2003 safari gmc gas mileage

Click here to see important news regarding the aCar App

• Browse Vehicles

GMC Safari MPG

71 GMC Safaris have provided 763 thousand miles of real world fuel economy & MPG data. Click here to view all the GMC Safaris currently participating in our fuel tracking program.

• 14.4 Avg MPG
• 300 Fuel-ups
• 75,872 Miles Tracked
• View All 2005 GMC Safaris
• 15.1 Avg MPG
• 10 Vehicles
• 208 Fuel-ups
• 59,372 Miles Tracked
• View All 2004 GMC Safaris
• 14.2 Avg MPG
• 426 Fuel-ups
• 105,444 Miles Tracked
• View All 2003 GMC Safaris
• 15.8 Avg MPG
• 82 Fuel-ups
• 26,197 Miles Tracked
• View All 2002 GMC Safaris
• 15.2 Avg MPG
• 32 Fuel-ups
• 7,858 Miles Tracked
• View All 2001 GMC Safaris
• 13.6 Avg MPG
• 139 Fuel-ups
• 42,569 Miles Tracked
• View All 2000 GMC Safaris
• 14.8 Avg MPG
• 182 Fuel-ups
• 48,578 Miles Tracked
• View All 1999 GMC Safaris
• 13.8 Avg MPG
• 200 Fuel-ups
• 46,653 Miles Tracked
• View All 1998 GMC Safaris
• 18.3 Avg MPG
• 351 Fuel-ups
• 93,468 Miles Tracked
• View All 1997 GMC Safaris
• 17.0 Avg MPG
• 178 Fuel-ups
• 56,276 Miles Tracked
• View All 1996 GMC Safaris
• 389 Fuel-ups
• 130,574 Miles Tracked
• View All 1995 GMC Safaris
• 12.0 Avg MPG
• 138 Fuel-ups
• 33,458 Miles Tracked
• View All 1994 GMC Safaris
• 13.5 Avg MPG
• 76 Fuel-ups
• 17,419 Miles Tracked
• View All 1993 GMC Safaris
• 20.6 Avg MPG
• 46 Fuel-ups
• 19,378 Miles Tracked
• View All 1990 GMC Safaris
• Recent Activity

from other GMC Safari vehicles ( View All )

• mototramper added 1 notes for their 2004 GMC Safari . 1 week ago

Diesel, Hybrid, Plug-in Hybrid MPG

Check out my page to see real world mileage of various fuel ... ...

Read more tips

• All Cars & Trucks
• All Motorcycles
• All Heavy Vehicles
• All ATVs & UTVs
• All Snowmobiles, Personal Watercraft, & Other
• @Fuelly on Twitter
• Fuelly on Facebook
• Support Info
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Service

© 2024 Fuelly.com - All Rights Reserved. May 02, 2024 7:27 AM CDT

Join Fuelly

A simple & effecive way to track fuel consumption Easy to understand the real cost of your vehicle

• It's free of course!
• Get an accurate view of your vehicles fuel economy
• Compare your vehicle to others with the same vehicle

• Cars for sale
• Technical Specs
• Car Reviews
• Credit application
• Our Writers
• Sell your car

• Find a Technical Sheet  -->
• Read buying Guides  -->
• Find a dealer  -->
• View promotions  -->
• Compare vehicles  -->
• Build your vehicle  -->
• Read road tests  -->

Technical Specifications: 2003 GMC Safari SLE 4WD

• Compare >
• Build & Price >
• See the inventory >
• Road Test Request >
• Find a Dealer >
• Get a Quote >
• Promotions >

Suspension and Steering

Comfort and convenience, exterior details, interior details, exterior colours, interior colours, road tests and reviews.

• Be the first to review this vehicle

You May Also Like

2003 GMC Yukon XL Road Test

Whether badged as a 'GMC Yukon XL' or 'Chevy Suburban', this trailer towing, family hauling champ has faithfully rolled along North American roads in one for...

2003 GMC Sierra Denali Road Test

If you don't include the SUV cum pick-up truck hybrid EXT, Cadillac doesn't really make a true dirt hauler. Those who need the interior space of a 5-occupant...

2003 GM Pickups

Considering that they're built here and are near the top of the best-sellers' list, it's pretty hard to downplay the importance of GM's full-size pickups to ...

Payment Calculator

Gmc vehicles for sale.

• GMC Terrain

No Images available

Successful operation.

Favourite added temporarily. To add it to your profile, you will need to sign in.

2003 GMC Safari

Retail Price

Latest Safari News

More Safari Information

• All Model Years
• Safari News
• Book Values
• GMC Dealers

2003 GMC Safari trims (10)

(Standard) Rear-Wheel Drive Cargo Van

(Upfitter) Rear-Wheel Drive Cargo Van

(Base) Rear-Wheel Drive Passenger Van

(SLT) Rear-Wheel Drive Passenger Van

(SLE) Rear-Wheel Drive Passenger Van

(Standard) All-Wheel Drive Cargo Van

(Base) All-Wheel Drive Passenger Van

(SLT) All-Wheel Drive Passenger Van

(SLE) All-Wheel Drive Passenger Van

(Upfitter) All-Wheel Drive Cargo Van

Popular vehicles, popular new vehicles.

• 2023 Ford Bronco
• 2023 Toyota Camry
• 2024 Toyota RAV4
• 2024 Ford Bronco
• 2023 Ford F-150
• 2023 Toyota Tacoma
• 2024 Lexus GX 550
• 2024 Toyota Camry
• 2024 Toyota Tacoma
• 2023 Jeep Wrangler

Popular Used Vehicles

• 2022 Ford F-150
• 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee
• 2022 Toyota 4Runner
• 2022 Honda Accord
• 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
• 2020 Honda Civic
• 2014 Honda Civic
• 2018 Chevrolet Camaro
• 2021 Toyota 4Runner
• 2014 Honda Accord

Popular Electric Vehicles

• 2023 Tesla Model 3
• 2017 Tesla Model S
• 2016 Tesla Model S
• 2024 Rivian R1T
• 2023 GMC HUMMER EV Pickup
• 2022 Tesla Model 3
• 2024 GMC HUMMER EV Pickup
• 2023 Rivian R1T
• 2020 Tesla Model 3
• 2018 Tesla Model S

Popular Truck Vehicles

• 2024 Ford F-150
• 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
• 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
• 2023 Toyota Tundra
• 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Popular Crossover Vehicles

• 2023 Ford Bronco Sport
• 2024 Honda CR-V
• 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe
• 2024 Chevrolet Trax
• 2023 Toyota RAV4
• 2024 Subaru Outback
• 2024 Honda Pilot
• 2024 Kia Telluride

Popular Luxury Vehicles

• 2024 Porsche 911
• 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300
• 2022 Lexus IS 350
• 2024 Land Rover Defender
• 2024 Lexus RX 350
• 2024 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
• 2023 Porsche 911
• 2014 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
• 2021 Lexus RX 350

Popular Hybrid Vehicles

• 2023 Ford Explorer
• 2024 Toyota Sienna
• 2024 Toyota Tundra Hybrid
• 2022 Ford Explorer
• 2024 Ford Explorer
• 2023 Toyota Sienna
• 2024 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid

Popular Makes

Featured makes, product guides.

• The Best Electric Bikes
• The Best Car Covers
• The Best Portable Air Compressors
• The Best Car GPS Trackers

Just One More Thing…

Used 2003 GMC Safari - Specs & Features

See Edmunds pricing data

Has Your Car's Value Changed?

Used car values are constantly changing. Edmunds lets you track your vehicle's value over time so you can decide when to sell or trade in.

Related Used 2003 GMC Safari info

Popular new car reviews and ratings.

• Volvo S70 2024
• 2023 Kia Soul
• 2023 Porsche Macan
• 2024 4 Series
• Toyota RAV4 Hybrid 2023
• Lincoln Corsair 2023
• 2025 Volkswagen Golf GTI News
• 2023 Outlander

Other models to consider

• 2023 GMC Sierra 2500HD
• GMC Sierra 2500
• GMC Terrain 2023
• GMC Sierra 1500 2023
• 2024 GMC Sierra 3500HD
• 2024 GMC Sierra 2500HD
• GMC Sierra 1500 2024
• GMC Sierra 3500
• 2023 GMC S-15
• 2023 GMC Yukon

Other models

• Used Nissan Titan in Shelton, CT
• Used Mercury Mountaineer in Santa Rosa, CA
• Used Chevrolet Tahoe in Peoria, AZ
• Used Lexus CT-200H in Maple Grove, MN
• Used Ford Bronco in Des Moines, IA
• Used Ford F-250 in Jacksonville, IL
• New Chevrolet Colorado for Sale in Eatontown, NJ
• New Audi RS-Q8 for Sale in Clemson, SC
• Used Kia Optima-Hybrid in North Royalton, OH
• Used Bentley Continental-Supersports in Arlington, TX

Join Edmunds

Receive pricing updates, shopping tips & more!

Find a Car – Home

• Compare Side by Side
• Power Search
• Search by Make
• Hybrids, Diesels, and Alternative Fuel Cars
• Find a SmartWay Vehicle
• Best and Worst Vehicles
• Fueleconomy.gov Top Ten
• Today's Most Viewed Vehicles

Fuel Economy Guides

• Print the Guide
• Help Promote Fuel Economy

• Find a fuel efficient vehicle that meets your needs

Used Car Label Tool

• Selling your car? We can help you advertise its mpg.

Gas Mileage Tips

• Driving More Efficiently
• Keeping Your Car in Shape
• Planning and Combining Trips
• Choosing a More Efficient Vehicle
• Tips for Hybrids, Plug-in Hybrids, and Electric Vehicles
• Fuel Economy in Cold Weather
• Fuel Economy in Hot Weather
• More Information
• Tax Incentives
• All-Electric and Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles
• Frequently Asked Questions

Gasoline Prices

• Local Prices
• Questions About Gas Prices

Cost Calculators

• Fuel Savings Calculator
• Trip Calculator
• Can a Hybrid Save Me Money?
• My Plug-in Hybrid Calculator

Why is fuel economy important?

• Climate Change
• Oil Dependence Costs
• Sustainability

• Vehicles produce about half of the greenhouse gases from a typical U.S. household.

My MPG - Home

• We can help you calculate and track your fuel economy.

MPG Estimates from Others

About Hybrid and Electric Cars

A quick guide to the different kinds of hybrids and electric vehicles.

All-Electric Vehicles

• About Electrics
• New & Upcoming
• GHG Emissions Calculator
• Electric Vehicle Links
• How Hybrids Work
• Hybrid Links

Plug-In Hybrids

• About Plug-in Hybrids
• How Plug-in Hybrids Save Money
• Plug-in Hybrid Links
• About Diesels
• Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel
• Diesel Links
• Flex-Fuel Vehicles
• Flex-Fuel Links

Alternative Fuels

• Electricity
• Natural Gas

Fuel Cell Vehicles

• How They Work
• Benefits and Challenges
• Fuel Cell Links

Window Sticker

• About the Label
• Beyond Tailpipe Emissions

Sample Labels:

• Gasoline Vehicles
• Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles
• Electric Vehicles

New vs. Old Ratings

• 2017 Ratings Changes
• Compare Old and New MPG

Fuel Economy Tests

• How Vehicles Are Tested
• Which Vehicles Are Tested
• Detailed Test Information
• Your Mileage Will Vary
• Factors That Affect MPG

Where the Energy Goes

• Electric Cars

Fuel-Saving Technologies

• Engine Technologies
• Transmission Technologies
• Other Technologies

Extreme MPG

Selecting the right octane fuel.

• Answers to frequently asked questions about octane.

Compare Side-by-Side

• Fuel Economy
• Energy and Environment

Unofficial MPG Estimates from Vehicle Owners

Learn more about "My MPG"

User MPG estimates are not yet available for this vehicle

Note: The average 2024 vehicle gets 28 MPG

*Based on 45% highway, 55% city driving, 15,000 annual miles and current fuel prices. Personalize .

MSRP and tank size data provided by Edmunds.com, Inc.

Range on a tank and refueling costs assume 100% of fuel in tank will be used before refueling.

Mobile | Download Data | USA.gov | Info for Auto Dealers | Privacy/Security | Feedback

This website is administered by Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Miles on a tank and refueling cost for gasoline only assumes 90% of fuel in tank will be used before refueling.

Personalized estimates are currently not available for this vehicle.

DISCLAIMER: Average user estimates are based on data from My MPG users rather than official sources. Since the source data cannot be verified, neither DOE nor EPA guarantees the accuracy of these estimates.

This vehicle did not use any gasoline for the first 21 miles in EPA tests. However, depending on how you drive the vehicle, you may use both gasoline and electricity during the first 21 miles following a full charge.

The Comprehensive Guide to Moscow Nightlife

• Posted on April 14, 2018 July 26, 2018
• by Kings of Russia
• 8 minute read

Moscow’s nightlife scene is thriving, and arguably one of the best the world has to offer – top-notch Russian women, coupled with a never-ending list of venues, Moscow has a little bit of something for everyone’s taste. Moscow nightlife is not for the faint of heart – and if you’re coming, you better be ready to go Friday and Saturday night into the early morning.

This comprehensive guide to Moscow nightlife will run you through the nuts and bolts of all you need to know about Moscow’s nightclubs and give you a solid blueprint to operate with during your time in Moscow.

What you need to know before hitting Moscow nightclubs

Prices in moscow nightlife.

Before you head out and start gaming all the sexy Moscow girls , we have to talk money first. Bring plenty because in Moscow you can never bring a big enough bankroll. Remember, you’re the man so making a fuzz of not paying a drink here or there will not go down well.

Luckily most Moscow clubs don’t do cover fees. Some electro clubs will charge 15-20$, depending on their lineup. There’s the odd club with a minimum spend of 20-30$, which you’ll drop on drinks easily. By and large, you can scope out the venues for free, which is a big plus.

Bottle service is a great deal in Moscow. At top-tier clubs, it starts at 1,000$. That’ll go a long way with premium vodka at 250$, especially if you have three or four guys chipping in. Not to mention that it’s a massive status boost for getting girls, especially at high-end clubs.

Without bottle service, you should estimate a budget of 100-150$ per night. That is if you drink a lot and hit the top clubs with the hottest girls. Scale down for less alcohol and more basic places.

Dress code & Face control

Door policy in Moscow is called “face control” and it’s always the guy behind the two gorillas that gives the green light if you’re in or out.

In Moscow nightlife there’s only one rule when it comes to dress codes:

You can never be underdressed.

People dress A LOT sharper than, say, in the US and that goes for both sexes. For high-end clubs, you definitely want to roll with a sharp blazer and a pocket square, not to mention dress shoes in tip-top condition. Those are the minimum requirements to level the playing field vis a vis with other sharply dressed guys that have a lot more money than you do. Unless you plan to hit explicit electro or underground clubs, which have their own dress code, you are always on the money with that style.

Getting in a Moscow club isn’t as hard as it seems: dress sharp, speak English at the door and look like you’re in the mood to spend all that money that you supposedly have (even if you don’t). That will open almost any door in Moscow’s nightlife for you.

Types of Moscow Nightclubs

In Moscow there are four types of clubs with the accompanying female clientele:

High-end clubs:

These are often crossovers between restaurants and clubs with lots of tables and very little space to dance. Heavy accent on bottle service most of the time but you can work the room from the bar as well. The hottest and most expensive girls in Moscow go there. Bring deep pockets and lots of self-confidence and you have a shot at swooping them.

Regular Mid-level clubs:

They probably resemble more what you’re used to in a nightclub: big dancefloors, stages and more space to roam around. Bottle service will make you stand out more but you can also do well without. You can find all types of girls but most will be in the 6-8 range. Your targets should always be the girls drinking and ideally in pairs. It’s impossible not to swoop if your game is at least half-decent.

Basic clubs/dive bars:

Usually spots with very cheap booze and lax face control. If you’re dressed too sharp and speak no Russian, you might attract the wrong type of attention so be vigilant. If you know the local scene you can swoop 6s and 7s almost at will. Usually students and girls from the suburbs.

Electro/underground clubs:

Home of the hipsters and creatives. Parties there don’t mean meeting girls and getting drunk but doing pills and spacing out to the music. Lots of attractive hipster girls if that is your niche. That is its own scene with a different dress code as well.

What time to go out in Moscow

Moscow nightlife starts late. Don’t show up at bars and preparty spots before 11pm because you’ll feel fairly alone. Peak time is between 1am and 3am. That is also the time of Moscow nightlife’s biggest nuisance: concerts by artists you won’t know and who only distract your girls from drinking and being gamed. From 4am to 6am the regular clubs are emptying out but plenty of people, women included, still hit up one of the many afterparty clubs. Those last till well past 10am.

As far as days go: Fridays and Saturdays are peak days. Thursday is an OK day, all other days are fairly weak and you have to know the right venues.

The Ultimate Moscow Nightclub List

Short disclaimer: I didn’t add basic and electro clubs since you’re coming for the girls, not for the music. This list will give you more options than you’ll be able to handle on a weekend.

Preparty – start here at 11PM

Classic restaurant club with lots of tables and a smallish bar and dancefloor. Come here between 11pm and 12am when the concert is over and they start with the actual party. Even early in the night tons of sexy women here, who lean slightly older (25 and up).

The second floor of the Ugolek restaurant is an extra bar with dim lights and house music tunes. Very small and cozy with a slight hipster vibe but generally draws plenty of attractive women too. A bit slower vibe than Valenok.

Very cool, spread-out venue that has a modern library theme. Not always full with people but when it is, it’s brimming with top-tier women. Slow vibe here and better for grabbing contacts and moving on.

High-end: err on the side of being too early rather than too late because of face control.

Secret Room

Probably the top venue at the moment in Moscow . Very small but wildly popular club, which is crammed with tables but always packed. They do parties on Thursdays and Sundays as well. This club has a hip-hop/high-end theme, meaning most girls are gold diggers, IG models, and tattooed hip hop chicks. Very unfavorable logistics because there is almost no room no move inside the club but the party vibe makes it worth it. Strict face control.

Close to Secret Room and with a much more favorable and spacious three-part layout. This place attracts very hot women but also lots of ball busters and fakes that will leave you blue-balled. Come early because after 4am it starts getting empty fast. Electronic music.

A slightly kitsch restaurant club that plays Russian pop and is full of gold diggers, semi-pros, and men from the Caucasus republics. Thursday is the strongest night but that dynamic might be changing since Secret Room opened its doors. You can swoop here but it will be a struggle.

Mid-level: your sweet spot in terms of ease and attractiveness of girls for an average budget.

Started going downwards in 2018 due to lax face control and this might get even worse with the World Cup. In terms of layout one of the best Moscow nightclubs because it’s very big and bottle service gives you a good edge here. Still attracts lots of cute girls with loose morals but plenty of provincial girls (and guys) as well. Swooping is fairly easy here.

I haven’t been at this place in over a year, ever since it started becoming ground zero for drunken teenagers. Similar clientele to Icon but less chic, younger and drunker. Decent mainstream music that attracts plenty of tourists. Girls are easy here as well.

Sort of a Coyote Ugly (the real one in Moscow sucks) with party music and lots of drunken people licking each others’ faces. Very entertaining with the right amount of alcohol and very easy to pull in there. Don’t think about staying sober in here, you’ll hate it.

Artel Bessonitsa/Shakti Terrace

Electronic music club that is sort of a high-end place with an underground clientele and located between the teenager clubs Icon and Gipsy. Very good music but a bit all over the place with their vibe and their branding. You can swoop almost any type of girl here from high-heeled beauty to coked-up hipsters, provided they’re not too sober.

Afterparty: if by 5AM  you haven’t pulled, it’s time to move here.

Best afterparty spot in terms of trying to get girls. Pretty much no one is sober in there and savage gorilla game goes a long way. Lots of very hot and slutty-looking girls but it can be hard to tell apart who is looking for dick and who is just on drugs but not interested. If by 9-10am you haven’t pulled, it is probably better to surrender.

The hipster alternative for afterparties, where even more drugs are in play. Plenty of attractive girls there but you have to know how to work this type of club. A nicer atmosphere and better music but if you’re desperate to pull, you’ll probably go to Miks.

Weekday jokers: if you’re on the hunt for some sexy Russian girls during the week, here are two tips to make your life easier.

Chesterfield

Ladies night on Wednesdays means this place gets pretty packed with smashed teenagers and 6s and 7s. Don’t pull out the three-piece suit in here because it’s a “simpler” crowd. Definitely your best shot on Wednesdays.

If you haven’t pulled at Chesterfield, you can throw a Hail Mary and hit up Garage’s Black Music Wednesdays. Fills up really late but there are some cute Black Music groupies in here. Very small club. Thursday through Saturday they do afterparties and you have an excellent shot and swooping girls that are probably high.

Shishas Sferum

This is pretty much your only shot on Mondays and Tuesdays because they offer free or almost free drinks for women. A fairly low-class club where you should watch your drinks. As always the case in Moscow, there will be cute girls here on any day of the week but it’s nowhere near as good as on the weekend.

In a nutshell, that is all you need to know about where to meet Moscow girls in nightlife. There are tons of options, and it all depends on what best fits your style, based on the type of girls that you’re looking for.

Related Topics

• moscow girls
• moscow nightlife

The Top 3 Cities in Ukraine for First Timers

• Posted on July 7, 2018 August 4, 2019

You May Also Like

• Uncategorized

The Best Expat Blogs for Moscow

• Posted on May 31, 2020 June 1, 2020

Finding a Russian Bride: How and Where to Meet Her

• Posted on August 9, 2019 August 9, 2019

Meeting Women in Moscow: Dating Perspectives on the World’s Most Beautiful Women

• Posted on August 5, 2019 August 9, 2019

Meeting Russian Women: Top 5 Locations

• Posted on August 3, 2019 June 1, 2020

Moscow vs St. Petersburg – Which One to Visit?

• Posted on July 31, 2019 August 3, 2019

Hot Russian Girls – Where to Find & Date Them

• Posted on March 30, 2019 March 30, 2019

A Guide to Teaching English in Russia

• Posted on August 11, 2018 October 9, 2019

How to Attract Russian Girls

• Posted on July 15, 2018 August 4, 2019

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Input your search keywords and press Enter.

2018 Primetime Emmy & James Beard Award Winner

In Transit: Notes from the Underground

Jun 06 2018.

Spend some time in one of Moscow’s finest museums.

Subterranean commuting might not be anyone’s idea of a good time, but even in a city packing the war-games treasures and priceless bejeweled eggs of the Kremlin Armoury and the colossal Soviet pavilions of the VDNKh , the Metro holds up as one of Moscow’s finest museums. Just avoid rush hour.

The Metro is stunning and provides an unrivaled insight into the city’s psyche, past and present, but it also happens to be the best way to get around. Moscow has Uber, and the Russian version called Yandex Taxi , but also some nasty traffic. Metro trains come around every 90 seconds or so, at a more than 99 percent on-time rate. It’s also reasonably priced, with a single ride at 55 cents (and cheaper in bulk). From history to tickets to rules — official and not — here’s what you need to know to get started.

A Brief Introduction Buying Tickets Know Before You Go (Down) Rules An Easy Tour

A Brief Introduction

Moscow’s Metro was a long time coming. Plans for rapid transit to relieve the city’s beleaguered tram system date back to the Imperial era, but a couple of wars and a revolution held up its development. Stalin revived it as part of his grand plan to modernize the Soviet Union in the 1920s and 30s. The first lines and tunnels were constructed with help from engineers from the London Underground, although Stalin’s secret police decided that they had learned too much about Moscow’s layout and had them arrested on espionage charges and deported.

The beauty of its stations (if not its trains) is well-documented, and certainly no accident. In its illustrious first phases and particularly after the Second World War, the greatest architects of Soviet era were recruited to create gleaming temples celebrating the Revolution, the USSR, and the war triumph. No two stations are exactly alike, and each of the classic showpieces has a theme. There are world-famous shrines to Futurist architecture, a celebration of electricity, tributes to individuals and regions of the former Soviet Union. Each marble slab, mosaic tile, or light fixture was placed with intent, all in service to a station’s aesthetic; each element, f rom the smallest brass ear of corn to a large blood-spattered sword on a World War II mural, is an essential part of the whole.

The Metro is a monument to the Soviet propaganda project it was intended to be when it opened in 1935 with the slogan “Building a Palace for the People”. It brought the grand interiors of Imperial Russia to ordinary Muscovites, celebrated the Soviet Union’s past achievements while promising its citizens a bright Soviet future, and of course, it was a show-piece for the world to witness the might and sophistication of life in the Soviet Union.

It may be a museum, but it’s no relic. U p to nine million people use it daily, more than the London Underground and New York Subway combined. (Along with, at one time, about 20 stray dogs that learned to commute on the Metro.)

In its 80+ year history, the Metro has expanded in phases and fits and starts, in step with the fortunes of Moscow and Russia. Now, partly in preparation for the World Cup 2018, it’s also modernizing. New trains allow passengers to walk the entire length of the train without having to change carriages. The system is becoming more visitor-friendly. (There are helpful stickers on the floor marking out the best selfie spots .) But there’s a price to modernity: it’s phasing out one of its beloved institutions, the escalator attendants. Often they are middle-aged or elderly women—“ escalator grandmas ” in news accounts—who have held the post for decades, sitting in their tiny kiosks, scolding commuters for bad escalator etiquette or even bad posture, or telling jokes . They are slated to be replaced, when at all, by members of the escalator maintenance staff.

For all its achievements, the Metro lags behind Moscow’s above-ground growth, as Russia’s capital sprawls ever outwards, generating some of the world’s worst traffic jams . But since 2011, the Metro has been in the middle of an ambitious and long-overdue enlargement; 60 new stations are opening by 2020. If all goes to plan, the 2011-2020 period will have brought 125 miles of new tracks and over 100 new stations — a 40 percent increase — the fastest and largest expansion phase in any period in the Metro’s history.

Facts: 14 lines Opening hours: 5 a.m-1 a.m. Rush hour(s): 8-10 a.m, 4-8 p.m. Single ride: 55₽ (about 85 cents) Wi-Fi network-wide

Buying Tickets

• Ticket machines have a button to switch to English.
• You can buy specific numbers of rides: 1, 2, 5, 11, 20, or 60. Hold up fingers to show how many rides you want to buy.
• There is also a 90-minute ticket , which gets you 1 trip on the metro plus an unlimited number of transfers on other transport (bus, tram, etc) within 90 minutes.
• Or, you can buy day tickets with unlimited rides: one day (218₽/ US$4), three days (415₽/US$7) or seven days (830₽/US$15). Check the rates here to stay up-to-date.
• If you’re going to be using the Metro regularly over a few days, it’s worth getting a Troika card , a contactless, refillable card you can use on all public transport. Using the Metro is cheaper with one of these: a single ride is 36₽, not 55₽. Buy them and refill them in the Metro stations, and they’re valid for 5 years, so you can keep it for next time. Or, if you have a lot of cash left on it when you leave, you can get it refunded at the Metro Service Centers at Ulitsa 1905 Goda, 25 or at Staraya Basmannaya 20, Building 1.
• You can also buy silicone bracelets and keychains with built-in transport chips that you can use as a Troika card. (A Moscow Metro Fitbit!) So far, you can only get these at the Pushkinskaya metro station Live Helpdesk and souvenir shops in the Mayakovskaya and Trubnaya metro stations. The fare is the same as for the Troika card.
• You can also use Apple Pay and Samsung Pay.

Rules, spoken and unspoken

No smoking, no drinking, no filming, no littering. Photography is allowed, although it used to be banned.

Stand to the right on the escalator. Break this rule and you risk the wrath of the legendary escalator attendants. (No shenanigans on the escalators in general.)

Get out of the way. Find an empty corner to hide in when you get off a train and need to stare at your phone. Watch out getting out of the train in general; when your train doors open, people tend to appear from nowhere or from behind ornate marble columns, walking full-speed.

Always offer your seat to elderly ladies (what are you, a monster?).

An Easy Tour

This is no Metro Marathon ( 199 stations in 20 hours ). It’s an easy tour, taking in most—though not all—of the notable stations, the bulk of it going clockwise along the Circle line, with a couple of short detours. These stations are within minutes of one another, and the whole tour should take about 1-2 hours.

Start at Mayakovskaya Metro station , at the corner of Tverskaya and Garden Ring,  Triumfalnaya Square, Moskva, Russia, 125047.

1. Mayakovskaya.  Named for Russian Futurist Movement poet Vladimir Mayakovsky and an attempt to bring to life the future he imagined in his poems. (The Futurist Movement, natch, was all about a rejecting the past and celebrating all things speed, industry, modern machines, youth, modernity.) The result: an Art Deco masterpiece that won the National Grand Prix for architecture at the New York World’s Fair in 1939. It’s all smooth, rounded shine and light, and gentle arches supported by columns of dark pink marble and stainless aircraft steel. Each of its 34 ceiling niches has a mosaic. During World War II, the station was used as an air-raid shelter and, at one point, a bunker for Stalin. He gave a subdued but rousing speech here in Nov. 6, 1941 as the Nazis bombed the city above.

Take the 3/Green line one station to:

2. Belorusskaya. Opened in 1952, named after the connected Belarussky Rail Terminal, which runs trains between Moscow and Belarus. This is a light marble affair with a white, cake-like ceiling, lined with Belorussian patterns and 12 Florentine ceiling mosaics depicting life in Belarussia when it was built.

Transfer onto the 1/Brown line. Then, one stop (clockwise) t o:

3. Novoslobodskaya.  This station was designed around the stained-glass panels, which were made in Latvia, because Alexey Dushkin, the Soviet starchitect who dreamed it up (and also designed Mayakovskaya station) couldn’t find the glass and craft locally. The stained glass is the same used for Riga’s Cathedral, and the panels feature plants, flowers, members of the Soviet intelligentsia (musician, artist, architect) and geometric shapes.

Go two stops east on the 1/Circle line to:

4. Komsomolskaya. Named after the Komsomol, or the Young Communist League, this might just be peak Stalin Metro style. Underneath the hub for three regional railways, it was intended to be a grand gateway to Moscow and is today its busiest station. It has chandeliers; a yellow ceiling with Baroque embellishments; and in the main hall, a colossal red star overlaid on golden, shimmering tiles. Designer Alexey Shchusev designed it as an homage to the speech Stalin gave at Red Square on Nov. 7, 1941, in which he invoked Russia’s illustrious military leaders as a pep talk to Soviet soldiers through the first catastrophic year of the war.   The station’s eight large mosaics are of the leaders referenced in the speech, such as Alexander Nevsky, a 13th-century prince and military commander who bested German and Swedish invading armies.

One more stop clockwise to Kurskaya station,  and change onto the 3/Blue  line, and go one stop to:

5. Baumanskaya.   Opened in 1944. Named for the Bolshevik Revolutionary Nikolai Bauman , whose monument and namesake district are aboveground here. Though he seemed like a nasty piece of work (he apparently once publicly mocked a woman he had impregnated, who later hung herself), he became a Revolutionary martyr when he was killed in 1905 in a skirmish with a monarchist, who hit him on the head with part of a steel pipe. The station is in Art Deco style with atmospherically dim lighting, and a series of bronze sculptures of soldiers and homefront heroes during the War. At one end, there is a large mosaic portrait of Lenin.

Stay on that train direction one more east to:

6. Elektrozavodskaya. As you may have guessed from the name, this station is the Metro’s tribute to all thing electrical, built in 1944 and named after a nearby lightbulb factory. It has marble bas-relief sculptures of important figures in electrical engineering, and others illustrating the Soviet Union’s war-time struggles at home. The ceiling’s recurring rows of circular lamps give the station’s main tunnel a comforting glow, and a pleasing visual effect.

Double back two stops to Kurskaya station , and change back to the 1/Circle line. Sit tight for six stations to:

7. Kiyevskaya. This was the last station on the Circle line to be built, in 1954, completed under Nikita Khrushchev’ s guidance, as a tribute to his homeland, Ukraine. Its three large station halls feature images celebrating Ukraine’s contributions to the Soviet Union and Russo-Ukrainian unity, depicting musicians, textile-working, soldiers, farmers. (One hall has frescoes, one mosaics, and the third murals.) Shortly after it was completed, Khrushchev condemned the architectural excesses and unnecessary luxury of the Stalin era, which ushered in an epoch of more austere Metro stations. According to the legend at least, he timed the policy in part to ensure no Metro station built after could outshine Kiyevskaya.

Change to the 3/Blue line and go one stop west.

8. Park Pobedy. This is the deepest station on the Metro, with one of the world’s longest escalators, at 413 feet. If you stand still, the escalator ride to the surface takes about three minutes .) Opened in 2003 at Victory Park, the station celebrates two of Russia’s great military victories. Each end has a mural by Georgian artist Zurab Tsereteli, who also designed the “ Good Defeats Evil ” statue at the UN headquarters in New York. One mural depicts the Russian generals’ victory over the French in 1812 and the other, the German surrender of 1945. The latter is particularly striking; equal parts dramatic, triumphant, and gruesome. To the side, Red Army soldiers trample Nazi flags, and if you look closely there’s some blood spatter among the detail. Still, the biggest impressions here are the marble shine of the chessboard floor pattern and the pleasingly geometric effect if you view from one end to the other.

Keep going one more stop west to:

9. Slavyansky Bulvar.  One of the Metro’s youngest stations, it opened in 2008. With far higher ceilings than many other stations—which tend to have covered central tunnels on the platforms—it has an “open-air” feel (or as close to it as you can get, one hundred feet under). It’s an homage to French architect Hector Guimard, he of the Art Nouveau entrances for the Paris M é tro, and that’s precisely what this looks like: A Moscow homage to the Paris M é tro, with an additional forest theme. A Cyrillic twist on Guimard’s Metro-style lettering over the benches, furnished with t rees and branch motifs, including creeping vines as towering lamp-posts.

Stay on the 3/Blue line and double back four stations to:

10. Arbatskaya. Its first iteration, Arbatskaya-Smolenskaya station, was damaged by German bombs in 1941. It was rebuilt in 1953, and designed to double as a bomb shelter in the event of nuclear war, although unusually for stations built in the post-war phase, this one doesn’t have a war theme. It may also be one of the system’s most elegant: Baroque, but toned down a little, with red marble floors and white ceilings with gilded bronze c handeliers.

Jump back on the 3/Blue line  in the same direction and take it one more stop:

11. Ploshchad Revolyutsii (Revolution Square). Opened in 1938, and serving Red Square and the Kremlin . Its renowned central hall has marble columns flanked by 76 bronze statues of Soviet heroes: soldiers, students, farmers, athletes, writers, parents. Some of these statues’ appendages have a yellow sheen from decades of Moscow’s commuters rubbing them for good luck. Among the most popular for a superstitious walk-by rub: the snout of a frontier guard’s dog, a soldier’s gun (where the touch of millions of human hands have tapered the gun barrel into a fine, pointy blade), a baby’s foot, and a woman’s knee. (A brass rooster also sports the telltale gold sheen, though I am told that rubbing the rooster is thought to bring bad luck. )

Now take the escalator up, and get some fresh air.

R&K Insider

Join our newsletter to get exclusives on where our correspondents travel, what they eat, where they stay. Free to sign up.

21 Things to Know Before You Go to Moscow

Featured city guides.