We're spending ten days in Azerbaijan this September and can't decide whether to rent a car or hire a driver.
The plan is Baku → Gobustan → Lahij → Sheki → Quba → Khinalig.
We normally enjoy driving ourselves when travelling, but several people have warned us about local traffic and mountain roads.
Those who've done it—which option would you recommend?
We rented a car and never regretted it. Outside Baku, driving was much easier than we'd expected. Once you leave the capital, traffic becomes lighter and the main roads are generally straightforward.
The best part was being able to stop whenever we wanted. We found tiny roadside tea houses, bought fruit from farmers selling directly from their orchards, and once spent almost an hour watching shepherds move a flock of sheep across the road.
I'd split the decision into two parts.
Driving around Baku is one thing. Driving through the countryside is another.
If you've never driven in a busy Caucasian city, collecting your rental car immediately after landing can feel stressful. Several of my foreign friends simply take a taxi into the city, spend two nights in Baku, then collect a rental car on the morning they leave. Taxis are very cheap, taxi apps are very efficient, you dont even need to talk to the driver as he knows where to pick you up and where to drop you.
For the countryside trips rental might make sense. Roads are very good and easy to navigate. You have time for stopovers and shouldn't worrying about driver's schedule.
We hired a driver. And in our case there was no regrets. He knew places well and kept suggesting places that weren't on our itinerary—a mountain viewpoint near Ismayilli, a tiny bakery outside Sheki, and a family-run restaurant where we had probably the best piti of the whole trip. By the third day he understood the sort of places we enjoyed and started adjusting the route accordingly. It felt much more personal than I'd expected. But it of course really depends on the person.
Our only problem with driving ourselves was parking in Baku. Everything else was fine. The mountain roads to Lahij and Khinalig simply require patience rather than advanced driving skills. Don't expect to average the same speeds you'd drive on a motorway back home.