How to get to Georgia from Russia cheaply in 2023: by car, train or plane?

Border crossing rules in Georgia

Updated 08/12/2022

All anti-COVID requirements for entering the country were officially lifted in Georgia from June 15, 2022.

In the summer of 2022, restrictions on crossing the Russian-Georgian border were lifted.

Currently, citizens of the Russian Federation have the right to enter the territory of Georgia by car without confirming documents. It is enough to present a valid passport and car documents.

Please note that if there are marks in the passport about visiting Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the border service will not allow tourists into Georgia. Experienced travelers enter Abkhazia with their Russian passport and use their foreign passport for tourism in other countries. Crossing the border will take no more than two hours on weekdays, but it is best to arrive at the checkpoint as early as possible on weekends.

Do I need a visa for Georgia?

To travel to Georgia, citizens of Russia need a valid passport for the duration of their stay. In addition, the passport must have two free pages for stamping. If there are marks in the passport about visiting Abkhazia and South Ossetia, you will be denied entry to the country.

With a valid passport, you can stay in Georgia for up to 365 days from the date of crossing the border. If you plan to stay longer than this period, you will need to obtain a residence permit.

Traveling to Georgia by car

Independent travel to Georgia by car requires additional documents to be presented at the border checkpoint, namely your driver's license, vehicle registration certificate (STS), and car insurance policy. If you are traveling in a car that does not belong to you, you will also need a power of attorney to operate the vehicle, certified by a notary and issued in English.

The only way to enter Georgia by car from Russia is through the "Upper Lars" border checkpoint. This method is only relevant for those who have a residence permit, an invitation from a local clinic for medical treatment, education, or other equally important reasons.

Traveling by car is one of the best ways to see the beautiful Georgian nature. In this case, be especially careful on the Military-Georgian road, which is periodically closed due to the danger of landslides.

Traveling to Georgia by plane today

The easiest way to reach Georgia by plane is to fly to the city of Gyumri in Armenia. Plane tickets from Moscow to Gyumri will cost you 5,000-7,000 rubles. From Gyumri, you can reach Georgia by a shuttle bus or train, which is only 50 kilometers away.

Another option is to first travel to Turkey. Direct flights from Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other cities in Russia to Istanbul and Antalya are some of the most popular, so finding them won't be a problem. From Turkey, several flights depart daily to Tbilisi.

Is it possible to reach Georgia by train?

There are no direct Moscow-Tbilisi train routes today. However, this does not mean that it is impossible to reach Georgia by train. Tourists most often choose routes through other countries, such as Armenia and Azerbaijan. This option is one of the most difficult, but some people like to travel by train because it is comfortable and convenient.

The best way to get to Armenia from Russia is by plane. After that, flights to Batumi depart from Yerevan daily, which takes about 16 hours. Trains from Yerevan to Tbilisi run on even-numbered days and take 10 hours.

It is possible to travel to Azerbaijan from Russia by train, which requires a transfer in Rostov-on-Don and takes at least 52 hours. In Baku, you can buy a ticket for a night train to Tbilisi, which departs daily. The travel time is 16 hours, including border control.

It is also possible to reach Georgia via Vladikavkaz. To do this, you will need to take a train to North Ossetia and then continue by car at the border.

Travel to Georgia via Vladikavkaz

This option is suitable only for Russian citizens who have valid reasons for entering Georgia. First, you need to get to Vladikavkaz, which can be done by plane, train, or bus from various cities in Russia. Taking a plane is the fastest and most convenient option, and tickets are not very expensive. You can take a flight to either Vladikavkaz or Mineralnye Vody.

Once you arrive in Vladikavkaz, you can reach the border by bus or with fellow travelers. You can only reach the Upper Lars checkpoint by bus, and from there, you can find people willing to take you across the border for a small fee or for free. Other options include taking a minibus to Tbilisi or finding fellow travelers willing to drive you to Georgia.

Travel to Georgia via Armenia

The current route options pass through the city of Gyumri in Armenia. You can get there by plane from Moscow or St. Petersburg and then take a shuttle bus for 4 hours to the south of Georgia, for example, to Akhaltsikhe. After exploring the sights in Akhaltsikhe, you can take a bus to Tbilisi.

Another way is to transfer in Yerevan, which can be easily reached by plane. Trains number 201/202 run from the capital of Armenia to Tbilisi or Batumi. There is also a train from Gyumri to Tbilisi, with a travel time of only 6 hours.

Travel to Georgia via Baku

An important nuance is that Azerbaijan only allows tourists with both a vaccination certificate and a negative PCR test result in English.

The easiest way to get to the capital of Azerbaijan from Russia is by plane, but there are also trains available. After arriving in Baku, you need to buy a train ticket to Tbilisi in Georgia. The journey takes about 12 hours.

It can be said that the fastest and cheapest way to get to Georgia from Russia is to fly to Gyumri in Armenia and then travel to Tbilisi by train or shuttle bus. If you have valid reasons for entering Georgia, the easiest way to travel is by car through Vladikavkaz.