Getting Around On Public Transportation

Kazakhstan is large - about 1,865 miles (3,000 kilometers) at its widest point – so plan ahead of time where you want to travel and how you want to get there.

Kazakhstan's biggest cities are connected by air, which shortens the longest journeys. International travelers may be more familiar with Air Astana, but their low-cost carrier branch, FlyArystan, copies most of the route network at lower pricing. Whether you choose one of these two, SCAT, or Qazaq Air, you can fly in Kazakhstan with confidence, as all of the country's airlines have been removed off the EU Safety List of banned/restricted airlines as of 2018.

Kazakhstan's rail network is an attractive option for medium- to long-distance excursions. European-built high-speed routes connect Nur-sultan, Almaty, and Kyzylorda. Other lines are served by the more conventional platskart (3rd-class open-plan cars) and kupe (2nd-class four-person private couchettes) carriages, which, while not saving much time over road travel, provide significantly greater comfort.

Intercity bus and marshrutka (minibus) services are the most common options for short- to medium-distance excursions. It's often a game of chance whether you'll be seated in a plush new vehicle or a rusted hunk of junk that's been chugging along the same route since Stalin departed town. Minibus services will typically depart more frequently and provide a more comfortable journey, although coach service tickets will be less expensive.

There's always the shared taxi for anything else. The only way to get to rural towns or areas that aren't commonly served is to pay for a seat in a private automobile that waits outside of bus and train stations until it fills up. Though this may seem weird to Western visitors, it is a fairly regular feature of life in Kazakhstan and will be a must if you want to get a good understanding of the country. Most shared taxis will also hire you out as a private taxi if you don't want to wait for it to fill up or need to go somewhere that isn't covered by public transportation. Prepare to haggle, and acquire a local opinion on reasonable rates to your destination ahead of time. This is one of the things about Kazakhstan you should know before travelling.