Ray Posted October 5, 2014 Share Posted October 5, 2014 There are day trips run from Tbilisi to Armenia on Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays by Envoy Tours. Can't think of many other scenarios where I'd find myself in Armenia, so could be a good opportunity to check it out and add one more country to the list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wanderer Posted October 5, 2014 Share Posted October 5, 2014 Heading out via Yerevan. Told journey to Tbilisi from Yerevan ranges from 3 to 5 hours. Breaking down the journey by visiting some lake in Armenia for a stop, with the journey to Tbilisi 2 hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
durtyweeker Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 Done the journey from yerevan to tblisi yesterday, shared minibus from envoy hostel yerevan to envoy tblisi, took 5 hours and cost 8000 yervan things. 650 to the pound. If your staying in the envoy theyll sort u out but its really just a publc service that youll book onto but they do the hassle of getting you onto it cause theres no real set times. Basically leaves from some random place when the drivers got enough to make his money, 3 or 4 stops on way so not bad journey, couple of beers enroute, search internet for" marshrutka". Thats what the minibuses are called. Any hotel would sort you out I reckon but if you dont mind hostels envoy is good, helped me liads here and yerevan, probably do single rooms too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
durtyweeker Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 (edited) Forgot to say the driving is ludicrous, extremely. Worst ive ever seen, needed the beers. White lines were a waste of paint and manhours on that road Edited October 22, 2014 by durtyweeker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wanderer Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 Forgot to say the driving is ludicrous, extremely. Worst ive ever seen, needed the beers. White lines were a waste of paint and manhours on that road Having traveled by road in Moldova and Ukraine, sounds familiar I am in contact with a agent in Yerevan who has offered me a private transfer (waiting to get a price back as few others are now tagging along). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deecie Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 Nobody fancy the overnight train? My limited research suggested it looked not too bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wanderer Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 Nobody fancy the overnight train? My limited research suggested it looked not too bad. Looked at it and considered for about a minute or two Train does not seem to be daily route and takes just over 11 hours (when you can do it by road for well under half of that). Also, train gets in at something like 8am (not very handy if your hotel check in is at 2pm etc...) but main killer was, this will be height of summer, so talking 30C+ heat, and having done Ukrainian over night trains, even in the middle of winter these trains can be like sauna's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deecie Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 If you put it that way... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wanderer Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 (edited) Usually with these trains the windows are bolted shut, so you can not open them.... but if you are lucky to find one that isn't, usually you will either close it again after a few moments due to the smog from the train coming into the carriage, or you get threatened to be chucked out of it by some local who does not take kindly to you opening the window in the first place. Would rather pay the extra and get a nice air conditioned private car transfer up to Tbilisi What the agent in Yerevan has offered me is a day of sightseeing in Yerevan, then at 4pm we will set off for Tbilisi, visit Geghard Monastery ,then stop at some coastal resort on Lake Sevan for a hour to stretch our legs and get some dinner about 7pm, with the journey time to Tbilisi after this just 2 hours. Edited October 22, 2014 by wanderer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonehead Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 I've done Yerevan from here (Tbilisi) before, when a mate drove. It's well worth it, a very interesting drive especially if you go the slightly dangerous way that creeps within a few miles of Azerbaijan border. Eerie sight of abandoned houses everywhere. I echo the point made about the roads above, especially in rural Georgia. A few bevies advised before, during and after. For TA punters hanging around for long enough, Armenia play Denmark three days after Georgia v Scotland. Same night as Sco v Ger I think but you'd easy get game in Yerevan bar/restaurant after. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonehead Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 Nobody fancy the overnight train? My limited research suggested it looked not too bad. I haven't tried the Tbilisi-Yerevan effort but it's supposed to be bearable. Can't be worse than the hungover 12 hour slog from Skopje to Belgrade in 2008! The trains have had a bit of revamp within Georgia itself, I went from Tbilisi to Batumi (Black Sea coast) this summer and was extremely comfortable and smooth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
durtyweeker Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 The train goes on every 2nd day each way, its no got a buffet trolley or nought, youd need a big cerry out, would probably be a good crack with a squad but the road journey driving was something to behold beside some of those bends over big cliffs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wanderer Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 If anyone is fancying going out to Tbilisi via Yerevan, I have a price from a agent over there, which works out roughly £100 per person. What we are getting is on the Wednesday morning a Yerevan panoramic city tour. Drive to Garni Hellenistic Temple and Geghard Monastery (UNESCO). Lunch in a local house in Garni village and traditional Armenian bread "lavash" making class, before transfer to Tbilisi in the evening (in for some time between 10pm and midnight). Price Included: airport pick up, transportation for all tours and transfer to Tbilisi, entrance fees and private guide. (Excluded: accommodation, lunch for $12 per person, "lavash" making for $20 per group.) Anyone interested let me know and can pass on the details Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wanderer Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 Armenian Government announced today that they are to start talks with more airlines over flights to Yerevan next year. already Qatar and Aegean (Greece) have announced they are to start flights to Yerevan in 2015, so opens another option to get to Tbilisi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slasher Posted December 29, 2014 Share Posted December 29, 2014 Anyone meet any Kardashians? Lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wanderer Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 Anyone meet any Kardashians? Lol Was actually asking my agent what the locals think of her..... Apparently she is so-so with most folk (though younger generations seem to love her), but its actually Cher that is somewhat of a national treasure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeRus Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 Was actually asking my agent what the locals think of her..... Apparently she is so-so with most folk (though younger generations seem to love her), but its actually Cher that is somewhat of a national treasure! Really ................. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wanderer Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 Really ................. Yeah, added the agent on Facebook and she posted something about her, so just asked what the locals thought of her Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hodden Grey Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Myself & the girlfriend looking at going by Azerbaijan. Flying Heathrow - Istanbul or Kiev to Baku. Two or three days there then train over to Tiblisi. Anyone else taking that route or done it afore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deecie Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Myself & the girlfriend looking at going by Azerbaijan. Flying Heathrow - Istanbul or Kiev to Baku. Two or three days there then train over to Tiblisi. Anyone else taking that route or done it afore. Top tip - don't confuse Armemia and Azerbaijan with eachother! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wanderer Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Myself & the girlfriend looking at going by Azerbaijan. Flying Heathrow - Istanbul or Kiev to Baku. Two or three days there then train over to Tiblisi. Anyone else taking that route or done it afore. Nope, but remember you will need a visa for Azerbijan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jagtag Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Top tip - don't confuse Armemia and Azerbaijan with eachother! I was informed last time that if you have an Armenia stamp in your passport you will have trouble getting in to Azerbaijan and vice versa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deecie Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 I was informed last time that if you have an Armenia stamp in your passport you will have trouble getting in to Azerbaijan and vice versa. As someone who is travelling Armenia-Georgia-Azerbaijan, I've been informed it shouldn't be a problem. Hope it's right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wanderer Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 (edited) I was informed last time that if you have an Armenia stamp in your passport you will have trouble getting in to Azerbaijan and vice versa. Not really...... its pretty complex, but from what I understand you are not allowed entry if you are Armenia/have a Armenian sounding name/suspected of being Armenia..... only way you are rejected is if your passport shows you to have been to Nagrono-Karabakh (a breakaway republic in Azerbaijan that considers itself part of Armenia). The border between Azerbaijan and Armenia is closed, so to get between the two means going via Georgia. Got a freind who lives in Baku who says Yerevan is the best city out of the 3 in that region and apart from a awfully long detour to get there, he has never had a problem getting back into Azerbaijan. Edited February 2, 2015 by wanderer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jagtag Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 I was in Tbilisi for a while a few months after the last game. It was a Georgian boy I was talking to in the pub who was telling me. I remember him saying he went to both countries regularly with work and so had 2 passports to save any hassle. maybe he had an Armenian connection or something. I did think it sounded a bit strange. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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