Useful apps in Armenia is a topic that often is raised by my friends from abroad, who want to visit my country. And indeed, as a passionate traveler myself I know that having a good app on your phone can enable a much smoother travel experience. Especially when you are traveling to a new destination, since local logistics and language barrier can be quite tough. So, I thought I should put this list of useful apps together, and present it to a broader audience.
I hope you are going to find these Armenian apps helpful. I really want your experience in my country to be as smooth and effortless as possible. And, I think these apps can help you have a great time here. If you find them useful, let me know on Instagram or Twitter, with #ArmeniaTravelTips. All apps in the list below are available in English and offer their functionality free of charge. There is a bonus app at the end of the post, it is an absolutely epic hidden gem! So, stick around, let’s get to exploring!
These are the most useful apps in Armenia for those who travel here:
- Armenia Guide app
- English-Armenian translator app
- Tomsarkgh.am app
- A2B Transport app
- Taxi apps
- 2PARK app
- E-payment apps
- Food apps
- Ani Plus app
- Pulpulak app
Armenia Guide app
Armenia Guide app is a pretty interesting choice for those who are looking for an all-in-one handy companion during their trip in Armenia. It’s a free app available in English and several other languages. It integrates an interactive map of sights, routes, museums, events, hotels and restaurants, and a lot more. So, I think it’s not surprising that I had to include this option in my list of useful apps in Armenia.
This app is also packed with historical facts about different places of interest. That way, you can use it to read up info on a given sight before you make the decision to go see it. It’s a really handy tool if you are looking to plan and organize your trip around Armenia in an efficient manner.
You can download this digital guide app here on Google Play and on App Store.
English-Armenian Translator app
When it comes to translation apps, those can come very handy when you are visiting Armenia. Especially, if you don’t have internet connection while traveling in Armenia, you won’t be able to rely on Google Translate. In such case, you might want to install an offline English-Armenian translation app before you leave your WiFi spot. Hence why I absolutely had to include some examples of translators in my list of useful apps in Armenia.
I recommend Armenian Best Dict app (note, it’s called differently on App Store, links below) because it works flawlessly offline and has a large library of words. The app offers from-to translations in English and Armenian. It is absolutely free, but it comes with in-app ads, which can get a bit annoying. But hey, I guess it’s fair that the author gets at least some money from advertising since they offer the app for free.
A really cool feature of this app is that you can search for Armenian words using Latin letters (i.e. letters used in English) to type the word out phonetically. This is useful when you hear somebody saying a word you can’t understand, but you have no idea how to spell it in Armenian. Just type the word as it sounds to you in English and click search. In most cases the app will find the matching word in Armenian and show you the translation.
Also, note, if you happen to have internet connection while in Armenia, you will be able to use the pronunciation function of the app. That’s when you find a word and click a button for your phone “to say” that word out loud.
You can download this Armenian translation app here on Google Play (where it’s called Armenian Best Dict) and on App Store (the name here is Armenian English Dictionary).
Tomsarkgh.am app
Tomsrkgh.am is a very useful app for those who visit Armenia. It is associated with a website that caries the same name, and the functionality of the app is the same as that of the website – it’s all about tickets. To this day they claim to have offered tickets for over 200000 different events in Yerevan. And the app is becoming increasingly popular, especially among young, more tech-savvy Armenian folks.
This Armenian app offers you an easy way to book tickets for hundreds of different cool events in Yerevan. Think anything from opera and ballet performances, to entry tickets for museums and exhibitions. The app also regularly offers tickets to sports events and even tickets for parties and festivals.
Unfortunately, they only accept cash. But you pay upon delivery, so it’s a perfectly safe bet for you. They collect their commission from the venue, so you don’t pay anything extra. And to my surprise, they don’t even charge you any delivery fee! It’s almost too good to be true, but it works, and it can save you loads of time.
You can download this Armenian app for tickets booking here on Google Play and on App Store.
A2B Transport app – find all routes in Armenia
A2B Transport app shows all the routes of public transport in Yerevan. It helps you plan your commute in the Armenian capital using public transport. Without the app, you are left with very little guidance at the stop, if any at all. And I think it’s a shame, because taking a public transport is an inseparable part of the local experience. As messy and uncomfortable a trip with a local “marshrutka” micro-bus can be, it’s an authentic experience that I want all travelers to try.
The problem is that most public transport stops in Yerevan, especially those outside of the city center, aren’t really marked. Locals know where the buses and micro-buses tend to stop, and they simply gather at that spot and wait. It’s solely based on people’s past knowledge and experience. Besides, even when you find a clear bus stop sign, almost universally you will never see any time-table there, nor any sign of routes that pass through that particular stop.
How does this public transport app work?
So, as a traveler you can’t really go anywhere if you don’t use an app to plan your route beforehand, or ask somebody. That’s where A2B Transport app comes to help visitors of the Armenian capital. I love it! It’s super straight-forward, very intuitive, and of course free.
The app integrates routes of all public transport options, including those tiny micro-buses called “marshrutka”. If you don’t know the name of the stop where you start your journey or where you need to go (yes, typically you won’t) – no problem! You can use their in-app map to find the stop that’s the closest to the location you need. Once you select both locations, you click Search and the app shows you all route options.
Unfortunately, this app is only available on Google Play. So, iPhone users will have to ask people around. As of now, I don’t know of any decent alternative app for iOS that would offer the same functionality. But I’ll certainly update this post if I find one for iPhones.
Taxi apps in Armenia
What a list of useful apps in Armenia for travelers that doesn’t include good taxi apps, right? There are three main taxi apps in Armenia that work just like Uber or Bolt in the West. The prices are about 5-10% higher than those of cabs you can catch on the road. However, these apps offer set rates, so you won’t have to negotiate the rate with the driver. Also, they offer a great deal of convenience with an amazing user interface and cashless payments. So, paying a bit extra is totally worth it.
I wrote a separate post about all Uber-like taxi apps in Armenia. Including a step-by-step guide on negotiating taxi rates with drivers. That’s for those of you who are curious about experiencing catching a taxi on the road in Armenia. 🙂 So, check out that post if you are planning to move around with a taxi.
2PARK app – find your parking spot
Travelers from the West may find driving in Armenia quite challenging. Many local drivers treat the traffic rules rather as recommendations. 🙂 But many point out that, at times, particularly in Yerevan city center, finding a free parking spot is even more difficult than driving in general.
Almost all parking spots in Yerevan city center offer paid parking only. You can easily spot them by a red line marked on the side of the road. But even that price tag doesn’t make these parking spots readily available for drivers – the demand is too high. Some times you may end up driving in circles for 15-20 minutes before you come across a free spot. That’s where an Armenian parking app called 2PARK comes really handy.
How it works is pretty simple! When drivers are planning to free their parking spot and drive away, they use the app to signal to other nearby drivers that the spot is about to be freed. If you use the app, you see the spot and can pre-book it for a small fee. The driver waits for you for some time, agreed in the app. Then you just drive to the spot and take it immediately after the previous driver leaves to free it for you.
Later, when you are about to free your occupied parking spot, use the app again and invite other drivers to take your spot. That way you can get a part of your pre-booking payment back. Everybody wins, as all drivers end up experiencing much less anxiety over the whole process of finding a free parking spot.
The 2PARK app is available in English, and you can download and install it for free on Google Play and on App Store.
E-payment apps or Armenian e-wallets
Armenian e-payment apps like Telcell, iDram or EasyPay have been booming in the last couple of years. Locals use them quite a lot, since they are integrated with respective e-payment terminals around Yerevan and other cities. No doubt, by giving users access to their e-wallets, these terminals provide a huge deal of convenience in everyday life in Armenia. Apps are basically another way to access your e-wallet, using your phone, without leaving your comfy sofa.
Using these terminals and apps, Armenians pay for parking, utility services, mobile services and a lot more, including regular shopping. Here are a couple of ways how I think these apps can be useful for travelers in Armenia.
- Since paying with a card is not as widespread in Armenia as in the West, you can still come across many shops that won’t accept cards. Even at shops that do accept card payments, you might come across the issue of your card type not being accepted. While MasterCard and Visa are typically accepted, other card brands, like AMEX for example, are not as common here. So, e-payment apps can be a good alternative.
- I don’t think carrying a lot of cash on you while traveling is a good idea in general, whether you’re traveling in Armenia or elsewhere. You can easily get confused in the value of unfamiliar banknotes, cash is not hygienic, and it can be lost quite easily. So, where possible, I recommend paying with a card. And, where you can’t – these e-payment apps can step in to help you run a cashless payment. Shops accepting those payment options usually have the respective e-wallet logo clearly displayed at the entrance, or at the cashier desk. (see the logos below)
How do these e-wallet apps work?
All three providers of e-payments services in Armenia have fully functioning apps with English interface. Downloading and installing the app is obviously free. All you need to start using one of these Armenian e-wallets is a local phone number. That’s why I strongly recommend you to follow my tips for getting yourself an Armenian mobile sim card for your trip. Keep in mind though, all three providers apply small fees for almost all payments you make using them. The fee is typically anywhere between 1% and 5%.
You can (for convenience), but you don’t have to necessarily link your bank card to the app. Instead, you can just top up your app’s e-wallet using one of the many terminals. These are ever-present in Armenia – on side-walks, bus stops, in supermarkets and malls, in post offices and in many other busy places.
All three apps are available on Google Play and on App Store, see the links below. I personally prefer iDram, because I find their terminal locations most convenient. They also offer a nice interactive map of iDram terminal locations which you can check before signing up.
- Telcell – on Google Play, on App Store
- iDram – on Google Play, on App Store
- EasyPay – on Google Play, on App Store
Popular food apps
Food is going to be the center of your attention during your visit in Armenia. And, while I’m a massive advocate of immersive experiences, and I think you should definitely visit the venues with the best Armenian food, I know at times the situation doesn’t allow that.
If you are tired after a hike, or a whole day of touring around Yerevan, you might want to spend the evening in your room. If that happens to be the case, don’t worry – there is a solution! Check out this overview of food apps in Armenia that I recommend to visitors. These apps are available in English, they offer fair prices and decent food. Some of them also deliver in other cities than Yerevan.
In Armenia you can have authentic Armenian food, even with food delivery services. It doesn’t have to be fast-food. So, don’t hesitate.
Ani Plus app – 24/7 delivery app in Armenia
Ani Plus is an on-demand, 24/7 delivery service that gets you a chance to handle all your shopping from one place. From food, drinks, flowers, packages to the most surprising items like tech gadgets – they can deliver anything.
Ani Plus app works with multiple stores, restaurants, pharmacies and other businesses. Their green fleet, consisting of cars, bicycles and bikes, is present everywhere in Yerevan. They roam around the city, collecting all your shopping items from different venues. All, to then bring it right to your doorsteps – apartment or hotel room.
The app offers a decent user experience and fully functioning user interface in English. Ani Plus accepts card payments – Visa and MasterCard. It is also integrated with PayPal and the above mentioned Armenian e-payment provider iDram. So, the whole purchase can be done in a cashless manner pretty easily. You can download this flexible Armenian delivery app here on Google Play and on App Store.
Pulpulak app – the “bonus app” I promised you
This might be an unexpected item on my list of useful apps in Armenia, but hear me out. Pulpulak app is probably the most Armenian thing you would ever see. I absolutely love the idea behind it! It’s an app that helps you locate the nearest drinking water fountain. Pulpulak literally means “water fountain” in Armenian, hence the name of the app. Using the app, you can locate all water fountains on the in-built map with pictures, read reviews and ratings and plan your route.
We have thousands of drinking water fountains around the country. In fact, they are a prominent part of our culture. Locals, regardless of their age and social status, drink from these fountains all the time. It is eco-friendly, because it allows people to avoid buying bottled water when they are walking on the streets of Armenian cities. Also, our pulpulaks help us stay hydrated, which is particularly relevant during hot summer months. Watch the video below – nobody presents the Armenian pulpulak better than NAS Daily did in his vlog.
I encourage you to challenge yourself to stay hydrated during your trip to Armenia. Use the Pulpulak app to always easily find the nearest source of drinking water and succeed in your challenge. You can download it on App Store only.
Final thoughts on these useful apps in Armenia
Make tech your friend! Travelers can make good use of many useful apps in Armenia. And I think allowing tech to enhance your travel experience is a smart thing too. If you can spend less time searching for info on your travel destination, plan your sightseeing with ease, and get a glimpse of how locals live these days by installing some apps on your phone – do it! After all, tech is one of the things that unite people globally and bring us closer together.
I hope you found my post on useful Armenian apps helpful. If so, let me know about that in a tweet or an Instagram post with #ArmeniaTravelTips. Lastly, if you’re an avid user of different apps on your phone, check out these Armenian language learning apps and Armenian games available in App Store, just for fun. Maybe you can learn a phrase or two before your trip! 😉
Featured image credit: me! 🙂
Please help me make Armenia more popular!
