Taxis, tips, souvenirs, etc.

[blackbough]

Hello,

I will be traveling to Uzbekistan for the first time next week for a solo trip. I've found this website incredibly useful. I have a handful of questions now that I am nearing my departure. I apologize in advance if anything has been covered before. I appreciate any answers or comments!

1. I see that there is a new and official Tashkent Airport taxi service. Is it available at 1:00 or 2:00 a.m.?

2. I often see tourist sites say tips for guides are not included in the price. How much should I tip a tour guide? Should I also tip taxi drivers a certain amount?

3. I would like to buy some hand-made items such as suzani or ceramic dishes/sets as souvenirs. What's the normal price for suzani or ceramics? I'm not sure how much to budget.

4. I've read that I need to get a certificate if I buy any hand-made items, even if they are less than 50 years old. Is this easy to do in the main cities? Any tips?

Thank you again in advance!

Best regards,
Sean

[HolidayGolightly]

I am going for my second trip to UZ next week. Some info from previous trip:

Taxi: most international flights depart and arrive at night so it would make sense. Sale of SIM cards is available at night for example. Last time I walked a little outside the airport and just flagged down a taxi. Or you walk to Departures. I hrard 10 dollars is a somewhat high but usual price for a taxi to hotel. Pickup arranged by hotel costs more.

Tipping: not so common. I never had a tour guide and there are no taxi meters. So i agreed prices beforehand and gave 10-20% more if the service was good.

Handmade stuff: depends where you go. Tourist markets cost more obviously. I bought a ridiculous cheap traditional tea set in a household goods store and paid like 4Euros. Silk fabric, 12-16Euro per metre. Ceramics :no idea. If you really like ceramics maybe go to Rishton or one of the bazaars like Urgut or Kumtepe. Or just wait a few days and look at prices on the souvenir stalls. Every old madrassah will have souvenir stalls in them.

I travelled from Samarkand via Moscow last time and nobody wanted to see anything. It was the swiftest customs and immigration ever. I think the certificate only goes for antiques. If you do buy genuine antiques the seller will issue a certificate. Bought a vintage carpet once, a decent seller will issue a certificate. Hope that helps%!

[Bakhtiyark]

1) You can use local taxi apps like Yandex taxi or indigenous Mytaxi. They can accept your bank card as well, price is about €6-12.
2) Tipping is uncommon and usually not expected, but welcome.
3) Depends widely, but you can and should haggle.
4) No one really checks for that.