Russia has traditionally strong and in most cases friendly relations with Central Asia. The huge passenger flow, which exists as a result of strong economic ties, provides a large number of different ways of getting into any of the states in the center of Asia.
It can be long and expensive
Several trains run between Moscow and Tashkent, none of which are serviced by Russian railway workers. All trains are owned by carriers, and the final destination is either in Tashkent or Andijan. Most often, traveling to Central Asia, passengers choose a train with large luggage, for which a lot of money would have to be paid for on the plane. When traveling by rail, other regulations apply that allow you to transport large household appliances or large bags with gifts.
European backpackers on the route
The second group of railway travelers, and considerable at the same time, consists of tourists and lovers of exotic ways of moving, because the Moscow-Tashkent train is sixty-eight hours on the way and travels on its way to various regions of Russia and Kazakhstan, and this allows you to get acquainted with a variety of landscapes, even through the window of the car.
At the same time, a train ride, even in the cheapest reserved seat car, costs more than a plane flight. Great competition among air carriers allows passengers to use their services at reasonable prices.
Moscow - Tashkent. The plane will take you in four hours
Direct flight to Tashkent, subject to advance booking and depending on seasonal fluctuations, costs about 20% cheaper than traveling in the same direction by train.
There is a large selection of options for flying to Uzbekistan, and travelers do not always choose direct and fastest flights, because flights with transfers, which often cost less than direct flights, allow you to see another city on the way.
Direct flight or direct flight?
For example, Kazakhstan air carriers offer flights with a long and often daily connection in Almaty. In this case, it is worth stocking up with a guide to the southern capital and the largest city of Kazakhstan, rebuilt in recent years with European taste and the latest architectural fashion.
Turkish airlines offer an extremely tempting opportunity in one trip to not only visit the capital of Uzbekistan, but also drop by a day in Istanbul, a city that deserves a separate and very comprehensive story and about which many travel guides have been written for every taste.
If you carefully study the search results in airline ticket aggregators, you can even find two transplants in Turkey - one in Istanbul and the second in Ankara, the capital of the country. But it is still worth noting that this is a rather tedious enterprise, requiring some effort from the traveler and, above all, a strong desire to see these cities.
How to get from Moscow to Tashkent by car?
The motorist on his way from Moscow to Tashkent will pass through the territory of three countries: Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. All countries are members of the CIS and provide citizens of other countries - members of this association with the right of visa-free entry to their territory, but it is important to remember that border crossing is possible only at specially established places - checkpoints on the borders of the two countries.
There are two main and popular routes among motorists on the territory of Russia in the direction of Kazakhstan. On the route Moscow - Tashkent, it will be necessary to cross the Volga. Departing from Moscow east and passing through Nizhny Novgorod, the traveler will pass the great Russian river in Samara. Going south through Tambov, the Volga will have to pass in Saratov. The city of Orenburg is located on the eastern route, and it will be necessary to cross the border with Kazakhstan in its vicinity.
In the area of the Kazakh city of Aktobe, routes merge and cross onto the M-32 highway, which winds through endless great steppes up to a checkpoint on the Kazakh-Uzbek border in the area of the town of Zhibek Zholy. There is a chance to spend some time in line, as border guards and customs officers are overly attentive to the baggage of people crossing the border.
How long is the Moscow-Tashkent automobile route? The distance is approximately 3400 km, depending on the option chosen.
Hospitable and warm city
The glory of Tashkent as the historical and cultural capital of the region has long not only bypassed the countries of the former USSR, but also penetrated the environment of Western tourists. A huge number of foreigners arrive in Uzbekistan to taste oriental sweets, taste authentic pilaf and stroll through the narrow medieval streets of the ancient city.
The ancient mausoleums of Muslim saints are also popular with tourists and pilgrims from other Islamic states.
And art lovers will be able to get what they want in the art galleries and the fine museum of the city, which presents an extensive collection of not only Western, but also little-known local art. It is worth paying special attention to the work of local artists who wrote in the Soviet era, because on the outskirts of the Soviet Union censorship was not so severe, and painters could allow themselves a little more freedom in choosing themes and visual media.
No matter how the traveler gets to Tashkent, the city will meet him with a smile and the sun, generously feed and warm.