Tbilisi to Batumi: train, bus or car

Tbilisi and Batumi are about 350 km apart — this is the most popular route within Georgia, from the capital to the Black Sea. You can make the journey four ways: by fast train, by marshrutka or bus, by your own (hired) car, and sometimes by plane. Here’s how they compare on time, cost and comfort.

The Stadler train

The most comfortable option is the double-decker Stadler (KISS) express run by Georgian Railway. The journey takes about 5 hours; there are usually two services a day — a morning one (around 8:00) and an evening one (around 17:00), with the schedule changing by season. The train has economy and business classes, air conditioning and power sockets. Tickets cost a few dozen lari (economy is cheaper than business); in season the train often sells out, so it’s best to book ahead — on the Georgian Railway website or at the station ticket office. It departs from Tbilisi Central Station and arrives in Batumi.

Georgian Railway Stadler train at the platform in Tbilisi — Georgian Railway's double-decker Stadler — the most comfortable way to reach the sea. Photo: Superalbs / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Marshrutka and bus

The cheapest and most frequent option is the marshrutkas and buses from Didube station in Tbilisi. A marshrutka (minibus) costs roughly 35 lari and takes about 6–7 hours with a short stop on the way. Coaches run by the big operators (Metro Georgia or City Bus, for example) are more comfortable and cost around 40–50 lari. They run more often than the trains, but the journey is longer and depends on traffic. Confirm exact prices and schedules at the station.

Yellow marshrutka minibuses at a stop in Tbilisi — Marshrutkas and buses to Batumi leave from Didube station in Tbilisi — the cheapest and most frequent option. Photo: Florian Höfer / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

By car

By car it’s about 350 km from Tbilisi to Batumi along the Tbilisi–Senaki–Leselidze highway (the main western route). Without stops the drive takes about 5–6 hours; the new road over the Rikoti Pass, with tunnels and viaducts, has cut the travel time noticeably. The big advantage of a car is the freedom to stop along the way: Gori with Uplistsikhe, Borjomi, and Kutaisi with the caves and canyons of Imereti all lie right on the route. For a trip like this, the car hire section will come in handy.

Mountain Tbilisi–Batumi highway near the Rikoti Pass — The road over the Rikoti Pass runs through green mountains; new viaducts and tunnels are going up alongside it. Photo: Jelger Groeneveld / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

By plane

There are sometimes domestic flights between Tbilisi and Batumi — about an hour in the air. But the schedule is seasonal and irregular, and once you factor in the journeys to and from the airports, the time saving isn’t always obvious. Check whether flights are running, and the prices, before you travel.

What to choose

Train — the best balance of comfort, price and views from the window; book ahead.
Marshrutka/bus — the cheapest and most frequent, but slower and more cramped.
Car — maximum freedom and stops along the way, but 5–6 hours at the wheel.
Plane — the fastest “in the air”, but seasonal; count the time to the airport.

For what to do once you arrive, see our guide to Batumi and our overview of the beaches of Batumi and the coast; for stop ideas along the way, see the things to see and cities sections.