Azerbaijan Getting There & Away

Getting There & Away:
Travellers from Europe have the best air access to Azerbaijan. There are flights between Baku and Frankfurt, Kiev, London, Amsterdam, Moscow, St Petersburg and Zurich several times a week. Most other flights serve cities in Russia and the Middle East, usually once a week. There's no departure tax.

The train between Baku and Tibilisi, Georgia, is inexpensive, but it takes about 20 hours and the occasional bandit raid and frequent burglaries make it less than completely safe. Expect to pay the price of your ticket again at the border as a bribe. The bus takes about half the time to get from Tibilisi to Baku; the fare is about the same, and you may or may not have to bribe the border guards. There are several buses a day running between Baku and Derbent, Russia, though the train is far more reliable.

The two border crossings between Azerbaijan and Iran that foreigners can use are between Jolfa, Iran, which will put you in the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic, and Julfa, Azerbaijan; and between Astara, Iran, and Astara, Azerbaijan, which is near the Caspian coast and much closer to Baku. A bus runs between Tehran and Baku (via Astara) daily; taking the bus is probably better than driving over because of the uncertainties of travelling independently in rural Azerbaijan. However, the delays at the border are inordinate, and you may want to cross over on foot and pick up public transport. Currently, there's no way to cross the border by train between Iran and Azerbaijan.

By sea, you can catch one of the freighters running between Baku and Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan, though the schedule depends totally on what's to be taken and when it can be loaded. On average, there are three sailings a week, but the exact date and time of departure are rarely known until shortly beforehand. Each boat takes 300 passengers on the 12 hour voyage. There are passenger-cum-cargo boats sailing between Baku and Bandar-é Anzali and Noshahr, Iran, about every other week.

Getting Around
The bus is the best way of getting around Azerbaijan. It's actually faster than the train, and it tends to be much safer. Buses connect Baku and most of the main towns. Driving a hired car is not recommended as the country's roads are falling apart. If you decide to try it, there are agencies in Baku. You'll need an international driver's licence; driving is on the right.

The best way to get around Baku is by taxi, though they're not metred and lack seatbelts. There's a subway system in Baku, but the US embassy there has voiced concern about the possibility of electrical fires, so use it with caution. Other public transport is overcrowded and prone to breakdowns. Getting to the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic by any other means than flying involves a long detour through Iran; forget about going through Armenia.

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