The Afrosiyob high-speed train is the easy way in. Two or three services a day from Tashkent (just over two hours) continue on to Bukhara (90 minutes) and Khiva. The station, Samarkand Railway, sits about 5 km north of the centre; a taxi costs a couple of dollars. Tickets sell out — book a few days ahead, especially in May, September, and around national holidays.
Samarkand International Airport has daily flights from Tashkent (just over an hour) and a handful of international connections — Istanbul, Moscow, Dubai. From the centre of Samarkand the airport is a 15-minute taxi ride.
By road, the drive from Tashkent on the M39 takes about four hours and from Bukhara about three; the views of the Zarafshan valley are pleasant but the train is faster, cheaper, and more comfortable.