Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia - fuel availability and general advice
 

Hi,
not particularly motorcycle related question, but we are heading in the azerbaijan direction next summer.
two of my friends are riding motorcycle, and i'm playing a support vehicle role this time with my 4x4 ;)

Can anyone tell me how's the LPG availability in this region ?

Also, any advice on this region would be appreciated.

We were in these countries this summer, but or vehicle runs on diesel, so we didn't look into LPG stations too much. But we remember seeing several by the road. Lots of the old Ladas run on gas as it is quite cheap.

We also met a fellow traveler who was driving a LPG Hummer. I think you should not expect a problem. You still have a petrol tank, right!?

Azerbaijan can be impossible to enter with an old vehicle. Read or report here http://backroadvagrants.com/travel-g...baijan-border/

We liked Georgia's nature the most and spent 7 weeks there. Don't miss Tusheti and do the circle around Svaneti, if your vehicles and riders can bear the dirt roads!

We were on bikes this summer, so didn't really look out for LPG either. But I do remember spotting at least a few places that sold it.

As for advise: keep an eye open for the police. In Georgia they are very correct and only seem to pull people over for not wearing seat belts. I've seen many people run red lights and speed through city centers in front of cops and they didn't even blink. But they seemed to be like flies on honey when they spotted someone not wearing the seat belt.
In Armenia they'll pull you over for whatever reason they can make up on the spot.

And you probably already know this, but just to be sure: you cannot cross between Armenia and Azerbaijan directly, you'll have to go around via Georgia. Nor can you cross between Turkey and Armenia directly.

Thanks for advice. Im well aware of the border crossing difficulties, we have it calculated in the road plan. Most probabily we Will take the road by south of tutkey to arrarat and ten to Georgia. If turkey Will be safe, of course. In the way back, we are concidering farry from Baku to Odessa.

Could you givie some directions and interesting things to see in azerbaijan?

Wysłane z mojego SM-G935F przy użyciu Tapatalka

We only did Georgia and Armenia on our way to Iran, so can't comment on Azerbaijan.
In Georgia, besides the places already mentioned also worthwhile are:

• Gergeti Monastery near Stepantsminda, off the military highway. Prepare for a very bumpy ride
• Ushguli cave city
• Vardzia cave city
• Khatsi pillar
• Chiatura cable carts
• Sighnaghi village

But most of all the scenery in the Caucasus mountains, especially in Svaneti and Kazbegi.

In Armenia we particulary liked:

• Hayravank Monastery. Imho at least as nice as Sevanavank, but less crowded.
• Geghard monastery. Imho the most interesting of the many many monasteries in Armenia
• Tatev monestary + the road up there.
• Views on Mount Ararat from the Urtsadzor-Vedi road
• Landscapes around Arevik NP

Ferries go from Batumi and Poti to Odessa, taking a Ferry from Baku to Odessa would be a pretty amazing feat ;)

Good point ;-) obviously i meant Batumi ;-)

Wysłane z mojego SM-G935F przy użyciu Tapatalka

Can talk about Turkiye, Georgia and Azerbaijan as I frequently visit and drive in them all, no problem with finding LPG, don't know well the situation in Armenia though as being a poorer country inside them all, sure they have LPG too.

From Georgia's mountain regions, we actually found Kazbegi the least appealing. Pretty crowded and the scenery is OK, but not really jaw dropping. In our opinion: Svaneti > Tusheti > Khevsureti > Kazbegi

Will be riding a motorcycle - Turkey->Georgia->Russia May/June time.

Just need petrol and something that looks vaguely like tarmac, so I'm assuming I will be good.

Hoping to stopover in Tbilisi and hire a trail bike to explore Mazeri/Mestia/Ushguli, if possible. Then north to Vladikavkaz.

You can get across Georgia on good asphalt these days, but of course the best scenery (Upper Svaneti, Tusheti) entails rough roads. Mestia is now reachable by a good road, but Ushguli is well beyond this.

If you hire a motorcycle in Gerogia you won't be able to take it into Russia.

Road quality.
 

What is the road from Georgia to Yerevan like?

We were thinking of crossing into Georgia inland from batumi. We are riding a Honda goldwing so prefer tarmac.
John

Road from Batumi to Tbilisi and onward to the Armenia border is fine for a Wing; when you enter Armenia, within a few kms you will come to a T junction which is the split of what we call the upper route and lower route. Turn left - choose the upper route as the road condition is better for a Wing.

The road from Akhalkalaki to Gyumri (which is the most obvious coming from Batumi to Yerevan) has some unpaved and potholed sections. They are working on a nice new modern border compound, but that was far from finished last year.

The road from Tbilisi to Yerevan is completely paved. In good condition on Georgian side and in reasonable condition on Armenian side. Watch out for Armenian police on this road. They like hunting for tourists and any excuse will do to try and take your money.

I drove this yesterday. Not a very advanced border crossing. Took me several hours on the the Armenian side. The road is paved but sometimes ripled and potholed. Some 50 meter stretches of gravel sometimes. Nothing bad. The Armenian police are SERIOUS about speeding and many times there are not speed signs. Max speed in the country is 80kph (but they will let you pass with 90). Follow traffic, don't go faster. I saw ALOT of police cars and alot of people pulled over. I got popped by photo radar 3 times in my first day (front camera, woot!) and pulled over by police once.