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Car rental in Tbilisi is the starting point of any road trip in Georgia. The capital holds roughly 90% of the country's local rental fleet — the widest choice of cars, the most competitive prices, and the hub that ships cars to Batumi and Kutaisi when a client wants something rare.
Pickup at TBS and drop-off at TBS seven to ten days later — the most common pattern. Easier than dragging a suitcase through Old Town offices, and noticeably cheaper.
Tbilisi also works as a base in its own right. Mtskheta and Uplistsikhe are an hour away, Kazbegi about three, Kakheti two, Borjomi four. Without a car, weaving these spots together gets expensive on taxis and slow on the marshrutka.
Prices and the Tbilisi fleet
Competition pushes prices down in Tbilisi — it's almost always cheaper than Batumi or Kutaisi. In low season a Toyota Prius or a Ford Fusion runs from $22 a day, a Camry from $28, a Jeep Compass from $29. In peak July and August the same cars climb to $35–45 a day, and weekends can sell out completely.
What you can hire
The fleet is more varied here than anywhere else in the country: economy with no deposit, Subaru Forester for the mountains, plus genuine premium — Mini Cooper, Mustang Cabriolet, Mercedes AMG. Some hosts run a uniform fleet of 50–70 identical Foresters, and these are the cars they deliver to clients in Batumi and Kutaisi.
A traveller booked the last Forester for a mid-July weekend on the Wednesday before. By Friday the same car was $14/day more on the public site — peak season pricing moves that fast.
If you're booking for July or August, lock it in 4–6 weeks ahead. Otherwise only the premium tier is left and the average bill doubles or triples. Tbilisi is also the easiest place in Georgia to find a car with no deposit — one of the reasons so many new hosts have entered the market here in the last five years.
Chevrolet Camaro Cabrio in Georgia
the car be good , also manager was amazing , every time in the phone , and help with any questions 🙏🏾
Hyundai Elantra in Georgia
Everything is A+.
BMW X3 in Georgia
Everything was perfect
Mitsubishi Outlander Sport in Georgia
Renting a car brought extremely positive emotions! A few days before the rental, the lessor wrote to me with an offer to replace the car at the same price with a Subaru xv, as there were some problems with the original car. Wonderful courteous people, everything went perfectly. Thank them so much for the experience!
Subaru Forester in Georgia
all went well
Toyota Prius in Georgia
Everything is fine, the car did not disappoint. Although on the chassis make an audit.
Subaru Forester in Georgia
Everything went well enough. The only surprise was the demand to return the car washed - it was in the contract somewhere below, in small print, the distributor did not say anything about him at the beginning, and I myself overlooked. But the question was 20 GEL, so it didn't really upset.
Toyota Camry in Georgia
This car made our holiday in Georgia even more amazing. We felt very safe and free to go everywhere we wanted. We saw beautiful landscapes, cities, villages and drove different kind of roads and felt secure all the time. From sunny weather in busy Kutaisi to snow and ice on mountain roads near Mestia: the car took us every were without any problems. Also, the pick up in Kutaisi and drop off at Kutaisi airport were perfectly arranged with the people from the car hire. Very good communication. Next time visiting Georgia, we will definitely rent here again!
Toyota Rav4 in Georgia
Thank you very much, we were very pleased with the service provided. Everything went very well. The next time you visit Georgia, we will definitely contact you and use your services. We will also recommend you to friends. We liked everything) ... the only issue about fuel consumption, a little incorrectly indicated, the car spends more on average. And so in general, everything is fine. I would like you to have some kind of bonus system, i.e. subsequent rental discounts) is this possible?) It would not be bad.
Subaru Forester in Georgia
Overall we were satisfied with this car. It was clean, well maintained and it safely took us everywhere we needed. The booking process and return were quick and easy. I will recommend this car and the rental company to others :)
Toyota Rav4 in Georgia
Thanks, everything went well with the car
Suzuki Grand Vitara in Georgia
In principle, everything was fine, the price was right, the car was waiting, but there were a couple of questions - it was difficult to find the office (there was no sign on the building), as far as I could read the Georgian papers, the year the car was made was not 2008, but 2006, and the most unpleasant thing – it had a burnt beam light bulb.
Toyota Prius in Georgia
I liked everything in the process, except for finding parking at the time of delivery. By car, everything is OK, just a couple of minor bugs and week A/C
Driving and fines
Central Tbilisi is narrow Old Town lanes, the serpentines of Avlabari, and dense traffic at peak times — 08:30–10:30 and 17:30–19:30 on weekdays. Local driving is energetic: people undertake, double-park and use the horn more freely than in Western Europe. You adjust within a day. Friday evening westbound on the Batumi road is the worst window.
Cameras and fines
Speed and red-light fines are caught on cameras and assigned to the car. Local quirk: paying within 10 days gives a 20% discount, and the fine doubles after 30 days. Hosts in Tbilisi typically deduct any fines from the deposit and forward the receipt.
A guest paid three fines in one go on day 11 and lost the discount. If your host messages you about a ticket, don't sit on it — 20% is real money.
Parking app
Parking in central Tbilisi is paid only via the Tbilisi Parking app, and an inactive session triggers a 50 GEL (~$18) fine within five minutes. A good host installs the app on your phone at handover, links your card and walks you through the zones.
District tips
Old Town parking in summer is a lottery — if your hotel doesn't offer its own car park, check the paid-zone map before you book. The car parks at Freedom Square and the Mtatsminda funicular are the sensible fallback. Avlabari's hairpins look intimidating on first descent but the lanes are wider than they read on a map.
Rates in Tbilisi vary throughout the year depending on the season and the rental length.
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How expensive is renting a car in Tbilisi: average daily rates for a one-week car rental, across all car classes.
Why book with us
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Free meet-and-greet at TBS by flight number
Your host waits in the arrivals hall — no branded desk, no shuttle.
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Deposit by cash, by card, or none at all
Most economy cars in Tbilisi go out without a card hold.
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Tbilisi Parking app set up at handover
App installed, card linked, zones explained — that 50 GEL fine never happens.
Day trips from Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the country's best base for one-day loops. Mtskheta and Jvari sit 30 minutes north on the motorway — a classic half-day with a walk through the old capital. Kazbegi via the Georgian Military Highway is around three hours each way and a regular saloon handles it year-round outside heavy snowfall. Kakheti — Sighnaghi, Alaverdi, Telavi — is 1.5–2 hours east and ideal for a wine day, but the 0.3‰ alcohol limit is no joke at the wheel.
Less obvious choices
David Gareja monastery on the Azerbaijan border is a 2-hour drive, with the last 20 km on gravel that a crossover handles. Uplistsikhe and Gori sit 1.5 hours west — a solid half-day. Borjomi is 2.5 hours and a tight one-day trip but doable.
The classic summer week: one day Kazbegi, one Sighnaghi, one Borjomi. By day three the rental has paid for itself against taxis.
On the gravel up to David Gareja, stay alert after rain — the clay section gets slippery, mornings are the best window.
Frequent Questions
Tbilisi is cheaper than Batumi and Kutaisi thanks to local competition. Low season starts from $22 for an economy hybrid, $28 for a Camry, $29 for a Compass. Peak July and August sees the same cars at $35–45, and premium classes climb sharply. TBS delivery is normally free on hires of three days or more.
Your host meets you by flight number in the arrivals hall — there's no branded rental desk and no shuttle bus to a remote car park. The contract and walk-around take about five minutes, after which you drive away. The service runs 24/7, including overnight arrivals.
Yes. Late drop-off and night returns at TBS work around the clock. The car is parked at an agreed spot, the keys go into a safe or office. This is the standard solution for early-morning flights at 04:00–06:00.
Central paid parking is settled only through the Tbilisi Parking app. At handover the host installs the app, links your card and shows the zones. An inactive session triggers a 50 GEL (~$18) fine within five minutes — keep the app open while parked.
Around 1 GEL/hour in standard zones, 3 GEL/hour in premium zones around Old Town and Rustaveli. A daily pass runs about 15 GEL (~$5.50). Many central hotels offer their own car park, often cheaper than feeding the meter.
Camera fines are issued to the licence plate and paid via a bank, an ATM or an app. Paying within 10 days gives a 20% discount; after 30 days the fine doubles. Hosts usually deduct the amount from your deposit and send you the receipt.
On weekdays, 08:30–10:30 in the morning and 17:30–19:30 in the evening. Friday evening is the worst, especially on the road towards Batumi. For Mtskheta or Kazbegi day trips, leave before 08:00 or after 11:00.
About 155 km and 3–3.5 hours along the Georgian Military Highway via Gudauri and the Cross Pass. In winter add 1–1.5 hours for snow and serpentines. A saloon handles the route year-round outside genuine blizzards.
Mtskheta is 20 km / 30–40 minutes — a classic half-day. Sighnaghi in Kakheti is 115 km / 1.5–2 hours one way. A wine day is doable, but with a 0.3‰ alcohol limit either pre-book a driver or sip rather than drink at tastings.
Yes if you plan more than two trips out of town in a week — the rental pays off against taxis. For purely in-city journeys it's cheaper to use Bolt or local taxis: central parking costs more than a 5 km ride.
The most sensible options are the car parks at Freedom Square or by the Mtatsminda funicular, then walk down. Inside Old Town the streets are narrow, paid and almost full in summer. Wild kerb-side parking is a quick way to meet the city's tow truck.
The narrowest passable width between kerbs is around 2 metres. A saloon and a compact crossover get through; a full-size SUV like a Mercedes GLE doesn't. Some lanes are one-way with no turning circle — read the signs carefully.
The closest crossing is Sadakhlo–Bagratashen, about 80 km / 1–1.5 hours south on the road via Marneuli. The crossing runs 24/7; in peak season queues of up to an hour appear. You'll need a notarised authorisation from the host issued in advance.
Externally, no — hosts wash the cars themselves. Inside, please return the cabin in reasonable condition: a heavily soiled interior may cost 20–40 GEL (~$7–15) in cleaning. After gravel routes most hosts appreciate a quick rinse before drop-off.
Petrol stations are everywhere — Wissol, Socar and Gulf operate 24/7 and accept cards. Fill Japanese hybrids (Prius, Corolla) only with 95-octane — anything lower triggers a dashboard error. Top up in the city before long mountain trips, where stations thin out.