Thinking about driving in Armenia, Georgia or Azerbaijan while on holiday? Renting a car is a great way to explore the Caucasus but read the below post first. It sets out what to expect since the other drivers and road conditions are unlikely to be what you are used to in your home country.
1. Is Driving in Armenia, Georgia or Azerbaijan a Good Idea?
- Is it a good idea to drive? The questions to ask yourself are whether you have rented cars abroad previously and are you comfortable driving in areas with few road signs and where motorists don’t always follow the rules. In my view, if you can drive in Italy driving in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia will be fine and I would highly recommend renting a car for at least part of the trip. I was worried about renting a car and how the driving would be but the motorists were better behaved than I expected.
- Although maybe not in central Baku: I would avoid driving here since the traffic is crazy! Rent a car from the airport or another location outside Baku to stay clear of the city centre if you are driving to countryside towns such as Sheki.
- Driving attitude: Overtaking on bends or other blind spots is not unusual, so drive defensively.
- We rented a car in Armenia since our Armenia itinerary we started and ended our trip in Yerevan. In Georgia and Azerbaijan, we did not rent a car and relied upon taxis, trains and buses. Some car rental companies offer drop off/ pick up in different locations for a fee but in general car rental works best when doing a round trip.
2. Rules and Regulations
- Driving licence requirements: Check with the car rental company whether they will ask for an Internal Driving Permit (IDP). Driving in Armenia this is officially a requirement but we were told by the rental company it was not necessary. Drivers with a non-Roman alphabet driving license will need an IDP.
- Age for rentals: 21 years in Armenia, 18 in Georgia and 17 in Azerbaijan.
- Right or left hand drive? All three countries drive on the right-hand side of the road.
- Speed Limits:
- Armenia: In urban areas the speed limit is 40 km/h, outside of these areas it is 90 km/h. The only exception is the highway (there is a short stretch south of Yerevan) where the speed limit is 110 km/h.
- Georgia and Azerbaijan: In cities the speed limit is 60 km/h, in rural areas it is 90 km/h and on the motorways 110 km/h. Both countries have a reasonable number of motorways around the capitals.
- Keep to the speed limit and obey road regulations: All three countries are trying to stamp out corruption, so you are unlikely to be asked for a bribe if stopped by the police. However, you might get a fine. Azerbaijan has plenty of speed cameras and fines can run into 100s of dollars.
- Seat Belts: Passengers in the front seats must wear a seat belt. Failure to wear one could result in a fine.
- Using a Phone while driving: Don’t. Not only is it dangerous, you will get a fine if the police catch you.
- Drink-drive limits: There is zero tolerance for drink driving in Georgia and Azerbaijan. The limit for drink driving in Armenia is 0.04%.
3. Road Conditions
- Road conditions vary by country:
- Armenia – The roads are paved but bumpy due to potholes having been poorly refilled. There is no need for a 4×4 to get to the Top 10 Tourist Spots in Armenia such as Noravank and Garni and Geghard.
- Georgia – Has the best maintained roads and the newest carpool across the three countries (excluding Baku). The road from Mestia to Ushguli was in the process of being paved at the time of writing. Locals drive this road in ‘standard’ cars, but a 4×4 is recommended until the road is finished. The drive to Adishi requires a 4×4.
- Azerbaijan – In Baku the roads are good, but the traffic is crazy. Outside of the capital roads are in reasonable condition but you can see that most of the oil money has been spent in and around the capital. A 4×4 is only required to go to remote mountain areas.
4. How to Find Your Way Around
- Navigation:
- Do not rely solely on road signs!
- Download the maps.me app and relevant country maps (free). The app enables you to use your phone as a sat nav with the phone accessing its GPS rather than using data.
- Internet access: To help with directions consider renting a SIM device providing internet access inside your car. While driving in Armenia we paid our rental company $3 per day for this service. We would have got lost without it.
- Choose routes on smaller roads: Avoid roads through or close to larger towns. The smaller roads might not be in as good condition but there will be significantly less traffic.
- But make sure it is an actual road: Check the route Google maps sends you on. In the past I have found that what Google maps considers to be a road and what I regard as a road is not always the same. Make sure the route is on a road with a number.
- Drive times are longer than you think: Distances often take longer to cover than the Google maps drive time. To estimate the time it will take to get somewhere I would assume an average speed of 50 km/h. Driving on the motorway will make the trip quicker whilst any trip into the mountains will take longer since the roads are narrow and twist and turn.
- Don’t forget a USB lead: To charge your phone whilst in the car.
- Speaking Russian helps: Everyone who grew up during the times of the Soviet Union speaks Russian. English is much less widely spoken.
5. What Are the Benefits of Renting a Car?
- Why should I rent a car? Renting a car gives you the freedom to travel to more off the beaten track locations and the flexibility to stay as long (or short) as you want at each site.
- There are few public transportation options for tourists between the main areas of interest. On any Georgia itinerary you must often go back to Tbilisi to change bus, with few or no services between towns.
6. Do I Need to Start and End in the Same Location?
- Can I take my car across a border? It is complicated, with Armenia and Azerbaijan having a particularly difficult official relationship (the two countries are officially at war) so I would not plan to do this.
- What about pick up and drop off in different locations? Most car rental companies offer drop off and/ or pick from different locations for a fee. However, it can be quite expensive so car rental works best if you start and end at the same location.
7. Other Tips I Wish I Had Known Before Going
- Don’t drive when it is dark: Roads are generally poorly lit, livestock roam free and drink driving can be an issue (despite the local laws and regulations).
- Get excess insurance: We never leave home without car rental excess insurance when hiring a car in adventurous destinations. It is cheaper to buy this in advance than from the car rental company. We use insurance4carhire. We have had to claim on this in the past and would recommend this company.
- Weather in the winter: between November and February ice and snow sometimes result in closed roads in the mountain regions.
- Fill up when you can: In rural areas it can be far between petrol stations.
- Eating while on the road: There are few restaurants along the roads, so plan ahead.
- Check for car parks at hotels: Remember to check whether your hotel (especially in larger cities) has a car park and whether there is a charge for parking overnight.
Driving in Armenia
- My view: In Armenia you are almost certain to start and end the trip in the capital which means that renting a car in Yerevan is the perfect option.
- We used Caravan. You can pick up the rental car outside official opening hours (e.g. on a Sunday) for a fee.
- Our car had a few small scratches but was otherwise in good condition. I never mind a few scratches since the car rental agencies are always likely to be much pickier about any scratches on return when the car was spotless when picked up.
- Our rental contract stated that we had to return the car cleaned or there would be a 3,000 AMD fee. All the car wash companies in Yerevan seemed to be aware of this fee so charge the same. When we visited, in return for posting a photo of the car on Instagram, Caravan offered a free car wash. Keep an eye out for this promotion. If it is not running, I would just pay the fee to the rental company rather than waste time trying to find a car wash.
- The well-known international car rental companies are located in the southern part of Yerevan or at the international airport. I would not pick up a car at the airport if it is dark when you land. Yerevan is a busy city, full of traffic, so getting a taxi from the airport and renting a car in the city centre will mean a less stressful start to your holiday. Departing on a Sunday, or in the early morning, will also allow for a calmer exit from Yerevan.
Driving in Georgia
- My view: Hopefully you will follow my suggestion in my Georgia Travel Guide and itinerary and add either Azerbaijan or Armenia to your trip. If you are travelling by train between either of these two countries you are likely to start and end in Tbilisi – although I think you should cross the border into Azerbaijan in Kakheti (so you can add Sheki to your itinerary). Rental cars can be returned in Sighnaghi, or at the border, for a fee.
- We did not rent a car in Georgia but spoke to many people who did. They all found the road conditions to be good and driving standards acceptable. I was expecting the roads and carpool to have the best standard in Azerbaijan but was surprised to see that it was higher in Georgia.
- The reason we decided to rely on taxis and trains was twofold. Firstly, we did not do a round trip but started and ended in different locations. Secondly, it worked better using the overnight train to get to Svaneti than taking a day out of our holiday for the full day drive. On a shorter holiday, I would not rely on public transport for most journeys since they often go via Tbilisi, which adds significant time.
- Car rental locations can be found both in the larger towns (mainly Tbilisi and Kutaisi) and at the international airport.
- The number of car rental companies continues to grow and include most of the well-known car rental brands. Unless you have a personal recommendation, I would go with one of the better-known companies. From the travelers we spoke to, no one who rented with an international company had any complaints about the condition of the car.
- As mentioned above, a 4×4 is not required unless you plan on going to the most remote mountain regions.
Driving in Azerbaijan
- My view: As detailed in my Azerbaijan Travel Guide adding Georgia and Armenia makes for a more interesting itinerary. I suggest crossing the border via Sheki and into Kakheti in Georgia. However, this would make car hire in Azerbaijan more expensive since the car would be picked up and returned in different locations.
- Car rental is a good option for a round trip or a day trip to the mud-volcanoes. Otherwise I would travel by taxi.
- As you leave the city behind, the traffic and the standard of the other cars (as well as the roads) drops. Although the roads are not as smooth as in Baku, driving is a good way to get to some of the more remote villages.
- Most well-known car rental companies can be found at the airport and it is a better option than downtown offices (I would be hesitant to drive in central Baku). You are still likely to have to cross through part of the city but at least it will be on the motorway.
I think renting a car is the best way to travel around the Caucasus if you start and end in the same location. Most of us can only go on holiday for a couple of weeks at a time and using public transport significantly adds to the time it takes to get from one place to another. Except for a few overnight train routes, I would rely on car rental and taxis to be able to see as much as you can of this beautiful region.
