Tbilisi (Georgian: ááááááá) is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Kura River with a population of roughly 1.5 million inhabitants. Tbilisi is known for its distinctive architecture, which reflects the city’s storied past and comprises an eclectic mix of Medieval, Neoclassical, Art Nouveau, Stalinist and Modernist structures.Present-day Tbilisi is one of the safest cities in Europe and frequently ranks among the most popular emerging destinations thanks to Georgia’s growing tourism industry.Tbilisi lies in the centre of eastern Georgia, in the foothills of the Trialeti mountain range. According to Georgian legends, it was founded in the 5th century by King Vakhtang Gorgasali who, while hunting, shot a pheasant which fell into a warm spring and was either boiled or healed. Either way, the king was inspired to found a city on the site, and the name of the city derives from the Georgian word tbili meaning “warm”. Although the city has been destroyed and rebuilt some 29 times, the layout of the Old Town is largely intact with narrow alleys and big crooked houses built around courtyards.Tbilisi has cool winters and warm summers. There is very little rain. It rains only 70 days per year. It is common to snow in Tbilisi in the beginning of the year. Most rain falls on the summer months.Summers in Tbilisi can get very hot, with the record high being 42C, winters can get cold with the record low being -24.4C.Tbilisi International Airport (IATA: TBS) is 17km southeast of the city centre. A new, modern terminal was inaugurated in 2007. There are ATMs, multiple SIM card vendors, a CIP lounge, and free Wi-Fi (Silknet) in the airport. George W. Bush Avenue leads from the airport to downtown Tbilisi.The following airlines operate service to/from Tbilisi International Airport:Aeroflot (Moscow-Sheremetyevo), Air Arabia (Sharjah), Air Astana (Almaty, Astana),airBaltic (Riga), Air Cairo (Cairo, Hurghada, Sharm-El-Sheikh), Arkia Israel Airlines (Tel Aviv), ATA Airlines (Tehran), Azerbaijan Airlines (Baku), Belavia (Minsk), China Southern Airlines (arumqi, Beijing), El-Al (Tel Aviv), Emirates (Dubai), flydubai (Dubai), flynas (Jeddah, Riyadh), Georgian Airways (Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, Batumi, Berlin, Bologna, Bratislava, Brussels, Cologne, Kazan, Kharkiv, Kyiv-Boryspil, London-Gatwick, Moscow-Vnukovo, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Prague, Thessaloniki, Saint-Petersburg, Vienna, Yerevan), Gulf Air (Bahrain), Jazeera Airways (Kuwait), LOT Polish Airlines (Warsaw), Lufthansa (Munich), MyWay Arilines (Antalya, Batumi, Tel Aviv), Pegasus Airlines (Istanbul-Sabiha Gokcen), Pobeda Airlines (Rostov), Qatar Airways (Doha, Baku), Salam Air (Muscat), SCAT (Aktau), S7 Airlines (Moscow-Domodedovo), TAROM (Bucharest), Turkish Airlines (Istanbul-Ataturk, Istanbul-Sabiha Gokcen), Ukraine International Airlines (Kyiv-Boryspil), Ural Airlines (Ekaterinburg, Krasnodar, Sochi), Wataniya Airways (Kuwait), Wings of Lebanon (Beirut), Zagros Airlines (Tehran).Natakhtari AirfieldNatakhtari Airfield (ICAO: UGSA) is an domestic airport located in Natakhtari, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Georgia. It also serves Mtskheta and Tbilisi. It only serves domestic flights. A bus links the airfield with Tbilisi.The following airlines operate service to/from Natakhtari Airfield:VannilaSky Georgia (Ambrolauri, Batumi, Kutaisi, Mestia)Bus #37 and #137 leaves from the right corner outside the arrival area every 15-30 minutes, to the city centre. It travels via Samgori (where you can change for the metro), Avlabari, Freedom Square, Rustaveli, Republic Square and Tamar Bridge, to the main train station (Vagzal). The trip to the city centre can take over 50 minutes. The fare is GEL0.50 (October 2018). Make sure you have exact change since the bus only takes coins and the driver does not carry money (purchase something in the arrival hall before getting on the bus…ATMs will dispense a minimum of GEL5). Do note that stops are not announced and that there isn’t much room for luggage, but otherwise is a convenient and very affordable way to get downtown.Taxis between the airport and the city cost 20-30 lari. Standard rates are listed on a board by the taxi rank as you exit the airport, on the right hand side.Trains from the airport to Tbilisi’s central railway station cost GEL0.50 and the travel time is 35 minutes. The train runs only twice a day in each direction (as of January 2019, from main station at 07:50 and 16:55, and from the airport at 08:35 and 17:40). From Tbilisi central station you can connect to the Tbilisi Metro (‘Station Square’ station). To buy a ticket, place the exact change into a box at the end of the carriage after you board the train.You must download the Georgian Railway Tickets app if you want to purchase your ticket in advance (only possible a few hours before the train’s arrival). A list of passengers will be printed and the documents of the main ticket holder will be checked upon boarding. Alternatively, you can purchase tickets at Tbilisi Railway Station. Tickets are not sold at every station en route, nor are they sold on board.Domestic trains run between Tbilisi and Batumi, Ozurgeti, Kutaisi, Nikozi, Sadakhlo, Borjomi, Gardabani, Poti, Tbilisi Airport and Zugdidi. International trains run regularly between Tbilisi and Baku and between Tbilisi and Yerevan. A new rail connection with Turkey was completed in 2017.The complete list of trains and destinations can be found HereAn overnight sleeper train runs from Yerevan to Tbilisi on even days of the year with prices starting at AMD8400 (c. USD20) (Nov 2014). In the winter, it departs at 21:30. Tickets can be bought at the Yerevan train station, cash only.The overnight train from Baku to Tbilisi leaves daily at 20:30 and arrives to Tbilisi at 09:45. The trains are equipped with everything and their comfort levels (SV, KP, PL – for 2, 4, and more people respectively) increase with price, starting from AZN20 (USD19) one way. Online booking is available through Azerbaijani RailwaysLuks Karadeniz operates a daily bus from Turkey, costing TRY70. Bus services from Russia have been suspended. Kars Vipturizm operates a minibus services between Kars, Ardahan, Akhaltsikhe and Tiblis. Phone: +904449188. Little english spoken. As of September 2019 the bus left at 11am Wednesday Friday and Sunday. Regular buses or marshrutkas run between Tbilisi and Batumi or Kazbegi as well as Azerbaijan and locations in Armenia.Neo-Turs bus company offers bus transfers Tbilsi – Thessaloniki – Athens and back, starting from Didube bus station (price: USD100).The main mini-bus station can be found at Metro station Didube. Buses 21 and 46 lead there from the city center. It’s rather large, and you’ll find minibuses to almost anywhere. Once at the metro platforms, take the train on the right (going forwards). This direction takes you to the main station and centre. There are no signs in English.For minibuses to some destinations (e.g. Sighnaghi), you must go to Samgori, at Samgori metro station.Minibuses from Yerevan will drop you off at Ortachala bus station, which is not easily connected to the metro network, but taxis in Georgia are cheap, or at the train station. Vans (Grey Mercedes Sprinter) leave from the parking lot in front of Yerevan train station at 9:00, 11:00, 13:00, 15:00, and 17:00 and cost 30 lari or 6000 AMD. Please note, that drivers might be smoking inside while driving.Tbilisi is located inland and does not have ferry connections. You may be able to catch a ferry from Ukraine to Batumi, eight hours away.Main transport inside and outside Tbilisi city is bus and minibus – marshrutka. Tbilisi has a two-line metro system, which operates 06:00-23:59.All signs inside the metro are in Georgian and English. Station names are announced in both English and Georgian as well. There are a few system maps in carriages, usually located above one of the carriage doors. It will be hard to find English speakers riding the Metro

Airport: TBS Tbilisi International Airport Cities in Georgia

Country: Georgia