Russia has a poor safety record for internal air travel, particularly since Aeroflot was disbanded into numerous small airlines. Regulation of the airways is still poor, but standards are gradually improving. Since the airlines are required to meet higher standards for international flights, it is advisable to travel within Russia on a flight which ultimately has a foreign destination. Moscow is the main hub for internal air travel hub, with flight routes between its four airports and all other main cities.

Within European Russia there is an extensive and fairly efficient rail network which reaches virtually all settlements. Although the network is predominantly used for freight transport, there are passenger services with relatively cheap fares, sleeper facilities and reasonably comfortable accommodation. The Trans-Siberian Express runs daily from St Petersburg, across Russia to Vladivostok in Siberia, with onward steamer services to Japan once a week. The Trans-Manchurian Express from St Petersburg to Beijing runs on the same initial route before turning southeast into China, while the Trans-Mongolian Railway runs between Moscow and Beijing via Mongolia. There are also long-distance bus and coach services between the main towns.

It is also possible to travel within Russia by river. Passenger boat services operate regularly between Moscow and St Petersburg, and between Moscow and various settlements on the Volga and Don Rivers.

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