Renting a Car in Georgia: What Drivers Should Know

Pick-up at Tbilisi airport, the mountain roads to Kazbegi and Svaneti, and where a car helps more than it costs.

Picking Up in Tbilisi or Kutaisi

Most rentals start at Tbilisi International Airport or in the Saburtalo and Vake districts, where international brands and local operators both have desks. A compact manual for a week typically sits in the budget-to-mid band, with automatics and SUVs priced noticeably higher in summer. Book ahead for July and August and around the first week of January, when Orthodox Christmas fills the ski buses to Gudauri. Verify the insurance excess in writing, photograph every panel before leaving the lot, and confirm whether the deposit is blocked on a credit card or taken in cash.

From Tbilisi, the A1 highway along the Mtkvari is a fast run east to signposted wine country, but the western route toward Kutaisi on the E60 rewards patience: Gori and the Uplistsikhe caves are an easy stop, then the Rikoti Pass before the long descent to Imereti. Kutaisi airport is the second pick-up hub and a reasonable base for Prometheus Cave and the monasteries at Gelati and Motsameta. Driving in the capital itself is another matter; traffic on Rustaveli Avenue and around Marjanishvili is dense, and parking near Freedom Square is scarce, so many visitors collect the car on their way out of the city.

What the Roads Are Actually Like

Outside the main corridors, expect two-lane asphalt with the occasional pothole, unlit livestock, and overtaking on blind bends; do not match the speed of the fast cars behind you. Snow chains or winter tyres are essential on the Georgian Military Highway to Kazbegi between December and March, and the road to Stepantsminda can close after heavy snowfall. The Svaneti route via Zugdidi improves year on year, but the final climb to Mestia is slow and narrow. Give mountain drives double the time a map suggests, and avoid night driving on secondary roads entirely.

Signage switches between Georgian and Latin scripts, and Georgian drivers may flash headlights to signal they are coming through rather than to warn you. Fuel stations are frequent on the E60 and A1; fill up in Zugdidi or Mestia before heading into Upper Svaneti. Tolls apply on the East-West Highway, paid at booths or with a local card. Police checkpoints are common; keep your licence, passport and rental papers in the car. If you plan to drink at a supra, leave the car at the hotel, because the limit is effectively zero and checks are routine on the wine routes.

Where a Car Earns Its Keep — and Where It Doesn't

A car shines in Kakheti, where Telavi, Sighnaghi and the Alazani Valley wineries are poorly linked by marshrutka, and in Samtskhe-Javakheti for Vardzia, Rabati and the Borjomi gorge, roughly three hours from Tbilisi. It also lets you sleep in Kazbegi rather than day-trip from the capital, which changes the light on Gergeti Trinity Church completely. In Tbilisi, by contrast, the metro covers Didube, Marjanishvili and Rustaveli efficiently, and taxis are cheap enough that a rental car becomes a liability near the old town.

My booking advice: rent for the middle of the trip, not the whole of it. Stay two or three nights in Tbilisi first, using the metro and walking, then collect a car for the mountain and wine loops and return it before your last city nights. Base yourself in step with that plan — Vake or Vera in Tbilisi for easy exits west, a guesthouse in Mestia for the Svaneti leg. Families travelling with car seats should confirm availability at booking, not on arrival.

Practicalities Worth Knowing Before You Book

You drive on the right, and a UK, EU or US licence is normally accepted alongside an international permit for stays under a year. Third-party liability is compulsory in Georgia, but rental policies vary on whether it is included; ask for the certificate. Check the cross-border rules before planning a loop into Armenia or Azerbaijan, because many Georgian rentals forbid leaving the country and the paperwork at the border is strict. Card acceptance is improving in Tbilisi and Batumi but remains patchy in villages, so carry cash for fuel and small guesthouses.

Best months for mountain driving are late May to early October, with June and September the sweet spots for both weather and hotel availability; July is hot in the valleys, and October brings the Rtveli grape harvest to Kakheti, when Sighnaghi rooms fill fast. Batumi peaks in August, so book coastal stays well ahead. A 4x4 is worth the premium only for Tusheti and remote Svaneti tracks; for the E60, the wine route and Kazbegi in summer, a standard car is fine. Check the spare tyre and jack before signing.

Questions, answered

Do I need an international driving permit in Georgia?

A national licence in Latin script, such as a UK, EU or US one, is generally accepted for short visits, and an international permit is a useful backup. Carry your passport and rental agreement together, since police checkpoints on main highways are common.

Is it safe to drive to Kazbegi in winter?

Only with proper winter tyres and a check on road conditions, as the Georgian Military Highway can close after snowfall. Many travellers take a shared minibus from Tbilisi instead. Between May and October the drive is straightforward for confident drivers.

Should I rent a car in Tbilisi at all?

Not for the city itself, where traffic and parking are difficult and the metro is cheap and quick. Rent after your first city nights and return it before your last, which also avoids paying for a car parked outside your hotel.

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