Internet and useful apps

Getting online

Wi-Fi is standard in hotels, cafés and airports. The most reliable option is mobile data on a local SIM — cheap and fast in the cities.

Before heading into the mountains or the desert, download offline maps and translation packs.

Taxis and maps

Yandex Go is the main ride-hailing app in Tashkent and most regional capitals: fares are shown upfront, so there is no haggling. The local MyTaxi app also works. Uber does not operate in Uzbekistan.

Yandex Maps and 2GIS have the most detailed city data on addresses, public transport and opening hours. Google Maps works too but is thinner on smaller towns. Organic Maps or Maps.me are handy offline.

Tickets

Train tickets are sold through Uzbekistan Railways' official site, railway.uz, and its ticket portal, eticket.railway.uz. Afrosiyob and in-season night trains sell out fast, so book ahead. If your foreign card is declined, use a station ticket office or a travel agency — you will need your passport.

Domestic flights can be booked at uzairways.com and on other airlines' websites.

Payments, translation, public services

Payment apps such as Payme, Click and Uzum mostly require a local bank card, so visitors are better off with Visa or Mastercard plus soums in cash.

Google Translate and Yandex Translate both support Uzbek and Russian — download the offline packs in advance.

Government services: my.gov.uz; e-visa: e-visa.gov.uz; IMEI registration: uzimei.uz.