The currency of the country is the New Azerbaijani manat (yeni manat), denoted by the symbol “Azeri manat symbol.svg”, or sometimes by m. or man. (ISO currency code: AZN). It is divided into 100 gapiz. Wikivoyage will use manat in its articles to denote the currency.

The “old” manat (AZM), were replaced by “New AThe currency of the country is the New Azerbaijani manat (yeni manat), denoted by the symbol “Azeri manat symbol.svg”, or sometimes by m. or man. (ISO currency code: AZN). It is divided into 100 gapiz. Wikivoyage will use manat in its articles to denote the currency.

The “old” manat (AZM), were replaced by “New Azerbaijani manat” on 1 January 2007, so do not accept old manat.

New banknotes of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 manat and metal coins of 1, 3, 5, 10, 20 manat and 50 gapik (0.5 manat) circulate. The banknotes are of a uniform design somewhat reminiscent of euro banknotes since the same designer worked on both sets.

Manat can be changed into Georgian lari, and the other way around, in towns near the border, and in Georgia.zerbaijani manat” on 1 January 2007, so do not accept old manat.

New banknotes of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 manat and metal coins of 1, 3, 5, 10, 20 manat and 50 gapik (0.5 manat) circulate. The banknotes are of a uniform design somewhat reminiscent of euro banknotes since the same designer worked on both sets.

Manat can be changed into Georgian lari, and the other way around, in towns near the border, and in Georgia.

BY TRAIN:

With a few exceptions, trains in Azerbaijan are night trains that connect Baku with distant regions of the country. There is also a daily fast train to Ganja, daily slow train to Shirvan and a frequent suburban train to Sumqavit. Timetables here: https://ady.az/az/tables/index/52/44. The international Nakhichivan – Mashad train can used for trip within the Nakhichivan exclave: https://ady.az/az/news/read/312/43.

BY CAR:

Highways:

• total: 36,700 km
  
• paved: 31,800 km (19,760 mi) (includes some all-weather gravel-surfaced roads)
  
• unpaved: 1,900 km (1,181 mi) (These roads are made of unstabilized earth and are difficult to negotiate in wet weather.)

Due to remote location of many sights and scarcity of attractions in this otherwise huge country, it can be meaningful to rent a car. The most common rental company is the Azeri AZNUR, which competes well on prices with the big international companies. A budget car for 4 days starts from US$100 with a deposit of US$150. Be cautious when using the common price comparison sites for rental cars. They often try to sell you overpriced full coverage insurances or charge other unnecessary fees right before confirming the booking, especially via mobile and when not being attentive in reading the conditions.

BY BUS:

Buses, minibuses (marshrutka), and taxis connect most cities. There is often a hub such as a bus station near the bazaar in these cities. The fares for buses and minibuses are posted usually in both old and new manat (qupik).

BY TAXI:

Taxies on the other hand require negotiating skills, and this usually takes a proficiency in the language that ordinary non-Azeri/Russian/Turkish speakers do not have.

EAT:

Azeri cuisine (azərbaycan mətbəxi) might not seem as diverse to Europeans, but it is worth trying. Most of the dishes contain a lot of meat (including fat) and vegetables. Bread is a staple, and is quite revered by the people of Azerbaijan.

Piti is a national dish. It is made with mutton and vegetables (tomatoes, potatoes, chickpeas), infused with saffron water to add flavour and colour, all covered by a lump of fat, and cooked in a sealed crock. Worth trying Şəki version of this dish (boiled chestnuts are used instead of potato), if you are there.

Cabbage, grape leaves, and eggplant wrapped meat (kelem, yarpaq, badimjan – dolmasi), kabab (kebab), rice with different variety of toppings (plov – It is said that plov is the king of Azerbaijani cuisine), gutabs and meatballs (kufta) are some of the several specialties of Azerbaijan. Yarpaq dolmasi is often considered to be the national dish.

Georgian food, in particular khachapuri (a cheese-filled bread), along with some Russian staples (borsh, crepes/bliny) have become common throughout Azerbaijan. Other cuisines such as Turkish, Italian, Asian, Western & fast food, along with Asian food can be found in biggest cities.

There are several soups that you might want to try: bozbash, buglama, ashgara (lamb with chestnut). Try Çoban qovurma (lamb stew with vegetables).

DRINK:

Some local drinks include ayran (a yoghurt drink based on sour milk) and sherbet (made from rose petals or saffron). There are also different sorts of quite decent wines produced from local grapes and a wide array of mineral waters from natural springs.

In some areas of Azerbaijan the markets offer lemonades (limonat/dushes) made from pears or tarragon.

Note: In general, it is forbidden for females to enter tea houses and drinking establishments. Drinking in general is also taboo for women in rural Azerbaijan. It’s not a problem in Baku.

There is a good selection of hotels in Baku, including many Western chains, but options elsewhere in the country are limited. Prices for the hotels start from US$60. Rental apartments might be a good choice as they are cheaper than hotels and sometimes are even more comfortable.

TBC.