Car rental at Tbilisi Airport (TBS) from $23.80/day

Car rental in Tbilisi at a glance

Pick up your car at Tbilisi International Airport when you land. 1,502 cars from local rental companies can be handed over at the terminal, from $23.80 a day, and 77% need no deposit.

Local rental companies list 1,502 cars in Tbilisi. For a 7-day rental prices start at $23.80 a day and a typical car costs about $60.72 a day. 77% of cars can be rented without a deposit and 65% have all-wheel drive. Data updated 26 September 2026. None of the listed cars requires a credit card: the rest of the price is paid at pick-up in cash (100% of cars) or by card (40%).

Renting without a deposit in Tbilisi

1,157 of 1,502 cars can be rented with no deposit at all, starting at $23.80 a day. Nothing is blocked on your card, which is why many travellers choose these offers. Use the “No deposit” button above the search; for offers with a deposit, the amount is shown on each car before you book.

How the handover works at TBS

Most local suppliers at Tbilisi International Airport hand cars over on a meet-and-greet basis rather than from a counter. A representative waits in the arrivals hall, usually just past customs, holding a sign with your name or the rental company's logo, then walks you to the car in the terminal car park or a nearby lot a short drive away.

Add your flight number when you book so the supplier can track delays and adjust the pickup time automatically. This matters at TBS because a large share of international flights land late at night or in the early hours, and suppliers plan their staffing around scheduled arrivals, not walk-ins.

Night arrivals are handled routinely, but confirm this before booking: some companies charge a fixed out-of-hours fee for handovers outside normal daytime hours, while others include it in the rate. The fee, if any, should be shown on the offer before you pay.

If your flight is delayed, message the supplier with the new arrival time as soon as you know it — most keep a phone number active for exactly this.

Payment at booking is usually a partial prepayment online — commonly around 15–20% of the total — with the remainder settled with the supplier at handover, by card or cash depending on what the offer allows.

What to check at handover

Before you sign anything, walk around the car with the representative and photograph every side, the roof, the wheels and the interior — this takes two minutes and is the single most useful thing you can do to avoid a dispute at return. Note any existing scratches or dents on the handover sheet and make sure the representative signs off on them too.

• Fuel level — check the gauge and get the exact level written on the contract, in fractions or litres. Photograph the dashboard so you have your own record.
• Deposit — 77% of cars at TBS need no deposit at all; for the rest, confirm the amount, whether it is a card hold or cash, and when it is released after return.
• Excess (your liability) — ask what the maximum you would pay is if the car is damaged, and whether that excess can be reduced or removed with an add-on.
• Documents — check the registration and insurance papers are in the car, and that the contract lists the correct pick-up and drop-off dates and locations.
• Extras you booked — confirm a child seat, winter tyres or a GPS unit are actually fitted or present before you drive away, not promised for later.

Ask directly what happens if you return the car with less fuel than agreed or with new damage — suppliers differ on whether they charge a flat fee or the market price, and it is easier to ask before you drive off than to argue about it at return.

Keep your photos and the signed handover sheet until after the deposit is released — they are your evidence if the return inspection disagrees with the condition at pick-up.

Driving from the airport

Tbilisi Airport sits on the east side of the city, which puts several popular routes within easy reach without crossing central traffic at all.

• Tbilisi city centre — about 17 km, 25–30 minutes via the airport highway, longer during the morning and evening rush.
• Mtskheta — about 40 km, 40 minutes; a natural first stop if you are heading north toward Kazbegi and skip the city entirely.
• Sighnaghi and Kakheti — about 100 km, under 2 hours; since the airport is already east of the centre, you avoid Tbilisi's traffic on the way out.
• Kazbegi (Stepantsminda) — about 170 km, roughly 3 hours along the Georgian Military Road; check conditions in winter, when the Jvari Pass can close after heavy snow.
• Kutaisi — about 240 km, 3.5–4 hours on the east–west highway, a common one-way route if you plan to fly out from there.

Fill up before longer trips: fuel stations thin out once you leave the highway, especially heading toward Kazbegi or deep into Kakheti.

If you plan a loop that also touches Svaneti, budget significantly more driving time — the mountain roads west of Kutaisi are slower than the highway distances suggest, and a 4x4 is worth considering for that leg regardless of season.

Returning the car and one-way options

Most rentals picked up at TBS are also returned there, on a schedule you agree at booking. Arrive with enough time before your flight for a walk-around inspection — the same check you did at pick-up, in reverse — and to settle the fuel level as agreed in the contract (usually returned at the same level it was handed over).

If your trip is a loop through the country rather than a round trip to Tbilisi, one-way drop-off is often available:

• Kutaisi — useful if you fly out of Kutaisi International Airport after a west-Georgia route through Imereti or Svaneti.
• Batumi — suits a route that ends on the Black Sea coast; check whether the one-way fee is flat or distance-based.

One-way drop-offs usually carry an extra fee that depends on the distance between cities, and not every supplier offers every combination — confirm the exact drop-off city and fee before you book rather than at pick-up.

Whichever city you return to, the same handover checklist applies in reverse: a joint walk-around, a note of the fuel level, and a clear understanding of when the deposit is released back to your card.

Tips for airport rentals

• Connectivity — a local SIM card or a portable Wi-Fi router is a common extra at pick-up if you need offline navigation once you leave the city.
• Child seats — request one when booking rather than at the counter; availability at the airport itself is limited compared with in-city offices.
• Winter tyres — needed for mountain routes such as Kazbegi or Svaneti between roughly November and March; ask whether the supplier fits them by default in winter or only on request.
• Late arrivals — if you land very late and are staying in the Old Town, some suppliers can deliver the car to your hotel the next morning instead of a night handover at the terminal.

For more pick-up options and cars available directly in the city, see car rental in Tbilisi.

Where these numbers come from

Prices, car counts and conditions on this page come from live offers of local rental companies in the Localrent network and are refreshed daily by Autalo (Alto Media Limited). Prices are for a 7-day rental starting 2026-10-10 unless stated otherwise; your final price depends on dates, season and extras and is always shown in the search before you pay. Last checked 26 September 2026. The rating combines reviews from Autalo customers and ratings left on this page.

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