There is now a good system of roads and railways in Uzbekistan and travel around the country is a delight. There is a train from Tashkent to Nukus; the trip starts in the evening takes about 24 hours and offers views of the Kyzyl Kum desert and the stark landscapes of Karakalpakstan.
A trip by share-taxi between Samarkand and Shakhrisabz offers good views and Tajik towns like Kitob. A roadside spring is a welcome stop for cool fresh water.
The A373 International Highway that leads from Tashkent to Osh in Kyrgyzstan, via Kokand and eastern Fergana valley, is forbidden for large buses and has to be done by share-taxi: it leads through tunnels and the Kamchik Pass over the Qurama mountains, skirting the border with Tajikistan, just to the south. There are great views of the snow mountains in Tajikistan and the Akhangaran Reservoir, an artificial lake on the Akhangaran river.