Uzbekistan: Getting there & around

More regular international flights serve Tashkent than any other Central Asian city. Unfortunately it's also the least friendly airport in the region for first-time visitors; the arrival hall for non-VIPs is a distinctly grim and sweaty place. The airport is about 6km (4mi) south of the city centre.

Trains run from Moscow via Samara, across Kazakhstan to Tashkent, or via Urgench, Charjou, Bukhara and Samarkand to Tashkent. It takes about 56 hours to get from Moscow to Tashkent by train. Bringing your own vehicle into Uzbekistan is a logistical nightmare and probably not worth the effort.

Flying is the least edifying and arguably the least safe mode of transport in Uzbekistan. Domestic flights are seriously no-frills - you'll need to pack your own lunch - and have a long way to go before meeting international safety standards.

The most popular way of getting between cities on a short haul is by 'marshrutnoe', a shared vehicle which is usually a Daewoo minivan. The train is a better option for longer distances, such as Tashkent to Samarkand and beyond. Although the further you get from Tashkent, the cruddier the trains seem to become. Travelling by bus is the cheapest, but not necessarily the quickest or most comfortable way to get around. Taxis cost a little more than buses, but can be more comfortable, and they're more likely to take you to out-of-the-way places.