TOURISM: Moscow cited for bad cabbies, high prices, unfriendly locals in TripAdvisor poll

Moscow, Dec 18 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Moscow ranked last in four categories in a new list of the top 40 global tourist destinations, its score ruined by vicious cabbies, antisocial locals and ungodly prices.

The Russian capital scored last on “friendliest locals,” “friendliest taxi drivers,” “best taxi services,” and “best for shopping” in the new World City survey by the TripAdvisor website.

Moscow was also the second worst on “best value for money,” losing the dubious honor to the notoriously expensive Oslo, according to the survey, released Thursday and based on the opinions of 75,000 site users.

Tokyo scored best overall, topping five of nine categories, including for best taxi services and friendliest cabbies, best public transport and safety. It lost only to Cancun on “friendliest locals,”

Lisbon offered best value for money among all the major cities on the planet, according to the survey, with Budapest being the runner-up. New York City came 32th in that category, though, oddly, first on shopping.

Moscow teems with unlicensed taxi drivers, many of whom drive ramshackle vehicles blaring kitschy local music – habits that many of them retain even when they “go legal” and find employment in regulated taxi companies.

The Russian capital is also notorious for its expensive shops and eateries, and its museums differentiate between domestic and foreign visitors, charging the latter several times the admission price for Russians.