Uzbekistan is a destination soaring in popularity. In fact, it was recently named by Lonely Planet as one of its top 10 destinations to visit in 2024.
This is something we feel a little smug about, having already run one of our female-only tours to this fantastic country in October 2023.
Uzbekistan is not only incredibly beautiful and friendly, but travelling around it is stress-free, thanks to the country’s high-speed trains. This makes exploring its Silk Road route, spanning the country’s main cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Tashkent, very easy.
Although there is plenty to say about Uzbekistan, we thought we’d dedicate this blog post primarily to train travel in Uzbekistan, should it help anyone planning a trip in 2024.
Read on for our full guide to high-speed train travel in Uzbekistan.
Train Travel in Uzbekistan
Call us ignorant, but we had no idea that Uzbekistan had such brilliant rail infrastructure before our own visit.
In fact, we presumed that the journeys between the cities of Tashkent, Bukhara and Samarkand would consist of a minibus, and hours spent in uncomfortable seats, without access to a toilet or refreshments.
However, and as we discovered during our week in Uzbekistan, the country is ideal for train travel. The high speed trains in Uzbekistan are, dare we say it, infinitely better than any train provider in the UK and include large double seats, free refreshments and (working) WiFi.
They really were a joy to travel on.
High Speed Trains in Uzbekistan
The high-speed trains in Uzbekistan, known as ‘Afrosiyob’, are modern, well-designed, and boast AC and complimentary refreshments. The same model of train as that used in Spain, travelling on them feels a lot like any other European train journey.
The high-speed trains operate between the three major cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Tashkent, making them ideal for those wanting to travel the Silk Road route in Uzbekistan.
There are 3 classes found on the high-speed trains: economy, business and VIP.
We travelled by economy class on all of our train journeys and, to be honest, our experience of economy felt equal to first class in the UK in terms of space, amenities (including plug sockets and USB points in the chairs) and refreshments.
The double seats were large and spacious, and reclined seamlessly – making napping genuinely quite comfortable. I actually had one of my best ever sleeps on our train journey from Samarkand to Bukhara, as the quiet train flew through the Uzbek countryside.
During our 3 – 4 hour train journeys, we received a complimentary hot drink and pastry, followed by a little fruit cocktail, complete with a little party star sticking out the top. I couldn’t get past the fact that all of this was included in our £15 ticket price.
Such a bargain.
The staff on the trains were also incredibly friendly and dressed impeccably in matching uniforms and hats.
How Much Do Trains Cost in Uzbekistan?
As mentioned at the start of this guide, train travel in Uzbekistan is incredibly cheap.
Unlike train travel in the UK, where you need a small loan in order to book a long train journey, train travel in Uzbekistan (like the country in general) is incredibly well-priced.
For example, our four hour journey from Tashkent to Bukhara cost us just £15 return. In the UK, you’d definitely be looking at a journey like that costing upwards of £100. The slower trains in Uzbekistan are even cheaper.
Uzbekistan’s Silk Road Route by High Speed Train
Our week in Uzbekistan was dedicated to exploring the country’s three main cities on the Silk Road route: Tashkent, Bukhara and Samarkand (before returning back to Tashkent).
This allowed us to travel Southwest first to pretty Bukhara (a four-hour journey), before a three hour journey to Samarkand, and a final two hours back to Tashkent. This made for the perfect train travel loop.
If you’re planning to do the Silk Road route by train, you’ll need to prepare for some very early starts to ensure you make the most of the cities. Our departure times varied from 5am to 7am, which were (very) painful at times.
Thankfully, the smooth trains and generous seating meant we mostly caught up on sleep during the ride. In fact, I found it almost impossible to stay awake on any of the trains.
(Trains do run regularly throughout the day to all three cities, if you aren’t in a particular hurry).
Refreshments on Uzbek Trains
One of the highlights of our time in Uzbekistan was our unexpected 11am party onboard a train.
Having watched a documentary made by the legendary Johanna Lumley on her travels through Uzbekistan, one of our favourite scenes was her sipping a blue, smoking cocktail at a bar of an Uzbek train.
Eager to recreate such a scene, and once onboard our train to Bukhara, we worked our way along the carriages to find the elusive bar (refreshments carriage). Having successfully found it, we were greeted by a cheerful, rosy-cheeked barman, who gestured for us to pick up a bottle of champagne, while he switched on a dusty looking disco light and took to his iPod.
Travelling as a group of 16 girls, we agreed that champagne and a disco was the perfect way to spend our morning as we sped through the flat, desert land of Uzbekistan. Channelling our inner Johanna, we soon found ourselves dancing along with train staff to the ‘Ketchup Song’, with a glass of champagne in hand.
Sadly, the blue, smoking cocktail appears to be a thing of the past.
Booking Train Tickets in Uzbekistan
The easiest way to book train tickets in Uzbekistan is to use the official Uzbekistan Railways website or use your hotel or travel agent.
Alternatively, you can buy your tickets at the station, but you must have these ready before getting on the train, as they must be handed over to train staff as you board.
As staff will be taking your ticket as you board, make sure you memorise your seat number before getting on. We made this mistake a few times and although staff were friendly and helped us to find our seats, we definitely caused a bit of a kerfuffle with other train users.
You can view the high-speed train timetable on this official website. Although it automatically translates into English, it can be a little tricky to navigate. Alternatively, there is also an app available, which we found much easier to use and is available in English.
As a lot of the stations on the website are shown in Russian, so here’s a handy translation guide for the major cities:
Tashkent – Ташкент
Bukhara – Бухара
Khiva – Хива
Samarkand – Самарканд
If you are travelling during peak season (May to October), you should think about booking your tickets a few weeks in advance, although trains can only be booked 35-40 days in advance on the website.
During all of our train travel in Uzbekistan in October, the trains were completely full so we recommend booking as early as you can to avoid disappointment or stress.
Train Stations in Uzbekistan
An unexpected positive of using train travel in Uzbekistan was the chance to explore the beautiful, Soviet-style train stations of the country. Incredibly ordered, with most having two check-points to pass through, and offering shops and cafes, the train stations were easy to navigate as tourists.
All three main train stations can be reached easily by a taxi (costing less than £1). Alternatively, Tashkent station is connected to the blue metro line.
Top tip: make sure you get to the train station at least 30-minutes before your departure time. There can be long queues at the station, while people process their baggage through security.