Hitchhiking in Uzbekistan is fairly easy. How to hitchhike in Uzbekistan? We’ll give you some tips and tricks.
Hitchhiking in Uzbekistan
Can you hitchhike in Uzbekistan? Yes, of course you can hitchhike in Uzbekistan.
Money
Most people in Uzbekistan expect money for a ride. They will ask you to contribute for the petrol.
Hitchhiking for free is not well known in Uzbekistan. But you can ask if people can take you for free.
Before I got in a car I mostly asked “Bez platna?”. Which means something like “For free?”.
Some cars will drive on. Some will take you.
This is Uzbekistan in 2019. I am sure you’ll enjoy the country.
Negotiate if you’re willing to pay
If you are willing to pay for a ride, then I suggest you to make a price clear before you get in.
You can ask “Skolka?”, which means something like “how much?”.
Where to hitchhike in Uzbekistan?
In general you can hitchhike anywhere in Uzbekistan. Cars do stop everywhere.
Outskirts of town
But I would advise to go to the outskirts of town by local bus.
Inside the city (also at outskirts), you’ll stop a lot of taxis. Which can be frustrating.
Locals tend to pay for ‘hitchhiking’. Therefore you might encounter more people on the road.
- I encountered more than 50 local hitchhikers at the outskirts of Bukhara. Locals tend to pay for hitchhiking in Uzbekistan.
Taxis
Any car can be a taxi in Uzbekistan. But it’s mostly the small Chevrolet/Daewoo cars who are taxis.
You can’t really recognize them before they stop. But in general the driver wears proper clothes and the inside of the car is quite clean.
You might want to ask first if they are taxi.
Outside of towns there won’t be taxis. Which makes the hitchhiking much better.
- This old car is a taxi, while hitchhiking in uzbekistan this taxi took me a few kilometers for free.
Hitchhiking tips for Uzbekistan
People in Uzbekistan are quite friendly. Sometimes they look a bit closed, but when you speak some words with them, they become more open and friendly.
- It’s the best to hitchhike trucks in Uzbekistan, they never asked me for money.
Therefore it’s good to learn some words in Uzbek or Russian. Downloading the offline Google Translate of Russian might help as well.
General hitchhiking tips for Uzbekistan
- Ask if it is for free if you don’t want to pay
- If you are willing to pay, negotiate a price before you get in
- Hitchhiking outside or at outskirts of town is much easier
- Learn some Uzbek or Russian words
- Trucks are the best, they always took me for free
- Ask if the car is not a taxi
- You can use your thumb to stop cars
- Locals stop cars by waving down their hand, like stopping a taxi
- Locals mostly pay for ‘hitchhiking’
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