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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.
Toyota Prius in Georgia
The rental went well, the car was in excellent condition, fully operational, left only positive impressions, thank you!
Subaru Forester in Georgia
Excellent. Absolutely adequate people, quick registration, the machine is in excellent condition. Thank you, I liked everything, prosperity to your business. recommend.
Mitsubishi Pajero Io in Georgia
Everything went very well. The landlord was extremely polite and explained everything in detail. I highly recommend him! Thank you!
Toyota Prius in Georgia
all was fine except that a car was dirty inside, and seat covers were old and damaged. I was in hurry, so accepted it, but in general for rental cars it is not ok
Toyota Prius in Georgia
It was okay. There were engine and tire pressure light showing up. I was a bit worried about it. But it went okay
Toyota Sienna in Georgia
The machine is good - roomy, going well, good condition. Everything was great!
Mitsubishi Outlander in Georgia
Excellent car rental service! We took a 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander for a 4 days Kutaisi - Martvili - Mestia - Ushguli - Tbilisi trip (over 1k km). No issues with the car at all, it was very comfortable and surprisingly fun to drive on the scenic Georgian roads. The owner is an incredibly kind and helpful person, quickly responds to messages on Whatsapp and speaks good English. Obviously got the deposit fully refunded at the drop-off. Both USD and GEL is accepted.
Honda Insight in Georgia
I'm fine, thank you.
Ford Mustang Cabrio in Georgia
Excellent car for traveling in Georgia, behaves well both on a narrow serpentine and on the highway. The roof works without any problems, it is pleasant to drive with an open top in the city. Powerful, comfortable machine, large trunk - highly recommended!
Toyota Land Cruiser Prado in Georgia
Everything went very well with the rental, the car was clean and in good working order. It was also handed over and taken back punctually, everything was as agreed.
Mercedes-Benz B-Class in Georgia
We took this car from July 21 from the office. Returned at the airport on August 4. Family of 4 people + 2 suitcases. We traveled 2171 km throughout Georgia. Tbilisi - Sighnaghi - Vardzia - Kutaisi - Mestia - Batumi - Tbilisi. There were no problems at all. Low petrol consumption for a 2.0 liter engine. Fast car delivery and even faster return. Greatest service and attitude. Strongly advise to everyone!
Mazda 3 in Georgia
it is great everything was perfect
Toyota Land Cruiser Prado in Georgia
Everything worked smoothly. Thank you
Pickup at TBS airport
TBS runs 24/7 and the handover here is structured differently from the big chains. Instead of a branded desk and a shuttle bus to a remote car park, your host meets you by flight number in the arrivals hall or right at the exit. Five minutes for the contract and a quick walk-around, and you're driving away while clients of the global brands are still queuing for the shuttle.
In-city delivery to a Tbilisi address is also possible — usually free for hires of three days or more. For Old Town hotels this is far easier than wheeling luggage through narrow lanes.
A couple landed at TBS at 03:40 on a Wizz flight. They signed at the exit, were in a Sololaki hotel by 04:15. The global-chain shuttle wasn't even running at that hour.
Late drop-off at TBS works around the clock too. The car is parked at an agreed spot and the keys go in a safe — standard for the 04:00–06:00 departures that fill the airport in summer.
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.