Public Transport in Armenia

A couple of years ago the situation with public transport in Armenia was very tough, especially with minibusses or so-called “Marshrutkas”. They were relatively small in size, did not manage to take care of the population, people were squeezed within the buses, and so on. Significantly, Armenians did not like it at all. 

Finally, it is almost the third year that public transport in Armenia has gone through major changes. The white minibusses have been replaced with big blue, modern Yerevan buses which are being controlled and provided by Yerevan Municipality. Despite all the changes, the price remains the same – 100 AMD which is around 0.25 USD or 0.23 Euro. Now the Municipality of Yerevan has just bought a number of more modern and larger buses from German and Chinese manufacturers, which will start working in the Spring of 2023.  Important to note, the new buses operate only within the capital the regions and countryside lacks in the list. 

Though Armenia is a relatively small country and “Yerevan Tours” can be explored on foot, information about Yerevan public transport would not be a waste of time and is meaningless. It will guide you on how to get to Yerevan from Zvartnots International Airport upon your arrival in Armenia. Fairly stating, the public transport in Armenia is not so satisfying for the population, but it is developing day by day. If you compare it with the previous system then this is just a heavenly gift to the infrastructure and country.

Armenian transportation includes four main types: 

• Buses 
• Trains
• Trolleybuses 
• Subways or metro 

In the case of newly brought buses the situation is a lot different and so said respectful for the citizens and its guests. 

• They have two doors- the narrow one at the beginning for the entrance and the second one for the exit. Be cautious and keep the rules, since the drivers are getting curious about doing vice versa.
• While entering there is an automatic calculating box where the 100 AMD coin should be thrown. If you do not have the coin then the rest should be solved with the driver, since the box is only for the 100 coins. 
• Yerevan buses have stopping buttons in red color. Just push prior to the bus stop and the driver will stop only at the bus stop. The other stops should be negotiated with the drivers. 
• The blue buses also have hammers in case of emergency. 
• The drivers wear special costumes with the sign of Yerevan Municipality. 

Compared with minibuses the new buses feel like heaven. They surely gave a new look to the city and made Yerevan tours better and more easily accessible than before. 

So far we talked about the capital Yerevan, but what about the other parts of the country?

• The countryside is being served with white minibusses or other buses in different colors, like green, yellow, and white.
• The cost depends on the distance. Note, it is not 100 AMD. The 100 drams is only for the capital, but the cost for the regions does not pass the border of 750 AMD around 1.91 USD or 1.76 Euro.
• Each bus has its own timeline and stop. 

Despite the challenges that anyone may encounter while using the buses to the regions, those buses are the cheapest options for saving money while traveling to Armenia. 

Opened on March 1, 1981, Karen Demirchyan Yerevan Subway, or known as Yerevan Metro, is a rapid transit system serving only in the capital. It has 10 stations:

1. “Barekamutyun” (“Friendship”) 
2. “Marshal Baghramyan”
3. “Yeritasardakan” (“Youth”)
4. “Republic Square”,
5. “Sasuntsi David” (“David of Sasoun”)
6. “Gortsaranayin” (“Factory”) 
7.  “Shengavit” 
8. “Garegin Nzhdeh Square” 
9. “Zoravar Andranik” (“Andranik the Commander”)
10. “Charbakh” 

With a rolling stock of 45 wagons, the station is the fastest transit system in the capital. It also has a voice-over in Armenian, Russian, and English languages which tells the end of the station and the name of the next station. The stations are decorated and designed with Armenian cultural pieces. It is very easy and affordable to use the station: the cost is the same – 100 AMD. All you need is to approach the cashier, pay the coin and get orange-colored tokens. 

While visiting the subway stations, you may explore Armenian culture and heroic history thanks to the banner and images on the walls. The station can help to make trips to Armenia memorable and interesting. 

Trains are not as common in Armenia as they are in other countries. However, the Yerevan Station is real and it exists. The Yerevan Train Station or Sasuntsi David Station, can be found at Tigran Mets Avenue – 2.7 km south of the Republic Square. It can also be reached by Yerevan metro very easily – just simply disembark at the “Sasuntsi Davit” subway station, the train station is right above it. 

The destinations  are: 

1. Yerevan- Batumi
2. Yerevan — Tbilisi (in winter)
3. Yerevan — Gyumri
4. Yerevan — Ararat
5. Yerevan — Araks
6. Yerevan — Yeraskh

Due to the offered schedules and stops, the train makes it more easily accessible to have Armenia-Georgia Tours by uniting two neighboring cultures.

Buses, minibusses, trains, trolley buses, and subways give the opportunity to connect to other parts of the country besides the capital. The only thing that remains to do is to know their right times, stops, and destinations, for avoiding being lost. Oh, yes, and please learn the Armenian written names of the places since the infrastructure lacks foreign language descriptions.