Georgia - Info & Facts

Suggested Length of Stay

Recommended lengths of stay in Georgia from 3-5-day extensions to Armenia and Azerbaijan, to 2 weeks on its own.

Modes of transport

Roads

Road conditions have improved enormously in recent years and road signage is good, with all signs both in Georgian and the Latin alphabet.

Buses

Buses and Marshrutky (minibuses) are the workhorses of Georgia and the way that most of the population gets around. Whether local service or long distance, buses in Georgia go just about anywhere there are people, including once-weekly services to remote mountain villages.

Car
For travellers not with a guide, hiring a car is the best way to visit if hopping from town to town or visiting entire regions.

Train
Georgia has a decent network of trains connecting the main cities in the country, including Tbilisi, Gori, Borjomi, Kutaisi, Zugdidi and Batumi. As services tend to be slow, most travellers only find the train a useful way to connect between Tbilisi and Western Georgia. Overnight trains from Tbilisi to Batumi and Zugdidi are very popular and book up weeks in advance during summer.

Air 
There are internal flights in Georgia on Georgian Airways and Vanilla Sky. Georgian Airways flies between Tbilisi and Batumi daily, while Vanilla Sky connects both Tbilisi and Kutaisi with Mestia in Svaneti.

Health Precautions

There are no specific vaccinations necessary for a trip to Georgia. If you travel to Abkhazia, ensure your travel insurance covers this region.

Food and Drink

To put it simply, food in Georgia is a feast – or a supra as locals would say – and few visitors come away from the country feeling anything but awe for the quality of the food, the size of the portions or the passion with which locals share their cuisine with foreigners. You’ll east best in Tbilisi, where the competition is fierce and the variety superb, but standards are high countrywide.

Money

Georgia’s currency is the lari (GEL). One lari is divided into 100 tetri.

There are plenty of banks and small money-exchange offices in most towns and cities where you can exchange US dollars, euros and sometimes pounds sterling and the currencies of Georgia’s neighbouring countries, though the latter is usually at poor rates.

ATMs widely available. Credit cards accepted in most hotels, restaurants and shops, though less frequently outside Tbilisi.

Time Zone

Time zone in Georgia (GMT+4)

Visas

You can visit Georgia for up to 12 months without a visa if you have an Australian passport.

Australian Embassy contacts for Georgia

Australia doesn’t have an Embassy or Consulate in Georgia. Please get in touch with the Embassy in Turkey for assistance.

Australian Embassy, Turkey
Ugur Mumcu Caddesi No: 88
7th floor
Gaziosmanpasa 06700
Ankara
Turkey
Phone: +90 312 459 9500
Email: ankara.embassy@dfat.gov.au

Electricity

For Georgia there are two associated plug types, types C and F. Plug type C is the plug which has two round pins and plug type F is the plug which has two round pins with two earth clips on the side. Georgia operates on a 220V supply voltage and 50Hz.

Getting there (stopovers)

All Middle Eastern-based airlines fly to Tbilisi via Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha.

Tipping

Tipping has caught on all over Georgia with the arrival of many international travellers. Most service industry workers will expect a small gratuity—in restaurants in Tbilisi, a standard 10% is often added to the bill. Don’t mistake the 18% VAT on some bills for a service charge. Bars and cafes at your discretion. Taxis: Tipping a taxi driver for a short journey is unnecessary.