Tbilisi Airport to the City Centre: 3 Ways to Get There
Airport taxis are notorious worldwide for being overpriced, and Tbilisi is no exception unfortunately. But you won’t be stranded having to barter down an inflated price with the driver after a long flight when all you really want to do is get to your accommodation ASAP.
There are a few alternatives that are much more reliable and affordable. This guide will help you remove the overwhelm of those first few hours of arriving into a new country by showing you the best ways to get from Tbilisi airport to the city centre without the faff.
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The Most Affordable Way
1. Local Bus
Our favourite and by far the most affordable way to get from Tbilisi airport to the city centre is local bus. When you exit the terminal, turn right and walk down the path running along the side of the building. At the end of the path (maybe 100 metres or so) at the corner of the building, is where we picked up the bus.
It will take you to Tbilisi city centre in about 30 minutes depending on traffic and stop at several locations along the way. The most central location that’s convenient for most accommodation is Freedom Square.
Freedom Square is a huge multi-lane roundabout with a tall pillar in the centre with a gold statue of St. George slaying a dragon on the very top. Located in the centre of the old town of Tbilisi near Sololaki and Rustaveli Avenue, this spot is also a convenient spot if you need to get the metro to another part of town.
The Most Affordable Way When the Bus Isn’t Running
2. Bolt Taxi
Between 23:00 and 07:00, the airport bus isn’t running which doesn’t really make much sense because there are SO many flights arriving into Tbilisi during this time!
Bolt is the most common taxi app in Georgia, so I’d recommend downloading it and setting up your account with your card details before you arrive into Georgia.
If you’re heading back to the airport from the city centre, you can pre-book your Bolt driver through the app so that you know that you know a driver will be available and ready for you.
Drivers will likely be available all throughout the night, but when you have a specific time to be at the airport, you don’t really want to be searching for a driver and crossing your fingers. I personally find it all a bit too stressful!
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After exploring Georgia for six months, these are our favourite booking tools that we couldn’t travel without!
The Most Comfortable and Convenient Way
3. GoTrip (Private Transfer)
You do pay a little extra for a private transfer, but that’s to be expected! We have used GoTrip ourselves and we were so impressed with the service. You can check their great reviews on Tripadvisor.
GoTrip enables you to pre-book your transfer. Connect with the driver directly through whatsapp to double check any details and arrange exact locations. By providing them with your flight number, they can keep track of any delays to make sure that they arrive on time for a seamless pick-up.
There is no app, but the GoTrip website is really easy to use:
- First select the route from Tbilisi airport to the city centre.
- Next put in the arrival date and click Find a Car.
- Now you can choose from a huge selection of local drivers. Their profiles have photos of them and their cars, how many people and pieces of luggage the car can hold, their spoken language, customer reviews and the fixed and final price.
If you have had a long or stressful journey so far, this is THE best way to from Tbilisi airport to the city centre without any more stress. Let someone else do this final leg for you!
Drivers need to be paid in cash at the end of your ride. There are ATMs in the terminal before you leave, or if you forget, the driver will drop you at an ATM for no additional charge.
Top Tip: if you need to find an ATM en route, ask for a Basis Bank ATM as they do not have withdrawal fees for international cards.
We have an exclusive list of fee-free ATMs across Eastern Europe, Asia, and a little South America. If you want to get your hands on it for free, click below!
Airport Facilities
Free Wifi
The airport has two wifis available: an Tbilisi official airport wifi and a wifi called ‘Tbilisi Loves You’. Tbilisi Loves You is a wifi also available in a lot of Tbilisi city centre and is the one that we recommend you connect to.
We have heard of people having issues connecting to taxi apps such as Bolt when they are connected to the airport wifi – I guess there is some kind of block on it. If you have a VPN, connect this too for extra security.
ATMs
There are ATMs and foreign exchange available at the airport. I would advise against using the exchange at any airport because the rates are rarely any good.
Unless you have booked a GoTrip private transfer, you don’t need physical cash to get you from Tbilisi airport to the city centre, so don’t worry about getting cash as soon as you arrive unless you really need it. Once you’re in Tbilisi, hunt down the nearest Basis Bank ATM as this won’t charge you any withdrawal fees for using an international card.
Plan more of your trip with these:
- Travel Tips for Georgia (Country): 13 Useful Things to Know
- Georgia Transport Guide: Marshrutka Madness
- Is Tbilisi Worth Visiting? Yes! Here’s Why…
- Tbilisi in Winter: the Best European Winter City Break
- The Ultimate Vegetarian Guide to Tbilisi
- Sulphur Bath in Tbilisi: What Is It Really Like?
- Tbilisi Airport to the City Centre: 3 Ways to Get There
- The Tbilisi to Yerevan Train: Everything You Need to Know
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