Batumi to Tbilisi: train, bus, flight or car — how long and how much

The train is the best way between Batumi and Tbilisi: 4 hours, two departures a day in each direction, 35 lari in second class and 75 in first (November 2026). A coach or minibus is cheaper by a few lari but takes 5–7 hours; a car takes about 4.5–6 hours for 350 km; a flight exists only in summer. Below are the timetable, the prices, where each option leaves from in Batumi and what we tell our own guests.

Option	Time	Price per person	Leaves Batumi from	Good for
Train (Georgian Railway)	4 h	35 ₾ 2nd class, 75 ₾ 1st class, 125 ₾ business	Batumi Central station, 4 km north of the Old Town	almost everyone: fixed timetable, comfort, luggage, children
Coach (Metro Georgia, City Bus and others)	5.5–7 h	40–50 ₾	the intercity bus station on Gogol Street or the stop beside the railway station, depending on the company	when the train is sold out; night departures
Minibus (marshrutka)	5–7 h	about 35 ₾	the intercity bus station	the cheapest; leaves when full
Flight (Georgian Airways)	45 min in the air, 3–4 h door to door	300–400 ₾	Batumi airport	summer only, and only if time matters more than money
Car or private transfer	4.5–6 h	fuel about 130 ₾ per car; a transfer 300–350 ₾ per car	your door	families with luggage, stops on the way (Kutaisi, Prometheus Cave)

Prices and times are as of November 2026; the railway timetable changes in summer, so check the exact departure on the day you book.

The train: 4 hours, twice a day

Since August 2026 the Stadler double-decker trains cover Batumi — Tbilisi in exactly four hours, down from five and a half. Outside summer there are two trains a day in each direction:

Train	Departure	Arrival
Batumi → Tbilisi, No. 803	08:00	12:00
Batumi → Tbilisi, No. 801	16:50	20:50
Tbilisi → Batumi, No. 802	08:05	12:06
Tbilisi → Batumi, No. 804	17:10	21:11

In summer Georgian Railway adds more daytime trains and sometimes a night one; the extra trains stop in September and October. The train calls at Kobuleti, Ureki and Kutaisi Airport on the way.

Tickets. Second class is 35 ₾, first class 75 ₾, business class 125 ₾ (online prices on gr.com.ge, which include a 1 ₾ fee). Buy on gr.com.ge, in the Georgian Railway app, on tkt.ge (a small extra fee) or at the station counter with a passport. Sales open about three weeks ahead. In November there are 200 seats or more left a week before departure; in July and August the trains sell out days ahead, so book as soon as you know your dates. Children under 5 travel free without a seat, and children aged 5 to 10 pay about half.

On board. Second class is a normal airline-style seat with a table and a socket; first class has wider seats and more legroom; business is the small compartment with service. There is free Wi-Fi and a water dispenser, and the luggage racks take a large suitcase. Nobody weighs your bags, but the formal limit is about 30 kg.

The stations. In Batumi the train leaves from Batumi Central on Queen Tamar Avenue, about 4 km north of the Old Town — not from the old Makhinjauri station further out. A Bolt from the centre takes 10–15 minutes and costs about 8–12 ₾; city buses run along the avenue too. In Tbilisi you arrive at Tbilisi Central on Station Square, with the metro station of the same name under it, so the city centre is 10 minutes away.

Coach and minibus: cheaper, slower

Coaches run several times a day and at night. Metro Georgia, City Bus Georgia, Omnibus and a few smaller companies charge 40–50 ₾ and take 5.5–7 hours; the buses have air conditioning, usually Wi-Fi and a toilet stop halfway. In Batumi, Metro Georgia leaves from the parking lot beside the Central railway station; most other companies use the intercity bus station on Gogol Street, near the port. In Tbilisi the coaches end at Ortachala, the central bus station, from where a taxi to the centre is 10–15 minutes.

Minibuses (marshrutkas) cost about 35 ₾, leave the Batumi bus station when they fill up and take 5–7 hours depending on the driver and the traffic. They are the cheapest way, but with no fixed seat, no timetable and little room for a suitcase. We suggest them only when the train is full and a coach is not leaving at a convenient hour.

Flight: 45 minutes, summer only

In summer 2026 Georgian Airways flew Tbilisi — Batumi four times a week: 45 minutes in the air, 300–400 ₾ one way. With the trip to the airport, check-in and the ride into the city it is 3–4 hours door to door — not much faster than the train and several times the price. The route is not in the airline's November timetable, so count on it only after you have seen it on sale.

Car and private transfer

The road is about 350 km along the Batumi — Kutaisi — Tbilisi highway. Since the end of 2025 the Rikoti pass has a four-lane motorway with tunnels, so the drive takes 4.5 hours without stops and 5–6 hours with traffic and a lunch in Kutaisi. One stretch of the highway near Samtredia is still being finished (due in 2027), so expect a few kilometres of the old road there. There are no toll roads. Petrol is about 4.3–4.4 ₾ a litre, so the fuel for one way is about 130 ₾ per car.

A private transfer with a driver (GoTrip and similar services, booked online with a fixed price) is 300–350 ₾ per car, door to door, and you can add a stop at Prometheus Cave or the monasteries of Kutaisi. For a family with two suitcases this is the same price as four first-class train tickets, with the convenience of a car — and for two people the train wins on both price and time.

What we tell our guests

Our two studios are on the 33rd floor of Blue Sky Tower, across the street from Black Sea Mall — about 10 minutes by Bolt from Batumi Central station. Most guests who want to see Tbilisi do it as a separate part of the trip rather than a day out: the morning train gets you to Tbilisi by noon, and the evening train back arrives at 21:11, so one night in Tbilisi is the minimum that makes sense. If you fly into Tbilisi, the simplest plan is a day or two there, then the morning train to Batumi — you arrive at 12:06, and with self check-in you can go straight up to the studio when it is ready (standard check-in is from 15:00; ask us about an earlier time). You book directly with us on this site: see the studios.

Questions and answers

How long is the train from Batumi to Tbilisi?

Four hours. Since August 2026 the Stadler trains run Batumi — Tbilisi in 4 h 00 min, with stops in Kobuleti, Ureki and Kutaisi Airport. Outside summer there are two trains a day: from Batumi at 08:00 and 16:50, from Tbilisi at 08:05 and 17:10.

How much is the train ticket from Batumi to Tbilisi?

35 ₾ in second class, 75 ₾ in first class and 125 ₾ in business class (November 2026, online prices). Children under 5 ride free without a seat; ages 5 to 10 pay about half.

Is there a night train between Batumi and Tbilisi?

Only in summer, and not every year. In 2026 a night pair ran in July and early August; by autumn there are only the two daytime trains in each direction. Night coaches run all year.

Which station do trains to Tbilisi leave from in Batumi?

Batumi Central on Queen Tamar Avenue, about 4 km north of the Old Town — a 10–15-minute taxi ride from the centre for about 8–12 ₾. Not the old Makhinjauri station.

Can you do Tbilisi as a day trip from Batumi?

Not comfortably. The morning train arrives at noon and the last train back leaves Tbilisi at 17:10, which leaves five hours in the city. Stay at least one night; the overnight coaches are an option if you must be back the next morning.

Train or bus from Batumi to Tbilisi?

The train: 4 hours against 5.5–7, a fixed seat, a timetable and about the same price (35 ₾ against 40–50). Take a coach only when the train is sold out or you want to travel at night.

Sources: Georgian Railway — timetable and prices (search for 10 November 2026), Georgia Today — train time cut to four hours, Georgia Guidebook — trains in Georgia, Wander-Lush — Tbilisi to Batumi, Georgia Today — Georgian Airways Tbilisi–Batumi flights, Georgian Airways — flight schedule, GoTrip — Tbilisi to Batumi, DailyFuels — fuel prices in Georgia. Checked in November 2026.