روسيا → أوزبكستان (Tashkent)

The 30 days are counted from the border crossing: the day of entry is day one. The exit date usually sits outside the limit, but trust the stamp, not a calendar you keep in your head.

There is no yearly cap on entries: leaving for Kazakhstan or Tajikistan and coming back resets the clock. Frequent short hops can still draw questions about the purpose of the trip. Overstaying is recorded and makes later entries harder.

The national currency is the Uzbek som (UZS). Dollars and euros are exchanged in banks and bureaux; the airport rate is usually worse than in the city.

Visa/Mastercard from Russian banks often fail. In Tashkent cash soms, Humo/Uzcard (issued by local banks) and sometimes UnionPay work better. Som ATMs are easy to find in the centre. Plan large purchases in cash or on a local card.

Direct flights to Tashkent (TAS) run from Moscow and St Petersburg: Uzbekistan Airways, Centrum Air, Qanot Sharq and others. Flight time is about four hours.

Buy tickets on airline sites and aggregators. TouristNote does not sell tickets and takes no booking commission. Border officers may ask for a return ticket — keep a booking within the 30-day window.

In Tashkent the centre, Mirabad and Yunusabad are convenient: metro and taxis are easier from there. Hotels register you in E-mehmon themselves.

Flats via listings are cheaper, but without a host you cannot complete registration after 15 days. Check breakfast and transfers: at night the airport–centre ride takes 30–50 minutes. In summer air-conditioning is not optional.

Plov, lagman, shashlik, samsa and tandoor non are the core. Do not drink tap water — buy bottled. Ice in street drinks is at your own risk.

Chorsu bazaar in the old city is the landmark for produce and ready food. The centre has plenty of familiar European cafés if you are travelling with children or just off a long flight. Tips are not required; rounding up the bill is optional.

Tashkent is calm with children: metro with escalators, Anhor and Tashkent City parks, water parks in summer. In the heat (June–August) walk in the morning and evening.

Each child needs their own international passport or a birth certificate that will be entered into the paperwork. Bring rehydration salts and a fever reducer: familiar Russian brands are not always on pharmacy shelves.