>>2767749
>Cheapest way to get around?
Marshrutka. Basically a minibus that goes from A to B and you can stop it at any point along the way, either to get on or off. Use whenever available.
Ridesharing is hilariously cheap in Uzbekistan. Not just in the "thirdie prices" sense but more like "how is this even possible".
Some popular routes in Uz don't have a bus or train serving them, for some inexplicable reason. You'll have to find a postoyanka which is a spot where private cars gather to take passengers, paying per seat. Much cheaper than a proper taxi but tricky to find and requires serious negotiations.
In Kyrgyzstan, 90% of everything you want to see will be wilderness 10km away from the nearest village. You'll have to hitchhike. It's hilariously easy and often the very first car will stop for you. By default you're expected to chip in and pay approx what a marshrutka would charge for the distance. You'll get a feel for it.
>What the land borders are like?
Depends on the border. The popular ones have that lovely oppressive Iron Curtain atmosphere but otherwise not much happens beyond queuing. Some (like the otherwise conveniently located Kegen pass north-east of Karakol) are in the middle of fucking nowhere with zero public transport.

Get yandex go and browse Caravanistan as others have mentioned. For maps, download 2gis. It's much better for the Stans than whatever else you've got and it does have city bus/marhsrutka routes which are a massive pain to find otherwise.
I'd learn some basic Russian if I were you, or at least have a translator app and dictionary handy. Nobody speaks English, everyone speaks Ruskie.
Beeline KG had a 500 som sim on offer last year that worked in all the countries in the area, up to a small GB limit. Enough for taxis, emergency use and a quick lookup if you supplement with hostel wifi. Saves you the hassle of getting one everywhere.

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STAN advice (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan)