Transportation in Armenia

Armenia's transport scene is built around marshrutkas (shared minibuses) and city buses, which together form the cheap, go-anywhere backbone.between towns and inside Yerevan. They leave when full, cost a fraction of a taxi, and stop wherever you wave, no timetable needed. For comfort, regular taxis and ride-hailing apps like GG and Yandex are everywhere. Agree on the app fare or insist on the meter to avoid the airport taxi cartel's "tourist" rates. Long-distance, the railway links Yerevan to Gyumri and a few southern towns. But trains are slower than minibuses and run only a handful of times per day. First-timers should download GG (the local Uber equivalent) before landing. It works in every major city and shows the price upfront. In Yerevan, the metro is fast and costs pocket change. But with only one line it won't get you everywhere, combine it with buses that fan out from Republic Square. Don't bother with unofficial taxi touts at bus stations. Walk 50 m to the street and hail a metered cab or open the app. Marshrutkas rarely have route maps in English, so ask the driver or a local passenger to shout when you're near your stop. From Zvartnots Airport, the cheapest ride is the AeroExpress minibus that drops you at Yeritasardakan station in central Yerevan. It runs throughout the day but can fill up fast. If you land late or the bus is gone, the official airport taxi desk inside the terminal books fixed-price rides, still cheaper than the curbside sharks who'll swarm your luggage.