Weekend trip from Baku to Quba and Shahdag: Kia Picanto rental for two

My name is Lukas Brandt, I am from Munich, and I came to Azerbaijan for a short holiday. I had four days, and I wanted to spend two of them outside Baku — in the north of the country, in the Quba region.

Public transport did not suit this plan, so I decided on car rental in Baku. I chose the Kia Picanto from Karavan Rent A Car in Baku: for one person with a small backpack it is the most sensible option, and the daily rate leaves money for everything else.

The car was delivered to my apartment in the city centre on Saturday morning. The employee arrived a few minutes earlier than agreed, which I appreciated as a German. The handover was quick and clear, the car was clean and fully fuelled.

The road from Baku to Quba is about one hundred and seventy kilometres of good highway. The Picanto is not a fast car, but it is honest: it keeps the flow calmly, holds the lane well, and consumes very little. I made the trip on less than half a tank.

In Quba I walked through the old streets and the craftsmen’s quarter, and the next morning I drove up towards Shahdag. The mountain road there is excellent, with viewpoints where you simply have to stop. The small car turned out to be an advantage: on the narrow sections and in the village streets it is far easier to manoeuvre.

Before returning I stopped at the Afurja waterfall and at a roadside restaurant in the valley. This is exactly the kind of freedom you rent a car for — you decide yourself where to stop and for how long.

The company kept in touch throughout the trip. When I asked about the condition of the road to Shahdag, I received a clear answer within a few minutes, with advice on which section to take slowly.

On Sunday evening I brought the car back to Baku. The inspection was carried out politely and without nit-picking, and the deposit was returned immediately.

For a weekend outside the capital I can fully recommend car rental in Baku with this model. The Kia Picanto is enough for the roads to Quba and Shahdag, and the trip costs remarkably little.