Khiva to Bukhara (Uzbekistan) for solo traveller

Question

I'm looking into how to get to Bukhara. I've been offered a shared taxi at US$80 (200,000 soms). The Lonely Planet claims it should be about $US15. I realise it's been a year since this was written, but still...

I'm wondering about buses, but believe they go from Urgench. Anyone got any ideas as to what options I may have, other suggestions or moments of inspiration?

The biggest problem is being a traveller on my own, I've not been able to find people to combine with for a taxi - it'd make negotiating a lot easier!

Answer 1

This is very strange that LonelyPlanet says - between Khiva and Bukhara is 480km, and $15 - very small sum for such distance. According to this post in Livejournal, one year ago such prices were to transfer:

• For the taxi - 25000 soms per person which is double less you were offered
• Bus between two towns - 13000-15000 soms. It will visit each village on his route. Also there will be passport checks nearly each 100km.

PS: You should really start to bargain with drivers! This is the East, and if you don't bargain - you are completely alien! Try to push them, and save your money, and try to get pleasure from bargaining :)

Answer 2

For travellers who might want to take this route – the road is now in awful condition (worse than the Pamir Highway!), and takes around 8 hours. I travelled it in July 2012, and had a good, quick driver: we 'only' needed 7.5 hours of accelerating/decelerating/bumping/hitting the ground... We saw mini-buses and a few buses on the road; they took something like 14 hours, and were in very bad condition. We negotiated to around US$80 for 4 passengers at the bazaar in Bukhara. That's probably the lowest you could possibly get here. Check the cars and drivers as only the oldest and propane-powered cars make the trip – it's hard on the mechanics so they save by using already worn-out cars. And beware that there are no cities between Bukhara and Urgench, and very very few petrol stations, most of them empty. So pack food and water (it's the Kyzylkum desert after all!), leave early and check your gas level!