Forget Amex in Uzbekistan. Nowhere - and I mean nowhere - accepted it when I was in Samarkand and Nukus. Even the ATM at Tashkent airport rejected it....

I lost my debit card in an ATM outside a shopping mall in Bukhara. Locals tried to help, but the bank branch was closed for Navruz holiday. No hotline...

Most ATMs in Uzbekistan don’t advertise a fee, but some sneak in a bad rate. In Fergana, I’ve stuck to Trustbank - no fee with my Indian HDFC debit ca...

Public transport in Uzbekistan is great if you’re prepared. I stayed near Chorsu Bazaar and used the Metro almost daily. It’s cheap and efficient, but...

I was unsure too and changed $100 at the airport in Urgench - rate wasn’t terrible, but I later got nearly 7% better at a hotel in Khiva that did mone...

Cash only. Don’t expect QR codes or card readers in taxis unless you're in a mall zone in Tashkent. Even there, half the time they claim the machine i...

Honestly, you can do Uzbekistan on a shoestring. I was hitchhiking between cities and couchsurfing in Nukus and Samarkand. Total spend: $300 in 3 week...

Amex is kind of useless around the Vatican. I tried it at a restaurant just outside the Vatican wall on Borgo Pio and got a hard no. All the ATMs I tr...

Used the ATM at Piazza Risorgimento, like 5 mins from the Vatican Museums entrance. Pulled €200 on my Monzo card - no issues. The closer you are to bi...