Rent a car in Georgia

Yes. Third-Party Liability (TPL) — which covers damage you cause to other vehicles and people — is included on virtually every car. Most cars also include enhanced coverage at no extra cost (either Super CDW with a reduced excess, or Full Damage Waiver with zero excess). Exact coverage and excess for the specific car is visible on the car card before booking.

Standard rental insurance on our Georgia catalogue covers paved roads and light gravel (the kind you'll encounter heading to Kazbegi, Vashlovani or most Kakheti wine villages). Heavy off-road routes — the Mestia → Ushguli track in Svaneti, Tusheti, or Khevsureti — typically void standard insurance; you need a 4WD with explicit off-road coverage. Confirm 'unpaved roads coverage' with the provider at pickup for any mountain route beyond Kazbegi.

Typically from around USD 100 on economy cars up to USD 1,500–2,000 on premium and SUVs. The exact hold is shown on the car card before booking. Some cars are offered without any deposit at all — look for the 'No Deposit' badge. For cars with a hold, most local Georgian operators accept cash in EUR, USD or GEL; a smaller number require a credit-card hold.

21 years with at least 1 year of driving experience for standard and mid-size cars; 23+ with 2+ years for SUVs and premium; 25+ with 3+ years for supercars. A young-driver fee of USD 5–15/day may apply for drivers aged 21–24 at some operators; many local Tbilisi and Batumi companies fold it into the base price.

Not if your national licence is in Latin script and from an EU country, the UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea or another Latin-alphabet country. For Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Kazakh and other Cyrillic-script licences, Georgian law technically recognises them directly — but most rental operators still ask for an IDP, citing insurance policy. If you don't have one, you can obtain a 3-year IDP in Georgia for 110 GEL; processing takes about 10 minutes at the MIA service hall.

A passport with a valid Georgia entry stamp or visa, your national driving licence and — in most cases — an International Driving Permit (IDP). Originals are required at pickup. Russian, Belarusian, Kazakh and most CIS licences are recognised under Georgian law directly, but many rental operators still ask for an IDP for insurance reasons. If the car has a credit-card deposit hold, the card must be in the renter's name.

Entry-level economy cars start from around 110 GEL (~USD 40)/day. Mid-range tariffs are around 325 GEL (~USD 120)/day. Premium SUVs and sedans — 1,500–3,500 GEL (~USD 550–1,300)/day; supercars — from around 4,000 GEL (~USD 1,500)/day. Weekly rentals typically save 15–25%. Prices follow a clear seasonal pattern (see 'What are the cheapest months to rent in Georgia?' for the seasonality breakdown).

Yes — select cars in our Georgia catalogue support cross-border travel. Routes supported: Armenia (via Sadakhlo or Bagratashen), Turkey (via Sarpi) and Azerbaijan (via Red Bridge). Each cross-border route needs pre-approved paperwork and 2–3 days' notice — the operator prepares a border-crossing authorisation in Georgian and the target-country language. Note: the Armenia ↔ Azerbaijan border is closed, so each cross-border trip is round-trip via Georgia. Use the 'Cross-border' filter to see exactly which cars support each destination.

Depends on the operator. Most hold the deposit in USD or EUR (the amount shown on the car card is usually in USD). A few hold in GEL. For card holds, your bank converts at its own rate — a cash deposit in GEL often works out cheaper if you're changing currency anyway. Confirm the deposit currency on the car card or at booking confirmation.

Yes. Many cars in the Georgia catalogue accept cash or a debit card for the deposit, and some are offered without any deposit at all. Use the 'Payment method' filter or open the 'Deposit' block on the car card. Local Georgian operators are particularly flexible — many accept cash deposits in EUR, USD or GEL.

Between December and February, winter tyres are strongly recommended; on mountain roads (Gudauri, Kazbegi, Bakuriani, Svaneti) they're effectively mandatory. Most cars come with winter tyres fitted during this window at no extra cost — confirm at pickup. The Gudauri → Kazbegi road can close for hours or days during big winter storms, so build flexibility into your schedule.

Traffic fines are registered against the car's number plate, so they go to the rental operator first. You'll receive the charge plus a small administrative fee (typically USD 15–30 per fine). Fines can take 2–4 weeks to appear after the rental ends. Speed cameras are active on the Tbilisi → Batumi corridor, Tbilisi → Kutaisi, and around city perimeters.

Driving in Georgia tends to be more assertive than in Western Europe: overtaking on blind curves, inconsistent indicator use and tailgating are common. Defensive driving is essential — keep extra following distance, expect surprise lane changes in cities, and avoid night driving on rural mountain roads where livestock and pedestrians appear without warning.

November to February is low season — rental rates drop significantly across all categories compared with summer. June to August is peak in Batumi (beach season) and mountain resorts. The sweet spot is late May or September — good weather, lower prices, lighter tourist traffic. For the specific price range, see 'What are the cheapest, typical and top car rental prices in Georgia?'. Weekly rentals add another 15–25% off daily rates even in peak season.

Svaneti (Mestia) is reachable in a standard 2WD sedan year-round on the paved road; the Mestia → Ushguli track requires a high-clearance 4WD and often voids standard insurance. Tusheti (Omalo) is accessible only via the Abano Pass — a 4WD-only, summer-only road (June–September), and most rental insurance explicitly excludes it. For Tusheti, many travellers hire a local driver instead of self-drive. Khevsureti is similar: 4WD-only, seasonal, often excluded from standard coverage.

Kazbegi sits on the Georgian Military Highway — a fully paved route from Tbilisi through Gudauri Pass. A standard sedan is fine in good weather. Winter tyres are mandatory on mountain roads December 1 – March 1. The pass itself can close for hours or days during heavy snow — check roads.gov.ge before departure. The photogenic Gergeti Trinity Church road above Stepantsminda is a separate gravel track requiring 4WD.

Yes. Baby seats, toddler seats and boosters are available at most Georgian operators for 10–25 GEL/day per seat. Pre-book as a reservation note — on-the-spot availability isn't guaranteed, especially in Kutaisi airport during summer. Georgian law requires a child seat for passengers under 12 years old or under 150 cm tall; the fine is 40 GEL plus possible insurance voidance if an accident involves an unrestrained child.