For more information, see www.tourism.az

The language spoken in Azerbaijan is Azerbaijani. Azerbaijani is widely taught in schools. Great part of population speaks and understands Russian. You can also communicate in English as well.

Azerbaijan Standard Time is 4 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+4). Azerbaijan does operate Daylight – Saving Time between the last Sunday in March and the last Sunday in October when clocks switch to GMT.

The climate varies from subtropical and dry in central and eastern Azerbaijan to subtropical and humid in the southeast, temperature along the shores of the Caspian Sea, and cold at the higher mountain elevations. Baku, on the Caspian, enjoys mild weather, averaging 4° C in January and 25° C in July. See the on-line weather forecast in Azerbaijan – http://www.weather-forecast.com/locations/Baku/forecasts/latest

Electricity is supplied at 220V 50Hz. Outlets are the European standard CEE-7/7 "Schukostecker" or "Schuko" or the compatible, but non-grounded, CEE-7/16 "Europlug" types. Generally speaking, U.S. and Canadian travelers should pack an adapter for these outlets if they plan to use North American electrical equipment in Azerbaijan.

Additionally, some older buildings may be still equipped with Soviet-era outlets. The Soviet GOST-7396 standard was very similar to the current European CEE-7/7 "Schuko plug", but the pins were of a 4.0 mm diameter, while the Schuko features 4.8 mmpins. As such, the pins of a Schuko may be too large to fit into a Soviet-era outlet, although the smaller Europlug will still fit. Although the Soviet-era outlets have largely been phased out, travelers who are particularly concerned with having the ability to plug in at all times may consider packing an adapter for the Soviet-era outlets too, just in case.

Baku has an excellent telecommunication system which links Baku to the rest of Azerbaijan and the world. The International Direct Dial (IDD) code for Azerbaijan is +994 and the city code for Baku is +994 12.

Most hotels provide guest room International Direct Dial (IDD) services; some hotels have in-room Internet hook-up and fax machines. Others offer this service through their reception.

The Azerbaijani monetary unit is manat (AZN). The currency rate is available in every daily newspaper, followed by the American dollar exchange rate used in international business transactions. Cash money and traveler checks, especially in American dollars, can be exchanged in almost every bank, exchange places and hotels. All major credit cards are accepted in Azerbaijan and some stores accept foreign currency. You can consult the exchange rate of the day and make the conversion to local currency, see the website www.xe.com/ucc/

The main credit cards are accepted in Azerbaijan, especially in Baku Visa, Master Card, Diners Club International and American Express are in almost all commercial establishments.

Banks are open weekdays from 09 a.m. till 06 p.m. They are closed only weekends and public holidays. Before departure from home, visitors are encouraged to check the acceptability of their credit and/or cash cards with their local bank.

Automated teller machines (ATMs) can be found almost everywhere. Some machines provide 24-hour cash withdrawal (R, $ and Euro) facilities for major credit cards.

112 – Emergency Call Center
102 - Police
103 - Ambulance
101 - Fire Department