Car rental in Georgia from $23/day

Kutaisi suits travellers on low-cost flights from Europe, which land at Kutaisi Airport: see Kutaisi Airport car rental. The city is a good base for the caves and canyons of Imereti and for the road into Svaneti; compare car rental in Kutaisi for a pick-up in town.

Batumi is the start for the Black Sea coast and the mountains of Adjara: compare car rental in Batumi. Batumi Airport is a few minutes from the seafront, and Batumi Airport car rental hands the car over when you land.

You can also pick up a car closer to the mountains, with car rental in Kazbegi (Stepantsminda), car rental in Gudauri, car rental in Telavi or car rental in Borjomi. Each city page covers local parking, pick-up points and day trips.

You do not have to drive back to where you started. A one-way rental lets you land in Kutaisi and fly home from Tbilisi, or drive from Tbilisi to Batumi and leave the car by the sea. Not every supplier covers every route, so check the drop-off city and any one-way fee in the offer.

7-day east loop: Tbilisi – Kazbegi – Kakheti.

• Days 1–2: Tbilisi, with a short trip to Mtskheta.
• Day 3: Tbilisi to Kazbegi (Stepantsminda) on the Georgian Military Road, with stops at Ananuri fortress and Gudauri.
• Day 4: the Kazbegi area and Gergeti Trinity Church. Driving to Juta in a rental car is prohibited; you will need other transport to reach the valley.
• Day 5: Kazbegi to Kakheti.
• Day 6: Telavi, Sighnaghi and Tsinandali. If you visit wineries, plan a driver who does not drink.
• Day 7: back to Tbilisi, and return the car.

10–12-day route: Kutaisi – Svaneti – Batumi – Borjomi – Tbilisi.

• Days 1–2: pick up in Kutaisi and visit the Okatse or Martvili canyon.
• Days 3–4: Kutaisi to Mestia via Zugdidi, about 230 km and 4.5–5 hours on a mountain road. Ushguli is about 45 km further on a partly unpaved road. The Mestia–Ushguli–Lentekhi route is allowed only from May to September and only for a car with the designated travel option. Without it, leave the rental car and arrange another way to travel.
• Day 5: Mestia to Batumi via Zugdidi, about 250 km.
• Days 6–7: Batumi, the coast and day trips into the Adjara mountains.
• Days 8–9: Batumi to Borjomi. The Akhaltsikhe–Batumi route over the Goderdzi Pass is prohibited for rental cars. Plan your way along permitted paved public roads. The Vardzia cave city is a day trip from Akhaltsikhe.
• Days 10–12: Borjomi to Tbilisi, about 160 km. Return the car in the city or at Tbilisi Airport.

April to May: the main passes are open again, but late snow is still possible at altitude. Check the road status before you drive to Kazbegi or Svaneti. Rental cars may use only paved public roads. Do not include unpaved village roads in your route.

June to September: all main roads and passes are normally open. The road over the Abano Pass to Tusheti opens only in summer, but driving to Tusheti in a rental car is prohibited. You need other transport to visit Tusheti; four-wheel drive does not lift the ban. July and August bring heavy traffic to the coast around Batumi, Kobuleti and Shekvetili, especially at weekends.

October to November: roads are quieter, and the mountain views are often clear. The first snow can reach the high passes by late October.

For mountain roads in any season, a car with four-wheel or all-wheel drive gives more grip on snow and gravel. See 4x4 rental in Georgia.

• Right-hand traffic — traffic drives on the right, and most rental cars are automatics.
• Speed limits — limits are signposted: for a passenger car without a trailer, the general limits are 60 km/h in built-up areas, 90 km/h on other roads and 110 km/h on motorways; obey any lower posted limit.
• Cameras and fines — speed and lane cameras are common on main roads and in every city. Fines are linked to the car and passed on by the supplier, often with a handling fee, so check the offer for how this is handled.
• Alcohol — Georgia has a very low legal alcohol limit for drivers, stricter than in many home countries: do not drink and drive at all.
• Licence — tourists can usually drive on their national licence if it is in Latin script. Bring an International Driving Permit if your licence uses another alphabet; some suppliers ask for one anyway.
• Documents — keep your passport, driving licence and the rental agreement in the car. Police checks on the highways are routine and usually brief.
• Fuel, no tolls — there are no toll roads in Georgia. Petrol stations are frequent on the main highways but sparser in remote areas, so fill up before heading into Svaneti or the high passes near Kazbegi. Driving to Tusheti in a rental car is prohibited.
• Mountain and rural roads — expect assertive overtaking on two-lane roads, livestock on rural roads and unlit stretches after dark. Avoid unfamiliar mountain roads at night and keep an offline map: mobile signal and GPS can drop in narrow valleys.
• New drivers — many suppliers only rent to drivers with at least one to two years of experience.