Getting there & Getting around

Getting there

Flights to Ashghabat most commonly transit through Frankfurt, Moscow, Kiev, Istanbul, and Baku in Azerbaijan. There's one flight a week from London and another from Yerevan. If you're more into travelling than arriving, there's a hybrid journey by air from Turkey to Baku (Azerbaijan), by cargo vessel across the Caspian Sea to Turkmenbashi in Turkmenistan, and from there to Ashghabat, Bukhara and beyond by train. Plenty of travellers also cross between Turkmenistan and Iran, using Turkmenistan's five day transit visa to get between Bukhara and Mashhad in northeastern Iran.

Getting around

Train travel is slow but reasonably comfortable. Trains often travel by night, so you can save money on a hotel but end up missing the excellent views of the passing countryside. Tickets are cheap but tend to sell out early, so buy your ticket as early as possible. Buses travel early in the morning while afternoon services are rare or non-existent. All day long there is no shortage of marshukas (private minivans) or share taxis which travel quickly and cheaply between cities. Off the main routes, some villages may only be served by one bus per day. For destinations well off the beaten track, private transport is essential and there are a number of tour operations that can organise expeditions into the desert.

Visa information

You must obtain both a visa and a letter of invitation prior to arrival. Failure to have, at the very least, a personal statement and itinerary, means that your experience will be limited to what you can see as you fly straight back out of there.

Travellers also need special permission to visit areas close to the Afghan, Uzbek and Iranian borders. Tourist attractions that fall inside restricted areas include Ashgabat, Merv, Konye-Urgench, Nokur and Kugitang Nature Reserve, among others. Check with your travel agent to make sure restricted areas are included on your invitation.