Moscow Metro vs London Underground Experience

Can Moscow's Metro Envy London's?

The London underground is, for me, one of the few things I really dislike about living here. We try to avoid it as much as possible—my husband bikes to work, and I usually opt for the bus.

To be fair, we live on the Northern line, which was once nicknamed the Misery Line.

I won’t even dive into comparisons with Moscow's metro, which is far superior in every way. The hardest thing to get used to is the wait for trains; the last time I had to wait, it was 12 minutes!

But since my biggest fear is becoming that expat who complains, "A scooter doesn’t deliver here in 15 minutes," I want to point out some things that Moscow's metro might actually envy!

💜 Yesterday, I learned from locals that our line, along with four others (Northern, Central, Jubilee, Piccadilly, and Victoria), runs 24 hours on Friday and Saturday nights. I always thought we were racing against the clock, but here it is! In Moscow, this happens only on major holidays.

💜 The Transport Museum. In my opinion, it's one of the coolest quirky museums in London. It features dozens of life-sized models of omnibuses from past centuries and retired carriages that once roamed the city. You can actually go inside and sit in them! By the way, an Unlimited Annual Pass costs just £25, which I purchased last time I visited.

Designers will find it particularly interesting—one of my favorite sections of the museum is dedicated to the development of the iconic logo. Plus, there’s a huge exhibit showcasing various posters unrelated to transport.

💜 The museum also houses what I believe is the best souvenir shop I have ever seen! So many fantastic ideas specifically geared toward this museum—it’s simply delightful. My favorite is the textile products made from the upholstery fabric used in current train seats. You can even order an entire sofa!

Interestingly, that's where you can find the prettiest Paddington Bear plush toy. I've bought it as a gift for the second time! We also brought home two keychains and a retro poster of Wimbledon.

💜 From September 5-7, the Transport Museum will host rides on a restored 1938 train to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the world's first passenger railway and the museum’s 25th anniversary. How cool is that?

💜 And I've noticed that people on the Tube in London smile a lot more than in Moscow. It's hard to press your nose against the glass and ponder the weight of existence without a little laughter!