Everyday practical information for Armenia

The basics

• Plugs are the European two-pin type C and F, 230 V. Standard continental European kit works.
• Armenian has its own alphabet, invented in 405 AD and related to nothing else. You cannot sound out a word or guess a street name - a camera translation app is genuinely useful here in a way it is not in a Latin or Cyrillic country.
• Russian is very widely spoken and often signposted. English is common among younger people in Yerevan and rare in villages.
• UTC+4 all year, no daylight saving.
• Dialling code +374.

Climate

• Yerevan is at 1,000 m and has a continental climate: very hot dry summers, cold winters.
• The mountains are another matter entirely and passes close from November to February.
• Spring and autumn are the best times to visit.

Culture

• Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as a state religion, in 301, and the monasteries are the point of the country. Most are working churches: cover shoulders, women often cover their heads, and services are worth standing quietly through.
• The genocide memorial at Tsitsernakaberd is central to Armenian identity and is visited seriously rather than as a sight.
• Hospitality is intense and sincere. An invitation to a table is not a formality.
• Coffee and cognac are the two things Armenians will insist you try, and both are good.

Small things

• Yerevan's drinking fountains (pulpulaks) are safe and everywhere - fill a bottle rather than buying water.
• The Cascade is where the city goes in the evening.
• Sunday is quiet and rural bus services thin out.