How To Get From Tbilisi To Batumi by Train, Bus In 2026

 

Updated in April 2026

In the summer months, many locals and tourists travel from Tbilisi to Batumi, one of the most famous beach resorts on the Black Sea shores. With a long sunny coast, the city has been attracting Georgians and tourists from neighboring countries for decades.

With an ever-changing skyline, many casinos, and being the place to see and be seen during the summer, the city should definitely be on your itinerary when you travel to Georgia.

To make your life easier, this article will explain how to get from Tbilisi to Batumi and the return trip from Batumi to Tbilisi, with all options available.

While the city hosts music festivals and is a very lively place in the warm months, it is much quieter in winter. It also rains a lot between autumn and early spring. If it snows, then, it is a magic place and I highly recommend you experience it.

 

How To Travel From Tbilisi To Batumi

There are many ways to get from Tbilisi to Batumi and vice-versa. How you choose to travel will depend on how long you have, your budget, and how you prefer to travel in general. Here I cover all the options available, so keep reading to see which one suits you best.

Tbilisi To Batumi Train

The Tbilisi Batumi train is the fastest and most comfortable way to travel between both cities. There are several departures during the day and in the peak summer months, there are extra services to handle the increased demand.

The two-story Tbilisi Batumi train is modern, with comfortable seats, free wifi and (usually) clean toilets.

There is no carriage restaurant carriage, but there are vending machines between carriages with water, soft drinks, chocolate and crisps, as well as a small improvised stall selling sandwiches and Georgian snacks.

There are three different classes on the trains from Tbilisi to Batumi and fares vary considerably.

Different Classes On The Tbilisi To Batumi Train

All classes offer free wifi, a power outlet and air conditioning. The second class on the train is the cheapest and the seating arrangement is 3+2. Seats are fairly comfortable, but they don’t recline. Tickets cost around 36GEL (roughly 13USD) per person, each way.

First-class has everything that the second-class offers. Here, seats recline and the configuration is 2-2. There is also more legroom and it is usually less busy (second class gets very crowded in the summer months). Tickets cost 76GEL (around 28USD).

Business Class tickets are only available a few hours before departure and you can pay for an upgrade at the station. At a 126GEL price tag (around 50USD), I don’t really see the point in traveling in Business, unless you want a really quiet environment.

How To Buy Tbilisi To Batumi Train Tickets

Tickets for the Tbilisi to Batumi train service can be bought online or at the Tbilisi Railway Station. I highly recommend buying the tickets online and in advance, especially for travel in the summer months.

Buying Tickets At the Station

If you choose to buy your Tbilisi to Batumi train ticket at the station, you will have to go to Station Square. You can take the metro or take a Bolt Taxi (visit the link to get a discount on your first 2 rides).

Bolt works just like Uber (which is not operational in Georgia) and is very useful to get around Tbilisi, Batumi and Kutaisi, so it’s an app worth downloading.

The ticket counters are on the top floor, you will need to get a docket and wait for your number to show in one of the tills.

To buy your train ticket to Batumi, you will have to present the passport of every passenger you are buying tickets for. They accept payment in cash (lari only) and credit cards.

Buying Tbilisi Batumi Tickets Online

You can buy tickets on the Georgian Railway website or on the TKT.ge website or app. Both sites have an English version and will require you to create an account to use.

The best one to use is TKT.ge, as it shows you a seating plan so you can choose exactly where you want to sit. You will receive an email with your ticket, which you can either print or just show the QR on your phone before boarding.

Alternatively, you can also buy your train ticket to Batumi in the pay boxes you see everywhere on the streets. The process is very straight forward and you only pay a 2GEL fee.

At Batumi Train Station

The Tbilisi-Batumi train terminates at Batumi Railway Station, located 2km from Europe Square in the city center, and 4km from a more popular stretch of the beach.

Despite the fairly short distance, it’s not possible to make the journey by foot, since there’s no sidewalk in part of the highway.

As you arrive at the platform, there will be a lot of people offering you a taxi to the city. As with airport taxis, I wouldn’t recommend going with one of them. But if you do decide to, make sure to negotiate the rate. The price should be around 12GEL.

My preferred way to get from the station to the city center is ordering a Bolt Taxi. It costs around 8-10GEL to Europe Square and 10-15GEL to the area around the Public Service Hall.

Bus From Tbilisi To Batumi

Another good option to travel between Georgia‘s two largest cities is by bus. The bus from Tbilisi to Batumi is operated by Metro Bus Georgia in 50-seater coaches.

The buses are comfortable and have free wifi, LED screens every seat, air conditioning and complimentary refreshments.

The journey by bus from Tbilisi to Batumi takes 6.5 hours and there are 3 to 4 departures daily. At the time of writing, the departure times are:

12pm from Tbilisi, arriving in Batumi at 6:30pm

6pm from Tbilisi, arriving in Batumi at 11:59pm

11:59pm from Tbilisi, arriving in Batumi at 6:30am the following day

Buying Bus Tickets

The most convenient way to buy your Tbilisi to Batumi bus tickets is by going online to the Metro Georgia website.

It is also possible to buy tickets at Metro Georgia offices or using pay boxes located all around Tbilisi and Batumi. Tickets cost between 30 and 45GEL, depending on the time of the year you are traveling.

Taking The Bus In Tbilisi

The Tbilisi to Batumi bus departs from Ortachala Bus Station, located on Gulia Str. 1, in Tbilisi. The only way to get there is by taxi since there is no metro station in the vicinity. A Bolt Taxi will cost around 7GEL.

Arriving In Batumi

The Tbilisi Batumi bus terminates at Batumi Bus Terminal, located on Gogol street, not far from the train station. The easiest way to get to there to the city center is by Bolt, which will cost between 4-6GEL, depending on where your accommodation in Batumi is.

Batumi To Tbilisi Bus

The return bus from Batumi to Tbilisi departs three times a day:

2am, arriving in Tbilisi at 8:30am

12pm, arriving in Tbilisi at 6:30pm

11:59pm, arriving in Tbilisi at 6:30am

Tbilisi To Batumi Flight

There is no daily Tbilisi to Batumi flight. Airlines operate this line only a few days a week. Flying from Tbilisi to Batumi is the absolute fastest way to get from one city to the other, with flight time at 35 minutes on average.

The Tbilisi Batumi flights cannot be booked on sites such as Skyscanner or Momondo. You can only book on the actual airlines’ websites or at agencies scattered around Tbilisi. But my recommendation is to book directly online.

All flights depart from Tbilisi International Airport and land at Batumi International Airport. You can check the flight schedules on Georgian Airways and Vanilla Sky.

Van (Marshrutka) From Tbilisi To Batumi

This is the cheapest way to travel between the two cities, but I only recommend it if you are on a very tight budget, since it is also the most uncomfortable among all options. Marshrutkas are larger vans (minibuses) for 17 people.

There is very limited legroom or space for your luggage. Very often, you will be charged a few extra lari if you have a lot of luggage.

Marshrutkas from Tbilisi to Batumi depart from the market area outside the Didube metro station. They leave throughout the day and have no scheduled time. The only rule is that they leave once they are full and, once you find yours, go, get on your seat and don’t move.

You won’t be assigned your seat and, if you leave your seat before departure, you may just lose it and have to take the next one.

The price of a marshrutka is 20 lari and you pay the driver directly. There are a couple of stops along the way and the trip can take up to 6 hours.

Transport From Tbilisi to Batumi: Conclusion

There are many ways to get from Tbilisi to Batumi and vice-versa. I wouldn’t say there is an absolute best, it all depends on each person’s budget and how much time they have.

I personally prefer to do this route by train, for the convenience and reasonable ticket prices. But even if one decides to fly from Tbilisi to Batumi, that is quite reasonable. Especially considering that both airports are not that far from the city center.

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