Trip report: 10 days Tashkent-Samarkand-Bukhara-Khiva by train, and what I'd do differently

The pacing worked well - two nights Tashkent, three Samarkand, two Bukhara, two Khiva - and the Afrosiyob fast trains are genuinely comfortable, but book them a week or two ahead on the official railway site since they sell out. Khiva is the outlier: the overnight sleeper from Bukhara saves a hotel night, though it's basic. Cards mostly work in cities, but bring crisp USD bills to exchange, and don't leave without plov at Chorsu bazaar.