Can someone tell me if anyone has traveled to Bukhara on the Sharq train? Is it decent or like the old Russian electric trains? As I can't get hold of tickets to Afrisyob I was thinking of buying a tickets to Sharq train. Couple of extra hours in journey is not a big deal for me as long as conditions are fine.
I traveled in Sharq in a seated carriage. Everything was excellent—clean, comfortable, with power outlets and great service. You can get hot and cold water for free, and the conductor provides tea bags. For a fee, you can enjoy delicious food, and the stewards are always offering something. There's a restaurant car, but I didn't go there. Before the Afrosiyob train, this was the flagship train, just a bit outdated now.
Good afternoon! How can I get from Tashkent to Samarkand besides the train (the only ones left take 4 hours), since we didn't buy tickets in time? Is a taxi an option? Would it take even longer?
The taxi takes the same 4 hours, and the bus takes a bit longer. 😊
For those interested, I’m traveling from Samarkand to Tashkent on the Sharq train. It’s very comfortable. They serve tea (for free), offer snacks, sandwiches, ice cream, and strawberries. When boarding, the conductor only checked the printed e-ticket and didn’t ask for any other documents. At the entrance to the station, they only asked if I had a ticket. I didn’t see any staff inside the station at all. It’s nice that announcements are made in Russian too; thank you for that!
They do treat you to tea, but everything else is at your own expense 😉. By the way, there’s a hot water dispenser, so you can go get hot water as much as you want (I brought tea bags with me just in case). The ride is very comfortable. One side of the carriage has two seats (almost like business class on a plane), while the other side has one seat, with a wide aisle in between. There are large overhead luggage racks. Tables are only in the middle of the carriage (seats 39, 40, and 15, 16, 17, 18). The other seats have foldable tables like on a plane. I got lucky; my seat has a table 😉.
What else? Oh, the legroom is spacious, so you can stretch your legs comfortably. Wishing you a pleasant and comfortable journey!
Here is our carriage in Sharq on the way Samarkand - Tashkent. Afrosiyob is obviously better, but even 4 hours in Sharq are quite comfortable. Can't really complain.
