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Uzbekistan: Facts for Travelers
 
UZBEKISTAN: FACTS FOR TRAVELERS Submit a Tale here | More Tales

Hafeezur Rahman Malik

Mr. Hafeezur Rahman is a retired Development Banking Specialist now whiling away his time teaching and travelling. His email contact is: hafeez@khi.comsats.net.pk

For those who intend to travel to Uzbekistan, here is some basic information.

Visa: Everyone needs a visa. One must have an invitation from an Uzbek Citizen, firm or organization approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or from an accredited Uzbek Travel Agent. Generally, the travel agent arranges the visa for a fee. Please also check whether endorsement on the visa is required for going to a particular city.

Money: Using credit cards and travel cheques is a problem, except in main cities. Even in the cities, charges are high. Dollars are readily accepted everywhere. The local currency, the Som, fluctuates widely. It is advised to convert dollars into Som on a daily basis as you need them. Other than dollars, Deutsch Marks are also accepted.

Tipping: 10% service charges are mostly included in the bill. Tipping is not common.

Best Time: April to June and September through October

By Air: Many international flights serve Tashkent. The airport is about 6 km (4 miles) south of the city centre. The airport is not too friendly and expect delays in passport and custom clearance.

Telephone: 998-712-xxxxxx (country code)-(Tashkent code)-(xxxxxx)

By Rail: Trains run from Moscow via Samara, across Kazakhstan to Tashkent, or via Urgench, Charjou, Bokhara and Samarkand to Tashkent. It takes about 56 hours to get from Moscow to Tashkent by train. There are no dining cars. However, bedding and hot water is provided for a small tip. For internal travel, taking a train is the cheapest way. It is not safe for a traveller to ride on the trains alone since some cases of mugging have been reported in lower classes. However, higher classes are well guarded.

By Bus: Long distance buses run from neighbouring countries like Kazakhstan, Krygistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. For travel inside the country, good & comfortable coaches are available. Private minibuses cost more and go faster. There are frequent connections between Tashkent, Bokhara and Samarkand. Taxis cost a little more than buses, but can be more comfortable.