Can you travel from Russia to Georgia by train?
Why there's no direct train and how to connect.
Short answer
There is no direct passenger train from Russia to Georgia: the railway through Abkhazia doesn't carry passengers to the rest of Georgia, and Georgian law bans entry via Abkhazia. You can take a train to Vladikavkaz, then a taxi or minibus via Upper Lars to Tbilisi, about 200 kilometres. Another option is a train or flight to Yerevan, then a train or minibus to Tbilisi.
Why
- Direct rail links between Russia and Georgia have been cut since the 1990s.
- Vladikavkaz is about 40 kilometres from the border, and the Upper Lars queue can be long.
- A direct flight remains the fastest option.
Details
Upper Lars can't be crossed on foot, only by vehicle, so from Vladikavkaz people take a taxi or minibus to Tbilisi or Stepantsminda.
People also ask
- Is there a train from Russia to Georgia?
Sources
- Georgian Railway: timetable and ticketsChecked at:
- Law of Georgia on Occupied TerritoriesChecked at:
Timetables and prices change, so check with the carrier before you travel.
Related questions
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Where can you fly to from Tbilisi and Batumi?
Tbilisi has direct flights to Istanbul, Dubai and other Middle East cities, Europe, Russia, Israel, Central Asia and neighbouring countries.
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How do you get from Tbilisi to Azerbaijan?
From Tbilisi you can fly to Azerbaijan or take the Tbilisi-Baku train, relaunched on 26 May 2026: it leaves daily at 21:00 and reaches Baku the next morning, after about nine and a half hours.
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How do you get from Batumi to Ureki?
Ureki is about 55 kilometres north of Batumi, around an hour's trip.
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What is the Georgian Military Road, and how do you travel it?
The Georgian Military Road is a historic route of about 200 kilometres across the Caucasus from Tbilisi to Vladikavkaz, built in its current form by the Russian Empire in the 19th century.


