Have you already planned your visit to Armenia? If yes, then you should be ready to meet a unique culture with respected traditions and culturally accepted beliefs. If you expect to make a journey around this mountainous country and explore new places and historical values for you, then you should take into consideration the means of transportation.
In this regard, Armenia delivers a wide choice. You may tour inside Yerevan by public transportation. Public buses and microbuses are working in Yerevan and also in the regions. However, sometimes you need to take a taxi.
Taking a taxi in Armenia, you may experience a unique cultural behavior. Before passing to the features of that culture, let’s check out something more important.
How to take a taxi in Armenia
Taking a cab is very easy in Armenia. There are many services around that provide the taxi ride in Armenia. You have 3 options for taking a taxi:
✔ Taxi services in Armenia
There are many taxi services in Armenia. Generally, these services provide drive inside the cities or to nearby places. To take a taxi from any service, you should have their phone number to contact the call center and order one.
You may get their contact information in their business cards or announcements, which you may meet attached at the walls of buildings, at the lifts, etc. But you may also take a taxi from the street just talking to the driver.
✔ Taxi applications in Armenia
If you don’t want to talk to the call center specialist, there is an excellent choice for you. All you need to do is install an application on your phone or other devices and order a taxi online. In Armenia, you can choose between some taxi applications. Let’s discover which one do you prefer:
#1 GG Taxi
GG taxi is very reliable when you need a ride in Armenia. You need to install the application, sign in, request a ride, and the driver picks you up within 5 minutes. The only thing you should consider is the accuracy of your location. It’s important to help the driver find your location. The application is available in 4 languages - Armenian, English, Russian, and Arabic.
#2 Yandex Taxi
Yandex taxi is one of the online riding services in Armenia; a mobile app bringing you rides in demand. Yandex is an intelligent app for getting around the town. You have an opportunity to choose the level of service you prefer - economy, comfort, or comfort+.
#2 Utaxi
Another reliable app to order a taxi in Yerevan is Utaxi. This application gives a chance to collect bonuses from your rides. You may also get some bonuses if you invite your friends. You get an opportunity to use your bonuses to pay the ride.
✔ Private Taxies
Your next choice to take a taxi is a private taxi. It may seem strange, but these are people who don’t work in a specific service but use their car as a taxi. Such taxies are more common in regions where people know each other. They may know that there is a neighbor who is a private taxi driver so that they may ask him whenever required.
You may meet such taxies at the streets of Yerevan as well. You realize it’s a taxi due to the taxi roof sign on the car. Cars of taxi services also have these signs, but they also include some logos and taxi patterns painted on the car.
Taxi Drivers in Armenia
To communicate with taxi drivers is a great experience. Even if you aren’t fond of talking, the driver will find something to ask you. The taxi drivers are very humorous in Armenia. They know how to engage you in the conversation.
Whenever you take a taxi, do not surprise when the driver tells about his businesses in Russia. As a rule, every taxi driver has left his business in Russia and come to Armenia. Nobody has still succeeded in finding out whether this is a true fact or a joke.
Yet, if you are riding through the city you may somehow avoid these talks. But if you travel to a region for some hours you won’t manage, especially, if you are the only passenger. The driver will tell you interesting stories about his past experience. Be sure that half of the story is an exaggeration.
I had such an experience and would like to share it with you. Once I was traveling to the Tavush Region (3 hours drive from Yerevan). By the way, if you are fond of nature, fresh air, untouched forests and breathtaking views, visit this district.
Now let me pass to my story. In the area between Dilijan and Ijevan, there were many horses on the edge of the road. It prompted the driver to tell me something. One day he was driving through the same way when a horse jumped to the car like lightning and broke the front windshield of the car. Then the driver seriously added: “I tried very hard to take my hands out of between the windshield and the wheel. I threw away that car.” And you guess, I was sure that I was on the same car, and the driver made exaggerations to make his story more attractive.
However, sometimes these stories help to make the long-distance short. If you like fantasy, do not miss your chance to take a taxi in Armenia.
The Average Cost of Taxi in Armenia
Taxi isn’t so expensive in Armenia. You pay 100 AMD for per kilometer. As a rule, taxi services have a minimal price for 500 AMD or 600 AMD. In this case, you cannot ride for 1 kilometer and pay 100 AMD. You pay the minimum price. When your trip is longer than 6 kilometers, you pay 100 AMD per kilometer.
The average cost of a taxi in Armenia is different in the case of applications. Usually, the minimum fee of these applications starts from 300 AMD. But it also depends on time. Before requesting your order, you should pay attention to the minimum bill.
When you arrive at your destination, do not forget to check the calculator of the taxi to know how much your drive cost is. Yet, it will be great if you have coins with you because if you pay with paper money, probably you won’t get a change. Generally, taxi drivers don’t have it in Armenia.
Conclusion
Now you know there is a taxi culture in Armenia. Maybe the world-famous actor - Samy Nacery, also knew something about it when he visited Armenia. On those days you could hear the expression “Taxi movie actor in Armenia” especially from the taxi drivers.
You are already aware of your most essential responsibilities while taking a taxi. Welcome to Armenia and have a safe drive!
Published September 12, 2019
Article by Vera Mirzoyan
