Armenia?

[RSDonovan]

I would like to travel to Armenia (I think!), just because it's different and they have a very weird alphabet etc. Sounds exciting but I don't know anyone who has actually been there! Getting there seems to be a problem, seems most flights to Yerevan have long stopovers at Moscow or Kiev.

Also I believe that English is not spoken much and guess that could be another problem as I don't speak Armenian or Russian!

If anyone has been there, can they tell me what it's like, what there is to do, etc. Many thanks in advance.

[Buenchico]

Essential information:
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/armenia
and
http://wikitravel.org/en/Armenia

All airlines serving Zvartnots International Airport are listed here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zvartnots_International_Airport#Scheduled_flights

That suggests the following airports might offer useful interchange points:

Moscow Domodedovo (via BA ex Heathrow, feeding into S7, VIM or Ural Airlines)

Moscow Sheremetyevo (via Aeroflot ex Heathrow, feeding into their own services)

Paris CDG (via Air France from Newcastle, Manchester or Heathrow, feeding into their own services - or using BMI from Bristol, BA from Heathrow, easyJet from Belfast/Bristol/Edinburgh/Glasgow/Edinburgh/Gatwick/Luton/Southend/Manchester, FlyBe from Birmingham/Cardiff/Exeter/London City/Manchester, Jet 2 from Leed-Bradford or Vueling from Gatwick for the first section)

Warsaw Chopin (with LOT ex Heathrow, feeding into their own services - or using BA from Heathrow or Wizz from Aberdeen/Birmingham/Bristol/Doncaster-Sheffield/Glasgow/Liverpool/Luton)

Vienna (with Austrian Airlines ex Heathrow or Manchester, feeding into their own services - or with BA from Gatwick/Heathrow, easyJet from Bristol/Edinburgh/Gatwick/Luton/Manchester, Eurowings from Stansted or Jet 2 from Edinburgh/Belfast/Leeds-Bradford/Newcastle for the first section)

Minsk (with Belavia ex Gatwick, feeding into their own services)

Athens (with Aegean ex Heathrow/Birmingham/Gatwick/Manchester, feeding into their own services - or with BA from Heathrow, easyJet from Edinburgh/Gatwick/Manchester or Ryanair from Stansted for the first section)

Kiev Boryspil (with Ukraine International ex Gatwick, feeding into their own services - or with BA from Heathrow for the first section)

Prague (with Czech Airlines ex Birmingham/Edinburgh/Liverpool, feeding into their own services - or with BA from Heathrow, easyJet from Bristol/Edinburgh/Gatwick/Stansted, Jet2 from Birmingham/Belfast/Edinburgh/Glasgow/Leeds-Bradford/Manchester/Newcastle/East Midlands, Norwegian Air Shuttle from Gatwick, SmartWings from Gatwick or Wizz from Luton for the first section)

Surely there must be at least one route there that offers you decent connections!

[RSDonovan]

Brilliant info, Buenchico! Ta very much.

[jno]

I went there with EasyJet a couple of years ago; direct flight from London. English is spoken quite a bit, especially by younger people, in Yerevan. Beautiful country, with a long Christian history (the first Christian country, I think, though some say Ethiopia; before Rome, anyway). Places worth a visit include Echmiadzin, near Yerevan; Khor Virap near the Turkish border, with storks nesting on telegrah poles and views of Mt Ararat, plus an ancient monastery; and anywhere you can get to up in the hills. Some operators offer tours there.

[jno]

I meant to add that English is not spoken a lot outside Yerevan except in some of the more touristy spots.

[Buenchico]

^^^ easyJet must have withdrawn their direct services to Yerevan as they're definitely not shown on the easyJet website.