Trains
The train is the best way to travel between the main tourist cities. The Afrosiyob high-speed service covers Tashkent to Samarkand in about 2 hours and Samarkand to Bukhara in about 90 minutes — fast, comfortable, and not expensive by Western standards. Book tickets in advance through the Uzbekistan Railways app or website (railway.uz); foreigners can now pay online. The Sharq train runs a similar route at slightly lower speed.
For the overnight journey to Urgench (for Khiva), there are sleeper trains departing Tashkent in the evening and arriving in the morning — a practical way to cover the long distance across the desert without losing a day.
Domestic flights
Uzbekistan Airways operates domestic routes connecting Tashkent with Samarkand, Bukhara, Urgench, Nukus, and the Fergana Valley. Flights are quick and cheap by international standards, and worth considering for the longer hauls to Nukus or Urgench.
Shared taxis and minibuses
Between cities not well served by trains, shared taxis (marshrutkas or regular sedans) are the standard option. They depart when full from bus and train stations. Faster than buses, cheaper than private hire. Bargain or confirm the price per seat before getting in.
Tashkent metro
Tashkent has a Soviet-era metro system that is genuinely useful for getting around the capital. The stations are worth seeing in their own right — each one was decorated in a distinct architectural style in the 1970s and 1980s. Photography inside was once prohibited but is now generally allowed.
Taxis and ride-hailing
Yandex Go works in major cities and gives you transparent pricing. Regular street taxis also operate widely — agree on a price before you start. Private car hire with a driver is practical for day trips and off-the-beaten-track destinations like the Qalas near Urgench.
Driving yourself
Car rental is available in Tashkent but is not widely used by tourists. Roads between major cities are generally serviceable; rural roads can be rough. The desert roads in the west are long and empty. Fuel availability is fine in cities but sparse in remote areas.