Border crossing reports: Tajen (UZ - KAZ)

[steven]

Yes, see http://caravanistan.com/transport/train/uzbekistan

[dinozzaver]

An update from Tajen border by train, since the latest things date back to 2012.

Just took a train from Kungrad to Aktau. Train leaves daily at 8:25, 177000 for platzkart, 25h. You can get a lot of food on the train, they sell pretty much everything from drinks, samsa, aspirin, ice cream, paynet cards, manty, you name it! Several money changers pass the train until the border. Get some tenge, at least for the taxi ride in from train station in Aktau. Train stops in Beyneu when they disconnect and reconnect some wagons, meanwhile half of the village come and sell the dinner (manty, chicken, melons, sweets) and you can still pay in sums.

Border crossing was nothing special, you don't leave the train at all, both borders took 4.5 hours and they weren't really sure if they have to do anything special with the one and only "tourist" on train. They just decided to check my photos on the camera.

In Kungrad there is a guesthouse just next to train station (when exiting on your left, just across parking lot), they have black sheep horns above the door ($10 with breakfast), but no registration possible. Basic accommodation, toilet is outside and get ready for a bucket shower! They serve food also and there are some restaurant (with beer) around the train station and bazaar 10 mins walk to the west (in case you need to change money, is possible there).

[Fred]

An update about the train route "Nukus to Aktau via Beyneu".

Nukus, a less travelled city in western Uzbekistan, and we paid a visit in early Oct 2016 not for anything but the departure for Kazakhstan from Uzbekistan by the train route below:

• * Nukus (Нукус, 17:25 local time) - Beyneu (Бейнеу, 06:20 Astana time next day)
  
  * Beyneu (06:50 Astana time) - Aktau (Мангышлак [1], 14:10 Astana time)

We eventually arrived in Aktau 20 hours after we boarded the train, but with 2 unexpected mistakes.

The first mistake: booked train tickets online in advance

For the Nukus - Beyneu train service, I did some research but got not much on Internet or misleading information from Samarkand train ticket office as we were even told that no foreigners are allowed for the route. In terms of this, we were a bit nervous about the travel plan because we didn’t have much time for delays as we only had a 15 day Uzbekistan visa.

Later I accidentally found Kazakhstan Railways recently launched a multi-language train ticket booking website, including English. See [2] for the URL. Most importantly, it sort of confirmed the route is doable because it let me book tickets and complete the payment online without warnings!

At the Nukus railway station on the departure day, we saw a train timetable on the wall which indicated 2 regular services to Beyneu:

• * Daily service #647 departing at 05:45 from Nukus to Beyneu, and
  
  * Service #333 travelling from Tashkent Uzbekistan to Novosibirsk Russia via Beyneu stops by Nukus at 17:25 every Tuesday and Thursday. It’s the one we booked online.

The second mistake: I thought 30 minutes of train connection time was enough. As you’ve read above, we booked 2 train services online and the transfer time was 30 minutes.

Our train departed from Nukus on time at 17:26 local time, and arrived and stopped at the Uzbekistan - Kazakhstan border at 00:50 next day. No one was allowed to leave the train or even use the toilet while travel document check was performing. Our luggage didn’t get checked this time but photos on my laptop again were reviewed. Train carriages were searched entirely by the Uzbekistan soldiers though. The whole thing happened on the Uzbekistan border zone last approx 2 hours.

03:00, the train finally got moved again. However Stacy and I expected it would stop shortly again as everything we experienced at the Uzbekistan border should happen as well on the Kazakhstan side. However we were too tired so fell asleep immediately after the train moved. When we woke up again, the train was approaching the Beyneu station in Kazakhstan. Hold on a sec, where’s the document/luggage check at the Kazakhstan border? When I looked out the window, I immediately realised those the border paper work is going to happen here, in Beyneu, instead of the actual border, as I saw several Kazakhstan soldiers approaching the train. This is bad news for us because the “actual” arrival time for us would be 06:20 plus the time for travel document checking. And there is a very good chance that the document checking might take longer than the time we had - 30 minutes of train connection time.

In the end, we had to watch our next train approached, and left again. The document checking took 1 hour, and during the time, train doors locked and no toilet use as expected.

Later at the Beyneu station we found out that the next service to Aktau was 14 hours later. Luckily I found an ATM in town which meant we had cash with more options: to find a place to rest and wait for the next cheap but slow train service, or to find a shared taxi and leave immediately.

We opted for the latter, paid 5,000 KZT person, and arrived in Aktau 5 hours later. We paid more than doubled not only for the trip but also a lesson and learn! Hopefully our experience will help those who want to do a similar route in the future.

[1] Aktau is called “Мангышлак” on Kazakhstan train timetable.
[2] KAZAKHSTAN TEMIR ZHOLY, http://rail-travel.kz/

Note: This is originally posted to "See ya on the road" on http://www.cyaontheroad.com/post/152905 ... u-by-train. Please visit for photos about the train journey.

[jornk]

And, any expierences/tips to share about these specific crossings? Greetings!

[GiacomoLuppi]

I crossed the border yesterday from Uzbekistan to Kazakhstan. I slept in the uzbek border, in the truck that I hitchiked from Kongrad. The border opened at 9 AM, there were a lot of truck drivers and local people waiting (more than hundred people) but as a foreigner they all allowed me to skip the queue. The guards were all friendly and correct, they didn't ask for the hotel's registration, they just asked in a unformal way where I have been in Uzbekistan. In the Kazak side I skipped the queue as well, they didn't check my luggage and with a smile the guard said "Welcome in Kazakhstan!".
Even if is out of the main touristic path, I suggested this road if you want to see the beauty of the Karakalpakstan. I did one stop for the night in Kongrad, sleeping with truck drivers in a "roadhouse" beside the road (15.000 sum, no registration). Perfect place for hitchhiking or catching a bus to the border

[Jibe]

Had the same experience a few days ago too. I didnt hitchhike after the crossing in Kazakhstan,less cars. I took a shared taxi to beneu for 2700 tenge ( no idea if overpriced i didn't ask the other passengers), there should be also shared taxis from kungrad i saw some but no idea how to catch them. easy crossing. Really bad roads!

[jornk]

Sounds promising. I am planning to use this crossing with my own car. I'll post an update if i get back in june!

[MichaelAngelo]

Sounds promising. I am planning to use this crossing with my own car. I'll post an update if i get back in june!

Did it work? Might be planning this crossing in the next week or so with my Canada-registered car.

[JnKln]

Crossing Tejen without registration july 2018:

We (canadian and german passports) crossed Tejen border from UZ to KZ on july 2nd 2018 after 10 nights in Uzbekistan without registration.

The guard did ask for the registration slips at first. We pretended to have them lost so he didn't even ask the second time. No luggage control.

Seems like everything is becoming way more relaxed

- Jan

[AdamL]

Do you know at which hour they are opening this border? I would like to make Beyneu-Nukus jump in one day tomorrow, by motorbike, and wanted to be as early as possible at the border on KAZ side.