World Country Guide

Travel - International

Travel Warning
Uzbekistan’s borders are potential flashpoints and some are mined. All but essential travel to areas bordering Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan is advised. There is also a high threat from terrorism in Uzbekistan. The last significant attack was in July 2004, near the US and Israeli embassies and at the Uzbek Prosecutor's Office, which killed four people and injured at least eight.

Air
The national airline, Uzbekistan Airways (HY), currently flies from London (four flights a week), Amsterdam, Athens, Bangkok, Bahrain, Beijing, Birmingham, Delhi, Dhaka, Frankfurt/M, Hoshemin, Istanbul, Jeddah, Kiev, Kuala Lumpur, Moscow, New York, Osaka, Paris, Riyadh, Rome, Seoul, Sharjah and Tel Aviv. It also flies to most destinations within the CIS. Tashkent is also served by a number of other international carriers: Lufthansa, Pakistan International Airlines, Turkish Airlines and Xinjiang Airlines. Flights to Tajikistan have been suspended since the Tajik civil war at the end of 1992. For further information, contact Uzbekistan Airways in Tashkent (tel: (71) 254 8529). HY Travel in London are agents for Uzbekistan Airways (see Contact Addresses section).

Approximate flight times
From Tashkent to London is seven hours (direct), to Bangkok is six hours 30 minutes, to Frankfurt/M is six hours, to Beijing is five hours 30 minutes, to Tel Aviv is four hours 30 minutes, to Delhi is three hours 30 minutes, to Istanbul is three hours 30 minutes and to Moscow is three hours 30 minutes.

International airports
Tashkent International Airport (TAS) is in the south of the town, about 11km (7 miles) from the centre. Facilities include left luggage, bureau de change, duty free shops, restaurants and bars. It is served by buses that run every 10 to 20 minutes (travel time – 30 to 60 minutes). Trains connect the airport with the centre (travel time – 10 to 20 minutes) and taxis are readily available (travel time – 15 to 20 minutes).

Departure tax
US$10.

Rail
Tashkent is the nodal point for rail services from Central Asia. Lines lead west to Ashgabat (Turkmenistan), south to Samarkand and on to Dushanbe (Tajikistan), east to Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) and Almaty (Kazakhstan) and north to Moscow (Russian Federation). From Tashkent, along the Saratov-Syr Darya Line, the journey to Moscow takes nearly three days. There is also a spur line to the Fergana Valley in the east of the country, which leads to Osh in Kyrgyzstan. It is possible to connect to China through Almaty; and to Iran and the Middle East (via Turkmenistan). Foreigners have to pay for rail tickets in hard currency, preferably US Dollars, but it is still a cheap option by Western standards.

Road
Uzbekistan has road connections to all its neighbours. The border between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan is closed to all except Uzbek and Afghan nationals. Travellers should exercise caution around the Kyrgyz–Uzbek border as some violent incidents have occured. It is not advisable to bring your own car. Contact your local Embassy for details. Bus: There are services to all the neighbouring countries, although the occasional border closures between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan make this route unreliable. Long-distance buses leave from the Tashkent bus station near the metro station. Foreigners have to pay for tickets in hard currency. Car hire: It is possible to hire cars with drivers for long journeys; they will normally ask to be paid in US Dollars. The best place to look for these is at the long-distance bus and train stations.