Transportation

in Tbilisi

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Travel to Georgia

Written by Levan Abuashvilli

It is very easy to get around in a city like Tbilisi, with a crazy amount of taxis, an efficient underground metro system, and buses on every corner, there are many options to get around from place to place.

Tbilisi's old town in the city center is close to most of the major attractions and you can use the metro or a taxi to get to places a little further away from the center.

Here are the main and most useful ways to use public transportation in Tbilisi:

Metro - the underground train

The metro in Tbilisi runs from 06:00 to 00:00 and consists of 2 lines, the red line and the green line.

For tourists, the most interesting line is the red line which runs through the city center with 4 stops, Liberty Square, Avlabari, Rustaveli, and Marjanishvili (highlighted by black on the map below).

The price of a metro ride is 50 Tetri (0.5 lari) but in order to use the metro you have to buy a rechargeable ticket at a cost of 2 lari (as a deposit) and you have to ask to load the desired amount to travel. When your vacation ends you can return the card and get a refund of the deposit.

Get ready to see the biggest escalators you have seen in your life on your way to the underground train.

Taxi

Taxi in Georgia is a relatively cheap transportation option compared to the rest of the world so tourists tend to take a taxi over a metro or a bus ride. Drivers standing on the side of the road will often be more expensive than those driving on the road. Most drivers do not have a counter and make sure you won't be surprised if the driver is sitting on the right side of the vehicle.

The 2 cheapest ways to use a taxi are through one of the following 2 apps:

1. Bolt

2. Yandex

Download the app, insert your credit card details, and use the app to order a taxi at the best price from here on out. Yandex app can also be used without entering credit information but rather with a cash payment. The advantage of using these apps is that the customer knows how much he will pay before ordering the taxi.

The cost of a trip to TBS International Airport from the city center will cost between 25-35 lari.

The cost of a quarter-hour taxi ride will not exceed 10 lari on average.

Bus

The bus system in Tbilisi is a bit complicated. There are older yellow buses from the Soviet era and there are newer blue buses that run through the central roads (mostly between different cities). A bus ride is also possible using the same ticket that you use in the metro at the same cost of a metro ride (0.5 lari) or by buying a bus ticket inside the bus.

In order to use the right line depending on your location, use Google Maps, and write down the desired destination and follow Google which will offer you all the options available to your ride.