Trying to figure out if buses and metros in Turkmenistan take cards or if Ill need small cash. Any recent experiences?
Public transport in Turkmenistan still runs on cash or prepaid Tokly cards for the metro. No direct payment by Visa or Mastercard on buses or metro machines. I bought a Tokly card at the metro station and used it for rides, but buses you pay cash. Have manat notes handy.
No card payments on buses or metro in Turkmenistan as far as I know. The metro system in Ashgabat uses Tokly prepaid cards or cash tickets. For buses, cash fares are standard. Plan to stock up on manat cash before using public transport to avoid hassles.
In Turkmenistan, you’ll need cash for buses and the metro. Credit and debit cards aren’t widely accepted on public transport. I bought a Tokly card for the Ashgabat metro to load money on it, which was convenient. Otherwise, carry manat cash in small denominations.
Turkmenistan has a small metro system in Ashgabat, but it’s cash or Tokly card only-not credit/debit cards. Buses around Ashgabat also only accept cash. I had Tokly cards for metro rides, but if you don’t have one, carry small manat bills to pay on buses.