The short answer: for Batumi, take the train: the double-decker trains from Tbilisi take about 4 hours and are the most comfortable way to cross the country [1]. For Kutaisi, the same trains stop at Kutaisi International Airport station, about 2.5 hours from Tbilisi, but not in the city itself [1][2]. Marshrutkas and coaches to Kutaisi take about 3–3.5 hours [2]. By car, the Rikoti highway, finished in December 2025, makes Tbilisi to Kutaisi about 3 hours and lets you stop on the way [3]. Here are the options in detail.
By train: the Stadler double-deckers
Georgian Railway's Swiss-built Stadler double-decker trains run between Tbilisi Central and Batumi. In the September 2026 timetable there were four a day in each direction, each taking about 4 hours, with stops at Kutaisi International Airport, Ureki and Kobuleti [1]. Published departure times differ from one source to the next and change with the season, so check the current timetable when you book rather than relying on a blog.
- Fares (September 2026): about 36 GEL in second class and 76 GEL in first class, with a small business class above that [1].
- Tickets: online at tkt.ge or on Georgian Railway's own site, or at the counters in Tbilisi Central. Sales open 20 days before departure [1].
- Summer: between June and September the trains fill up, weekends and holidays first. Book as soon as sales open [1].
- On board: air-conditioning and Wi-Fi; bring your own food and water.
The train to Kutaisi
The direct train to Kutaisi's city station was cancelled in March 2025 [1]. You now have two choices. The Stadler trains stop at Kutaisi International Airport station, about 2.5 hours from Tbilisi; from there it is a taxi ride of roughly 25 GEL into the city [2]. Slower, older trains run to Rioni station, about 15 minutes' drive south of the centre, and take just under 3 hours [2]. Either way, the train is less convenient for Kutaisi than for Batumi.
By marshrutka or coach
Marshrutkas to Kutaisi leave from Didube bus station in Tbilisi throughout the day; there are more than 20 a day, the fare was 25 GEL in 2026, and the ride takes 3–3.5 hours [2]. Coach companies such as Okriba and City Bus run a handful of services a day for 25–30 GEL, from Didube or the Ortachala bus station, taking about 3 hours [2]. They are cheap and frequent, and they drop you in Kutaisi itself, which the train does not. For Batumi, the train is a far more comfortable choice than a long minibus ride.
By car: the Rikoti highway
The main road west from Tbilisi runs past Mtskheta and Gori, then crosses the Likhi range at the Rikoti pass, the old bottleneck between east and west Georgia. The new four-lane Rikoti highway, completed on 29 December 2025, covers 52 km with 51 tunnels and 97 bridges, and roughly halves the time on that section [3]. Tbilisi to Kutaisi is 220–230 km, about 3 hours without stops. Kutaisi to Batumi is about 150 km and 2–2.5 hours, so Tbilisi to Batumi by road is 5–6 hours without stops.
Driving means you can stop on the way. That is the real advantage over the train.
Flying into Kutaisi
Kutaisi International Airport is served by low-cost flights from Europe, and many visitors start or end their trip there rather than in Tbilisi. Because the Stadler trains stop at the airport station, you can go straight from the plane to Tbilisi or Batumi by rail. Airport coaches also run to Tbilisi, for about 30 GEL one way in 2026 [2]. Batumi has its own airport, useful if you want to finish your trip on the coast and fly home from there.
What's worth stopping for
Gori and Uplistsikhe
About an hour west of Tbilisi, Uplistsikhe is a town cut into the rock above the Mtkvari, and the Stalin Museum is in Gori. Together they take 3–4 hours. For how Uplistsikhe compares with Vardzia, see Uplistsikhe or Vardzia.
Surami and its nazuki bread
The village of Surami, near the eastern end of the Rikoti section, is known for nazuki, a sweet bread spiced with cinnamon and cloves and studded with raisins, baked in clay tone ovens in dozens of roadside huts [4]. With the new highway, the huts are a short detour off the main road rather than on it, but a warm loaf is worth ten minutes.
Gelati Monastery
On a hill a few kilometres north-east of Kutaisi, Gelati was founded in 1106 by King David the Builder as a monastery and centre of learning. Its 12th-century mosaic of the Virgin and Child fills the apse of the main church, and David the Builder and many later kings are buried here [5]. Gelati has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994 and is Kutaisi's only UNESCO site [5]. Allow an hour.
Prometheus cave and the canyons
Just outside Kutaisi are Prometheus cave, the Martvili canyon and the Okatse canyon. They make a full day from Kutaisi; see our guide to Kutaisi's caves and canyons for what is open when.
Which one should you choose?
- Tbilisi to Batumi, no stops: the train.
- Tbilisi to Kutaisi, on a budget: a marshrutka or coach from Didube.
- Flying into Kutaisi airport: the train from the airport station, or an airport coach.
- You want Uplistsikhe, Gelati or the caves on the way: a car, with a driver or your own.
- A round trip: drive west with stops and take the train back. Many of our multi-day routes do exactly this.
Western Georgia with us
Our tours are private, with your own car and English-speaking driver-guide. The Western Georgia and the Black Sea tour drives from Tbilisi to Kutaisi on the Rikoti highway, continues to Svaneti and Batumi, and ends with the train back to Tbilisi, where our driver meets you. The Grand Georgia 10-day tour visits Gelati on the way to Kutaisi and Batumi and returns by evening train. Already in Kutaisi? The Prometheus cave and Martvili canyon day trip starts from your Kutaisi hotel. See each tour page for the current price, or plan your own route west and we send you a plan and a price. Nothing to pay now.
Sources
- The Georgian Guide, "Trains in Georgia 2026: Batumi fares, times and tickets" (September 2026): thegeorgianguide.com
- Wander-Lush, "Kutaisi to Tbilisi by bus, train or car" (updated August 2026): wander-lush.org
- Civil.ge, "Rikoti Highway Completed" (December 2025): civil.ge
- Atlas Obscura, "The rare, sweet bread that brings road-trippers to a small Georgian village": atlasobscura.com
- Wikipedia, "Gelati Monastery": en.wikipedia.org
- TKT.GE, Georgian Railway tickets and timetable: tkt.ge
Last checked: September 2026. Train timetables and fares change with the season; check the current timetable before you travel.
