From Baku to Gabala in a Volkswagen Polo: a comfortable sedan for a mountain trip

My name is Elena Kravchenko, I am from Kyiv, and we travelled to Azerbaijan with my husband for nine days. Half of the trip we planned to spend outside the capital, in Gabala and the surrounding villages.

For this route we arranged car rental in Baku from Karavan Rent A Car in Baku and chose a Volkswagen Polo. We wanted something more solid than the very cheapest option for a long drive, but without overpaying.

The car was delivered to our apartment in the centre. It was clean, fully fuelled, and the manager went through the paperwork with us calmly, marking every existing scratch.

The drive from Baku to Gabala took about four hours. The Polo is genuinely comfortable on the highway: it holds the road well, the cabin is quiet and the seats do not tire you on a long stretch.

In Gabala we went up to Tufandag, visited Nohur Lake and drove to the Seven Beauties waterfall. The mountain roads are asphalted, and the car handled the climbs confidently.

Fuel costs for the whole nine days were modest. For a car of this class the consumption is very reasonable, especially on the open road.

On the way back we made a detour through Ismayilli and stopped in Shamakhi. That freedom to change plans on the spot is the main reason to rent a car here.

If you are planning car rental in Baku for a trip to the regions, the Volkswagen Polo is a good middle ground: comfortable and solid on the highway without being expensive.