Taking a carpet outside Turkmenistan is permitted only under the certificate issued by the Carpet Museum in Ashgabat proving that your carpet has no historic value. You may have to pay export taxes which are generally assessed to all carpets leaving the country.

US dollars have better exchange rate. Many banks may refuse to accept old USD bills though.

At Ashgabat’s bazaar called Tolkuchka you can buy nearly everything for reasonable prices. It’s better to come here early in the morning, on Friday or on the weekend.

Russian bazaar “Gulistan” is a nice place to buy cheap groceries and other small things. The prices in stores are higher.

The cheapest place to have a quick bite is markets. You can always buy here a big shawarma almost for free, grab some lunch in small shops or just eat fruits.

Try to purchase fruits and vegetables at Tashauz market and at the Wholesale market from vehicles.

Getting Turkmenistan visa could be tough. One of the eventual ways out could be a sea resort tour. Visas are easily granted in this case. Once you have arrived, you can enjoy travelling around the country.

Kopetdag market is located a little away from Ashgabat center. It is not worth going there. It is designed for tourists and prices are very high there.