Renting a car in Georgia or taking a car with a driver

What a rental car costs in 2026

Prices depend on the season, the size of the car and where you pick it up. On local booking sites the average car cost about 30 USD a day off-season and 40 to 45 USD in summer, according to a driving guide updated in September 2026. In August 2026 one large catalogue listed cars from 32 USD a day, with a median of 36 USD.

Typical daily prices by class are below. They include basic insurance but not full cover.

• Economy car, such as a Toyota Corolla or Hyundai Accent. About 20 to 35 USD a day outside summer.
• Compact or mid-size SUV, such as a Renault Duster or Toyota RAV4. About 35 to 75 USD a day.
• Large 4x4 of the Land Cruiser class. About 80 to 120 USD a day.
• Seven-seat minivan. About 90 to 115 USD a day.
• Summer. From June to August prices rise by 20 to 40 percent. Renting for a week or more cuts the daily rate by 15 to 25 percent.
• Airport. Picking the car up at the airport costs about 20 to 30 percent more than in town.
• One way. Not every firm lets you leave the car in another city. Those that do charge for bringing it back, so ask for that fee before you book.
• A week in summer. Count roughly 300 to 450 USD for an ordinary car with full cover. Fuel and parking come on top.

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Deposit, insurance and where the car may not go

The deposit depends on the firm. Many local companies take none, or ask for 100 to 300 USD, often in cash. International brands block it on a credit card. In October 2026 Enterprise in Tbilisi listed 500 USD for an economy car and 600 to 800 USD for SUVs.

Third-party liability and a basic damage waiver are usually in the price. With basic cover you still pay the first 300 to 500 USD of any damage yourself. Full cover takes that to zero for about 5 to 20 USD more a day. Basic cover often leaves out tyres and glass, so read the contract.

Most firms ban some mountain roads, and driving there voids the insurance. In 2026 the usual list was Tusheti, Shatili and Khevsureti, the Truso valley, Juta, Vashlovani and the Goderdzi and Zekari passes. Enterprise also bans Ushguli. Some firms track their cars by GPS.

Taking a rental car out of Georgia is the exception, not the rule.

• Armenia. Some firms allow it for an extra fee if you ask in advance, and Enterprise needs 48 hours' notice. A car from a private owner may need a notarised power of attorney, which can take two weeks. Many local firms say no.
• Azerbaijan. Its land border has been closed to cars since 2020.
• Turkey and Russia. Georgian rental cars are generally not allowed there.
• Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Never. Georgian insurance does not apply there.
• Arriving in your own car? You need Georgian third-party insurance, see our guide to the Upper Lars crossing.

Licence, age and documents

A foreign driving licence is valid in Georgia for one year from your last entry. Carry the original card and your passport. The car's registration certificate stays in the car.

Georgia does not require an International Driving Permit for a licence printed in Latin letters. With a licence in another script, carry a permit or a translation. Some firms ask for a permit anyway, and Enterprise requires one from US citizens. Get it at home before you fly.

Most firms rent to drivers from 21 with at least a year of experience. Some local cars go to 18-year-olds, while big SUVs and premium cars often need 23 to 25 and two or three years behind the wheel. International brands want a credit card in the driver's name, and local firms often take cash.

Children under 12 may not ride in the front seat, and small children need a child seat. Ask the rental firm for one when you book.

How people drive in Georgia

Georgia drives on the right, and the main highways are in good shape. The Rikoti highway was finished at the end of December 2025, and Kutaisi is now 2.5 to 3 hours from Tbilisi.

The local style is the hard part. Drivers overtake fast, often across solid lines and before blind bends. Many change lanes without signalling, squeeze into a lane of their own on your right and sit close behind you. At roundabouts the bigger vehicle usually goes first. If a car overtaking towards you runs out of room, slow down and move right.

Tbilisi traffic is heavy at rush hour, and parking in the centre is hard to find. You do not need a car in the city, as the metro and taxi apps such as Bolt cover it well. Pick the car up on the day you leave Tbilisi.

Out of town, cows, sheep and dogs walk on the road all year, and in the mountains herds use the road itself. Rocks fall onto mountain roads after rain.

Avoid driving at night. Country roads are mostly unlit, animals stand on them in the dark and fast overtaking is harder to read. Plan long drives so you arrive before sunset.

Mountain roads and the Jvari Pass in winter

The Georgian Military Road to Gudauri and Kazbegi is paved all the way. But it is a mountain road shared with heavy lorries heading for the Russian border. From Mleta it climbs to Gudauri in a chain of hairpins, then crosses the Jvari Pass at 2,379 m.

From December to March the Roads Department closes the Gudauri to Kobi stretch when the avalanche risk is high, for a few hours or several days. In winter 2025/26 cars could not cross for about two days from 13 January, three days from 2 February and almost four days from 26 February.

From 1 December to 1 March winter tyres are compulsory on the mountain roads on the government's list, including Mleta to Kobi and Borjomi to Bakuriani. They need the snowflake mark and at least 3 mm of tread, and the fine is 100 GEL. In snowfall the police can require chains and turn back cars without them. Get winter tyres and chains written into the rental contract, and try fitting the chains before you need them.

Check the Roads Department restrictions page the evening before and again in the morning. More in our guide to Kazbegi in winter.

Some high roads close for the whole winter. The Tusheti road over the Abano Pass shuts in the second half of October and opens between late May and mid-June. Juta and Khevsureti are under snow from about November to May.

Fuel and parking in Tbilisi and Batumi

In early September 2026 a litre of regular petrol cost 3.60 to 3.75 GEL at the big chains and premium 3.75 to 3.94 GEL. Super grades went up to about 4.36 GEL. Diesel rose sharply in August and in September cost 3.45 to 4.67 GEL, depending on the grade and the chain. Most rental cars take premium (95).

Gulf, Wissol, SOCAR, Rompetrol and Lukoil stations line the main roads. An attendant fills the tank and you pay by card or cash. In the mountains stations are few, so fill up in the last town.

Tbilisi to Kazbegi and back is about 310 km. An ordinary car burns roughly 25 to 30 litres on it, so about 100 to 120 GEL of petrol.

Central Tbilisi has hourly parking zones at 1 to 3 GEL an hour, and the first 15 minutes are free. The zone code is on the sign under the P. Pay with the plate number in the Tbilisi Parking app, at a payment terminal or in a banking app. Not paying costs 50 GEL. Parking on the pavement costs 100 GEL, and the car can be towed.

In Batumi street parking is paid with a pass for a day, a week or a month. It is linked to the plate and sold at payment terminals, in banking apps and on the Batumi Autotransport website. Ask the rental firm whether the car already has one. Hotel, mall and airport car parks charge separately.

Speed limits, cameras, fines and police

The limits are 60 km/h in towns, 90 km/h outside them and 110 km/h on motorways, unless signs say otherwise.

Cameras cover Tbilisi and the main highways. Some measure your average speed over a stretch of road. Others catch red lights, solid-line crossings, seat belts and phones. The fine goes by SMS to the car's owner, so the rental firm passes it on to you.

The patrol police are generally professional, and many officers speak some English or Russian. If you are stopped, stay in the car and have your documents ready. Never offer an officer money. Fines are paid only through banks, payment terminals or online.

The main fines in 2026 are below.

• Speeding. Since July 2026, 50 GEL for 15 to 30 km/h over the limit, 100 GEL for 30 to 50 km/h over and 300 GEL beyond that.
• No seat belt, or a phone in your hand. 50 GEL each since May 2026.
• Running a red light. 100 GEL.
• Drink driving. The limit is 0.3 per mille, and a glass or two can be enough to pass it. Fines start at about 700 GEL, and you can lose the right to drive.
• Unpaid fines. You have 30 days to pay, and after that the amount doubles.

What to do after an accident

Even a small scrape on a rental car needs the police. Without their report the insurance may not pay.

• Stop, switch on the hazard lights and leave the cars where they are, unless someone is in danger.
• Call 112. It is the single emergency number for police, ambulance and fire, and operators usually speak English and Russian.
• Photograph both cars, the road and the other driver's documents.
• Call the rental firm straight away.
• Wait for the patrol police to write their report, and ask for a copy.
• Do not settle in cash on the spot. Many Georgian cars have no insurance, and a private deal can void your own cover.
• Since 1 January 2026 foreign visitors need health insurance for the whole stay. Keep the policy on your phone.

When renting wins and when a driver does

Renting wins on a long, slow trip. If you have a week or more, drive confidently and travel between May and October, a rental car costs less per day than a driver and lets you stop anywhere. It also suits the lowlands, such as a loop through Kakheti without tastings or a drive along the coast.

A car with a driver is the better choice in the cases below. With us the price is fixed per car, not per person, and fuel is included. Child seats are free, and you pay the driver after the trip in cash or by card. Book on the site or in our Telegram bot. It takes about two minutes.

• Night arrivals. Many flights land late at night or before dawn. The driver follows your flight and meets you in arrivals with a name sign, and the first 60 minutes after landing are free. No rental desk, no deposit and no unfamiliar road in the dark. See the Tbilisi Airport transfer.
• Mountains in winter. Snow, chains and the Jvari Pass become the driver's job. In winter our cars run on winter tyres, and for snow we recommend the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. If the authorities close the road, we wait, move the ride or cancel it free of charge. See the transfers to Gudauri and to Kazbegi.
• Wine days. With a 0.3 per mille limit, somebody has to stay sober. On the Kakheti wine day everybody tastes.
• Groups and families. Up to seven people and their bags fit in the Mercedes V-Class. That is easier than two rental cars in convoy.
• One-way trips. From Tbilisi to Batumi there is no car to return and no drop-off fee. The Tbilisi to Batumi transfer takes 4 to 5 hours, and stops on the way can be agreed when you book.
• A few day trips from one base. If you stay in Tbilisi and plan two or three trips out, a driver on those days saves renting a car that sits in a car park the rest of the time. Our Kazbegi tour and Mtskheta half day start at your hotel.

A quick decision checklist

Run through these points before you decide. Many visitors mix both. They take a driver from the airport and for the mountain days, and rent a car for the rest.

• A week or more, confident driving, May to October. Rent a car.
• Landing at night, small children or lots of luggage. Book a driver at least for the airport.
• Gudauri, Kazbegi or Bakuriani between December and March. Take a driver, or get winter tyres and chains written into the rental contract.
• Wine tastings on the plan. Take a driver that day.
• Five to seven people. One van with a driver instead of two cars.
• A one-way trip such as Tbilisi to Batumi. A transfer is simpler than a one-way rental.
• Tusheti, Juta, Truso or Shatili. Read the rental contract first, as most firms ban these roads.
• Under 21, or a licence held for less than a year. Most firms will not rent to you, so take a driver.