Tourists who are going to Georgia by car in 2021 will be interested to know the advice of experienced people about the trip, what to take with you and what route to plan from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg. We will find out the prices for gasoline, food, housing. How to overcome the distance faster and easier according to the reviews of tourists, where to visit.
How long does it take to get to Georgia from Moscow and St. Petersburg?
The distance from Moscow to Georgia, more precisely to Tbilisi - 1994 kilometers... You can get there in 21 hours by spending an average of 160 liters of gasoline. If your car consumes 8 liters on the highway per 100 km, the cost of gasoline will cost 6800 rubles.
How long does it take to get from St. Petersburg to Georgia by car? About 2990 km, at least 2715 km, having spent 217 liters of gasoline. It will take 28 and a half hours not counting overnight stays. On such an independent journey, it is worth taking a second driver or, at least, fellow travelers.
- We advise you to leave at 5-6 in the morning, move along the highway until the stop for the night is better until 20.00 in the evening, it is optimal to stop every 3 hours, depending on the road.
Traveling to Georgia by car in 2021
Gas prices, where is it better to refuel on the road?
When calculating 8 liters per 100 km of track, we get 160 liters of gasoline, and with a price of 44 rubles per liter, we get the total consumption - 6920 rubles, as already calculated above.
Those who leave from St. Petersburg will only need to spend on gasoline 9314 rubles... Driving from Moscow to Georgia is also about Georgian gasoline prices. The cost of gasoline in Georgia - from 55 rubles per liter... If you plan a trip to Turkey on your car, you need to take into account that gasoline there is 2 times more expensive than Russian. You should refuel in Vladikavkaz, the next refueling is in Tbilisi.
Which road?
Roads in Georgia with amazing views, but of poor quality. Coverage in places, and it is constantly damaged by rains and mudflows, in the mountains the road is unpaved. We recommend driving on mountain roads only in dry weather, slight precipitation can greatly harm on the way.
How to get to Georgia by car from Moscow, Yekaterinburg, St. Petersburg and other cities of Russia? It does not matter which road you travel across Russia, you can get to Georgia only through Vladikavkaz, the "Upper Lars" crossing.
- Important! The crossing is closed for pedestrians, cycling is allowed.
Next, plan your roads in Georgia through Tbilisi to avoid the passes. For example, Tbilisi - Borjomi and back.
Road to Turkey: Tbilisi - Kutaisi - Batumi - Trabzon. In the summer of 2018, a new high-speed section was opened on this route in the Kobuleti region. In general, the road is good at any time of the year. On Friday, the flow of cars goes to Batumi, on Sunday, vice versa.
Where is the best place to eat?
Traveling to Georgia by car is quite comfortable in terms of food. The local population is traditionally hospitable. There are many cafes and restaurants in the cities where you can taste both local and European cuisine. Products and food prices are lower than Russian ones. Even if there are no restaurants nearby, in any village you will be fed and even treated to local wine or chacha.
Border crossing
You can get to Georgia by car only along the Georgian Military Highway in the Upper Lars region. Crossings in Abkhazia and North Ossetia to enter Georgia do not function. The road through the Darial Gorge is unsafe. Here mudflows often come down, the track is narrow, sandwiched between kilometer-long rocks. It is regularly restored. Better to drive in the morning. If the Darial Gorge is under a landslide, then an exit through Abkhazia is possible.
It is worth driving through Georgia by car already because in a short time you will see many stunning panoramas, and if you are lucky, you will admire the extinct volcano Kazbek (5034 m). You can see him in the area of the village of Stepantsminda. Here we recommend changing the currency for the first time. The course will improve with distance from the border. Traveling by car, you can afford to buy your favorite things, for example, wine, cheeses, fruits, Turkish olives, oils and not think about weight.
- When crossing the border by car with foreign numbers (if you decide to rest for more than 15 days), you will have to take out insurance (green card) at the checkpoint, the cost is from 30 GEL, depending on the transport. You can order online in advance at www.tpl.ge
- On the forums, experienced tourists write about traffic jams and long border crossing, nothing like that, a car inspection and document verification will take a maximum of 30 minutes.
What documents are needed to enter Georgia from the Russian Federation?
Only a passport, which will be valid for another 3 months after leaving the country. Children need to enter in their passport and paste a photo or draw up a separate document. The permission of the second parent to take the child out is not required. For transport, you will need a technical passport, driver's license, OSAGO.
How to prepare the car and which rubber to choose?
Ideal to go or rent a jeep, four-wheel drive car for a trip to Georgia. Installation of rubber - according to the season. In winter, most of the passes in Georgia are closed. Traveling to Georgia by car is best to plan on your own for the period from late spring to early autumn. An exception if you are planning to visit ski resorts.
If you decide to rent a car for traveling in Georgia, we advise you to carefully inspect the body from all sides and pay attention to the technical condition, very often you come across options in a deplorable state.
What documents to take for a car?
In addition to the usual set of documents, nothing is needed. In the absence of insurance for a car - a fine of 100 GEL (2,377 rubles). In some cases, they may request a power of attorney for the car, if any. It is permissible to write it yourself in Russian, put a mark on the possibility of exporting a car from Russia and notarize it.
If you decide to travel to Turkey by car through Georgia, you will need to buy Turkish insurance 250 lira (2,850 rubles) at the border or arrange it in advance.
What to see in Georgia by car?
- National Park "Kazbegi".Immediately upon crossing the border, you find yourself on its territory. Panoramas. Watchtowers.
- Gveleti waterfall.Located one and a half kilometers from the village of the same name.
- Villages CDO and Stepantsminda... Observation platforms.
- Ski resort Gudauri.
- Ananuri castle on the bank of the Zhinvali reservoir. The fortress is in very good condition and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The ancient city of Zhinvali is under the water of the reservoir.
- Villages Shatili and Mutso. What to see in Georgia by car - panoramas of the Bear Cross Pass and the villages themselves. You will have to deviate from the route in Tbilisi, but the villages are worth it. The Khevsur region of Georgia competes with Svaneti with ancient towers. For tourists there are guest houses, you can put up a tent or even spend the night in one of the towers. The road is more suitable for jeeps. Landfalls often occur on these sections of the road. The Bear Cross Pass is closed for the winter. It usually opens in May.
Top places by destination
To the west and southwest of Tbilisi:
- Tbilisi. Many sights, parks, it is worth getting acquainted with Georgian cuisine.
- Mtskheta.The old capital of Georgia. Javari monastery.
- Burn, Stalin Museum with a personal armored carriage.
- Uplistsikhe - 150 caves of the ancient city, the cult center of Iberia.
- Borjomi... In addition to medicinal waters, it is worth visiting the fortress in Akhaltsikhe, ski resort Bakuriani, cave city Vanis - Kvabebi with 19 levels of caves and Vardzia, with 9 levels of caves. It is better to visit in summer and with a guide. The Borjomi-Kharagauli reserve itself has a leisurely rest and a stopover for several days.
- Kutaisi. Sataplian nature reserve with "crystal bridge", Katskhi pillar, Galeti Monastery, cable car... One of the largest European caves is located 20 km from Kutaisi, Prometheus cavewhere you can go by boat on the underground river. Farther north Okce canyon with a metal platform over an abyss, 100-meter Kinchkha waterfall and Martvili canyonwhere you can swim in a narrow gorge. There is an excellent road to the canyons, it goes through Khoni - Mathoji.
- After Zugdidi you can make a detour into Svaneti to the famous towers and on ski resorts.
- Batumi. The capital of Adjara, a modern resort on the Black Sea coast with cozy hotels on the first line. Gateway to Turkey.
East of Tbilisi:
- Kakheti. David Monasteries - Gareji with the relics of St. David, cave cells in the Gareja Desert. Colored hills. An asphalt road leads to the monastery.
- Signagi.The city of love with amazing architecture and fortress. Pirosmani Museum.
- Alazani Valley... Kvareli. Nekresi. Gremi. Telavi. Monasteries and wine cellars.
Important! The only road to Tusheti, Pshaveli-Abano-Omalo, has been closed since autumn from 24 to 52 km. After the rains, the road was covered with stones. Perhaps it will be cleared by the summer of 2021.
Map of the route in Georgia by car
Where to stay for rest?
On the way there are guesthouses, campings, mountain shelters. You can put up a tent almost anywhere, but it is better in a camping, the cost of an overnight stay is on average 650 rubles, depending on the place. In cities, accommodation can be booked in advance through Booking, here you can find private options for a house or apartment for every taste and budget from the owners.
- You can use our selection of already proven accommodation with comfortable conditions and good reviews from experienced tourists, which is very important when traveling for the first time.
