Azerbaijan is not a large country and distances are manageable, but public transport outside Baku can be slow.
Buses and marshrutkas are the workhorses of intercity travel. Regular services run from Baku's main bus station (near Avtovagzal metro) to Ganca, Sheki, Quba, Lankaran, and most other regional towns. Departures are frequent — often every 30 to 60 minutes on popular routes. Marshrutkas (shared minibuses) fill gaps that the bigger coaches don't cover, particularly on shorter rural routes.
Trains are a comfortable alternative to buses for longer routes. Azerbaijan Railways (ADY) runs services from Baku to Ganca, Sheki (Yevlakh), and Lankaran, among others. Sleeper compartments are available on overnight routes. Tickets can be booked via the ADY website (ticket.ady.az) or the ADY mobile app. The Baku–Ganca journey takes roughly four hours.
Taxis and ride-hailing are the most flexible option within cities. In Baku, Bolt and local apps work well and are cheap. Always agree on a price before getting in an unmetered taxi outside the capital.
Driving is possible and opens up places that buses don't easily reach, such as the villages of the Greater Caucasus foothills or the Gobustan plateau. The road from Baku to Ganca along the Kura valley is good. Mountain roads can be rough. Police checkpoints exist and foreign drivers sometimes attract attention — stay calm, have your documents, and you will usually be waved through.
Baku itself has a clean, cheap metro system with a flat fare, supplemented by buses and the ubiquitous Bolt.
The exclave of Nakhchivan cannot be reached by road or rail through Azerbaijan proper — you need to fly (AZAL operates the Baku–Nakhchivan route), or travel via Iran or Turkey.