From the airport to the city centre Uzbekistan
The country has three international airports: Tashkent, Urengench and Samarkand. However, the last two airports only receive international flights during the high tourist season, between April and October. While many airlines serve the country (Aeroflot via Moscow, Turkish Airlines via Istanbul, Air Astana with one or two stopovers in Moscow and/or Astana...), Uzbekistan Airways is the only airline to operate direct flights between Paris and Tashkent all year round. Up to three flights per week during the season (March to October), including one stopover in Urengench, in the Khorezm. Only one flight a week, on Tuesdays, between November and March. Take-off from Paris in the evening, arrival in Tashkent in the morning. In the opposite direction, take-off in the afternoon and arrival in Paris in the evening. The price of a flight from Paris to Tashkent varies between 700 and 920 € depending on the booking period. The flight takes 6 hours 30 minutes. To get good prices, it is essential to book well in advance. Think about buying your tickets six months before departure! Tickets for Uzbekistan Airways are sold in Paris by its representative agency RPTA (4, passage Saint-Roch, Paris 1, www.rpta.eu).
Arrival by train Uzbekistan
Departure from Paris-Gare de l'Est to Moscow (about 40 hours by train, and extremely long checkpoints since the beginning of military operations in Ukraine). The most classical route connects Moscow to Tashkent in 3 days, crosses Kazakhstan, passes north of the Aral Sea and follows the Syr Daria. Another route, to the south, crosses the Ustyurt plateau and passes through Urengench, then continues to Tashkent along the Amu Darya. The train remains an economical and romantic way to travel, meetings are assured and the atmosphere is often warm. You just need time, a lot of time and a visa to cross Russia.
Public transport Uzbekistan
Getting around Uzbekistan is easy. All modes of transportation coexist and offer something for every budget. As a Soviet legacy, the country has many airports, allowing you to go from one end of the country to the other in the blink of an eye. If you have time and prefer to enjoy the landscape, many high speed Thalgo lines have been opened in the last few years between Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara but also from Tashkent to Termez and from Tashkent to Ferghana. Finally there are shared cabs, buses and minibuses for those who travel with a small wallet. The comfort is much less and the travel time is longer, but you will pay almost nothing between your stops.
Accessibility Uzbekistan
It will be very difficult for people with disabilities to travel in Uzbekistan. There are almost no adapted structures and information services for people with disabilities. Nevertheless, the majority of travelers in Uzbekistan are elderly, with a record of 89 years old set by a French tourist in 2014 (who still did three days of mountain hiking!). Some local tour operators are beginning to take this into account and can, if you plan well in advance, find vehicles suitable for certain physical disabilities.
If you are physically or mentally handicapped or are going on vacation with someone who is, there are various organizations and associations that can help you.
