How to use marshrutkas in Kyrgyzstan
Like most other countries in the Russian-speaking world, the most common form of public transport across the country of Kyrgyzstan is the marshrutka.
What even is a marshrutka?
Marshrutkas are essentially privately owned minivans with between 12 and 20 seats that function and local and inter-city busses. They’re the most accessibly form of public transport throughout Kyrgyzstan, as the rail network is limited due to the countries terrain. This terrain also means full-size busses like you’d see in Europe, the Americas and Asia are less common besides the most popular routes.
These are a unique challenge in Kyrgyzstan, and if you don’t do your research you could end up wasting entire days trying to understand the country’s marshrutka network, like we did!
If you’re still planning, check out the perfect Kyrgyzstan itinerary here and the essential packing list here.
Honestly, we have way too much info to share from spending over a month in Kyrgyzstan for just a few blog posts, so be the first to know about the release of our upcoming Kyrgyzstan Travel Guide. The first 50 on the waitlist will receive our entire Google Maps pin list for free with their copy.
Contents
Are they safe?
Not only are the roads comparatively low quality to those you might be used to at home, Kyrgyz driving attitudes might be a bit unfamiliar as well. High-speed overtaking around blind corners on mountains, extensive phone usage while driving and frequent arguments and road-rage both between passengers and drivers, and other vehicles drivers should be expected.
So are they safe? Compared to driving at home, we’d say no, but the system works and the accessible prices provide an opportunity to travel the country in a way that would not be possible to travellers who might miss out on the limited car rental available in Bishkek, or those seeking a more ‘local’, spontaneous or budget adventure in Kyrgyzstan. As we travelled Kyrgyzstan in July and August, we can only speak on the safety of driving during the summer months. Perhaps the approach to driving is different in the colder months, for better or worse.
Where do they go?
Most towns and settlements in Kyrgyzstan are connected by marshrutkas as their primary logistical network beyond private cars and trucks. So with some research, we’ve done that for you, you can make your way to just about anywhere you want to visit in the country. Routes like Bishkek - Karakol, and Bishkek - Osh are easy to find a seat on, while others such as Karakol - Osh, Bishkek-Naryn and any routes to Sary Chelek and the southern Alay mountains can be confusing and difficult to find.
Marshrutkas also operate as local buses within regions or towns, on a hop-on, hop-off basis for getting around towns like Karakol. One thing we learnt during our time in Kyrgyzstan is that locals outside of their own towns have very little knowledge on marshrutka routes, which lead us on an 18-hour goose chase around the country trying to get to Naryn!
How can I use them?
The premise is simple, arrive to a terminal station, find the marshrutka going to or through your intended destination, place your luggage in the back (if there is a rear storage area), and claim a seat with some of your belongings. In practice, this can look like 25 people in a 16-seater van, the entire centre ‘walk-way’ of the vehicle full of hessian bags full of bottled ‘kumys’, and 12-hour journeys in the middle of summer with no air-conditioning. To prepare yourself best for using marshrutkas in Kyrgyzstan, know that there really is no standard for how these operate and that each driver can have his own rules and standards for rider comfort.
With that clear, some things they do well are clearly advertise their end destination as well as any significant settlements they’ll pass on their numbered sign on the front. These are almost always written in the Cyrillic alphabet, so if you know your destinations name in that you can recognise which marshrutka you need quite easily if one is available. If you can’t find the right one at a terminus, or if you don’t know the name in Cyrillic, most people are generally helpful at guiding you to the right marshrutka. Once you’re with the correct marshrutka, attempt to claim a seat or wait around the back with your luggage and the driver will eventually find you to negotiate payment.
As for timetables and timings most big stations will have general timetables either printed on a piece of paper or written on large, soviet-era timetables inside the stations. While these can provide a general idea, not only are they not always there, but times can change day-to-day and seasonally so take them with a grain of salt.
All marshrutka experiences we had in Kyrgyzstan besides one involved us paying cash directly to the driver. The only route we bought a ticket at the booth and gave this to the driver instead was Jalal Abad to Toktogul.
No matter the journey length, the drivers will usually only stop once at a roadside ‘stolovaya’ or buffet dining room for a toilet break and food about half-way through the journey. Most of these also have a small shop that you can buy water and packaged snacks at although their range can be extremely limited.
That’s It!
If you’ve made it down here, thank you so much for reading!
Now you’re ready for the trekking trip of a lifetime in Kyrgyzstan!
