If you want to choose a specific seat (important because one side of the train might face direct sunlight for the entire journey), check the seating layout on the Uzbekistan Railways website and book there or through the RZD website. Note that the RZD app does not allow you to select specific seats on the Afrosiyob!
Additionally, the RZD app and website might not work properly while in Uzbekistan, so ensure you save your tickets as a file or print them out beforehand.
You can also buy tickets through railway websites in other CIS countries, like Kazakhstan or Belarus, but be aware that prices might be significantly higher due to intergovernmental tariffs. All these sites use the same Express-2 ticketing system and sell identical tickets but at varying prices. Aggregators like Tutu.ru often include their own markup.
For convenience, the Belarusian Railways website accepts both MIR cards and foreign cards, while the Kazakhstani site only accepts foreign cards.
However, such tickets are now very rare. Most are fully electronic.
If electronic registration is available, you don’t need to collect anything additional. Still, it’s recommended to print the ticket on an A4 sheet, as you might be asked for it when entering the train station. Showing it on your phone is also acceptable.
Tickets go on sale 60 days in advance. For the Afrosiyob, it’s best to book early, as they tend to sell out quickly.
Good day! Could someone please advise how to purchase train tickets on the Uzbekistan website? When booking, it asks me to register, but it won’t let me use a non-Uzbek phone number.
When registering, instead of selecting the phone number tab, switch to the email tab and enter your email address instead. That should solve the issue.
I’m excited to share that I’ve managed to book two SV tickets for the overnight trip from Khiva to Tashkent. However, I’ve run into a bit of a snag with my journey from Bukhara to Khiva, where the only options available are sleeper compartments and coupes. In the past, it was easy to identify whether a berth was upper or lower, but I’ve recently discovered that there are no clear indicators for this anymore. Since my train ride is just a short one, departing around 1 AM and arriving at 7 AM, I’m reluctant to buy four berths just to secure a lower one. I would greatly appreciate any insights on how to determine which berths are lower in the night train. Thank you in advance for your help!
Hi there!
Here’s a handy tip for you: when it comes to sleeper trains, remember that the lower berths are always assigned odd numbers. So, if you keep in mind that numbers like 1, 3, 5, and so on are your best bets for lower beds, you should be all set! This means that in a coupe carriage, any berth with an odd number will be lower. Enjoy your journey and sleep well!
Just to add to the previous advice, those odd-numbered berths are indeed the ones you want for a cozy night’s sleep. If you’re in a coupe, keep an eye out for the window seats, as they also correspond to the lower beds. It’s a great way to ensure you have a comfortable spot for your overnight adventure. Have a fantastic trip and safe travels through Uzbekistan!
How to buy tickets for the high-speed train from Bukhara to Tashkent? They sell out in just 5 minutes. What time are they released, and are there any secrets for booking?
Tickets become available 60 days in advance at 8 AM Moscow time (UTC +3), but even at that time, some seats are already closed for purchase on the UZHD website.
Hi! Can anyone provide information about the Afrosiab train? Thank you in advance.
I'm buying tickets for the second half of April. There are several morning trains from Tashkent to Samarkand, and there are tickets available on all of them. Not a lot, but there are some. However, there are absolutely no evening train tickets from Samarkand to Tashkent for those same days. Zero. I've changed the dates and checked different websites, but there are none. Does anyone know why this is? Could more tickets become available? (I still have 45 days left)
Or will I have to buy tickets for the Sharq train and end up taking twice as long to return?
Ticket sales start 60 days in advance; for example, today they began selling tickets for May 2.
They open at 8 AM Moscow time, and within minutes, all tickets are sold out. It’s reported that travel agencies buy them up in bulk right away.
As for whether more tickets will appear, it’s a matter of luck—if someone cancels, you might catch them. It’s said that closer to the travel date, travel agencies return unsold tickets, and you might be able to grab those.
If I were you, I would book the tickets that are currently available for the Sharq train and keep monitoring for any openings on the Afrosiab. As soon as you find tickets for the Afrosiab, you can cancel the Sharq tickets.
I bought tickets from Tashkent to Samarkand for April 25 and 28 on the first day of sales, around midday. There were tickets available. Not many, but they were there. I even chose window seats along the train. So it probably depends on the specific date.
@shaman Then, where else can they be purchased if they are closed to purchase on UZHD website?
In theory on can try to search for the tickets on RZhD (Russian Railways website) - but you won't be able to pay there with foreign cards. Some Russians did that way and it worked though tickets prices end up slightly higher. Alternatively one can try to go same way via Kazakhstan railways website (they should be able to process all type of cards), but I have not heard on that so far. But it's definitely worth trying. If this won't work then the option is just to keep trying with Uzbek Railways website.