Georgia
Car rental in Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the main pick-up point in Georgia and the cheapest: from $22 a day. At the airport a member of staff meets you at the terminal; in town the car is brought to your address. You do not need it for Tbilisi itself — traffic is heavy and central parking is paid. The car is for day trips: Mtskheta, Kazbegi, Kakheti.
from $22 per day
- TBS airport, met at the terminal
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A live catalogue with prices and availability for your dates. The rental contract and payment are handled directly with the rental company at pick-up.
How do you pick up a hire car at Tbilisi airport?
Tbilisi airport (TBS) is about 17 km from the centre, 20–30 minutes without traffic. Someone from the rental company meets you at the terminal and the paperwork is done on the spot. The airport car park is private and paid, so if you return the car later than planned, the time there is charged separately.
If you are spending the first few days in the city, have the car delivered to your hotel on the day you leave town: delivery works to any address within Tbilisi, and you add it in the booking comment. Natakhtari airfield is not a pick-up point — cars are not delivered there.
Parking and traffic in Tbilisi
Central parking costs 1–3 lari an hour depending on the zone, with the first 15 minutes free. Paid bays are marked with a dashed white line and a blue ‘P’ sign. You pay through the Tbilisi Parking app, the city hall website, a payment terminal or a banking app, using the car’s number plate and the zone code on the sign. Not paying costs 50 lari, and the car can be towed.
The city has plenty of cameras — for speed, red lights and parking. Foreign visitors cannot pay camera fines online, so a day or two before returning the car, ask the rental company whether anything has come in.
Day trips from Tbilisi by car
Mtskheta, with Jvari church and Samtavro monastery, is 20–25 km away, about half an hour. David Gareja is 60–75 km, about an hour and a half; the monastery sits right on the border with Azerbaijan. Uplistsikhe, the cave town beyond Gori, is about 85 km.
North runs the Georgian Military Road: Ananuri fortress on the Zhinvali reservoir is about 65 km, and Stepantsminda is 145–155 km, 2.5–3 hours. West to Kutaisi is about 230 km and 3–4 hours on the new road over the Rikoti Pass.
When to hire a car in Tbilisi
Tbilisi works all year, and prices swing less than on the coast: on average June is the most expensive month and February and March the cheapest. If Kazbegi is on the plan, watch the mountain forecast rather than the city one — in winter the Jvari (Cross) Pass is sometimes closed for a day or two.
Before you drive out of the city
Driving in Tbilisi is assertive: people change lanes sharply and use the horn for everything — usually as a greeting or a warning that they are overtaking, not out of anger. Keep to the right and take your time. The general rules — documents, deposit, where a hire car may not go — are on the car rental in Georgia page.
Prices by class
Prices by class are a guide based on the lowest city prices; on the coast and in summer they are higher, in winter roughly a quarter lower. The final amount for your dates is calculated by the rental company.
Economy
town driving and the Tbilisi–Kutaisi–Batumi main roads
from$22per day
Compact and saloon
4–5 people with luggage, often a Toyota Prius hybrid
from$24per day
Crossover
Kazbegi, Gergeti, the Adjara mountains — engine from 1.6 litres
from$28per day
Large SUV and people carrier
families or groups with luggage
from$35per day
Premium and convertible
roughly twice the price of economy
BMW 5 and 3 xDrive, Mercedes SLK
from$45per day
By city
Common questions
Where do I collect the car at Tbilisi airport?
At the terminal: a member of the rental company’s staff meets you there and hands the car over on the spot. Give your arrival time when booking; night-time pick-up costs extra, and the amount is shown in advance.
How far is Tbilisi airport from the city centre?
About 17 km — 20–30 minutes without traffic. Allow longer at rush hour: traffic in the city is heavy.
How much is parking in central Tbilisi?
1–3 lari an hour depending on the zone, with the first 15 minutes free. The easiest way to pay is the Tbilisi Parking app, using your number plate and the zone code on the sign. Not paying costs 50 lari.
Do I need a car to see Tbilisi itself?
No. The Old Town is easier on foot, and central parking is paid. Hire the car for your day trips — Mtskheta, Kakheti, Kazbegi — and have it delivered to your hotel on the day you leave town.
Can I drive a hire car from Tbilisi to Kazbegi?
Yes, it is a permitted route: 145–155 km, 2.5–3 hours, all on tarmac. From 1 December to 1 March you need winter tyres, and the pass is sometimes closed, so check the road before setting off.
Can I pick up in Tbilisi and drop off in Batumi?
Yes. The price then includes bringing the car back from a place where the company has no office, and the amount is shown when you book.
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