Aktau to Nukus by train

[robinmetral]

Did anyone take this recently? I'm reading conflicting reports of the Aktau-Nukus stretch (e.g. not possible without own car, etc)

[andidas]

I wanted to share my recent experience with this connection to be of help
I booked one week in advance via bilet.railways.kz. Paying with a german Visa Card went smooth.
For one i booked the Aktau-Beyneu-train (7:21-15:00) in a nice air conditioned 4 person berth for 7.000 Tenge. It was good, that I was at the train 1h before departure. The train departed punctually.
In the extremely hot desert city of Beyneu I stayed one night.
Second, the train from Beyneu to Nukus (4:47-18:22) cost 10.000 Tenge for a bed in the open waggon. There was no option for berths and unfortunately no air conditioning. I recommend being at the train station early (1h at least) as kazak costums happen there. As I boarded the train, border police officers in uniform sat me down in a waggon, scanned my passport, made a photo and stamped my passport.
The departure was punctual again. At 6.30 the train stopped for 2h at the Uzbek border. Uzbek border police officers entered and collected everyone's passports. A young officer, that spoke a little english came through and wanted to see everyone's luggage, but only the top layer after opening the rucksack. I told him everything is just clothes and he was fine with that. I didn't have to fill out any customs form.
I got my passport back from the conductor after the train started again.
The train ride was long and hot after that. Be sure to pack enough water as you will sweat all the time. Earplugs are recommended to kill some time sleeping like a bread loaf in the oven.
At some stops women came through the train, who exchanged money and sold water and food as well.
The arrival was punctual again.

Staying one night in Nukus, my Host organized a shared taxi to Khiva for me. I payed 100.000 som for the 3h ride including a taxi change in Urgench.

[flxbptzld]

Many thanks for the detailed description!

I plan to do the same trip (Aktau (07:21) -> Beyneu (15:00) + Beyneu (04:47) -> Nukus (18:22)) in early October. Do you have any recommendations on how to spend the short night in Beyneu? Did you book a hotel or did you just stay at the train station? And in case you booked a hotel do you have a recommendation?

[kelsoflagday]

Trip report: Nukus-Beineu-Aktau on two different trains.

I got to Nukus from Khiva by bus. I made an entry about that trip here:
viewtopic.php?t=10517

I took the 05:50-20:50 to Beineu on September 3rd. Ticket booked on the normal Uzbek rail app, no problem with my American Visa card. No problem also getting a Yandex ride at 5am to the station. I brought food, but there were people throughout the trip selling samsas, water, and other food. Plus a woman came around exchanging Soms to Tenge for a really good rate. The train has a standard 4 bed sleeper compartments with no doors, and a single bed that converts to seats going long ways on the other windowside of the train, which is where I sat. I took a few naps (sheets included) and passed the time, it was not too hot with the window cracked.

We sat at the border to stamp out of Uz for about 2 hours. Border guards check the bags and stamp you out. The conductor pays special attention to you as a foreigner, and locals are nice and offer tea and bread and stuff. Make sure you bring your visa paper for Uz, and no one cared about my “exit” paper the hostel in Nukus printed out for me.

Then a couple more hours and you reach Beineu, and KZ border guards check the train, and set up a small computer in a compartment to stamp everyone in. Barely any English spoken by them, but no problem being a foreigner in this border crossing. I believed we were released an hour early, around 20:00 or so. I ate at the restaurant called Zaza restaurant on Google maps which was clean and nice!

Back to the station for a couple hours of waiting and caught the 00:15-07:15 night train from Beineu to Aktau. I booked this on tickets.kz. The trains run on capital time, so it left at 23:15. Wooden interior, interesting more Russian feeling train. I slept and I believe we pulled into Aktau late, around 07:15 Aktau time.

Yandex to my hostel in Aktau, Mango hostel (good place!). Flight to Baku a few days later because the damn Azer land borders are still closed, so no ferry.

[Treecle]

Hi. I am in Aktau now. I have train booked to Beyneu on 01/10 07.05-15.00. I then hope to catch the 00.03 from Beyneu which goes direct to Urgench arriving 16.34. eTicket.railway.UZ shows "no tickets available" but is this train originates in Russia I understand this is normal and I may be able to purchase tickets directly at Beyneu station before departure. Is this correct? Any advice welcome, thanks.

[Treecle]

Tickets for the Beyneu to Urgench train came available approx 18 hours before departure from Beyneu. Online on both Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan rail websites. Booked and travel all went ok. Worth noting that customs checks continued until 03.30, so don't plan an early night!

[HugoL]

I did the journey from Nukus to Aktau on the 22nd, arriving on the 23rd. The Nukus - Beineu leg is quite cold in the early morning, but like all trains in this region turns into a sauna by the afternoon so bring plenty of cold drinks. The train stops at the Uzbek border checkpoint for more than two hours with the bathrooms firmly locked even though the actual border formality finished in the first 30 minutes, so plan your toilet visits and water intake accordingly.

People comes around the carriage all the time selling snacks and the offering money exchange at decent rate.

[Valencia]

it's 2023! Want to try this route Aktau - Nukus by train. Does anyone have any current information?

[jannewer]

Did it about a week ago, everything still as described above Make sure you are in the train that crosses the border (from Beyneu to Nukus) at least one hour before departure for Kazakh customs!

[Jvs]

Hi trying to find tickets from Beineu to Nukus on bilet railways website but really struggling with finding the station names. Nothing comes up when searching for Nukus - please help!

Also tried the tickets.kz site but that doesn't give you an actual ticket and you need to exchange it?! Anyone had any experience of this?

Thanks!