Public Transportation

When you come to Yerevan as a tourist for a couple of weeks, you will probably get around mostly by taxi.  Taxis are inexpensive.  You can go the first 4 kms for 600 AMD, the minimum amount you have to pay, which is about $1.70.  Each km thereafter costs 100 AMD, which is less than $0.30. Most places in Kentron (Center) are within a 4-km radius.  So the taxi is a logical choice, especially if you are travelling in a group.  

I think the taxi fares are regulated, so it should be the same for every taxi.  But it’s best to choose taxis with yellow license plates, which are “official,” because that reduces your chance of getting ripped off.   Of course, you should always ask the driver to turn on the meter (“hashvitche miatsenel”), and you should always have change.  The most common method of ripping off passengers is the “I don’t have change” routine.  In other words, if your fare is 700 AMD, and you give 1,000 AMD, the driver will claim he doesn’t have 300 AMD (less than 1$) to give you.  I understand that this isn’t a lot of money for most tourists coming from North America or Europe.  But personally, things like this really irritate me.  The best thing to do is to stand firm and say that you will go look for change.  The two times I’ve done this, the driver magically produced change. 

Though taxis are inexpensive, when you are living here for a while, taxi costs add up.  So you have to get used to the public transportation system.  It can be incredibly intimidating, especially when there’s no one to help you. 

First, there’s the metro.  The metro is fantastic.  It’s very easy to get around.  The biggest challenge you will have is finding a good street map/metro map combo.   You may have to improvise.  I have a street map from the tourist office on Nalbandian.  The metro stops were already marked on the map, but the names weren’t written.  So I googled the metro map and handwrote the corresponding stops on the map.  This way, I have a detailed street map with the names of the metro stops. 

In any case, the metro system isn’t vast.  It’s essentially 1 line.  But it’s a fun way to get around Kentron (Center) and to a couple of the surrounding districts.   The metro is mostly underground, but sometimes surfaces.  It costs about 50 AMD, which is about $0.15.  It’s definitely the most inexpensive way to get around.  I was on the metro yesterday, and I don’t remember seeing any signs in English.  So if you don’t speak Armenian, you may have to know what your stop's name looks like written in Armenian so you can go the right way.    The stations are neat.  Each one is decorated differently, sort of like the Montreal Metro.  The ceiling of the Paregamutyin station is particularly interesting.  It’s white, but sort of looks like you are under water.  Just remember that you can’t take any photos in the stations.  I am not sure why, but I hear you can get in trouble for doing this. 

I love trains and metros, and I generally dislike busses.  In fact, while in Buenos Aires, I don’t recall ever taking the bus, though I frequently took the metro.  But in Armenia, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and travel with the locals.   I must admit, I was intimidated at first.  It took me a while to feel comfortable with the system. I was lucky enough to have some guidance.

Busses in Yerevan are interesting.  There are regular city busses and some trams.  But mostly, the city is crawling with Marshrutkas.   The Marshrutka is a sort of min-bus that seats about 13 or 14 people. However, during peak hours, they are packed with people crouching and standing in whatever space is available.  A ride costs 100 AMD, which as I mentioned before, is less than $0.30. 

When you get on the marshrutka, don’t expect anything luxurious.  In fact, you should probably get on without any expectations.  Most are in disrepair.  They are also packed tight.  So if your neighbor has been drinking or hasn’t showered, you will smell it.  Believe me, I speak from experience!  

It’s my understanding that the marshrutkas started out as shared taxis.  Basically, the marshrutka has a route with pre-determined stops.  However, passengers can waive the vehicle down to get on and ask the driver to stop to get off at any time.  Apparently, some drivers prefer to stop only at the official stops, but most will stop anywhere if you just ask them.  Also, despite having pre-determined stops, the driver will not stop unless you tell him. 

This was the first reason for my intimidation.  I didn’t know where the stops were, and I couldn’t remember what to say to make sure the driver pulled over!   You can say a few things, but usually, people say either “gangaroom bahek” or “gangaroom ganknek.”  Both mean stop at the stop.  Also, I have observed that, on busier streets at least, there are stops at about every block or two.  So if you miss your stop, the consequence is not that bad.  Also, you can always just ask the driver is he is willing to pull over between stops. 

The second reason for my intimidation was that I didn’t know where the marshrutkas were going.  There are over 100 of them in the city, but there is no user-friendly website that details the routes.  So you have to rely on the sign in the windshield that identifies the marshrutka number and the streets where it travels.  The problem is that it’s all in Armenian.  And if your Armenian reading skills are at a 6^th grade level (like mine), you usually can’t read the signs fast enough!  Of course, you could ask the driver.  But if your ability to understand the Eastern Armenian dialect is anything like mine, you will probably not understand what the driver says… especially if he throws in some Russian.  So really, it’s best to ask around for which marshrutka numbers will take you to your destination before you venture out to the bus stop. Also, if possible, you should ask for landmarks near your stop so you can tell the driver "gangaroom bahek" before he passes your stop. 

Now that I understand how things work, I love riding the marshrutkas.  I think I am probably the only person in Yerevan who likes them.  None of my colleagues believe it when I say it!  I guess it’s because it’s still kind of an adventure for me!  But for them, it’s just an old, smelly van.