How to get to Batumi: flights, train and road
Updated 4 November 2026
Batumi has its own airport, with direct flights from Istanbul, Tel Aviv, Moscow, Sochi and Krasnodar on the board in November 2026. From most of Europe the usual way is a low-cost flight to Kutaisi and a 2-hour bus for 30 lari; through Tbilisi it is a 4-hour train from 35 lari; and from Turkey you can walk across the border at Sarpi, 15–20 km from the city. Below are the routes by where you start, with times and prices as of November 2026.
| You start in | Best way | On the ground | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Istanbul, Tel Aviv | direct flight to Batumi | 15 min to the city | by airline |
| Moscow, Sochi, Krasnodar | direct flight to Batumi | 15 min to the city | by airline |
| Most of Europe | flight to Kutaisi, then bus or train | 2 h or 1 h 24 min | bus 30 ₾, train 31 ₾ |
| Tbilisi | train | 4 h | from 35 ₾ |
| Trabzon | coach across the Sarpi border | about 3–5 h, sources differ | from about €17 |
| Istanbul, by road | coach | about 21 h | about $30–50, undated |
| Yerevan | flight, or via Tbilisi | see below | by carrier |
| Ukraine | through Poland, Romania or Moldova, then a flight | see below | by carrier |
Direct flights to Batumi airport
On the airport's board on 4–5 November 2026 we saw flights from Tel Aviv (Israir, Arkia, El Al), Istanbul (Turkish Airlines, Pegasus), Moscow Vnukovo (Azimuth), and Moscow Zhukovsky, Sochi and Krasnodar (Red Wings). The airport's route map also lists Baku, Yerevan, Dubai, Riyadh, Jeddah, Almaty, Astana, Riga, Minsk and Tashkent, among others. That map is a list of routes the airport serves, scheduled or not, rather than a timetable, and many of them run only in summer. Check the live board and your airline before planning around one.
From the terminal to the city it is 10–15 minutes by Bolt or taxi, or about 20 minutes by bus No. 10: see Batumi airport to the city.
Through Kutaisi: the low-cost way from Europe
Most low-cost flights from Europe land in Kutaisi, 150 km from Batumi. In November 2026 the airport buses to Batumi were matched to flights from Warsaw, Prague, Budapest, Rome, Milan, Barcelona, Paris, Brussels, Madrid, Dortmund, Vilnius and others. From the airport, Georgian Bus takes 2 hours for 30 ₾, including at night, and the train takes 1 hour 24 minutes for 31 ₾ twice a day. All the times are in Kutaisi to Batumi.
Through Tbilisi: the train
Two trains a day leave Tbilisi at 08:05 and 17:10 and reach Batumi at 12:06 and 21:11: 35 ₾ in second class, 75 ₾ in first. From Tbilisi airport, take a taxi or Bolt to Tbilisi Central station. Coaches and minibuses are slower, and a summer flight exists. See Batumi to Tbilisi for the timetable and tickets.
From Turkey: across the border at Sarpi
The Sarpi crossing is on the coast road, 15–20 km south of Batumi, and you can walk across. Guides describe it as open around the clock, though we found no official notice for 2026. On the Georgian side, bus 16 runs from Sarpi to Batumi in about 40 minutes, and Bolt costs about 25–35 ₾.
Coaches go straight through. From Trabzon, Metro Turizm and others take about 3–5 hours including the border, from about €17; the timetable sites differ on the time. From Istanbul, Metro Turizm runs one coach a day, about 21 hours, for about $30–50 (Omio, undated).
From Russia
Flying direct is by far the simplest: from Moscow (Azimuth, Red Wings), Sochi and Krasnodar (Red Wings) in November 2026, and the airport lists other Red Wings cities.
By road, the crossing is Verkhny Lars on the Georgian Military Highway, then Tbilisi and the highway west to Batumi. The mountain section can close in snow, so check before you set out and plan to break the trip in Tbilisi.
We could not confirm any regular land or sea route from Sochi to Batumi. Do not plan to enter through Abkhazia at the Psou crossing: Georgia treats entry into Abkhazia from the Russian side as illegal.
From Armenia and Azerbaijan
Yerevan. Armenian Airlines appears on Batumi's route map, so check whether it is flying on your dates. In summer 2026 a train ran from Yerevan through to Batumi every other night from 14 June to 1 October (Wander-Lush). Outside that season the train goes only as far as Tbilisi, and you change to the day train there.
Baku. Azerbaijan Airlines flies to Batumi, about 1 hour 30 minutes; sources differ between 2 and 7 flights a week, and we could not confirm the winter schedule. Eurasianet reported in May 2026 that Azerbaijan was reopening its land border with Georgia; check how it works for passengers before relying on it.
From Ukraine
There are no flights from Ukraine, as its airspace is closed. The usual way is to cross into Poland, Romania or Moldova and fly on. From Poland, the low-cost flights from Warsaw, Katowice and Poznan to Kutaisi are the most direct.
By sea
Ferries from Varna in Bulgaria and from Chornomorsk in Ukraine exist mainly for trucks, and the crossing takes about 60 hours. Ukrferry's Chornomorsk ship sailed with passengers in March 2025; we could not confirm passenger sailings for 2026. Ask the operator directly, and do not build a trip around one without a confirmed ticket.
Before you travel
Visa. Many nationalities enter Georgia without a visa, but the list and the length of stay depend on your passport and they change. Check the official Georgian consular portal.
Insurance. Since 1 January 2026 foreign tourists must have health and accident insurance, and border officers can refuse entry without it. Keep a policy in English on your phone.
Our studios at the end of the road
Our two studios are on the 33rd floor of Blue Sky Tower, across the street from Black Sea Mall: 15 minutes by car from Batumi airport and about 10 minutes by Bolt from Batumi Central station. You book directly with us on this site: see the studios.
More from our Batumi guide: Kutaisi to Batumi, Batumi to Tbilisi and from the airport to the city.
Questions and answers
How do I get to Batumi from Europe?
Usually a low-cost flight to Kutaisi, then the 2-hour Georgian Bus for 30 ₾ or the train for 31 ₾. The other option is to fly to Tbilisi and take the 4-hour train from 35 ₾.
How do I get to Batumi from Moscow?
By direct flight: in November 2026 Azimuth flies from Vnukovo and Red Wings from Zhukovsky. By road the route runs through Verkhny Lars and Tbilisi, with a long mountain section that can close in snow.
How do I get from Sochi to Batumi?
By direct flight with Red Wings, which was on the airport board in November 2026. We could not confirm any regular land or sea route, and Georgia treats entry through Abkhazia as illegal.
How do I get to Batumi from Yerevan?
Check Armenian Airlines, which is on Batumi's route map. Otherwise go to Tbilisi by train or road and take the 4-hour train to Batumi. A through train ran only in summer 2026, from 14 June to 1 October.
Can you get to Batumi from Turkey by land?
Yes. The Sarpi crossing is 15–20 km from Batumi and you can walk across; bus 16 and Bolt continue to the city. Coaches run from Trabzon and Istanbul.
Is there a train to Batumi?
Yes, from Tbilisi, in 4 hours, twice a day outside summer. It stops at Kutaisi airport station on the way. In summer 2026 there was also a through train from Yerevan.
Do I need insurance to enter Georgia?
Yes. Since 1 January 2026 foreign tourists must have health and accident insurance, and border officers can refuse entry without it.
Sources: Batumi Airport — arrivals, Batumi Airport — route map, Georgian Bus — schedule, Georgian Railway, Madloba — from Russia to Batumi, Civil.ge — entering Abkhazia, Travel Tramp — the Sarpi crossing, Obilet — Trabzon to Batumi, Omio — Istanbul to Batumi, Wander-Lush — Tbilisi to Yerevan by train, Flight Connections — Baku to Batumi, Eurasianet — Azerbaijan land border, BTA — the Varna to Batumi ferry line, USM — Chornomorsk to Batumi, Eurofast — mandatory insurance. Checked in November 2026.