Transport in Uzbekistan | Uzbekistan travel guides

By train

The main line Tashkent - Samarkand - Bukhara is served by two express trains named "Registon" and "Sharq": The "Registon" brings you from Tashkent in less than 4 hours to Samarkand and the "Sharq" makes the 600-km-journey Tashkent - Bukhara with intermediate stop in Samarkand in about 7,5 hours. A daily overnight train from Tashkent to Bukhara offers the possibility to travel during the night and win one day. Comfortable sleeping cars allow a good sleep.

Recently a new train "Afrosiob" started operating on Tashkent - Samarkand line. This Talgo-250-type train makes a respective distance in 2.5 hours time. Unlike to ordinary local trains, there are 3 classes in "Afrosiob": economy class - 36 persons per carriage room, in business and VIP. Economy class costs 46 thousand soums roughtly $25 at official rate, business class - 65 thousand soums and VIP - 80 thousand soums. You may also expect some free drinks and snacks. It is planned to extend the "Afrosiob" line to Bukhara and, subsequently, to Khiva by 2014-2015.

Overnight trains also run from Tashkent and Samarkand to Urgench 3 times weekly and to Nukus - Kungrad 2 times weekly, so it's also possible to travel to Khiva 30 kilometers from Urgench, taxi/bus available or to the Aral lake Moynaq, 70 km from Kungrad by train.

There are three types of trains:

fast trains (skory poyezd)

or express trains train nos 1 to 149

slower trains (skorostnoi poyezd)

train nos 151 to 169, and

passenger trains (passazhirski poyezd)

train nos 171 to 699.

There are four types of sleepers:

soft wagon (miagki vagon)

2 berth compartments

kupeiny vagon

4 berth compartments

platskartny vagon

benches in a large car

obshi vagon

don't take that one

By car

Drive on the right. International driving permit required. Minimum age: 17. Speed limit: 60 to 80 km/h in urban areas, 90 km/h on highways.

There are several paved highways with two lanes in Uzbekistan:

AH5

from Gishtkuprik/Chernyavka on the border to Kazakhstan via Tashkent, Syrdaria, Samarkand, Navoi and Bukhara to Alat on the border to Turkmenistan 680 km,

AH7

from the border to Kyrgysztan via Andijon, Tashkent and Syrdaria to Xovos/Khavast on the border to Tajikistan 530 km,

AH62

from Gishtkuprik/Chernyavka on the border to Kazakhstan via Tashkent, Syrdaria, Samarkand and Guzar to Termez on the border to Afghanistan 380 km,

AH63

from Oazis on the border to Kazakhstan in the North West of Uzbekistan via Nukus and Bukhara to Guzar 950 km paved road, 240 km unpaved

AH65

from Uzun on the border to Tajikistan to Termez on the border to Afghanistan 180 km

By bus

Bus travel is only for the truly adventurous and not for anyone in a hurry in Uzbekistan. Except for special tours, buses are old, decrepit, crowded, painfully slow and prone to frequent breakdowns. If you do travel any distance on a bus in Uzbekistan, take toilet paper with you and be careful what you eat at stops along the way.

Urban Transport

During the day the metro underground train is the good option. After 12 midnight you are recommended to use taxi services. It is better to call the taxi car-service to pick you up in advance. Some car-services can serve the foreign speaking tourists. You can get more information in the hotel.

Others

You can travel by private taxi, minibus, or normal bus. While there are official taxis, most cars will become taxis if you wave them down. Meters are rare, so negotiate the price beforehand.