Russia is one of the vast countries in Europe that enjoys many tourist destinations. Many cities on tour to Russia attract tourists. Moscow may be the country's capital, but cities like St. Petersburg, the capital of the Russian Empire for more than two centuries, and Sochi, Russia's most prominent resort on the Black Sea coast, are other tourist destinations that attract a lot of attention to themselves. Many Russian tourist destinations also have modern facilities that are used to attract tourists to Russia. St. Petersburg, for example, is now known as the cultural capital of Russia and has many tourist attractions and many entertainment programs that can entertain tourists for weeks on tour to St. Petersburg. Sochi has also undergone a significant transformation in its tourism infrastructure in recent years, especially after the Winter Olympics in the city. It can entertain travel enthusiasts in many different ways. Sochi has been able to attract the attention of adventure travel enthusiasts, primarily because of its natural attractions such as beautiful beaches, lush forests and spectacular caves, and mountains and winter sports facilities. Nevertheless, among all the tourist destinations in Russia, Moscow, the country's capital, still receives the most attention. The Moscow tour is constantly introduced as one of the most popular entertainment and tourism programs on the Russia tour.
As mentioned, Moscow is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Russia. Every year, millions of tourists travel to Russia to take advantage of the Moscow tour's tourist facilities and entertainment programs. Of course, one of the main reasons for Moscow's high popularity among tourists is a large number of important and well-known tourist attractions in the city. Red Square is one of the most important tourist attractions in Moscow, located in the city center. While visiting the Red Square, tourists will notice that the square also hosts several other important tourist attractions that no tourist should miss the opportunity to visit. St. Basil's Cathedral, which has become an unofficial symbol of Russia since the Soviet Union, is one of the attractions on the square. Gum Mall, State Historical Museum and Lenin Mausoleum are other tourist attractions that we can mention. Next to the Red Square, there is the Kremlin complex and many other important tourist attractions that attract the attention of this number of tourists. Meanwhile, the presence of a large number of entertainments and cultural programs on the Moscow tour has also increased the popularity of this city among tourists. In general, there are many reasons why millions of tourists are attracted to this beautiful and historical city, but hosting this number of tourists requires basic infrastructure in Moscow, one of which is the existence of a suitable international airport. Moscow has three major international airports, two of which we have already talked about: Sheremetyevo International Airport and Domodedovo International Airport. Vnukovo International Airport is the third major international airport in Moscow that we intend to introduce.
Vnukovo International Airport, formally known as Vnukovo Andrei Tupolev International Airport, is named after the famous Tupolev aircraft engineer and designer. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has assigned the VKO airport code to this airport. The airport is located 209 meters above sea level and 28 kilometres southwest of Moscow (center of Moscow) in the Vnukovo District. Vnukovo International Airport is one of the four largest airports in Russia, which in 2019 had a record of more than 24 million passenger traffic, an increase of 14% over the previous year. The airport is jointly operated by the Russian government and the JSC Group and is the main hub for airlines such as Azur Air, Gazpromavia, I-Fly, and Pobeda. Although Vnukovo International Airport used to have three terminals, today, only one of its terminals is active, and both domestic and international flights operate on the same terminal. Of course, the development plans of this airport are under consideration, and in the coming years, we may see fundamental changes in this airport. Vnukovo International Airport is one of the main airports in Moscow, which receives tourists from all over the world, and many tourists on tour to Russia arrive in Moscow through this airport when travelling to Moscow.
Vnukovo International Airport, the oldest airport still operating in Moscow, dates back to the beginning of World War II. Of course, the construction plan of this airport was approved four years before the beginning of the world war, but with the beginning of the world war, the official activity of this airport also started. The airport was initially operated as a military base, but it became a public airport that now hosts millions of tourists on tour to Moscow after the war. The airport was one of Moscow's most important international airports in the 1980s and 1990s, hosting even government guests. As one of the oldest active airports in Moscow, it has undergone many renovations, including a complete overhaul and strategic changes at the airport in late 2003 that increased its capacity. In 2016, all flights from the other airport terminals were transferred to Terminal A so that this terminal, in addition to receiving and departing domestic flights, also hosts foreign flights. Vnukovo International Airport also hosts a small museum that depicts the history of the airport and the history of the Russian air passenger fleet, which tourists can visit upon arrival in Moscow.
Since Vnukovo International Airport is one of the most important international airports in Moscow and one of the four major airports in Russia, there are many amenities for tourists so that no dissatisfied tourists enter or leave Moscow. Since many tourists arrive in Moscow via Vnukovo International Airport during their travel to Moscow, familiarity with the facilities of this airport can help in planning a detailed tour to Russia. The currency exchange centers and ATMs are the most important things for tourists. Inside Vnukovo International Airport, there are several exchange centers and ATMs for tourist use. Of course, we suggest tourists go to the exchange offices in the city to change most of their money because the exchange rate at the airport is different from the city. There are also several cafes and restaurants at Vnukovo International Airport that tourists can use during their travel to Moscow. Tourists can also find souvenir shops, newspaper stands, clothing, cosmetics, and duty-free shops at the airport.
Given the distance from Vnukovo International Airport to the center of Moscow, perhaps one of the essential concerns for tourists is how to travel to the city center. Although most Moscow hotels offer airport-to-hotel transportation, some tourists prefer to travel to the city center in person using public transport. In this case, there are several ways to travel to the city center for tourists, the best and most economical of which is the use of high-speed trains Aeroexpress that transports passengers to the city center in less than forty minutes. Airport taxis, online taxi services through mobile software, and the Moscow bus service are other means of public transportation you can use to travel from the airport to the city center. You can learn more about tips and pieces of advice about travel to Russia by visiting our blog.
