Transportation in Tashkent

Tashkent's metro is the city's backbone, fast, spotlessly clean, and cheap enough that a single ride costs a fraction of a coffee. Buy the rechargeable "O'zbekiston" card at any station kiosk. It works on metro, buses, and the new light-rail line, sparing you the coin-only queues. Trains run from about 5 a.m. to midnight, and stations double as art galleries, Alisher Navoi and Kosmonavtlar are worth a deliberate detour. Buses fill the gaps where the metro doesn't reach, but they crawl in traffic. Use the Yandex Go app to see which trolleybus is moving before you board. From the airport, ignore the freelance cab drivers who swarm baggage claim. Head upstairs to the official taxi desk for a metered ride, or take the frequent express bus that drops you at Oybek metro station in 20 minutes, cheap and usually faster than gridlocked traffic. If you land after midnight, the bus stops, so the desk taxi becomes your only honest option. Agree on the meter or a fixed fare before the bags go in the trunk.