Organize your stay Uzbekistan
Covid-19 : current situation Uzbekistan
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, entry and travel restrictions may apply Uzbekistan. Remember to visit the site of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before you leave for the latest information
Money Uzbekistan
The national currency is the Uzbek soum (bank code UZS), which is not convertible outside the country at present. The denominations are 100,000, 50,000, 10,000, 5,000, 1,000, 500, 200, 100 soums. There were also bills of 50, 25, 10, 5, 3 and 1 which have almost disappeared from circulation. Considering the current exchange rate, one finds oneself very quickly with large bundles of bills (the largest denomination, 100 000 soums is worth a little more than 8 €...).
The payments are made in soums, except for the plane tickets which are obligatorily made in foreign currency. When it is possible to pay in foreign currency for large sums in certain places, prefer dollars which are more easily accepted. The regularization of the exchange rate makes things easier, the rates are the same everywhere and the black market is no longer interesting enough to justify taking the risk of changing money illegally.
The exchange rate in April 2023 was 1 € = 12 540 UZS, 1 CAN $ = 8 550 UZS, 1 CHF = 12 744 UZS.
Budget & Tips Uzbekistan
The following budgets are per day and per person. They are established to help you plan your expenses according to the type of trip you are considering.
Budget: around 70 €. For the travelers, one night in the most modest B&B (but they are less and less numerous) or hotels of the Soviet period, meals in the bazaar and travel by public transport. The monuments are very beautiful seen from the outside..
Comfort budget: 90 to 140 €. Charming hotels and at least one meal a day in a nice restaurant or a tchaikhana with a pleasant setting. You will be able to travel by shared cabs and budget the visit of the main monuments and museums of the country.
Luxury budget: from 250 €. This is what you will have to pay for accommodation in a luxury hotel and your trips in a private car with driver. The beautiful restaurants in Tashkent or the luxury hotel restaurants in Bukhara or Samarkand will embellish your memories.
Although Uzbekistan is more expensive than one would expect, compared to other countries in the region, it is possible to stay in Uzbekistan at a lower cost and with a certain comfort. Meals in bazaars, made of grilled meat or soups, are indeed cheaper and probably less risky for the stomach than the imitations of Western cuisine served by some mid-range restaurants.
Passport and visas Uzbekistan
Canadian, Belgian, French and Swiss nationals no longer need a visa to enter the country as of October 5, 2018, provided the stay is less than 30 days. Beyond that, you will have to leave the country or have previously obtained a visa (which can only be applied for outside the borders). Check the expiration date of your passport, which must be valid for at least six months after the planned date of exit from the country.
For more information, visit www.ouzbekistan.fr.
Driver's license Uzbekistan
It is now possible to drive yourself in Uzbekistan, provided you have an international license. But if you are on a leisure trip, we strongly advise you against this option. Uzbeks have a vision of the traffic rules that is quite different from ours, which may make your travel very difficult, especially after nightfall. If the state of the roads tends to improve, very few have public lighting and accidents are not rare. Renting a car with a driver will not necessarily cost much more and you will certainly feel more "on vacation".
Health Uzbekistan
Here is a list of reminders to build the ideal kit:
- Pack disinfectant, sterile pads and bandages for minor physical injuries, or "double skin" if you plan to go on long nature walks.
- Aspirin for headaches.
- Gastric bandages and anti-diarrhea treatment as well as an intestinal disinfectant.
- An antihistamine for insect bites.
- A broad spectrum antibiotic.
- Sunscreen cream for the desert as well as for the mountains.
- Biafine® type cream in case of burns.
- Mosquito repellent.
- Moisturizing lip stick, useful in the mountains and in the desert.
- Condoms.
- Tweezers.
- Plastic bags in case you get sick in the transport.
- Generally speaking, for a long trip, prefer solid medications (pills or capsules) rather than liquid mixtures that are sensitive to heat and where bacteria can develop.
- If you are taking a long-term treatment or if you have used syringes, make sure you take the corresponding prescriptions with you.
Mandatory vaccination Uzbekistan
Vaccinations against hepatitis A and B are strongly recommended before undertaking a trip to Uzbekistan. If you are planning to travel independently off the beaten track, a rabies vaccination is also welcome. Despite eradication campaigns, cases of rabies are regularly discovered, especially in the steppe around Djizzakh, where it is common to encounter stray dogs. For hikers also thinking of going off the beaten track, up-to-date vaccinations against typhoid and encephalitis are recommended.
It is not necessary to take anti-malaria treatment at the moment.
Security Uzbekistan
Traveling in Uzbekistan, even outside of a tourist structure, does not present a major security problem. Theft and aggression are not part of the population's mentality.
Some pickpockets do exist, of course, especially in the big tourist cities where one should be careful not to show too much of one's dollars or euros, cameras, etc. But this phenomenon is still very marginal in Uzbekistan where petty crime is much less rampant than elsewhere, especially in our Western capitals.
On the bus, there is not much to fear, and if you are familiar with your neighbors, you can even leave your bags under their supervision without risk. During stops, bus and cab drivers make it a point of honor to lock and watch their vehicles, especially when a tourist's belongings are on board: their reputation is at stake!
As for hotels, don't leave anything too tempting in the old Soviet-era hotels where the floor staff keeps the keys to the entire floor. Again, stealing is not in the Uzbek mentality, but there is no need to arouse temptations. A good camera can be worth 10 years of salary..
For the latest information on security in U zbekistan, please consult the "Advice to travelers" section of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website: www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/voyageurs. Be aware, however, that the site provides an exhaustive list of potential dangers and that this sometimes gives a somewhat alarmist picture of the real situation in the country.
Single women. Don't worry ladies, the country may be Muslim and its name ends in "stan", but women are welcome in Uzbekistan, and it is very easy to travel alone in Tashkent, Samarkand or Khiva.
Dress code is free, but must be classic: long pants or skirt, no plunging neckline or thin straps... A short-sleeved T-shirt or the absence of a headscarf will not shock anyone in the tourist cities where the population is used to seeing tourists of all nationalities and styles. You will see that in Tashkent miniskirts and high heels are commonplace.
There is no place in the country where women are required to wear a full veil. If some cities like Namangan or Andijan seem a bit more traditionalist, the look on the visitor is not more aggressive, only some mosques will remain closed to you.
Obviously, the western culture is exported more via Britney Spears than Mireille Mathieu, and western women are often considered as being naturally shy. To avoid the seductive ardor of some Uzbeks, if you decide to take public transport during your long-distance travels, try to settle down near elderly people or better, women, who will not fail to engage in conversation and defend you against possible seduction attempts.
As for hospitality, there is no reason why you should take less advantage of it than men. Many women in the country are left alone when their husbands or sons have gone to Russia to look for work and will let you know the warmth of the Uzbek welcome.
With children. Traveling with children is not a problem in Uzbekistan, but we do not recommend traveling with small children (under the age of 7) because of the risk of dehydration (diarrhea and heat). Keep a constant eye on your child, especially in the deserts where the risk of sunstroke is high (a child dehydrates much faster than an adult) and at high altitudes to watch out for possible altitude sickness. The stomach of the smallest will have as much difficulty, if not more, than those of adults to get used to the cotton oil sometimes used for cooking. Plan to have your meals in B&Bs where the staff is more familiar with Western eating habits. The sanitary conditions in small chaikhanas are not always suitable for fragile stomachs.
As walking is long in the cities, consider equipping your children with good shoes or, to carry the smallest ones, buying a backpack or baby carrier adapted to the size of your child.
Between cities, the same applies. The trips can be long and tiring. Take the train or plane whenever possible. Remember to bring books and games for travel.
In the car, even if it is not mandatory for car passengers to wear seat belts, remember to buckle up your child to protect him/her in case of an accident.
There is no risk of kidnapping in the country, but nothing is easier for a child than to get lost in a bazaar or an Uzbek mahalla. Equipping them with a small whistle around their neck will make it easier to find a child who has let go of your hand in a crowd.
For the rest, traveling with children will open many doors for you by greatly favoring contacts with the local population.
Time difference Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan is in the GMT + 5 time zone, 3 hours more than Paris in the summer and 4 hours more during winter hours.
Spoken languages Uzbekistan
This is the difficulty of this country which counts more than a hundred different ethnic groups.
In the whole country, except in very remote areas, Russian is understood and spoken without any problem. Russian will allow you to get by in all the country, but a little Uzbek will open many doors for you.
Uzbek belongs to the Turkic language family, just like Kyrgyz, Kazakh or Turkmen. As for the dialects of Central Asia, no sooner has the traveler landed in Tashkent and learned a few words of Uzbek than he has to learn new ones in Tajik (Tajik does not belong to the Turkic-speaking sphere, but to the Iranian-speaking one) to make himself understood in Bukhara and Samarkand, before moving on to Karakalpak, which is relatively close to Kazakh, if he pushes his discovery to Karakalpakia.
In Uzbekistan, off the beaten track, it remains difficult to find an Uzbek speaking English or French. In the villages, you may be lucky enough to meet a former foreign language teacher who speaks a few words.
In Tashkent, of course, more young students speak English, French, and to a lesser extent Spanish or German, all the more aware that mastering a foreign language is the best opportunity for them to find a job abroad or to study at a European university.
Learning the language. There are different ways to learn some of the basics of the language and the offer for self-study can be done on different media: CDs, video tapes, workbooks or even directly on the Internet.
Communication Uzbekistan
Since 2017 it is finally possible for a traveler to acquire a local SIM card and recharge it during the stay. Phone and 4G coverage is good in major cities and secondary towns, but more random in small villages or as soon as you get off the beaten track. It is not uncommon that the Uzbeks you will meet give you two phone numbers to reach them. They are often customers of two operators to ensure that they are always in a coverage area.
Most hotels and B&B's offer a Wi-Fi connection, as well as more and more cafes and tea shops.
Electricity and measurements Uzbekistan
Everywhere in Uzbekistan electricity works on 220 volts, in periods of 50 Hz. You will be able to recharge your appliances without any problem, but be careful, power cuts are frequent and voltage returns can damage the appliances.
Uzbekistan uses the metric system for weights and measures. As in France, therefore, we measure in meters and weigh in kilograms.
Luggage Uzbekistan
In summer, take light clothes. Summers can be very hot in the Ferghana Valley and in the desert, not to mention the Termez region in the south of the country. For excursions in the wilderness or visits to tourist towns, you can take shorts or tank tops without any worries, even for women. Only in remote parts of the country, or outside the tourist circuits, these light clothes can shock. However, always carry something to cover your shoulders and arms (and a scarf for women) when visiting mosques or pilgrimage sites.
In the spring and fall, a light raincoat, such as a K-way®, and a sweater for cooler evenings will be useful. Especially in the deserts, where daytime and nighttime temperature differences can be significant.
In winter, temperatures drop very quickly and snow is not uncommon. Good, warm and insulated shoes, a warm jacket and gloves will be useful, even in Tashkent. Winters are generally milder there than elsewhere but the temperature is still around -10°C.
Accessories not to forget: a good pair of sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat to provide you with a shady spot. Swiss Army knife, alarm clock, sewing kit, high protection sunscreen, sunglasses, small pharmacy, periodical tampons, condoms with NF standards. A flashlight and spare batteries, as well as candles, will be particularly useful for power cuts (very frequent) as well as for visiting poorly lit sites. For long bus or train rides through the desert, a simple washcloth that you can soak in water will make life cooler in summer. Finally, since you will be visiting some majestic landscapes, consider bringing binoculars. They will be particularly useful for bird and animal watching.
People in remote parts of the country are poor and gifts of clothes, fabrics, stationery or food will be very useful for them. All these items can be found in the bazaars at very low prices. Cosmetics, especially French ones, are the most appreciated gifts, from the museum guard to the recalcitrant customs officer.
Take photos of your family, your friends, your house: they will leave a more personal memory to those you will have met. Prepare a list of toasts! In spite of Islam, people still drink alcohol - Soviet past obliges - and, before each mouthful, the guests must make a toast, sometimes long and very elaborate, dedicated to business, health, women, country, etc. To remain silent or refuse would be an offense.
