The national airline is Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) (J2), which operates regular flights to Ankara, London (via Istanbul), Kiev, Dubai, Tehran and Tel Aviv.

None.

Baku Bina (BAK) is 25km (16 miles) east of Baku (journey time – 40 minutes). To/from the airport: Taxis and buses are available to the centre. Facilities: Car hire, bank/bureau de change, left luggage facilities and a VIP lounge.

Main ports: Baku offers a range of shipping services across the Caspian Sea, including regular trips to Turkmenbashi in Turkmenistan, and to Bandar Anzali and Bandar Nowshar in Iran.

Azerbaijan is connected with Tbilisi in Georgia and Makhachkala in Dagestan (Russian Federation), as well as Moscow and other major cities in the CIS. There is a railway connecting the autonomous republic of Nakhichevan with Tabriz in Iran but there are not yet any connections to the main part of Azerbaijan. Rail travel is slow, and there have been reports of robbery by bandits on some routes.

There are routes from Azerbaijan to Iran, Georgia and the Russian Federation. It may be quicker to use public transport than to drive, owing to lengthy delays at the borders.

Bus: There are regular services on the following routes: Baku–Tehran, Baku–Tblisi and Baku–Derbent (Russian Federation).

Traffic drives on the right. Azerbaijan’s road network totals around 57,770km (34,346 miles). Road conditions are often pretty poor and 4-wheel-drive vehicles are recommended for journeys into the mountains, eg west of Kuba. Roads are badly lit. Visitors should note that many local drivers do not adhere to traffic regulations and that cars are badly maintained.

Car hire: International car hire firms are available in Baku.

Documentation: An International Driving Permit is required or licence issued by an EU country.

Taxi fares should always be negotiated before starting a journey, and visitors should be aware that rates proposed initially are likely to be unreasonably high. There is an underground system totalling 28km (17.5 miles) but most visitors use taxis or private cars. Baku Metro is poorly maintained and the system is often inadequately safe and overcrowded. Buses run from central Baku to the suburbs but they tend to be overcrowded.