Baku 
Gyanja 
Naxcivan 
Eurovision 2012 Baku, Azerbaijan - Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) in Baku
Planning to come to Azerbaijan for Eurovision - 2012? Not sure how to arrange your travel? Need advice on what to do while in Baku apart from taking part in song contest? Then this is the right place for you.
This page aims to provide you with essential and most up to date information for Eurovision fans on how to arrange your visa, where to book your hotels stay or alternative accommodation, how to get to city centre from the airport, what to do and what to see while you are in Baku. This page is going to be updated on a daily basis with relevant news that might be helpful in arranging your stay. Stay with us to be updated.
HOTELS
All hotels in Azerbaijan
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TOURS
All tours to Azerbaijan |
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TRANSPORT IN BAKU
Information about transport in Azerbaijan
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AZERBAIJAN VISA
Visa Support For Azerbaijan
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Book Airport Transfer in Baku, Azerbaijan If you and your family is planning a trip to Baku and looking for fast and reliable transfer to your hotel or any place in Baku you should check our service. Whether you are in the capital of Azerbaijan for business or pleasure, we will always meet... We have been receiving a lot of questions about the best way to commute from Baku airport to central Baku. Until recently the only feasible way to commute was using a taxi. No surprise, that taxi drivers were taking advantage of their monopoly and... Crossing Azerbaijan with your own vehicle There are 2 ways to cross Azerbaijan territory with your own vehicle. It is either to transit Azerbaijan or apply for temporary entry (up to 30 days).Temporary entry (up to 30 days) At the link below you can find regulations on foreign... | Earlier this week AZ authorities has again changed visa regulations without any prior notification and explanation. Due to numerous changes many consulates are now interpreting rules on their own and there are no... Azerbaijan Tourist Visa / Azerbaijan Visa Requirements If you are traveling to Azerbaijan you need to obtain an appropriate visa. Only citizens of Russia and CIS countries (except Turkmenistan) do not need a visa to enter Azerbaijan.There are several types of visas... Information for Visitors to Azerbaijan Arrival to and departure from the Republic of Azerbaijan is exercised under one of the following documents:1. National passport2. Diplomatic passport3. Service passport4. Identity card issued to apatrides (persons destitute of... |
| SECURING YOUR HOTEL STAY IN BAKU | GETTING AZERBAIJAN VISA |
(15 Nov-11)Securing accommodation in Baku seems to be the serious challenge for Eurovision fans. Most modest calculations suggest that there would be around 30,000 guests that would need to be accommodated during the Eurovision 2012 week in Baku, Azerbaijan. Taking into account that daily capacity of all Baku hotels is 12,000-13,000 (or 15-17,000 if they manage to open several 5* hotels by that time – but who needs such expensive hotels is another question) there is obvious deficit of hotel places anyway. Public sector accommodation might be a solution, but this is quite unrealistic to control situation there and offer any decent solution. Latest (15 Feb-12): For accredited press and fans, a large number of hotels in Baku has been block-booked by the organisers of the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest. Online booking will open up on the 1st of March and closes on the 10th of April. After that date, availability of rooms cannot be guaranteed. A variety hotels will be made available in different classes and price ranges. Room rates will also obviously sky rocket, with hotels calculating at the moment how much to charge foreign guests. We are in routine contact with most of Baku hotels and as soon as we have updated rates information we will place it on our site. We have a vast list of Baku hotels, just check the bottom of the frontpage. You can place a hotel booking request at the relevant hotel’s page. As soon as we get your request we check with the hotel availability, confirm rates and send you availability conformation along with the invoice. If no places available we will make suggestions for similar type accommodation. |
Entry to Azerbaijan requires having a visa. Most ordinary type of visa is a tourist visa that can be obtained in Azeri diplomatic missions abroad. No visas upon arrival in Baku airport are available (apart from Israelis flying direct AZAL flight from Tel-Aviv). There is unconfirmed information that visa regime would be eased for a period of song contest, but unless this information is confirmed officially all travelers are HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to obtain theirs visas in advance. We advise to start arranging your visa 3-4 months before your arrival to have sufficient time for the whole process. More detailed information on visa process is available at our page here. The page is updated regularly, so all the info is up-to-date. So far to get a tourist visa one would need to have Letter of Invitation (LOI) from Azeri travel agency. Some embassies can issue visas without LOI, just on a basis of confirmed hotel accommodation. Bear in mind, that printed confirmations from online international booking sites are generally not accepted, you would need to have a proper letterhead confirmation from your hotel. Our travel agency can arrange you both LOI and hotel confirmations. Check our hotels page for a vast list of Baku hotels. Unfortunately, hotel rates published on our site most likely won’t be valid for a period of Eurovision 2012 week in Baku, Azerbaijan due to unprecedented demand and sky-rocketing prices. Check with us or directly with the hotels. As mentioned above, visas in Baku airport are not available, though there is a chance that they will be resumed as it was 2 years ago. But still, getting visa in the airport might be a time consuming process that could lengths for 3-5 hours if there are many people on a plane planning to get it on arrival. To avoid disappointment and unnecessary hassle take care of it beforehand. Latest (10 Feb-12): Visas in Baku airport resumed for Eurovision song contest participants. |
| BAKU TOURS & EXCURSIONS | AIRPORT TRANSFERS in BAKU, AZERBAIJAN |
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We arrange daily excursions and tours around Baku. They might be 3-4 hours walking excursions in Old & Modern Baku, or combined walking&bus tours. We arrange both individual and group tours. If you would like to book a tour send us your request and will try to fit you in one of our groups. The earlier you book the earlier you guaranteed your place. More information on potential tours you can check on the relevant page here. Prices would depend on the number of people in the group, so do not hesitate to write us. |
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FAQ
1. Where to buy/secure tickets for Eurovision 2012 finals?
Tickets are not for sale at the moment. We will updated the page as soon as they would be released for sale. Since we are not sure about the cost and how they plan to sell/distribute tickets we are not able to advise. Latest (15 Febr 2012): Tickets would be available for sale online starting from February 28. Check Eurovision official web site page2. Where exactly the Eurovision song contest 2012 will take place?
There are 3 potential venues in Baku that might host the event. Organisers are still deciding on them. It is going to be either Tofik Bahramov Stadium, Sport & Exhibition Complex or the new Concert Hall that is under construction at the moment. (15 Jan 2012) - it's going to be new Crystall Hall that is still being constructed. They promise to have it ready by April. We'll see.3. How is mobile phone communication there?
There are three mobile operators: Azercell, Bakcell, Nar Mobile, Azerfon-Vodafone. Azercell is the largest one. To dial an Azercell number you need to dial (050) or (051) and then the number. Only with Azercell can you talk in the metro(subway) in Baku. Nar Mobile is pretty cheap but doesn't work in some regions. For dialing Nar Mobile numbers you need to dial (070) and then the number. Azerfon-Vodafone is new operator have 3G. For dialing Azerfon-Vodafone numbers you need to dial (077) and then the number. Bakcell is ok. It works almost everywhere and is cheaper that Azercell. To dial a Bakcell number you need to dial (055) and then the number. The numbers have a 3 digit code (different for each operator) + 7 digits number. For example (050)xxx xx xx, (051)xxx xx xx, or (055)xxx xx xx, or (070)xxx xx xx, or (077)xxx xx xx You can buy cards for use with different operators almost in every store.There are lot of mobile shops where you can easily buy a local SIM card. Generally SIM cards are sold only to Azeri citizens producing a passport/ID card. SIM cards are cheap, around 1 euro, puls you buy top-up cards to have a credit for the calls.
And check that good news here
4. Getting around Baku. What transport to use to get to Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) 2012?
a) The best and cheapest way to get around Baku is taking tube (Metro). It is safe, cheap and will get you almost anywhere in town. The trains go every 5-7 minutes. Some of the stations are really beautiful and worth checking out - look up the Nizami station. There is a new system now of which you should be aware. You can only enter the subway using an electronic card (similar to Oyster in London), which is easy to purchase at any subway station. The cost is 2 AzN (around 2 Euros) and you can pay as little as 20 cents on top to add fare to the card (for 1 AzN you can ride 5 times - costs only 0.20 AZN per ride). The card can be returned any time and will be fully refunded (2 AzN). Also, you need to be aware that taking photos in the Metro is forbidden, you might risk of being arrested.b) There are also regular public buses and private marshrutkas all over Baku... Marshrutkas are like Dolmush in Turkey, basically in the size of mini bus. They will stop to pick you up the minute you raise your hand and will let you off the second you hand them the money. But you need to know the route number or destination where the bus heads to. Try to check with the driver or other passengers before you board to avoid confusion. Destinations are usually posted on the front and the right side of the bus. Buses and minibuses cost 0.20 AZN per person
c) Taxis - pricier way to travel. Besides being a foreigner you risk to have your rate doubled. So make sure to agree the price before you travel. Don't be afraid to bargain, this is a usual thing to do. London taxi cabs have been recently introduced in Baku, and travel fees are 0.70azn per km.A taxi costs 4-10 AZN for trips within the center of Baku.
5. Where to eat in Baku?
There are a great deal of restaurants in Baku. From cheap Turkish style Doner-Kebabs cafes (5-7 AZN) to mid-range (7-15 AZN) and top-end restaurants. You would definitely have no problem with finding the place to eat.6. What to eat?
a) Qutab, made from thinly rolled dough that may be cooked briefly on a convex griddle. This is a sort of pancake turnover stuffed with minced lamb, cheese or spinach.b) Dolma - the traditional recipe calls for minced lamb mixed with rice and flavoured with mint, fennel and cinnamon, and wrapped in vine leaves (yarpaq dolmas?) . Another popular variety of dolma is stuffed tomato, sweet pepper and aubergine cooked together.
c) Dushbara - Small dumplings stuffed with minced lamb and herbs, served in broth.
d) Kebabs - Caucasian style kebab are probably the best in world. Must to try. Many varieties (Lyulya kabab, tika kabab). Don't forget to ask for mushed potato kebab - yammi.
e) Dovga - a natural yoghurt based soup with sorrel, spinach, other greens, rice, dried peas; served hot or cold depending on the season; Definitely check as this is unique to Azerbaijan only and tastes amazing.
f) Pakhlava - Azeri dessert
10 things to do in Baku during Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) 2012
1. Swim in Caspian Sea (May is still might be early for swimming but water in the Caspian is generally not cold, so don't miss your chance)2. Taste local cuisine (kebabs, dolma, kutabs,plov)
3. Drink local wine (Dry and semi-sweet wines are good. Expect to pay from 3 to 15 AZN for a bottle in a shop. Average price is around 5-8 AZN)
4. Relax in Teze Bay Hamam (only for men)
5. Drink Tea in tea house with a view for Caspian near the Martyr Cemetery (better in the evening)
6. Listen Azeri style jazz in Jazz club - a combination of classic Jazz with national motives from Mugam
7. Make window/shopping in Teze bazaar (wide choice of fruits and vegetables) or in any other bazaars in Baku
8. Make short cruise by public ship in Baku Boulevard (30-40 minutes)
9. Listen and to see Azerbaijan ballet and opera in Baku Opera and ballet house
10. Taste black and red caviar
10 things to see in Baku during Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) 2012
1. Maiden Tower2. Old City
3. Caspian Sea Boulevard & Flag Square
4. Baku Metro
5. Mud Volcanoes (world famous site with 70% of total mud volcanoes in the world)
6. Gobustan petroglyph (The invading armies of Alexander the Great and Trajan also left some interesting grafitti)
7. Torgovaya (Nizami street) & Fountain Square
8. Martyr Cemetery (also for brilliant panorama over Baku & Baku bay)
9. Teze Pir Mosque, Russian orthdox churches, Lutheran church
10. Yanardag(better in the dusk ), Carpet Museum,
g) Internet cafes
Internet Cafes in Baku are not on every corner, but are easy enough to find. Rates ranged from 0.80 to 2 Manat ($1-$2.50) per hour. Connecting a laptop directly is not understood and therefore prohibited. All hotels have free Wi-Fi, so Internet access is generally not a problem at all.
