are bilingual!

Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport review by Ian McClelland

30 November 2005

Flew into and out of Sheremetyevo in November 2005. Despite some refurbishing going on around the Terminal, we encountered no problems whatsoever. Took less than 30 minutes to exit the plane and clear Customs. The staff were courteous and professional, if somewhat serious. But that can happen anywhere. Our only suggestion is not to be loud or pushy, but show a little respect and patience.

Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport review by Malcolm Hayes

30 October 2005

Flew into Sheremetyevo late afternoon on 24 October from Prague. Perhaps we were just lucky but the experience was nothing like the horror stories I have read elsewhere. We took just 10 mins to get through immigration (staff were fine) and within a further 10 mins we had collected our luggage and were boarding the taxi (get your hotel to arrange a pick up).

Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport review by Federico Muscogiuri

29 August 2005

SVO is a rather user-unfriendly, unpleasant, inefficient airport. While Moscow has changed dramatically Sheremetyevo seems to be caught in a 1970s soviet-era time-warp. Staff are universally unfriendly, queues are the norm, and above all I don't understand why there is no direct bus service to Moscow and people have to take a cramped, minibus to Rechnoy Vozkal metro station in order to get to town. Avoid it if you have a chance.

Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport review by Bryan Clydesdale

25 August 2005

Flew into Moscow SHEREMETYEVO 2 airport from Dubai on August 3rd to transit to SHEREMETYEVO 1 to fly to St Petersburg. Make sure you complete landing card before going through passport control. Some taxi drivers but not aggressive and simply said "No thanks". A free Transit Bus is available every hour. Bus Stop is outside with other Bus Stops and is clearly labelled. No special space on bus for luggage so put our bags in the aisle. SHEREMETYEVO 1 was crowded but no real problem to get through. Make sure you listen to departure information and check gate numbers.

Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport review by Dave Harper

12 August 2005

Fly into Moscow's Domomedevo airport from Brussels. It's a privatised independent airport and runs like a top. Sheremetyevo 2 is bad enough. Try transferring and flying out of Sheremetyevo1. Take the train instead. Runs on time and very pleasant.

Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport review by Cat Mohan

18 May 2005

I arrived into Moscow (SVO-2) last week. The arrival at the airport wasn't exactly welcoming (guards standing at the end of the ramp solemning eyeballing the passengers as they entered the terminal) but it wasn't so bad either. We got through the immigration process fairly quickly and since we didn't check bags, I can't say I've experienced the baggage claim process coming in. Fortunately, I was with my husband and he travels to Moscow occasionally for business so he knew the process. We stayed the week in Moscow and I started to get nervous about returning home because I would have to go back through the airport alone. I found this website and read the comments here. Needless to say, I got even more nervous. Fortunately, my husband told me that when I enter the airport to look at the large board with the flight departures on it. He said it would flash from Russian to English (I was flying to JFK in NYC). I would need to wait until there are flashing green lights beside the flight to proceed to the delta desk. As it turns out, when I got to the airport, the green lights were already flashing beside my flight so I proceeded to the delta desk. My passport/ticket/bags had to be checked first and this took a long time in line because I chose the wrong line (hmmm, just like the grocery store) with a trainee. They were extremely polite to me, as was the girl who inspected my bags. Made it to the delta desk finally, no wait there, and checked one of my bags (I had more stuff, souvenirs). From there another passport check which was painfully slow. After standing in that line for about 30 minutes, it looked like someone came and told the passport people to step it up because people were going to miss their flights. The pace picked up considerably. I proceeded to my gate - there were only 2 to choose from at this point - and went through another baggage check, once again checked by a friendly Russian lady. Overall, the experience was not so bad after all but I got the impression that maybe some of the previous negative feedback may have contributed to the Russians trying to make a more streamlined process. For example, all of the checkpoints (passport, bags, tickets) were queued, very orderly. You could tell the the Russians are trying to make their airport work more efficiently and with a little more experience, they may have an easy to navigate airport.