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So you’ve just landed in Moscow! Congratulations! Prepare yourself for the experience of a lifetime, but first you need to get yourself out of the airport. Chances are you will land in Sheremetyevo airport in the north of the city, but Domodedovo in the south is becoming more popular and British Airway flights land there. If you can organise it, try and arrive there instead of Sheremetyevo, it’s a much nicer airport. Sheremetyevo has the unfortunate reputation as being one of the worst airports in the world, and I’d have to agree. To put it plainly, it is a dump and not the best introduction to Russia. Arriving there can be stressful as it’s not very well organised, luggage has a habit of going AWOL, and you face long visa queues. The jaded ‘60s style décor is hard on the eye, as are the steely-eyed airport staff who will not bother with pleasantries. Do not expect a ‘Welcome to Russia’ vibe. But saying that don’t worry, everyone has to go through this. Be patient and you will eventually make it through to the arrivals gate to be greeted by a lounge jam packed with jostling Russians and taxi drivers clad in black leather jackets shouting ‘taxi’.

It’s up to you if you want to take them up on this but be warned, it is very expensive. The 40 minute car ride into the centre can set you back $40, probably more if they think they can get away with it. It is a lot quicker and will save you having to find your accommodation yourself. A lot of hostels arrange airport collection which could work out quite cheap and much easier. But if you are up for a challenge and don’t arrive after 10pm, I’d recommend public transport. Just outside arrivals are lots of little minibuses or ‘marshutkhas’ which will take you to last stop on the northern metro lines (the green, grey and purple line). To check they do go to the metro ask ‘metro?’ to which you will probably hear ‘da’ - easy enough. They cost about 35 roubles, which you give to the driver, and take 30 minutes depending on traffic which can stand still during rush hour. Pile on your luggage and watch out of the window as you pass the biggest-earning IKEA complexes in Europe and crazy drivers bombing it into town!

Get off at the last stop and prepare for the best metro ride of your life. Buy a ticket from the window (one journey costs 10 roubles), put your ticket through and on you go. Because you are at the end of a metro line you will only be able to board a train going to the centre. You will not have to wait long, there is usually a train a minute. There will be plenty of seats and room for luggage so have a seat, relax and look at the amazing underground stations as you whizz past. There are metro maps stuck inside each carriage written in Russian and English, so make sure you know what station you need. It is a very simple system, consisting of a main circle line and all other lines cutting through it and meeting in the middle. You may need to change lines so get ready, the doors close quickly and the carriages soon fill up.

When you’ve made it to your station find an exit ‘BIXOD’ and make your way into the streets of Moscow. Moscow is not a good place to arrive in with no pre-booked place to stay because it is so big and budget accommodation is limited. Chances are it’s your hostel that has issued you with your invitation anyway. Make sure you get the name of the closest metro station and detailed directions. If you have a street map and feel confident about finding the hostel with Cyrillic street signs, go for it! You can always ask a passer-by for help if you get lost, but you will probably get the directions in Russian. Otherwise you can stop a car and see if they know the hostel address, but this could be dodgy.

At the hostel the first thing you will have to do is show your passport and fill out a form giving details such as your passport number, date of birth etc. Next you’ll be shown your room where you can dump your luggage and head out for your first bit of sightseeing. The first place you visit is non-negotiable - Red Square and the Kremlin. You will probably have to metro it again, but you know how it works by now. Red Square is stunning by night, it will take your breath away. All the images you ever had of Moscow will be borne out. Walk around Red Square and digest the beauty of St Basils, see the Kremlin and the Alexandr Gardens, head down to the River Moskva, enjoy being in Russia.

Now, sightseeing is hungry work: where to eat? There are lots of places around here. Walk away from Red Square up Moscow’s main street, Tverskaya, and you can choose anywhere along there. About 10 minutes away on Bolshaya Nikitskaya is Café Pirogi. One of several in Moscow, it’s a young and trendy café with really nice food. If you feel ready for your first proper vodka you can stay in Pirogi or wander around: there are no shortage of bars or kiosks.

I’ll leave you to enjoy the rest of your first night in Moscow. Just remember the last metro leaves its final route point at 01:00, but don’t worry, they start again at 05:30 so you’ve got all night. Make the most of it and say your first Russian toast for me!