Quick answer
Take the train from Tbilisi to Batumi: four double-decker departures a day (06:30, 08:05, 10:15, 17:10), 4 hours 1 minute, 36 GEL (about $14) in second class or 76 GEL in first, stopping at Kutaisi Airport on the way. Zugdidi (for Svaneti), Poti and Ozurgeti have one slower single-decker train a day for 17 GEL. Borjomi has two local trains for 1 to 2 GEL that cannot be booked online. There are no trains to Kazbegi, Kakheti, Mestia or Vardzia. Book on tkt.ge or gr.com.ge up to 20 days ahead; summer Batumi trains sell out.
- Tbilisi to Batumi
- 4 h 01 min
- Second class
- 36 GEL
- Batumi trains a day
- 4
- Sales open
- 20 days ahead
Train travel in Georgia is better than most first-time visitors expect and thinner than the internet sometimes pretends. It is not Italy. You are not hopping between every pretty town on an hourly timetable. What you get is one excellent, cheap, air-conditioned line from the capital to the coast, a few slow regional trains that are worth knowing about, and a network that stops dead at the foot of every mountain range. Understand that and the train is a pleasure. Expect it to solve every leg and you will end up at the Didube marshrutka yard wondering why your train to Kazbegi does not exist.
Every time, fare and rule on this page comes from Georgian Railway's published schedule and price list (gr.com.ge), the tkt.ge booking site's search results for mid-September 2026, and the railway's passenger rules, all read on 6 September 2026, with station and on-board details confirmed against a reputable guide updated in August 2026. USD conversions use the National Bank of Georgia rate of 5 September 2026 (1 USD = 2.61 GEL).
Every passenger route, with fares
Georgian Railway runs four mainline routes out of Tbilisi, all heading west, plus a handful of local "district" trains and two international sleepers. Nothing runs east into Kakheti, north to Kazbegi or up into Svaneti. The table gives the tkt.ge prices, which include its booking fee; the railway's own site sells the same seats for about 2 GEL less.
Trains from Tbilisi, September 2026
| Route | Fare | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Tbilisi to Batumi | 36 / 76 GEL | Fast double-decker, 4 h 01 min, four a day (06:30, 08:05, 10:15, 17:10). Second / first class. Stops at Kutaisi Airport, Ureki and Kobuleti |
| Tbilisi to Kutaisi Airport | 34 / 72 GEL | The same double-deckers, 2 h 35 min, plus two slower single-deckers (08:15 and 17:30, about 3 h) for 15 / 27 GEL. Free shuttle bus to the terminal |
| Tbilisi to Ureki or Kobuleti | 36 / 76 GEL | On the Batumi trains, 3 h 23 min to Ureki. Same fare as Batumi |
| Tbilisi to Zugdidi | 17 / 29 GEL | Single-decker, 08:15 to 13:36 (5 h 21 min), one a day; back at 18:00. The rail link for Svaneti, with a marshrutka on to Mestia |
| Tbilisi to Poti | 17 / 29 GEL | Single-decker, 17:30 to 22:11 (4 h 41 min), one a day; back at 08:00. Business class 44 GEL |
| Tbilisi to Ozurgeti | 17 / 29 GEL | Single-decker, 08:25 to 14:33 (6 h 08 min), every second day only. For Guria; the Batumi train to Ureki plus a taxi is quicker |
| Tbilisi to Borjomi | 1 to 2 GEL | Local train, 06:35 and 18:35, about 3 h 50 min with 17 stops, basic seats, not sold online. Back at 06:00 and 16:30 |
| Kutaisi to Batumi | A few GEL | Local train from Kutaisi I, 06:25 and 16:55, about 4 h. Fare not published online; buy at the station |
Prices checked 6 September 2026. Ranges reflect season and operator.
Two things stand out. First, the Batumi fast train is in a different league from everything else: it is the one modern train in the country, and it is the reason the train beats every road option to the coast. Second, there is no longer a direct train to Kutaisi's own station. The old Tbilisi to Kutaisi I service was cancelled in March 2025. To reach Kutaisi by rail you get off at Kutaisi International Airport (Kopitnari), where a free railway minibus shuttles to the terminal and a Bolt or marshrutka takes you the 20 km into town, or you ride the Zugdidi, Poti or Ozurgeti single-deckers to Rioni station on the city's edge. The Kutaisi guide has the last stretch.
The Tbilisi to Batumi train in detail
This is the one to plan around. The Swiss-built Stadler double-deckers left over from the 2016 to 2017 fleet purchase run four times a day in each direction in the September 2026 timetable, and every one of them takes 4 hours 1 minute, which is quicker than any marshrutka, bus or hired driver on the same route and far calmer. They leave from Tbilisi Central (Station Square) and arrive at Batumi Central on the northern edge of the city, a short Bolt ride from the boulevard.
| Tbilisi to Batumi | Batumi to Tbilisi |
|---|---|
| 06:30 to 10:31 (train 806) | 08:00 to 12:00 (train 803) |
| 08:05 to 12:06 (train 802) | 14:10 to 18:13 (train 805) |
| 10:15 to 14:16 (train 808) | 16:50 to 20:50 (train 801) |
| 17:10 to 21:11 (train 804) | 18:30 to 22:30 (train 807) |
Fares are flat: 36 GEL (about $14) in second class and 76 GEL (about $29) in first on tkt.ge, or 32 to 34 and 70 to 74 GEL on the railway's own price list, which does not include the booking fee. Business class, where it is offered, is listed at 120 to 124 GEL. Children aged 5 to 10 pay half. The same trains serve Kutaisi Airport at 34 / 72 GEL and Ureki and Kobuleti at the full Batumi fare.
There is no overnight Batumi train in the September 2026 schedule. The summer night Stadler services that the railway adds in some years were not listed for any September date when we checked, so do not plan a sleeper on this line; the 17:10 departure gets you in at 21:11, which is the closest thing.
Zugdidi, and the train-plus-marshrutka route to Mestia
The Zugdidi train is the rail half of the classic way into Svaneti without a hire car. One single-decker leaves Tbilisi at 08:15 and arrives at 13:36 (5 hours 21 minutes), for 17 GEL (about $6.50) in second class or 29 GEL in first; business is 44 GEL. Marshrutkas to Mestia wait outside Zugdidi station for the train and take another three hours up the valley. The return train leaves Zugdidi at 18:00 and reaches Tbilisi at 23:27. The single-deckers are older than the Batumi stock and second class shows it; for five hours, first class at 29 GEL is the better buy. The Svaneti guide covers the Mestia leg and the flight alternative.
Borjomi and the other local trains
The Tbilisi to Borjomi train is the cheapest scenic ride in the country and the least comfortable. Two local trains a day leave Tbilisi at 06:35 and 18:35 and reach Borjomi-Parki, the small station by the park, at 10:22 and 22:30, calling at 17 stations on the way; they come back at 06:00 and 16:30. The railway's price list gives the fare as 1 to 2 GEL. Seats are the basic day-coach kind, there is no class choice, and tickets are not sold on tkt.ge or the railway's site: you buy on board or at the station. A marshrutka from Didube does the same trip in about two and a half hours for 15 GEL, so the train is for people who like trains, not people in a hurry. Our Borjomi guide has the town end.
The narrow-gauge Kukushka from Borjomi up to Bakuriani, Georgia's only true scenic railway, has not run since 2020. In April 2026 the railway announced the line and its historic stations will be restored, with services planned to resume around January 2027; until it reopens, Bakuriani is a marshrutka or driver trip from Borjomi.
The other local trains are for very specific plans. Kutaisi I to Batumi runs twice a day (06:25 and 16:55, about four hours, stopping along the Guria coast), and Batumi to Kutaisi I comes back at 08:50 and 19:20. Kutaisi to Sachkhere via Chiatura and Tbilisi to Gardabani via Rustavi are commuter services. None of these is sold online; you pay at the station or on the train, and they never sell out.
Classes and what the ride is like
| Class | What you get |
|---|---|
| Second class | Reserved reclining seats, air conditioning, power sockets in each row on the double-decker. 36 GEL to Batumi, 17 GEL to Zugdidi or Poti. The right choice for almost everyone on the Batumi train |
| First class | Two-by-one seating with more legroom, a footrest and a socket per seat; some four-seat bays with a table. 76 GEL to Batumi, 29 GEL to Zugdidi. Worth it on the older single-deckers, optional on the Batumi train |
| Business class | Only on some Batumi, Poti and Zugdidi trains: a separate recliner with tray table, and on the double-deckers free coffee and tea. 44 GEL to Poti or Zugdidi, 120 to 124 GEL to Batumi on the railway's list |
| Day coach | The local trains: bench or basic seats, no reservation, no class choice, 1 to 2 GEL. Fine for Borjomi if you have the day |
On the double-deckers a screen shows speed, temperature and the next station, a small bottle of water per passenger is handed out free, and there are vending machines rather than a dining car. Wifi exists and is often down. Bring a snack from the kiosks at Station Square; nothing on board is a meal. Smoking and alcohol are banned on all trains, and the railway does enforce the alcohol rule.
How to buy tickets
Two websites sell the same seats. The railway's own portal at gr.com.ge charges the base fare, needs an account (your passport number goes in the ID field) and lets you pick a seat for 1 GEL. tkt.ge needs no account, works in English, takes any Visa or Mastercard and adds a fee of a few lari; on the Batumi fares we compared it was 2 GEL a ticket. Both send a QR-code e-ticket by email that you show on your phone; nothing needs printing. Sales open 20 days before departure and close 10 minutes before the train leaves, after which you can still board if seats are free by paying the conductor.
At Tbilisi Central the ticket counters are on the third floor, open 08:00 to 20:00 with a desk or two staying open until the last evening train; you take a number from the machine, pay in cash, and can buy returns as well as singles. Station buying is a fine backup for the single-deckers and the only option for the local trains. For a Batumi train in summer it is how you discover the train is full.
Ticket rules, from Georgian Railway's passenger conditions
| Rule | Detail | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Children under 5 | Free | Without a seat of their own; a second child under 5 needs a child ticket |
| Children 5 to 10 | Half fare | 16 to 17 GEL second class to Batumi. From 10 the adult fare applies. Under 14s travel on a birth certificate or passport |
| Refund, 15 h or more before | 100% | Only the named passenger can return a ticket, with ID |
| Refund, 4 to 15 h before | 85% | Less than 4 hours before departure you get 70% |
| Luggage | 36 kg free | Up to 180 cm total dimensions. Nothing over 80 kg or 3 m. Bicycles: one per carriage, front wheel off and packed |
| Pets | Free | Small animals in a container up to 55 x 35 x 20 cm on your lap or at your feet, with a veterinary certificate; a container on its own seat needs a ticket |
Prices checked 6 September 2026. Ranges reflect season and operator.
The stations
Tbilisi Central sits on top of Station Square, at the metro station of the same name where the two lines meet and where airport bus 337 terminates, so it is the easiest station in the country to reach: 1 GEL by metro from anywhere central, or a 15 to 25 GEL Bolt from the airport. The building is a functional multi-storey block with a market sprawling around it, not a place to linger; platforms are downstairs, the counters are upstairs, and the concourse kiosks cover water and snacks. Arrive 25 to 30 minutes early the first time. The Tbilisi transport guide has the metro and bus details and the bus stations guide explains why the marshrutka yards are somewhere else entirely.
Kutaisi International Airport is a platform beside the terminal that every mainline and local train stops at, with a free railway minibus between the platform and the airport doors. For a Wizz Air flight it is the calmest way to arrive from Tbilisi. Batumi Central is on the northern side of the city; a Bolt to the old boulevard is a few lari. Zugdidi is a small station with the Mestia marshrutkas parked outside. Borjomi-Parki is a halt by the mineral-water park, a short walk from the centre.
Sleeper trains to Yerevan and Baku
Two international trains leave Tbilisi Central. The Yerevan sleeper runs every second night: in summer it originates in Batumi at 14:55, leaves Tbilisi at 22:40 and reaches Yerevan at 08:59, and the return continues to Batumi, arriving 07:34; from early October to mid-June a Tbilisi-only train leaves at 20:20 and arrives at 06:55. Fares published for summer 2026 run from 84 GEL (about $32) in an open-plan third-class carriage to 166 GEL for a two-berth compartment, and sales open 40 days ahead on the Armenian and Georgian railway sites. The Georgia versus Armenia guide compares the two destinations.
The Tbilisi to Baku night train relaunched on 26 May 2026 after a six-year gap: daily, leaving Tbilisi at 21:00 and arriving in Baku at 06:24, with fares from 85 to 189 Azerbaijani manat (about 133 to 295 GEL). Note that Azerbaijan's land borders remain closed to most travellers, with the train a specific exemption for Azerbaijani citizens and passport holders who qualify for visa-free entry; check the current rule on the Azerbaijani side before booking. Our border crossings guide covers the road crossings.
Train, marshrutka or driver
| Route | What to take |
|---|---|
| Tbilisi to Batumi | Train, every time. 4 h for 36 GEL against 6 h or more for 25 to 35 GEL in a marshrutka |
| Tbilisi to Kutaisi | Marshrutka from Didube (25 GEL, about 3.5 h) unless you are heading to the airport, where the train is better |
| Tbilisi to Mestia | Train to Zugdidi plus marshrutka, or the Vanilla Sky flight when the weather holds, or a driver for the whole day |
| Tbilisi to Borjomi | Marshrutka (15 GEL, 2.5 h) if you want to arrive; the 1 to 2 GEL local train if you want the ride |
| Kazbegi, Kakheti, Tusheti, Vardzia | No train exists. Marshrutka, shared taxi, hired driver or rental car; our marshrutka guide has fares and yards |
Georgia is a road-trip country first and a train country second. If your itinerary is Tbilisi, the coast, Kutaisi and maybe Svaneti, rail fits well. If it is mountain passes, wineries and fortress villages, the train is background noise and you want a driver or a car. The getting around Georgia guide puts all the modes side by side.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the train from Tbilisi to Batumi?
How long does the Tbilisi to Batumi train take?
Is there a night train from Tbilisi to Batumi?
Can I get to Kazbegi, Kakheti or Mestia by train?
Is there a train from Tbilisi to Kutaisi?
Where do I buy Georgian train tickets?
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