Train, bus and flight tickets

What we can buy for you

We buy train tickets, coach tickets where they are available online, seats on domestic flights, and tickets for international coaches and trains. We book the ticket in your name and with your passport details.

A marshrutka ticket, though, is usually not sold in advance - you get in at the station and pay the driver. Our role there is advice: where, when and how.

Why buy through us

Some online booking systems work only in Georgian or do not always accept a foreign card. For a visitor that is often a barrier, especially in summer when tickets sell out fast.

We buy the ticket, send it to you and check that the name and date are correct. We also tell you which station, which platform and how early to arrive.

The train from Tbilisi to Batumi

This is the country's most popular train: about five hours, with comfortable seats and a view of Imereti and Guria from the window. For many people it beats the car, because the day is not spent at the wheel.

In summer, especially on Fridays and Sundays, tickets sell out several days ahead. So this is the route we buy first when you book.

The train has different classes, and the price differs accordingly. For a long journey a more comfortable seat is often worth it - we decide that with you.

Other rail routes

From Tbilisi trains also run towards Zugdidi and Kutaisi. From Zugdidi the road to Svaneti continues by car, so that combination sometimes makes sense.

A slow, old train runs to Borjomi, which is a sight in itself - but not a way to save time. The narrow-gauge train from Borjomi to Bakuriani is a separate pleasure, with a view of the gorge.

Kakheti, Kazbegi and Svaneti cannot be reached by train. For those regions you need a coach, a marshrutka or a transfer.

The night train to Yerevan

A night train runs seasonally between Tbilisi and Yerevan: you board in the evening, sleep in a compartment and wake up in another country. It is an adventure in itself.

Border control happens at night on the train, so keep your passport to hand. We check the conditions of entry to Armenia for your nationality in advance.

The timetable and season can change from year to year. So we only build a plan around this train once tickets are actually on sale.

Bus stations in Tbilisi

Tbilisi has several bus stations, and choosing the right one for your direction matters. Marshrutkas to the mountains, including Kazbegi, leave from Didube, and international and southbound routes from Ortachala.

The stations are crowded and sometimes confusing: signs are often only in Georgian, and drivers call out to passengers. For a visitor it feels strange the first time.

We tell you which station, where exactly your marshrutka stands and what is written on it. That small detail saves half an hour at the station.

The marshrutka: how it works

A marshrutka follows a fixed route, but often not an exact timetable: some leave when the seats fill up. So it is better to get to the station early, especially for the early departures.

You pay the driver, often in cash and small change. A driver cannot always change a large note, so keep small money with you.

A marshrutka stops on request along the road, and you can ask the driver to stop where you need. That is handy in villages without an official stop.

The intercity coach

On the main routes - to Batumi, Kutaisi and some regional towns - large coaches run on a regular timetable with room for luggage. They are more comfortable than a marshrutka and more predictable.

Some companies sell online, others only at the station. From Kutaisi airport coaches run to Tbilisi and Batumi according to the flights, and we buy that ticket in advance.

For someone travelling alone with little luggage this is a good, cheap alternative to a transfer. We will tell you so directly if your route allows it.

Domestic flights to Mestia and Ambrolauri

A small aircraft flies to Mestia and Ambrolauri from Natakhtari airfield. Seats are few and sell quickly in summer - so we buy this flight before the other tickets.

The baggage limit is strict, and passengers are sometimes asked their weight. We tell you this when we buy, so there are no surprises at the airfield.

The flight depends on the weather and is sometimes cancelled. So we always arrange a backup - a car to take you by road the same day.

International coaches

Coaches run from Tbilisi to Yerevan, Baku and Turkish cities. Some routes run overnight, and a night on a coach is cheap but tiring.

At the border the whole coach stops and every passenger goes through control. That takes time, especially in season - so we do not plan anything tight for that day.

The ticket requires passport details, and we check your conditions of entry to the destination country in advance. One missing document stops the whole trip.

Cable cars

In Tbilisi a cable car climbs from Rike Park to Narikala, and in Batumi from near the sea to a nearby hill. Both are transport and a view at the same time.

Tickets are usually bought on the spot, often by card. On summer evenings the queues are long, so it is better to go in the morning or at midday.

At the mountain resorts - Gudauri, Bakuriani, Mestia - the lifts serve the ski slopes. Their passes are a separate system, which we discuss when planning a winter trip.

City transport

In Tbilisi the metro and buses are one system, and you can pay by bank card or with a travel card. For a visitor a bank card is usually simplest.

In Batumi city buses link the seafront and most of the town, and you pay by card there too. It is far cheaper than a taxi.

You do not need to buy anything in advance for city transport. Our advice is only about the route: which line, which stop and how long.

Passport and the name on the ticket

On train, flight and international coach tickets the name must be exactly as in the passport. A one-letter mistake can sometimes hold up boarding.

So we copy the name straight from the passport and always check after buying. Latin spellings of Arabic and Hebrew names need particular care.

Carry your passport when boarding - it is sometimes checked together with the ticket. A copy of the passport is often not enough.

Refunds and changes

A train ticket can usually be refunded, but with a deduction depending on how long is left before departure. The closer the departure, the less comes back.

A domestic flight ticket has its own rules, and when a flight is cancelled because of the weather, the refund follows the airline's rules. We tell you those rules before we buy.

Coach and marshrutka tickets are often non-refundable. So if your plans are uncertain, we do not buy them until the last moment.

Luggage on public transport

On the train there is usually room for a large suitcase, at the end of the carriage or on a rack. In summer, when the train is full, it is better to board early.

In a marshrutka there is little room for luggage, and a large suitcase sometimes counts as an extra seat or goes in the back among the passengers. Skis and bicycles are difficult in a marshrutka.

If you have a lot of luggage or special items, public transport will not work. In that case we suggest a transfer or sending the luggage separately.

Children and tickets

On trains and flights a child's ticket is often reduced, depending on age. We check the exact rule when buying, and we need the child's date of birth.

In a marshrutka there is often no child seat or seat belt, and on a long mountain road that is a risk. So for families heading into the mountains we suggest a transfer.

The train, on the other hand, is one of the best ways for a family to travel: the child can walk about, the toilet is close by, and the parents do not have to drive.

Travellers with reduced mobility

Modern trains often have wheelchair space and an adapted toilet, but getting onto the platform is not easy at every station. We check that in advance.

Marshrutkas and intercity coaches are usually not adapted for wheelchairs. Boarding the small aircraft to Mestia is also up narrow steps.

In that case the best combination is often the train plus a transfer: the train for the main stretch, a minivan from the station to your destination.

A combined route

Often the best plan combines several kinds of transport: the train to Batumi, a transfer from Batumi into the mountains, a flight from Mestia back to Tbilisi. That saves both time and money.

The difficulty with a plan like this is the connections: a train is late, a flight is cancelled, a transfer is waiting. So we plan every change with a margin.

We buy all the tickets and send them to you in one document: what, where, when and who meets you. That way the whole route fits on one page.

When a transfer is better

Public transport is cheap, but less flexible. If you want to stop on the way, have a lot of luggage or are travelling as a family, a transfer is often the better choice.

In the mountains, where marshrutkas run rarely and on a notional timetable, a transfer is almost always better. A lost day costs more than the transfer.

But from Tbilisi to Batumi, without stops, the train is often better than a transfer. We will tell you so directly - our aim is the right choice, not the expensive one.

Season and queues

In summer, especially in July and August, transport towards the sea is overloaded. Train tickets sell out several days ahead, and queues for marshrutkas grow longer.

Over the major holidays - New Year and Easter - travel between cities increases and tickets sell out early. For those days we put the plan together in advance.

In spring and autumn public transport is calmer, and tickets can often be bought on the day of travel.

What we need from you

From where to where, the date and preferred time, the number of passengers and children's ages. For trains and flights, names exactly as in the passport and passport numbers.

For international routes, your nationality, so we can check the conditions of entry. We need to know that before we buy, not at the border.

And a description of your luggage. That is how we decide whether public transport will do, or a transfer is better.

How the ticket is delivered

We send train and flight tickets electronically, and on your phone that is often enough. In some cases a printed copy is better - we tell you when buying.

With the ticket we send short instructions: the station's address, how early to arrive, where the platform or the airfield entrance is.

If a ticket is lost or your phone dies, we resend a copy at once. A copy of every ticket is kept on our side too.

Price and payment

Public transport in Georgia is cheap, and the ticket price is the carrier's own price - we do not mark it up. Our service appears as a separate line in the quote.

You can pay in advance by card or bank transfer. That helps when the carrier's system does not accept a foreign card - we pay, and you settle with us.

If you need only one ticket and it is easy to buy, we will tell you that too. Sometimes you are better off buying it yourself - and we will send you instructions.