PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

Public transportation is inexpensive and the network is very comprehensive. Baku is the only city in Azerbaijan with underground railway. Baku's railway, currently undergoing expansion, is predominantly of use for commuters getting into the city rather than for getting around the central area. Nizami metro station is worth visiting for the mosaic murals. Trains run every two or three minutes. Fares are cheap and independent from the length of the journey. Metro is open from 6:00 am till 00:00 am. For using metro it is needed to have magnetic card, which can be charged at the entrance of any metro station.

Buses are operating from 05:00 AM till 11:00 PM. The price for the one fare in the city is 20 qepik (≈0.17 Euro). It is possible to find routes of buses by searching at www.bsnmmc.az. Bus No 116 is going from Heydar Aliyev International Airport to the central street of the city - Neftchiler Avenue, where most brand hotels are located. It is possible to reach Heydar Aliyev Center or Baku Congress Center, which are located close to each other, by using bus No 14 going from Neftchiler to H. Aliyev avenue.

"Ride the aubergine!” In Baku taxis are ubiquitous, but if you can't speak local languages it's usually safest to jump into one of the large fleet of London-style cabs, painted a soothing shade of deep egg-plant purple. Unlike other taxis that you'll find on the streets (mostly white or yellow), the London-style cabs work strictly on the meter so there's no need to haggle... though it is customary to tip by rounding the fare up to the nearest Manat. Landmarks are often better than addresses when instructing the driver, few of whom speak much, if any, English. Better still have a local friend explain to the driver where you want to go.