Travel Tips for First Timers

Safety: Armenia is one of the safest countries in the world, with very low crime level. I can barely remember any incidents with tourists involved, although the rare ones were quickly resolved by Police. Especially in summer, you can find a lot of locals and tourists walking on the street till midnight. Of course, try to act by common sense and avoid unusual places and situations.

Language: Although Armenians speak mostly Armenian, they usually speak 1-2 other languages too. English and Russian are widespread. 
Learn a few local words and key phrases
Locals will surely appreciate your willingness to at least try using their language. While in Yerevan, say ‘Barev’ for ‘Hello;’ ‘Hajoghutyun (‘hajox’ colloquial)’ for ‘Goodbye;’ ‘Mersi’ (as in French) or ‘Shnorhakalutyun’ for ‘Thank you;’ ‘Neretseq’ for ‘Excuse me.’ To orient in the city, you can take a city map, or ask passers-by to help you. To find the most common Armenian prases follow the link.

Yerevan: Downtown is pretty good, everything is in walking distance, just go over the Trip Advisor list and choose whatever in interesting for you. Museums, parks, attractions, flea market (Vernissage), pubs, bars, shops - you can find everything! 

Prices: Compared to European countries, Armenia is cheap. A good meal will cost you 8-10 USD, the street/fast food is even cheaper. Taxi is 0.2 USD per km in city. One-way metro or bus ride is 0.1 USD.

Getting around: To get to the remote places like Tatev and Khor Virap, we recommend to take daily trips from touristic agencies. They provide very good buses and a guide. Of course, you can take a public transport, but they are usually stopping far from these places and you need to have a long walk after. Taxi is also an option, although it will be a little bit expensive. If you tell the places you want to visit, I can provide the price. When using taxi, try to spot official taxi services like Taxoline or TaxiTour - usually they have a taxi sign, meter and the company advertisement with phone number. Follow the link to find out what to see and to do in Armenia.

Money: Have some cash with you, preferably US dollars or Euros. Change them in bank in the city. Major cards like Visa or MasterCard are widely accepted by ATMs and also in restaurants

Locals: People are friendly, especially in villages. You can stop them on the street and ask whatever you want - they will do their best to help you with anything

Navigation: Buy the cheapest sim card with data and use Google Maps/GPS for navigation. It is pretty accurate and most of the attractions are on the map.

Do you need more information about insurance, postal services, emergency contacts etc., you can find them here.