Where is Armenia?
Armenia is a country located in the crossroads of Asia and Europe. From the west Armenia is bordered by Turkey, Georgia from the north, Azerbaijan and Artsakh from the east and Iran from the south. Even though the borders of Turkey and Azerbaijan are closed, Armenia is easily accessible from Iran and Georgia. The border procedures are not heavy in Armenia making the process of entering the country easy and quick.
Armenian Airports
Armenia has two international airports – Zvartnots International Airport, in the capital Yerevan, and Shirak International Airport, in the city of Gyumri.
Zvartnots International Airport acts as the main international airport of Armenia. It’s the busiest airport of the country. After Armenia declared independence from the Soviet Union, the airport was renovated in a futuristic style. The building of the airport isn’t only modern and secure, but also architecturally stunning. The renovated Zvartnots was later named the best airport in the CIS, further proving the quality of the service and the flights.
Shirak International Airport is the second largest airport in Armenia. It’s located not too far away from the center of Gyumri. The equipment and the system used by the airport are newly developed putting it ahead of other airports located in mountainous areas.
Getting to Armenia by Airplane
Zvartnots International Airport offers flights to and from about 45 cities throughout the world, with direct flights to Yerevan, Armenia, by 28 international carriers from the following cities:
- Anapa
- Athens
- Beirut
- Damascus
- Doha
- Dubai
- Istanbul
- Kaluga
- Kiev
- Krasnodar
- Lion
- Minsk
- Milan (Ryanair)
- Min Vody
- Moscow
- Novosibirsk
- Nizhniy Novgorod
- Paris
- Rome (Ryanair)
- Rostov
- Saint Petersburg
- Samara
- Sharjah
- Sharm El Sheikh
- Sochi
- Stavropol
- Tehran
- Tel Aviv
- Tbilisi
- Vienna
- Voronezh
- Volgograd
- Warsaw
- Yekaterinburg
- Vilnius (* WizzAir begins March 21, 2020)
- Vienna (* WizzAir begins March 21, 2020)
- Berlin (*Ryanair begins flights from March 25, 2020)
- Riga (flights begin from May 2020)
- Thessaloniki (*Ryanair begins flights from May 11, 2020)
- Larnaca (* WizzAir begins flights from June 1, 2020)
- Paphos (*Ryanair begins flights from 1, June 2020)
Shirak International Airport offers direct flights to Moscow.
Starting from March 26, 2020, Ryanair will begin flights from Gyumri to Memmingen, and to Athens, starting from May 12, 2020.
Getting to Armenia by Train
Another way to travel to Armenia is by train. This can only be accomplished from Georgia. The trains are in good condition: clean and secure. The service on the trains is great and most importantly the prices are very reasonable.
Georgia offers travel by train from the following cities:
- Tbilisi-Yerevan, year-round, is a 10-hour train ride.
- Batumi-Yerevan during the summer season, a 15-hour train ride.
Getting to to Armenia by Car
Traveling to Armenia by a car allows for more freedom on your side. Whether you choose to drive the car yourself or hire a driver, there’s nothing more fun than a road trip. You will have more flexibility than you would have on a train or a bus.
Georgia and Iran offer road access to Armenia:
- Georgia provides access to the Black Sea Ports of Batumi and Poti.
- Iran provides access to the Persian Gulf.
Getting to Armenia by Bus
Many travel companies offer big tour buses from Georgia and Iran. The prices are much more lower compared to renting a car or traveling by plane. If you’re traveling alone, the road may get lonely, so taking a bus along with other tourists like you may prove to be much more fun.
Getting to Armenia by Trekking or Cycling
If you’re experienced in traveling by foot or by bicycle, you’ll be happy to know that there are no obstacles from Iran and Georgia. It won’t take you long to pass the border as there are no special complicated procedures. You’ll be done with the border procedure in around 20 minutes or less.
Getting Armenian Visa
Citizens of a number of countries can get Armenia tourist visa right at the border, while some others don’t have any need for that. For more information on Visas and Passports proceed here.