At the end of July, the second excursion route on double-decker buses, which runs through the western part of the center of Moscow. The line runs along Novy Arbat, Shevchenko embankment, along Borodinsky bridge, Smolenskaya and Mokhovaya streets, along Ilyinka and past Vasilyevsky Spusk.

We managed to take part in the first voyage of the new route of the red double decker, as well as take a river trip on a sightseeing boat.

Buses depart from Bolotnaya Embankment; the stop is located at the Luzhkov bridge, next to the monument to Repin.

Double deckers and motor ships operate on the principle of Hop On Hop Off, when a tourist can get off for sightseeing at any stop along the tour, and then return and continue the tour on the next bus or water bus.

Views of the factory "Red October" during a tour on the river bus city ​​sightseeing

The fare is 600 rubles for adults, 500 rubles for children over 5 years old, students and pensioners. Free ticket intended for children under 5 years of age. The pass is valid 24 hours. The same conditions apply for sightseeing trips on the ship.

I will add that you can also purchase a combined ticket, which gives you the right to ride buses and boats an unlimited number of times within 48 hours and save a little on each service. The cost of such a ticket is one thousand rubles; it is valid for 24 hours from the moment of the first pass on the bus and within 24 hours from the moment of entering the deck of the excursion boat.

When traveling on a double decker, it is better to sit on the second floor, not only because of the panoramic views and the refreshing summer wind, but also the opportunity to avoid the crush. On the second route, the length of which is 17 kilometers, 32 stops are planned, almost at each of which tourists will get off and on.

Thus, for those who want to drive a full circle without getting off the bus, the second floor guarantees freedom from fuss. The trip will take about an hour and a half, depending on the traffic situation.

The intervals between buses at each stop range from half an hour to 40 minutes. Summer schedule of double deckers, from April to November, from 10:00 to 18:00 (excursion "Golden-domed Moscow") and from 19:00 to 21:30 (excursion "Evening Moscow") on weekdays, as well as from 10:00 to 19:00 and from 19:00 to 22:30 on weekends, respectively.

River buses run a little less often - every hour from 11:00 to midnight, but after 22:00 flights are operated according to the actual weather.

Buses and motor ships are equipped with an audio system for sounding tours in eight languages: Russian, English, German, Spanish, French, Chinese, Italian and Arabic.

Headphones are given free of charge, but their quality does not allow you to enjoy the sound. Mine, for example, fell apart after half an hour, so I had to use my own headphones. In addition, during the movement, due to the roar of the motors, the words of the guide can sometimes not be made out, so you have to listen to the tour at full volume.

There is one more drawback: as it turned out, not all slots work properly. For example, my headphone jack was broken and I had to use my neighbor's jack.

One of the main advantages of a tour of Moscow on a double-decker bus is the opportunity to see the sights at eye level.

Stucco moldings, bay windows and other decorative elements, which pedestrians can only see with their heads held high, are visible on the second floor of the bus almost at a distance of a couple of meters.

And the endless Moscow traffic jams are only an assistant in this.

The slower the bus moves, the more chances to see the architectural details.

However, we must pay tribute to the capital's roads at noon on a weekday, when we went on an excursion.

We only stood for about five minutes a couple of times at traffic lights. Once, however, we got stuck on Gogolevsky Boulevard, losing ten minutes in a traffic jam.

And if the loss of time seems not such a significant drawback of a pleasant walk on a double decker, then the music playing in the headphones in between stories about the sights is clearly an amateur.

Get ready for songs about Moscow performed by Oleg Gazmanov, Alexander Rosembaum, Vladimir Vysotsky and the Bravo group.

Despite some shortcomings of this kind of excursions, this is one of the most pleasant ways to see Moscow without looking at the roofs of cars.

In one hour, a red sightseeing boat with the logo of the City Sightseeing brand makes its way around the Golden Island along the Vodootvodny Canal and enters Gorky Park.

In total there are 33 seats on board.

The view from the open area is much better, but in cold weather and rain you can hide in the covered part of the deck.

Unlike bus tour, in time river walk there are a little less stories about the sights that the ship passes by and more music sounds.

It is better to sail in clear and sunny weather.

The gray sky and rains, if they add romance, then until the first goosebumps appear.

During cool weather, tourists are given blankets.

Excursion river trams run only in the warm season, from May to November.

We traveled by bus and boat around Moscow in a total of two and a half hours.

And, in my opinion, this is the best option for exploring the center of the capital in such a short time. You can have time to see all the key sights, but for those who are not in Moscow for the first time, enjoy the views of the cities from the second floor of the double decker and the deck of the ship.

Double-decker sightseeing tours popular around the world are operated by City Sightseeing. Buses of corporate red color, with the names of cities on the body, run in more than a hundred cities of the world.

In Moscow, the first line was launched in August last year, and by the end of 2013 the company will open another route through the Russian capital.

Natalia Staroverova

In September, progress in the tourism sector came to Moscow! As in all European cities, City Sihgtseeng double-decker sightseeing buses appeared in Moscow. Of course, we did not pass by this event and decided to take a tour on a red double-decker bus around the beautiful Moscow.

It is clear that it is difficult to surprise me with a trip around the Kremlin, but innate curiosity won. The appearance of City Sihgtseeng sightseeing buses is certainly a breakthrough; in many European cities such buses have existed for a long time. But everything in Moscow cannot be like in Europe, because we have our own secrets.
How did the organizers solve the issue of traffic jams? What do we show tourists in Moscow besides the Kremlin?
In general, let's go!

Task number 1. Choose a time for the tour

Opening hours of the double-decker bus: from 10-00 to 18-00 on weekdays, from 10-00 to 19-00 on weekends.
The ticket is valid for 24 hours and cost me 600 rubles.
I went on an excursion on weekdays from 17-00 to 18-00, and naturally the bus was stuck in traffic jams for some time. In order to breathe less exhaust gases, I advise you to go on an excursion on weekends or on weekdays during the daytime.
By the way, there are also night tours: from 20-00 to 21-30 on weekdays, from 19-30 to 22-00 on weekends.

Task number 2. How to find the red tour bus

I managed to find a stop at the very beginning of the bus movement - on Bolotnaya Square. How it looks can be seen in the photo. A small inconspicuous red pillar next to the monuments, opposite the bridge in front of the Tretyakov Gallery, on which there are numerous trees with castles.
In my opinion, it is more convenient to get on the bus at the Teatralnaya Ploshchad bus stop, which is located opposite the Bolshoi Theatre. Here, the metro is nearby, and it’s hard not to notice the stop, or rather the bus itself.
Finding other stops is quite problematic, since they do not have any identification marks.

Task number 3. Deal with prices

Ticket price for one day: adult 800 rubles, children under 13, students and pensioners - 600 rubles.

Ticket price for two days: adults (14-59): 1000 rubles, children (6-13 years old): 800 rubles, pensioners (60+): 800 rubles, students -800 rubles.

This price includes the following bonuses: free headphones, a lot of free maps and guides around Moscow on the first floor of the bus, a 10% discount with a ticket for city tour services in other cities. Also on the ground floor, a handsome guy offers to use a blanket for the duration of the walk, which will not hurt on a cool day.
The tour is conducted in two languages ​​- Russian and English.
But this is a surprise! Apparently, the French, Germans, Spaniards, Japanese, etc. do not come to us ... But we demand that in any hotel in the world they speak Russian with us!

Task number 4. Understand the route of the tour bus

There are currently two bus routes.

Route number 1- Bolotnaya embankment, Serafimovich St., Prechistenskaya Embankment, Volkhonka St., Gogolevsky Boulevard, Arbatskaya Square, Znamenka St., Mokhovaya St., Okhotny Ryad St., Theater Square, Lubyanskaya Square, Red Square ( Vasilyevsky Spusk), Balchug street, Sofia embankment

Route number 2 - Bolotnaya embankment, st. Serafimovich, Mokhovaya st., st. Vozdvizhenka, Novy Arbat st., Kutuzovsky prospect, Ukrainian Boulevard, Taras Shevchenko embankment, st. Bolshaya Dorogomilovskaya, st. Smolenskaya, Smolenskaya-Sennaya Square, Smolensky Boulevard, Smolenskaya Square, Novinsky Boulevard, st. New Arbat, Gogolevsky Boulevard, Soymonovsky passage, st. Znamenka, st. Mokhovaya, Okhotny Ryad St., Theater Square, Teatralny Proezd, Lubyanka Square, New Square, st. Ilyinka, Red Square, st. Bolotnaya, Bolotnaya square, Sofia embankment, st. Balchug, Lubochny Lane.

We tried route #1.

Bus route number 1 includes 18 stops, a full circle lasts about 40 minutes. See the map below.

View City Tour in a larger map
As you can see from the route, all these sights can be walked around in 40 minutes. I do not understand the need for such a bus on such a route. Usually, sightseeing buses ride on big circle, pass such a route that the tourist himself may not master. Well, for example, he does not know how to get to all the sights by metro. Or you just can't figure out the itinerary. And so he comes, pays about 20 euros in Europe and is given a tour in his native language, a well-planned route and a complete picture of the city.
With us, you need to know English or Russian and think that in Moscow the sights are the Kremlin and Mega.
Feel, again smells of Russian spirit. The main thing is that they did, reported, ticked the box. And it is not necessary to think about those who will use this miracle.

I'm going, I'm going, I'm going

I found a bus, bought a ticket, armed myself with guidebooks, prepared to listen. Another task is to find a working radio point. Strange as it may seem, some of them didn't work. And this is provided that the excursion route was launched about a month ago. It’s good that there were not very many people on the bus, and you could choose seats. The bus during my trip was filled by 20 percent, while the first floor was completely empty. Not a season.

To be honest, a few things blew me away during the trip.
The route in my opinion is very short, the circle could have been done more.
Everything is very standard: the Bolshoi Theater - the Kremlin - the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The text read on the audio guide is also very mediocre. Where is everything else? Where is the Moscow Art Nouveau and old lanes? Where are the parks and museums?
The organizers, because of people like you, many people think that in Moscow there is only Red Square, traffic jams and everyone is pushing. This beautiful route will further strengthen this idea in the minds of people.

Is it different sightseeing tour in Moscow, from a city tour in Barcelona or Paris? The double-decker bus itself is the same. The only difference is the presence of a roof and anti-vandal radio stations.
There is no registration of stops in Moscow, while in other cities it is clear to tourists where the stop is.
There are also not enough non-stationary information points where you could get some information about the tour.
Also in Moscow, you need to be prepared for traffic jams, and for the fact that you will have to huge quantities absorb the exhaust gases of cars standing in them.

But there are also positive impressions. From the height of the second floor of the bus, I took good photos, I especially liked the street spans and the view of the Kremlin from the Zamoskvoretsky bridge.

From all of the above, we can conclude that Moscow really began to do something to develop tourism. But for now, we are at the very beginning of the journey.

Well, we are waiting for the appearance of new routes, because the organizers promise that they will appear soon.
City sightseeing official website: www.city-sightseeing.ru or http://hoponhopoff.ru/

Running on gasoline, originates in the 19th century. Since then, this type of mechanical transport has undergone significant changes and has gained great popularity in various areas of life. And this is not surprising - the bus is easy to use, roomy, and its modern models offer maximum comfort.

One of the most interesting models of this transport is the double-decker bus. At one time it was created to increase passenger capacity on London roads. Now such a bus is rarely used as urban transport, but it has found excellent use in the tourism sector.

Double-decker It is intended mainly for the transport of seated passengers, but it also has the ability to travel long distances. Those who sit on the top floor and have the opportunity to explore the surroundings enjoy a special advantage during excursions. Some models of transport have an open top, which is very popular with tourists, but not suitable for rainy days.

The advantages of a bus with two floors are obvious. It accommodates twice as many passengers as a regular one; possesses high maneuverability and dynamics; is highly attractive to tourists. There is a misconception that these buses are prone to rollover, but in fact, they are all equipped with an anti-rollover mechanism.

It is worth considering that a double-decker bus has a number of inconveniences. In particular, a high garage of great height and the development of a route that excludes low bridges and the proximity of trees.

Now double-decker buses are produced by several companies different countries. Among them are the Swedish concern Volvo, the German company MAN and its subsidiary NEOMAN, as well as the German bus manufacturer Mersedes-Benz.

Travel companies willingly use the MAN bus for excursions. The Man Wagon Union model has a large retractable roof, which allows you to view long distances in the warm season. This model is used exclusively as a tourist bus.

For a large group of passengers, the Man Jonckheere model is ideal. It is designed for 75 seats, equipped with air conditioning, microphone, DVD system and toilet.

The Man Lion, s City DD model, designed for 85 passengers, has an even greater capacity. This bus is the epitome of transport comfort. It provides places and ramps for the disabled, wide aisles, a spacious store with folding backs, two stairs. Moreover, the staircase on the back platform is designed so that you can go directly to the second floor, bypassing the first. The bus has three wide entrances and a low-floor ground floor with no steps. The height of this model is more than 4 meters, so the view from the second floor gives an amazing feeling. Driving a bus is pure pleasure - everything is aimed at reducing fatigue and distracting the driver. The work of the liner is “monitored” by a special computer program.

The double-decker bus is increasingly being introduced into the tourism sector, as it fully pays for its costs. Tourists always prefer a double decker for trips. In addition, it benefits from a large capacity.

Bus tours around Moscow are divided by duration and subject. Tourists will like some walks, others will surprise even Muscovites by opening new pages of their native city.

Sightseeing tours

An excellent option for the first acquaintance with Moscow. A two-hour guided tour on a large comfortable bus with panoramic windows will allow you to see the main sights:

• Red Square;
• Manezhnaya Square;
• Sparrow Hills;
• Poklonnaya mountain;
• Sofia and Bersenevskaya embankments.

Trips around Moscow during the day are carried out daily - five trips on weekdays, and additional excursions on weekends. Buses can depart from the Square of Three Stations and VDNKh. Ticket price from 600 ₽. For information about the schedule for June-July 2019 and the order rules, see the tour page.

Suburbs

Very close to the capital historical places and architectural monuments. Bus tours take from 6 to 8 hours. Popular: to the village of Arkhangelskoye, Dubrovitsky temple, to the cathedrals of Moscow and the Moscow region. Longer routes - to Pereslavl-Zalessky, Kolomna, the village of Konstantinovo, Vyazma, Suzdal.

What does not happen in life, now I know how it goes tours of Moscow on a double-decker bus with audio guides :). And why not, in every decent European city there are. They are called "hop-on - hop-off", that is, "enter-exit". You buy a ticket for 1 or 2 days and you can ride, leaving and returning to the bus at least at every stop.

Tour of Moscow on a double-decker bus

So in Moscow, I had a chance to ride on the “hop-on-hop-off”. Actually, I intended to get into the Tretyakov Gallery, but the queue at the entrance did not inspire me. Standing on the street in such dank weather is not cool, I went where my eyes look, that is, forward. And on Bolotnaya Square I saw a red double-decker bus approaching, here they have the beginning and end of the ring route, right opposite the Luzhkov Bridge.

So, bus tour in Moscow on a red double-decker bus. Photo again from a smartphone, sorry :).

Tickets and benefits

The ticket price, of course, is quite biting for a banal excursion (especially with the recording of an audio guide, which you can neither ask clarifying questions nor listen to again if you get distracted). But then she and Moscow. How much does a 2 day city tour cost?

Because tickets are not sold for one day, only for two:

• 1200 rub. for adults
• 1000 rub. for pensioners and students,
• 800 for children under 13 and disabled people of 2-3 groups.
• Family tickets are cheaper (from 3,000 rubles for three).
• Free - weekdays only! - for children under 6 years old, disabled people of the 1st group, veterans of the Great Patriotic War and pensioners over 75 years old, journalists and hotel concierges.

For foreigners, all tickets for 300 rubles. expensive.

View all current prices (which are likely to increase in June due to the 2018 FIFA World Cup) and buy tickets online in advance

I don't qualify for any of the eligible categories. Well, why not feel like a tourist, especially in such weather and in a warm bus. Maybe I'll find out something interesting about familiar places. I paid, received a map of Moscow and headphones, and climbed to the second floor.

True, upon closer examination of the issued map with routes, it turned out that 200 rubles. you could still save if you have a ticket from the Moscow museum (I just had a couple of tickets lying around in my bag) or 30% upon presentation of a check from the Detsky Mir chain of stores.

But they do not warn about this in advance, the card is issued after paying for the ticket. The steward refused to recalculate the tax. Say, who knows, he enjoys discounts. I wonder if anyone else goes on these tours?

Route they have two, duration without traffic jams:

• red #1 around the Kremlin — 1 hour, 10 km, 18 stops - Red Square - Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge - Factory "Red October" - Sofiyskaya Embankment (Drummer Cinema) - Sofiyskaya Embankment (Balchug Street),
• green number 2- through Sparrow Hills and Kyiv railway station— 2 hours, 20 km, 25 stops (Bolotnaya Square — Udarnik Cinema — Pushkinsky Bridge (on request) — Viewpoint on Vorobyovy Gory - "Europe Square" - "Kyiv Station" - Taras Shevchenko Embankment - Hotel "Ukraine" - Berth of the Radisson Flotilla - Borodinsky Bridge - Novinsky Boulevard - Cinema "October" - Moscow House of Books - Arbat Square - Patriarchal bridge- Moskvoretsky bridge - Zaryadye - Kotelnicheskaya embankment).

Routes sometimes change, during traffic jams, detours are possible.

With a purchased ticket, you can ride on both routes an unlimited number of times, get off at stops for sightseeing, shopping or for other needs, and then back to the bus (the interval on the red route is 15-20 minutes, on the green route - 30-40 minutes). )

Tour bus timetable

Start:

Buses on the short and long lines start running at 10 am from Bolotnaya Square all year round, seven days a week. The interval of the short route is 15 minutes, the long route is 30.

The ending:

Summer, from May to October, the last flight of both routes departs at 18:00.

in winter, from November to April:

On weekdays: short red route number 1 - at 17:00, long green route number 2 - 16:40 .

On weekends and holidays: red route #1 and green route #2 — 17:20 .

Both routes on Bolotnaya:

Excursion

The second floor of the bus is half heated, the back is for the warm season, with an opening top:

It is really more interesting to look from the second floor, you can see the stucco molding on the walls of the houses.

The tour is conducted in eight languages, you can switch to Russian, English, German, Spanish, French, Chinese, Italian or Arabic in your headphones.

The audio guide, of course, is tuned to the tourists of the first wave, do not expect any special details about the buildings from it, although the story is slightly flavored with rumors and jokes. Well, for foreigners, there are many explanations like this: Muscovites called the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff the “Russian Pentagon”, and Novy Arbat was “Moscow's Las Vegas” before the casino was banned.

pros sightseeing bus tour "hop-on - hop-off":

• you can ride for two days on one ticket, get off at interesting stops and take the next bus,
• in the cold season, you can warm up, if you don’t rush anywhere, you can roll 2-3 laps :),
• in summer you can buy a bus + boat ticket.

Bus audio guides, unlike live guides, of course, have their own minuses:

• the description of the objects you pass includes a steward. Accordingly, you will not be able to clarify or ask again. And even rewinding and re-listening (if you are suddenly distracted), as in individual museum audio guides, will not work.
• Since traffic jams are not uncommon in Moscow, especially weekdays, the pauses that have arisen are sometimes filled with general facts about the city, but their frequency also depends on the mood of the steward.

In general, the impression of excursions on Moscow double-decker buses is as follows: for those who came for the first time, the price for two days of walking is quite reasonable, for foreign tourists with the current exchange rate - generally a freebie.

Just do not forget to take checks from Detsky Mir or museum tickets with you before the trip :).

Write your reviews about "hop-on - hop-off" tours, it's interesting to compare.

However, for that kind of money you can ride the metro in two days, and still have some left over for museums.

Or take a tour with a live guide who you can ask questions:

And in the center in good weather it is better to walk on foot, it is still quite close.

By the way, there is, it turns out to be free hiking on Red Square, on Tuesdays from 14:00 to 15:00:

There is also a cool option for an excursion even for Muscovites, a walk on the roofs of Moscow is very cool, breathtaking views and so many pictures you can take:

Necessary services for travelers:
Tickets:	Housing:
On the plane: Aviasales- the cheapest flights.