Here is useful general information for all the guests of Uzbekistan about the services of public transport vehicles of Uzbekistan, aviation, railway, bus and taxi.
International transportation
Air
Tashkent International Airport (TAS) is the most important airport of the country. There are facilities like: Currency Exchange, duty-free shops, a bar and a restaurant at the airport. You can reach the city center by using public buses departing from airport in every 10-20 minutes, with travel time of approximately 20 minutes. In the nighttime, there is no other option but taxi. Taxis are available at the airport. You won’t miss them while exiting the arrival hall.
Rail
Tashkent is a connection point for all rail services within Central Asia. To the west is Turkmenistan, to the south you can reach Samarkand and on to Tajikistan, to the east Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan and, to the north to Russia. Unfortunately, you can’t reach Fergana valley by train these days, however, there is train line going via Tajikistan, which is now mainly used for the transportation of goods. From Almaty, you can connect to the China.
Domestic transportation
Air
If you are planning to travel outside of Tashkent on business trip or for leisure, there are several options for you. The national carrier of Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan Airways (HY) has flights to the all major towns and cities of Uzbekistan like Samarkand, Bukhara, Navoi, Nukus, Karshi, Termez and Urgench. Tickets can be purchased in the domestic terminal of the airport or at any agency of Uzbekistan Airways (HY). Most local travel agencies are also providing such services.
Train
There is a network of railways connecting most cities of Uzbekistan such as Nukus, Bukhara, Samarkand, Termez, Karshi and Urgench. There are two railway stations in Tashkent – North and South (this one is temporarily closed for public transportation). Uzbekistan railways provide reliable services for travelers. You will be able to buy tickets at the railway station or from the ticket agents.
There are newly launched fast trains now operating in Uzbekistan which are connecting Tashkent with Samarkand and Bukhara. Using “Sharq” and “Registon” you can reach Samarkand from Tashkent in 3.30hours and Bukhara in about 6.5 hours. From 2012, the new “Spanish” trains manufactured by “Talgo” will operate between Tashkent and Samarkand, connecting travelers in 2.1 hours, under the name of “Afrosiyab”.
Another option is an overnight train which makes it possible to ride while sleeping from Tashkent to Bukhara operating every day. Comfortable sleeping cars allow a good sleep.
There are similar overnight trains to Nukus and Urgench (three times a week) from Tashkent and Samarkand and to Nukus and Kungrad (twice a week). From Urgench, you can reach Khiva (30km-the distance between Urgench and Khiva and from Kungrad you can reach Moynak (70km-the distance between Kungrad and Moynak) and further to the remains of Aral Sea.
Bus
Tashkent has a huge bus, tram and metro networks which provide regular services for the hosts and guests of Tashkent. Buses provide connection with all major cities, towns and villages of Uzbekistan. The fair is inexpensive and the service is reliable.
Car
in Uzbekistan you can find a reasonable road network, however there is no high speed roads like in some other places of Europe. The traffic is right handed. The car rental system is not developed yet and if with the driver, there are plenty of options and most travel agents will love to provide such services.
Taxi
You can find taxi in every city of Uzbekistan. Although, it is recommended to use only officially marked taxis, there are many others without official licenses which are used. It is recommended not to share a taxi with strangers for agreed fare in advance. In major cities, now, there are many taxi companies where you can call and make pre arrangements, order delivery or other pick up and drop services.