Central Asia

 Here some useful links for Central Asia:

Shared taxi and minibus prices are from 2022 therefore it might be more expensive now.


Kyrgyzstan
1 Euro = 90 – 100 Som
Very many mountains therefore no train connections except Balyktschy – Bishkek – border Kazakhstan (max. one time per day). You have to use minibuses or shared taxis.


Bishkek – Osh:

  • China is just constructing a new highway which will reduce the journey time by 50 %.
  • The old highway goes from Bishkek – Toktogul – Osh over a 3,000 metre high mountain pass and takes 12 – 14 hours.
  • Due to the high mountain pass there are only shared taxis which depart at the osh basar  (https://maps.app.goo.gl/VHhwE6HqxwTfTATXA)
  • Price between 1,500 – 2,000 Som = 20 Euro
  • Due to the long journey you can make a stopover in the middle at Toktogul. Unfortuantely you have to pay the full price of 1,500 – 2,000 Som for the shared taxi (except you find a shared taxi which only goes until Toktogul).
  • Shared Taxi Toktogul – Dschalalabat around 500 Som = 6 Euro in 4 hours afterwards take a minibus to Osh for around 200 Som = 2 Euro in two hours


Border crossing to Uzbekistan at Osh

  • Take the city bus to the border (20 minutes)
  • Biggest border crossing between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan therefore waiting time of several hours possible
  • Change some Uzbek money before the border crossing because there might be no ATM or possibility to change money after the border
  • Cross the border by foot and take a shared taxi to Andijon for around 25,000 Som = 2 Euro / 1 hour


Uzbekistan
1 Euro = 12,000 – 14,000 Som
https://eticket.railway.uz/en/home
Trains don’t depart regularly e. g. only in the morning or the evening therefore you have to use shared taxis or minibuses when you want to be flexible.


Tashkent – Samarkand – Buchara highspeed railway

  • 4 x daily in the morning between 6 – 8:30 am (2 x at 8 am continue until Buchara)
  • 2.5 hours for around 275,000 Som = 20 Euro or 4 hours for around 450,000 Som = 35 Euro to Buchara
  • Return 4 x daily between 5 – 8 pm or 3 pm in Buchara
  • Railway station of Buchara is in Kogon around 20 minutes from downtown by shared taxi for around 10,000 Som = 1 Euro


Tashkent – Xiva night train

  • 2 x night trains at around 10 pm
  • Journey time around 15 hours
  • Sleeping car for around 350,000 Som = 25 Euro
  • Return 2 x daily at around 3 pm


Taschkent – Andijan (via Kokand, Ferghana)

  • 4 x daily between 6 – 8 am
  • 7 hours for around 200,000 Som = 15 Euro
  • Return 4 x daily between 3 – 5 pm


Shared Taxi Tashkent – Samarkand


Samarkand to Pandschakent / Tajikistan

  • Kaftarxona Bus Station Panzhakent Road in Samarkand  https://maps.app.goo.gl/7FWvhF3SorASMuJz8
  • Minibus to the border around 1 hour for 10,000 Som = 1 Euro
  • Cross the border by foot
  • Shared Taxi to Pandschakent in around 15 minutes for 10 Suomi = 1 Euro


Tashkent to Kazakhstan / Shmykent

  • Metro until the terminal station Turkiston  https://maps.app.goo.gl/MJEHgvZvwy5av1tn7
  • Walk around 1 kilometre until the roundabout Tashkent Ring Automobile Road  https://maps.app.goo.gl/ypqi24RWwvGdAtsr8 and waive down a shared taxi to the border which takes around 20 minutes for 10,000 Som = 1 Euro
  • Most important border crossing between Uzbekistan to Kazakhstan therefore several hours of waiting time possible (maybe there is also a direct bus connection where the waiting time can be reduced)
  • Cross the border by foot and take a minibus in two hours to Shmykent for around 1,500 Tenge = 3 Euro


Kazakhstan

1 Euro = 500 – 550 Tenge
https://bilet.railways.kz/


Almaty – Astana night train

  • 2 - 4 x daily, journey time 16 hours for 20,000 Tenge = 40 Euro (sleeping car for 4 persons)
  • 1 x slow night train with journey time of 24 hours for 12,000 Tenge = 25 Euro
  • Be aware that there are two different train stations in Almaty (Almaty 1 and Almaty 2) and Astana (Astana 1 and Nurly Zhol)


Turkistan – Almaty nighttrain

  • 4 x daily, journey time 15 – 20 hours
  • 11,000 – 15,000 Tenge = 25 Euro (sleeping car for 4 persons)



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