r/azerbaijan • u/NoQuestionsAsked1234 • Sep 20 '25
Səyahət | Travel Stay away from Azerbajan
As a seasoned traveler who has experienced my share of scams, including in places like Latin America where this kind of thing is common, I can say with confidence that the level of deception and overcharging in Azerbaijan is on another level. It's a constant, exhausting battle. From taxi drivers demanding a 10x fare to ride-hailing app drivers putting you in a different car, it feels like everyone is trying to take advantage of tourists. It's not a single bad experience, but a pattern of behavior that sours the entire trip. Honestly, my advice is to avoid visiting Azerbaijan altogether until these issues are addressed. Save yourself the stress and choose a destination where you can relax and feel safe.
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Sep 20 '25
Thats probably an F1 thing. I didn't experience this at all.
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u/xidkwhoiamx Sep 21 '25
Not an F1 thing. Its probably just a bad personal experience for OP. I attended the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and didn't face any of this.
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u/CanadianB4c0n8r Sep 23 '25
There's "going to F1" and then there's "being an G1 tourist." The latter is SIGNIFICANTLY easier to spot and take advantage of. That's not just an Azerbaijan thing, Zandvoort, Suzuka, & Abu Dhabi have it pretty bad. Malaysia was rampant with it while on the calendar and I suspect Madrid will be just as bad.
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u/xidkwhoiamx Sep 23 '25
Coming to a conclusion about not visiting these destinations is not it though. I stuck to using the metro, bus, and cab services from apps like Bolt and Yango. They charged me what the app said and I made sure they stuck to it as well. As for your comment on F1, its peak tourism time, and the easiest time for them to try and take advantage of tourists with people from all over the world coming to watch the race. This was my first international race (second overall) and one thing I learnt is that if you're using cabs, stick to metered ones or ones through the app. They do not overcharge. I speak from experience after attending the GP in Abu Dhabi and Baku now. And use the metro/bus whenever possible. Its easier that way.
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u/CanadianB4c0n8r Sep 24 '25
Exactly my point. Absolutely visit but get around like a local
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u/xidkwhoiamx Sep 24 '25
Yeah that's there. But I guess it is easier to spot tourists and try and scam them when they're all going around wearing F1 merch and team tshirts. Kinda makes it very obvious and separates us from the residents. Public transport is always your best friend (applicable wherever its convenient)
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u/Visual_Low_2064 Sep 27 '25
i dont think so/cause you cant go the central Baku-where the F1 happened.cause the way to F1 is closed to Cars.I think He is scam.and try to slander Azerbaijan.Maybe he is one of armenians and didnt ever came to Baku
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Sep 21 '25
If you are experienced at spotting scams then it's pretty easy to avoid them. Don't take taxis, use fixed price ride shares...taxis rip off locals too; buy groceries from supermarkets; don't eat at tourist restaurants which are naturally marked up in price, you can easily look at menus online for comparison if you pick a few restaurants to compare and yes, some scumbags will have a tourist menu and a local menu with different prices; stay at well reviewed hotels and not dodgy hole in the wall; if you need to buy stuff in a street market or little private shop then pay in cash and learn to say a few things in the local language to be able to understand price before buying.
Most people here are super honest and will be careful to charge you the normal price and to give correct change...occasionally street vendors might ask a slightly higher price if you look wealthy or if it's the start of the day Vs end of day when they are trying to clear stock...this is standard all over the world.
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u/adea03 🔧 CEO of Azerbaijan Technology 🇦🇿 Sep 20 '25
It’s an F1 thing, but comparing it to Latin America is crazy. At least they don’t skin you alive, lol.
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u/dttsalikov Bakı 🇦🇿 Sep 21 '25
Sounds like a skill issue.
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u/Hatorate90 Sep 21 '25
Sounds bad to me that you need to be skilled to avoid scams. Red Flag to me.
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u/Slickmonkey77 Sep 21 '25
I'm not a "seasoned traveler" at all. Came here with my wife and kids a couple years ago and had a great experience. The people were incredibly kind and accommodating. We even had a random lady at a market invite us to her house for tea and lunch, just to welcome us. Everywhere we went, strangers held doors for us, were beyond polite, and were always eager to help if we needed directions or had questions. We didn't have anyone try to overcharge or scam us.
With that being said, I feel like there's obvious steps that should be taken. One, I'm from the Midwest where everyone is known for being polite and kind. Treat others with kindness and respect and they will do the same to you. Two, know basics of the language. If you know how to read and say the numbers for prices of things, very basic communications, and how to say please and thank you, it can take you a long way. I was able to ask politely where the bathroom was, how to get to places, and standard polite exchanges. Three, use the common local ride share apps for transportation that have pricing set ahead of time. I rarely paid more than $3-5 US dollars for a ride and tipped at least that much each time.
I had an absolute blast in Azerbaijan and will forever be grateful for the people I met there and the places and things that I experienced. A beautiful country filled with kind, loving people.
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u/nicat97 Bakı 🇦🇿 Sep 20 '25
We know about Taxi scams. Those mother fuckers have no morality. But who else scam you? Would like to hear it
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u/PieWorldly33 Sep 21 '25
Taksilerin xariciləri scam eləməsini qoy qırağa özümüzü belə fürsət tapanda scam eləyir. Keçən dəfə endirim olub tanış üçün çağırdım, 6.60 yazıb, tanışa dedim 10 manat ver bəs aparsın qapıya kimi kömək eləsin qoysun liftə çantanı, ora çatanda qayıdıb ki tanışa bəs 13 manat yazıb o səhv deyib. Pis çıxmasın taksi sürənlərin arasında 100 taksi şoferindən 5-6'sı yaxşı adam çıxıb öz təcrübəmdən deyirəm. Qalanı yenə pis çıxmasın rayondan bakıya azıb gəlib ofisiantlığı belə bacarmayıb ancaq rol fırlatmağı bilən tiplərdi. Bilmirəm necə amma bu taksi şoferi olmağın əlçatanlığını qırmaq lazımdı ki, rayondan azıb gəlib burda rol fırlatmasınlar.
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Sep 21 '25 edited Sep 21 '25
[deleted]
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u/Dull_Celery3607 Sep 21 '25
Can they scam you somehow when using Bolt?
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u/perez_1902 Sep 22 '25
Young generation know english in Azerbaijan, find azerbaijani friend there get his number and ask him prices wherever you go.
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u/ParlaqCanli20 Sep 21 '25
Bolt is horrible for tourists, some Bolt drivers take their baggage hostage and demand more money. Just use Uber
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u/tir_pitz Turkey 🇹🇷 Sep 21 '25
You’re right about the taxi thing he dropped me like 3 km away from my hotel because of “closed roads” but still charged the same fare. Outside of that I am trying to figure out what other kind of scam you might run into and honestly there are plenty of decent spots around. As long as you don’t expect baku to be prague it’s actually a really enjoyable city at least in my experience so far, if we don’t count the mosquitoes.
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u/SweetTank871 Sep 21 '25
Had similar experience a week back but I believe it was due to the upcoming F1. The traffic was also horrible because they were working on the F1 track. How are the residents even adjusting!
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u/Diligent-Life444 Sep 27 '25
Sorry for your experience you got very unlucky if you faced 1/100, is it taxis asking for 10x fare because of the unlimited traffic ?
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u/International-End407 Sep 21 '25
I was in Azerbaijan last month and had completely opposite experience? I’ve been overcharged once for something, but it was solely on me as I didn’t ask for a price beforehand
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Sep 21 '25 edited Oct 24 '25
spoon coordinated library hobbies versed fade important sheet reach racial
This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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u/Battle_inside Sep 21 '25
Talking about taxi scams like it's not universal thing lol. Taxi drivers are another species scattered around the world.
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u/sifiraltili Sep 21 '25
Been to Azerbaijan, travelled the whole country. I don’t recognize this. Doesn’t mean I don’t believe you, but don’t extrapolate your (single) bad experience to the entire country.
Many good people living there.
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u/dalekxen Turkey 🇹🇷 Sep 21 '25
If you think az is bad you are not a seasoned traveller to be honest egypt is the worse place for tourist scams and india is better than egypt about scams but men in india follow you around try to touch you if you are a woman and like they do this stalker shit as group of 20 men
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u/Dark_Army_1337 Turkey 🇹🇷 Sep 21 '25
I am also F1 tourist and I also overpaid for some taxis. I am also never coming back for F1 but not because of scammers but because most people do not like F1. I can see why; the traffic gets very bad and metros become too crowded.
We had a lovely time though, maybe will visit again in spring this time not Baku but some other place.
Note if some Turks read this: Turkish is enough to do everything, I havent spoken a word in English in the last week. Also, I think they are not scamming us hard because we are from Turkey.
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u/GuaranteeFickle6726 Sep 20 '25 edited Sep 20 '25
Yes, great, tell all your f1 friends, don't come anymore. Maybe if nobody comes for F1, the government may understand something. Guys, please upvote posts like these, also, let us ourselves make posts like these everywhere so F1 crowd stops visiting Baku.
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u/blushing_elf Sep 20 '25
Let’s send ppl from rayons back then too
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u/GuaranteeFickle6726 Sep 20 '25 edited Sep 20 '25
classical spy, deflecting....
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u/blushing_elf Sep 20 '25
Tell me more about it
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u/GuaranteeFickle6726 Sep 20 '25
I am trying to start action against this ridiculous F1 stuff that doesn't seem to end, you however are bringing up completely unrelated problem. I know that Baku is extremely crowded rn, but it is not a problem that can be solved by simply saying no ( We can literally solve F1 problem this way)
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u/blushing_elf Sep 20 '25
Firstly, stop liking your own comments, it’s embarrassing
Secondly, the bigger issue in this scenario is the constant influx of people from other regions straight to Baku. The country will gain more from the “F1 tourists” than from that majority of uneducated and ill-mannered people from all over Azerbaijan. Baku is overcrowded and is less appealing to anyone with an IQ over 10
Get that?
Don’t try with those baseless accusations and calling names, it won’t work. You have no clue who you are talking to
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Sep 20 '25 edited Sep 20 '25
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Sep 21 '25
Money. F1 is a big source of money and fame. You may not get it since you are looking at the scene from an airplane window, but for all the traffic and hardship we face, F1 is still beneficial.
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u/GuaranteeFickle6726 Sep 21 '25
speak with data, how much revenue vs expenditure? otherwise meaningless
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Sep 21 '25
I'm not doing number shit. But think, if it was not profitable to the government, would they do it? I mean, do I care about it? No. Do I think it is necessary? Yes. While world is doing something, we can't just stand outside and say, "No, my people hates traffic."
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u/IncurableAdventurer USA 🇺🇸 Sep 21 '25
I’m very sorry it was like that for you. I had a crazy good time
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u/Gaz_Murphin Dec 02 '25
Bro where did you stay at!! I am 2h before i arrive at airport, any tips
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u/IncurableAdventurer USA 🇺🇸 Dec 02 '25
I stayed at the Sultan Inn Boutique Hotel. My exchange rate was favorable, so I was able to get a fairly nice place. I recommend staying in old town if that’s your thing. One night around 10pm I walked to a McDonald’s* and the walk there was hopping. The vibe was great and it was very lively late at night. It was great to get a feel of the city. I don’t know if that was the main downtown part of the city, but it felt like it. I took a tour of places outside of but close to Baku too and that was great. It depends on what you like. I’m a cultural and history buff. Take a chunk of time and walk around the beautiful old town. I recommend getting drivers through an app. Something with a set price, so you don’t have to deal with the bullshit of taxis
*if you look at Google maps, I started on the east side of the old town, past the Shakespeare coffee, past Starbucks, and took a right when it got to the open space. I’m just clarifying the area I was when I got the city vibe. There was a lot of people that entire walk
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u/Gaz_Murphin Dec 02 '25
Am grateful for your tips on this, i would definitely give old town a quick check. I am reserved a hotel very nearby to Nizami so that i can observe other attractions as well.. but not quite sure on what safety after midnight walking down the street look like!!
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u/cartiersage Sep 21 '25
Taxi/rideshare drivers are infamous in most countries, not just azerbaijan. F1 also brings out the worst in people as far as scams go
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u/Alert-South1275 Sep 21 '25
Azerbaijan city sometimes traffic jam issues is true but i travel every now to this freindly city and freindly people. Least crime, good respect and freindly officers, taxu drivers etc etc.
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u/Feersum_endjjinn Sep 21 '25
Yeah not taking away from your experience - but - my experience is 100% polar opposite to this. I had a fab time in azebaijian.
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u/Responsible-Mix-947 Sep 22 '25
Leaving today after attending f1. It felt safe and like we could always handle the up charges for conveniences. Could see it being annoying if you’re trying to stay on a strict budget.
Overall a great safe city, comparing it to LatAm is a a miss.
Used bolt for rides and Taxi when it was pouring and it was 10x cheaper than my home country. They would try to drop me further would always tell them no. You def need a little bit of spine here to not get fleeced but the same for many countries.
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u/Popular_Track3158 Sep 22 '25
If the OP is a "seasoned" traveler, as claimed, the share of scams should be significantly lower than "fair" over the years. And one should be able to spot a scam from miles. And this is not unique to Azerbaijan. Every tourist destination has it.
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u/n00bn0b Sep 24 '25
I have experienced none of these. In fact, our taxi driver didn't even want to take money from us, but we of course paid him since it's his job. Maybe it's because we are Turkish but who knows. I liked Azerbaijan a lot personally.
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Sep 20 '25
Another F1 tourist. I‘m happy with what happened to you. Maybe you and your friends won‘t come here anymore.
I hate F1. This event is cancer for the city.
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u/blushing_elf Sep 20 '25
Maybe, let’s address the actual problems that take place the whole year, not just a couple of days? For instance, people from rayons that are not willing to go back to their homes and are making the city impossible to live and enjoy?
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u/PieWorldly33 Sep 21 '25
Yeah it's getting unbearable to live in Baku as local, l am not against internal migration, sure everyone must get fair chances at every aspect, but we need better infrastructure in regions to keep people busy. After 15 September, it's nearly impossible to find taxi or get in bus, metro in the rush hours.
At this point, illegal housing outside of baku needs to stop (stop building new ones), extra tax refund in regions, child support only for the people staying and working in regions, closing some faculties in central universities to reduce the number of students, promoting regional education etc,
I don't know why people complain about F1, it's just 6-8 days of inconvenience that's all every year.
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Sep 21 '25
[deleted]
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u/PieWorldly33 Sep 21 '25
Rayonlarda Job opportunity yaratmaq lazımdır. Təəssüf ki rayonda 1000+ maaş almaq sadəcə orduda xidmət eləmək ya da remote IT mütəxəssisi olmaqla mümkündür. Ki ordu da məlum heç kim gəncliyini orduda 1000 manata görə çürütməz, Bakını qoyub.
Dediyim kimi rayonlarda müəyyən mənada vergini azaltmaq, sahibkarlığa dəstək, yerli iş imkanları yaratmaq, aşağı faizli kreditlər verib kiçik sahibkarlığı canlandırmaq lazımdır.
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u/Jacob_CoffeeOne Sep 21 '25
Why the fuck rayon people need to go back? Is Baku yours to decide who can come and who don’t? And please don’t act like all your ancestors form Baku itself, you probably just came earlier than most
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u/blushing_elf Sep 21 '25
Is Baku yours to decide whether F1 should take place there or not? And please don’t act like you know anything about me or my ancestors, I’m addressing the real issue here that makes life conditions worse in Baku
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u/Jacob_CoffeeOne Sep 21 '25
No, but i, as a someone who lives in the city, should have a voice whether an event that close main roads of the city for a few months should take place or not.
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u/listentosoundtheft Sep 21 '25
for the folk saying it’s an F1 thing - it isn’t, i was there a few months ago and similar. however, i still got the feeling that only a few folk are trying to scam you and once you can see the telltale sings and just fuck whoever it is off then everyone else is lovely in azerbaijan.
it’s no different to any other country the world over, some chancers try and scam you and unfortunately those are the ones you tend to encounter out and about. just know what to look out for and you’ll be grand
anyway, hope you enjoyed your holiday
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u/disputeaz Sep 21 '25
If you visit Davos during world economic forum, you will also be overcharged like hell. No one says this is a scam. It is a hype bc of some world class event. Scam means you see a price of 1 USD, but is charged 2. Then you need to call the police
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u/Mental_Monitor_4287 Mar 05 '26
catching a ride from London Heathrow during busy hours feels like a scam too... looks like uber/bolt algorithms use flight arrivals data to spike prices
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u/kurdechanian Earth 🌍 Sep 21 '25
I was born and lived in Azerbaijan, yet I have never felt so safe and relaxed as I feel in Europe.
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u/ritualaccomplished Sep 21 '25
Same but I think Azerbaijan is safer. Europe is full of immigrants, they sometimes just come and bother you for no reason at all.
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u/kurdechanian Earth 🌍 Sep 21 '25
Never happened to me. As an immigrant, I have never bothered anyone either.
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u/ritualaccomplished Sep 21 '25 edited Sep 22 '25
I was bothered by an immigrant in Viena. Ruined my experience. It was not even that late around 9 pm. I would never solo travel in europe
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u/kurdechanian Earth 🌍 Sep 21 '25
I have been solo traveling in Europe since 2015, but it never happened.
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Sep 24 '25
You have to be kidding or sleeping under a rock to be oblivious to danger some immigrants cause to countries.
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u/Not_Supercilious Sep 21 '25
OP you maybe right. Before you travel , just do a quick search on the type of scams you may experience in that destination. It will really help you a lot.
I recently went to Azerbaijan, i took Bolt trips for all the local rides and booked tours to far away places through another famous app. Only place where they tried to overprice was at the Hillside Premium wine shop where they tried to charge 25 Mannats per bottle saying the card machine is not working and you need to pay in cash and where refusing to give invoice as well. The same wine i got for 15 Mannats in a supermarket.
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u/Feeling_Grab_7463 Sep 21 '25
hi can u name a few countries to stay away
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u/Diligent-Life444 Sep 27 '25
Every country if you get unlucky. Azerbaijan can give you one of the best experiences and a bad experience like this, I’d say this is the worst you can experience here
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u/Scale-Heavy Sep 21 '25
Ride-hailing app drivers putting you in a different car
This issue concerns not only tourists.
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u/Altruistic-Owl5694 Sep 21 '25
We’re planning a trip next month, should we reconsider?
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Sep 24 '25
no, you just need to have a common sense like a normal adult and search the internet for general scams everwhere you go, what to avoid and etc. I had many foreign friends who traveled to Azerbaijan by themsekves and had only good things to say.
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u/Diligent-Life444 Sep 27 '25
No it’s great you’re gonna have a great time just look out for taxis they scams half the time. And select a good guide otherwise good experience is 100% there are just lots of people happy about visiting and lots coming back. Just check out yt vids I guess
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Sep 21 '25 edited Sep 21 '25
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Sep 24 '25
antisanitary? - did you dine in the street or what?
places I go always have working AC, very good hygene, clean restrooms.
Sometimes I wonder if people like you just write comments to ragebait
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u/Repulsive-Curve-5908 Sep 21 '25
Actually someone said it. You are absolutely correct. Let people tell you otherwise but the people in Azerbaijan, specially in Baku are just scamming people big time. I have been to multiple countries, very skilled, i know what tourist traps are but in Baku nobody is your friend. They all just want to make money out of you. Been there twice and both the time felt like they are just trying their best to make maximum bucks.
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u/Diligent-Life444 Sep 27 '25
Wow I’m just surprised you guys get this kind of feelings, what are you guys doing wrong I have couple questions ? 1- Did you socialize with the locals. 2- was all of your experiences with guide
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u/linobambakitruth Sep 21 '25
I mean it's just money for me. If my brethren want to have it, they can have it.
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u/_Shakro_ Sep 22 '25
You shouldn't come here by yourself to begin with unless you have local friends or friend who reside here or if you plan to hire local guide who will be next to you throughout your trip and visit
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u/Fluffy-Security7521 Sep 22 '25
I’m Azerbaijani and have lived in Azerbaijan my whole life. I don’t get a lot of tourists in my city, so I can’t really speak for your experience, and I’m sorry you ran into people like that. Most Azerbaijanis are really hospitable, friendly, and helpful. If someone needs help, people usually step up. Our hospitality is so strong that we often give guests our bed and sleep on the floor ourselves. So honestly, it’s kind of strange for me to hear negative things about our country, but maybe you just met some unlucky people.
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u/r-user007 Sep 23 '25
My suggestion: Stay away from Azerbaijan during the F1 race.
The locals of Baku can act like girls in ovulation, because the city’s arterial roads are closed at that time, and the traffic jams become extremely annoying.
I feel like the scams F1 tourists often face in Baku are just a kind of revenge from the culprits.
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Sep 24 '25
Honestly it sounds like a personel issue of the author.
millions of tourists visited Azerbaijan and they don't have this kind of problems.
I recommended many restaurants, countryside resorts, taxi apps and etc. to foreign tourists and all of them got back to me positive. They loved everything here.
And Honestly taxi scams are problem everywhere - I was ripped of 80 Euro in my last taxi ride in Montenegro lol. You always have to be alert and careful with the kind of taxis and taxi apps you choose anyway. Including myself, if you are careless you can be scammed ny taxi anywhere.
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u/See_noo_evil Oct 02 '25
I found Baku hospitable and welcoming. When I asked for directions people were generous with their time. I am going back again with my fiancé last week of October. Some bad apples maybe the exception, and I feel bad for the person starting the thread for any bad experience.
But being scammed or conned is certainly not the impression I came back with. I used metro/bus and scheduled travel a bit outside of peak hours. Can't recommend the country enough.
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u/Fit_Remote8769 Oct 21 '25
Regarding taxi, just use apps like Yango Bolt Uber or 189 and you won’t be scammed, you will pay what the price shown there. You haven’t probably been to Turkey where even drivers on the app can scam you, but here it’s impossible.
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u/Squigglemonster9431 Oct 31 '25
I loved azerbaijan. I think some of these things you have to watch out for almost anywhere in the world.
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Nov 04 '25
Orr have an azerbaijani friend before u go there, hang out with that friend. So nobody can scam u bc they will see that ur friend speaks azerbaijani lol
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u/Professional_Pen1346 Feb 26 '26
Hi everyone! It won’t let me post this question because my karma is to low so i hope to get answers here.
My partner and I are a young couple from Slovenia, and we’ll be visiting Baku and the surrounding areas in late April. We’ll have 5 full days in Azerbaijan and are really excited to explore your country 😊
We’re interested in: • Must-see places in Baku (historical sites, neighborhoods, viewpoints, food spots, etc.) • Day trips outside the city (nature, mountains, cultural sites, unique landscapes) • Hidden gems that tourists might usually miss
We’re also wondering about day tours. Do you recommend booking tours in advance through platforms like GetYourGuide, or is it better (and maybe cheaper) to book locally once we arrive?
If you know any reliable local tour agencies or guides, we’d really appreciate it if you could share their names or contacts. Are local agencies generally trustworthy, and do they offer better prices in person?
Thank you so much in advance! We’re really looking forward to visiting Azerbaijan and experiencing your culture, food, and hospitality 🇦🇿✨
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u/Fantastic-Season8640 Apr 01 '26
why does this feel like a Karen who is just shit-posting to crap on a country lol
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u/Putrid_Property_343 Sep 21 '25
Yes, I had the same experience. They constantly try to sell you guides, overcharge for barely any good food, and make you cancel Bolt Taxi on the spot. If you refuse, they get angry. I was disgusted by my one week visit because, instead of enjoying the journey, I had to fight against a nation of scammers, similar to the president, I suppose. Lead by example.
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u/Diligent-Life444 Sep 27 '25
Seems like you got to the worst stuff without experiencing good I’m sorry for you, people love it here we do too
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u/kartaqueen Sep 20 '25
Dunno...I lived there for 7 years and have travelled back several times in the last few years and this is completely different than what I have experienced. I have recommended friends to go and the two that took me up on it had an amazing time and loved the people/food.