Useful information

There are many ways to come to Georgia: by airplane, by car, by train or by boat.

In Georgia there is a lot of possibility to move, as by public transport also by private transport.

TRANSFER TO / FROM THE AIRPORT

Transfer from the airport to the city center (Tbilisi, Batumi or Kutaisi) is possible with public transport (bus and / or train) as well as with private transport. We remain in your disposal in the case of utility of private transport.

TRANSPORT BETWEEN CITY

Train

The ferrous network binds the eastern part of Georgia with the western part. The main train is Tbilisi-Batumi, which runs twice a day, every day.

Tbilisi – Batumi :

Every morning : 08:00 – 13:00

Every evening : 17:35 – 22:35

Batumi – Tbilisi :

Every morning : 07:55 -12:50

Every evening : 18:00 – 23:00

Minibus

Minibuses connect almost every point of Georgia. It is a public transport uncomfortable but practical. Several minibus stations exist in Tbilisi and in each city.

Helicopter

In Georgia there are several airports that operate domestic flights:

Aerodrome “Natakhtari” – located 35 km north of the center of Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia.

Mestia Airport – located 5 km east of the center of Mestia, Svaneti region, northwestern Georgia.

Ambrolaouri Airport – located 3km north of Ambrolaouri city center, Ratcha region, northwestern Georgia.

Mimino Airport – located 7 km north-east of Telavi center, Kakheti region, east of Georgia.

Tbilisi – Batumi – almost every day;

Natakhtari – Ambrolaouri – 2-3 times a week;

Nathakhtai – Mestia – 4-5 times a week;

Kutaisi – Mestia – 2 times a week.

Flight schedules change often. Do not hesitate to contact us for information and tickets.

Car

Car rental is possible in Georgia. The main highway, E60, which links Tbilisi to Batumi is under construction. The roads are rather maintained, not paying. In certain areas a good 4×4 car is mandatory.

Do not hesitate to contact us for information and for car rental.

Important! Permitted blood alcohol level: 0.3 ppm. In the event of an accident, notify the police for the establishment of the report.

Taxi

Taxi is a very easy and not very expensive transportation in Georgia. It is used rather to move in city, but it is possible also to use it for the displacement between city. It is possible to pay in cash by Taxi or credit card using several international applications of Taxi.

Distances

Tbilisi – Baku: 578 km                                   Tbilisi – Batumi: 375 km 

Tbilisi – Yerevan: 273 km                               Tbilisi – Koutaisi: 228 km  

Tbilisi – Poti: 323 km                                     Tbilissi – Borjomi: 158 km

Check online if you need visa to travel to Georgia.

Visa Free

Pleasant innovation: Citizens of European Union and of some others countries need no Visa for entering Georgia.

If you wish to visit Georgia for a short period of time, you can book the ticket for the first plane.

So, the issue “Visa to Georgia” is settled.

Citizens of Member States of the European Union may enter Georgia with a travel document, as well as with an identity card issued by a Member State of the European Union. The identity card shall contain the name, surname, date of birth and a photo of the person.

eVisa

The citizens of other countries are invited to get the e-visa online. It takes not less than 5 working days to make a decision on a visa application. We are at your disposal to assist you in your efforts.

Attention! Entry into Georgia is strictly prohibited for persons holding a visa issued by the de facto authorities of Abkhazia and South Ossetia or a stamp indicating a stay in one of the two occupied regions of Georgia . They expose themselves to the risk of immediate arrest for illegal entry into the country.

Instructions on the importation of psychotropic drugs into Georgia

The importation of psychotropic drugs is subject to strict regulation. It concerns all narcotics, including drugs containing codeine, benzodiazepine, opium, tramadol, morphine, cannabis, etc.

The law provides for entry arrangements with this type of psychotropic substances and medicines for the personal use of travelers. The traveler must have in his possession the following documents:

• Photocopy of the prescription translated into English and certified by an authorized agency according to the rule determined by the laws of the country from where a natural person is traveling. Prescription should include the following information:
  • Natural person’s Name, Surname, gender and age
  • Diagnosis
  • Brand and generic names of the narcotic drug and/or psychotropic substance
  • Dosage form
  • Quantity of tablets, ampoules and etc
  • Method of use and duration of treatment
• Certificate of physician issuing prescription, translated into English and certified according to the rule established by the laws of the country of departure
• Document signed and sealed by an authorized person (legalized) certifying authenticity of the prescription and certificate and issued by a competent authority of the country of departure. Such a document should include the following information:
  • Name of the authority
  • Juridical address
  • Contact person
  • Phone number
  • Country of destination

The list of the medicaments is very variable. So, please, check the Revenue Services of Georgia webpage for newest information.

If these types of drugs are needed during the trip, please check the information about it before coming. We are at your disposal in case of any questions.

Immunizations

There are no mandatory vacines for Georgia.
For recommended vaccinations, visit the Institut Pasteur web page.

 
Emergency calls: 112
 

Warning! The imposition of certain medicines in Georgia is strictly forbidden. See more information at top.

Exchange rate
1 GEL (Georgian Lari) = 100 Tetri
1 EURO = 2.97 GEL (14/08/2024)
1 USD = 2.69 GEL (04/08/2024)
Check the official LARI exchange rate here.

Exchange
The exchange takes place easily in the country, in the many bureaux de change of the big cities.
Attention: only bring tickets in good condition, otherwise they can be refused.
There are also many distributors in which you can directly withdraw cash.

Exchange offices are working 24/7 at airports.

Banks
Banks operate in Georgia from Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 18:00 and Saturday from 10:00 to 13:00. Each bank has an agency that works 24 hours / 7 days.

Georgia is in the GMT zone + 4h.

Compared to Europe there is the difference + 2 hours or +3 hours according to the period of year, because in Georgia there is no change of schedule.

Opening time:

Official working hours in Georgia are from 10:00 to 18:00, from Monday to Friday.

The National Museum of Georgia, which unifies almost all museums in Georgia, works from 10:00 to 18:00, every day except Monday.

Holidays:

January 1st – New Year’s Day
January 2nd – Second day of the year
January 7 – Orthodox Christmas
January 19 – Baptism Day of Christ
March 3 – Mother’s Day
March 8 – International Women’s Rights Day
April 9 – National Unity Day
Variable – Orthodox Passover, Easter Monday (May 4th and 5th in 2024)
May 9 – Feast of Victory on Fascism
May 12 – Saint Andrew’s Day
May 26 – Independence Day
August 28 – Dormition
October 14 – Day of Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (Mtskheta)
November 23 – Feast of Saint George

Emergency calls: 112

Phone calls
To call Georgia from abroad:
1 – dial the country code + 995
2 – dial the city codes (322 for Tbilisi, for example) or the mobile operator (599 for Magti, 577 for Geocell, etc.)
3 – dial 6 numbers of your correspondent

Code of Major Cities in Georgia:

• Tbilisi : 322
• Akhaltsikhe: 365
• Batumi : 422
• Borjomi : 367
• Gori : 370
• Kobuleti: 426
• Kutaisi: 431
• Mtskheta: 373
• Photi: 493
• Rustavi: 341
• Stephantsminda: 345
• Telavi : 35

To call abroad from Georgia:

1 – dial the number for international calls (00)
2 – dial the country code (33 for France, for example)

The post office

The post office in Georgia has been renewed and developed after the development of the Internet for that post is not very popular in Georgia. One of the slogans of the post was “გახადე ურთიერთობა ხელშესახები” “Making contact tangible!”, which describes very well the role of the post in Georgia.

You could find postcards everywhere in the tourist area, stamps are also available in some tourist shops. To send letters use post boxes located in the streets or arrive directly at the post office.

Internet

In hotels and restaurants there is always the internet with the connection of good level. In the street (in parks and in tourist areas) there is free public Wi-Fi Tbilisi Loves You, which can be used in case of emergency.

The domain of the country is .ge.

The official language in Georgia is Georgian. The English language is widely spoken in the tourist area and in the service sector. In general and especially in certain region Russian as Armenian and Azeri are also spoken.

Demography
Total population of Georgia is 3,729,600 (2018).
Here, several ethical people coexist. The majority are Georgian (86.8%), followed by Azeris (6.2%), Armenian (4.5%), Russians (0.7%) and others (2.8%) (2014).

Religion
Besides ethnicity, several religions are also present.
The official religion is Orthodoxy and the majority of the population is Orthodox (83.9%), followed by Muslims (9.9%), Armenian Gregorians (3.9%) and Catholics (0.8%). , Jews (0.1%) and representatives of other religions (0.8%). 0.6% of the population is not religious at all. (According to the description of 2002).

Visiting monasteries
When visiting churches and especially monasteries, which are very common in Georgia, women are asked to wear long skirts and cover their hair, while men are asked to wear long pants. In almost all cases, long skirts and scarves are lent to women at the entrance.
 
Guest gift
When you are invited, it will be better to bring sweets or chocolates rather than wine, especially if you go to the party and / or village.

Tips
This gesture of thanks is left to your appreciation.

Entry rules for foreign citizens

Starting June 15, 2022, all foreign citizens using any mode of travel (by ✈ air, 🚗 land, or ⛵ sea) to enter Georgia are exempt from the obligation to produce vaccination certificates or negative PCR test results.

For more information, please visit the official site.

There are many ways to come to Armenia: by airplane, by car or by train.

1. FLY

 “Zvartnots” International Airport of Yerevan is located from 15km from the city center of Yerevan, capital of Armenia. There are direct fly from many cities from around the world to Yerevan:

Aegean Airlines from Athens, Qatar Airways from Doha, Ukraine International Airlines from Kyiv, Aeroflot Russian Airlines from Moscow, Air France from Paris, Austrian Airlines from Vienna, LOT Polish Airlines from Warsaw, Georgian Airlines from Tbilisi, Brussels Airlines from Brussels.

Regarding your flight schedule or reservation of air tickets, do not hesitate to contact us.

2. TRAIN

It is possible to enter in Armenia by train from Georgia.

Yerevan (Armenia) – Tbilisi (Georgia) – in odd days – 21:30-07:50

Tbilisi (Georgia) – Yerevan (Armenia) – in even days – 20:20-06:55

Yerevan (Armenia) – Batumi (Georgia) / Batumi (Georgia) – Yerevan (Armenia) (seasonal, to check before leaving)

Train schedule is not guaranteed, it might change. Regarding your train schedule or reservation of tickets, do not hesitate to contact us.

3. CAR

You can come to Armenia by car/coach from the neighbor’s countries crossing the borders:

From Georgia

Border Bagratashen/Sadakhlo (85 km from Tbilisi and 225 km from Yerevan)

Border Bavra/Ninotsminda (335 km from Tbilisi and 175 km from Yerevan)

From Iran

Border Nordooz/Agarak (3850 km from Yerevan and 760 km from Tehran)

Regarding all kind of transports reservation, do not hesitate to contact us.

Visa Free

Citizens of European Union and of some others countries need no Visa for entering Armenia. However, verify that your passport is valid for at least 3 months after your intended return date:

• List of countries  whose nationals are unilaterally exempted from the requirement of obtaining a visa.
• List of countries with which Armenia has a visa-free regime according to bilateral and multilateral agreements.

Visa required

For the citizens of others countries it is possible to take Visa upon arrival in Armenia or get eVisa online. We are at your disposal to assist you in your efforts.

• List of the countries whose citizens can obtain Armenian entry visas upon arrival in Armenia.

For more information please visit Visa official webpage.

Immunizations
There are no mandatory vacines for Armenia.
For recommended vaccinations, visit the Institut Pasteur web page.

Emergency medical service: 911 or 112

Exchange rate
1 AMD (Armenian Dram) = 100 Luma
1 EURO = 575 AMD (27/10/2020)
1 USD =  490 AMD (27/10/2020)

Check the official Luma exchange rate here.

Exchange
Many exchange is very easy in many exchange offices located in big cities.
Attention: only bring tickets in good condition, otherwise they can be refused.
There are also many distributors in which you can directly withdraw cash.
Exchange offices are working 24/7 at airports.

Banks
Banks operate in Armenia from Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 18:00 and Saturday from 10:00 to 14:00. Each bank has at least one branch that works 24 hours / 7 days. Phone/online consultation is possible also 24/7.

Armenia is in the GMT zone + 4h.

Compared to Europe there is the difference + 2 hours or +3 hours according to the period of year, because in Armenia there is no change of schedule.

Opening time:

Official working hours in Armenia are from 10:00 to 18:00, from Monday to Friday.

Holidays:

• January 1st-4 – New Year’s Day
• January 6 – Orthodox Christmas
• January 28 – National Army Day
• March 8 – International Women’s Rights Day
• April 24 – Genocide Memorial Day
• May 1th – Labor Day
• May 9 – Victory Day
• May 28 – Day of the First Republic
• July 5 – Constitution Day
• September 21 – Independence Day

Emergency calls: 911 or 112

Phone calls
To call Armenia from abroad:
1 – dial the country code +374
2 – dial the city codes (10 for Yerevan, for example) or the mobile operator (93 or 98 for Vivacel, 91 for Beeline, 55 for Orange, etc.)
3 – dial 6 numbers of your correspondent

Code of Major Cities in Armenia :

• Yerevan 10
• Gyumri 41
• Vanadzor 51
• Etchmiadzin 31
• Goris 84
• Idjevan 63
• Dilidjan 680
• Alaverdi 53
• Yeregnadzor 281
• Stepanakert 47

To call abroad from Armenia:

1 – dial the number for international calls (00)
2 – dial the country code (33 for France, for example)

Internet

In hotels and restaurants there is always the internet with the connection of good level.

The domain of the country is .am.

The official language of Armenia is Armenian. The Russian is widely spoken in the country. English and French are the languages with a significant presence.

Demography

Total population of Armenia is 2,965,061 (2020).
Here, several ethical people coexist. The majority are Armenian (98.1%), followed by Yazidis (1.2%), Kurds (0.1%), Russians (0.4%) and others (0.2%) (2011).

Religion

Today around 94% of Armenians join the Armenian Apostolic Church.

The passengers are NO LONGER REQUIRED to present a COVID-19 PCR test or a Certificate of complete vaccination against COVID-19 to enter the Republic of Armenia.

For foreigners, the entry to the Republic of Armenia remains open both via air and land borders.

For more information, please visit the official site.

There are many ways to come to Azerbaijan: by airplane, by car, by train or by boat.

1. FLY

There are 3 international airports in Azerbaijan:

• Heydar Aliyev International Airport
• Ganja International Airport
• Qabala International Airport
• Nakhchivan International Airport

Different air companies from all around the world have direct flights to the Heydar Aliyev International Airport (GYD), which is located 16km from the city center of Baku, capital of Azerbaijan.

Regarding your flight schedule or flight ticket booking, do not hesitate to contact us.

2. TRAIN

It is possible to enter in Azerbaijan by train from Russia and from Georgia:

Tbilisi (Georgia) – Baku (Azerbaidjan) – every day – 20:35 – 08:50
Baku (Azerbaidjan) – Tbilisi (Georgia) – every day – 20:40 – 08:55

Moscow (Russia) – Baku (Azerbaidjan) – Moscow (Russia) – Travel time is about 52 hours

Train schedule is not guaranteed, it might change. Regarding your train schedule or reservation of tickets, do not hesitate to contact us.

3. CAR

You can come to Azerbaijan by car/coach from all the neighbor countries crossing the borders:

From Russia
Border SDK (220 km from Baku)

From Georgia
Border Balakan/Lagodekhi (415 km from Baku)
Border Red bridge (555 km from Baku)

From Iran
Border Astara (280 km from Baku)
Border Bilosovar (180 km from Baku)

Regarding all kind of transports reservation, do not hesitate to contact us.

4. SEA

It is also possible to enter in Azerbaijan by Caspian Sea, to the Baku Sea Port from Kazakstan and Turkmenistan.
The schedule of ferry ships changes often. Do not hesitate to contact us for all types of information.

In Azerbaijan there is a lot of possibility to move, both by the public and the private transport.

TRANSFER TO / FROM THE AIRPORT
Transfer from the airport to the city center (Baku) is possible with public transport (bus (Aero Express) and taxi) as well as with private transport. We remain in your disposal in case you choose private transport.

TRANSPORT BETWEEN CITY
Train
The ferrous network binds the different cities of Azerbaijan. Contact us for more information.

Minibus 
Minibuses connect almost every point of Azerbaijan. It is a public transport less comfortable than train but practical. Several minibus stations exist in Baku and in each city.

Car
Car rental is possible in Azerbaijan.
Do not hesitate to contact us for information and for car rental.

Important! acceptable limit of blood alcohol content: 0.0 ppm. In case of any accident, report to police.

Taxi
Taxi is also possible to use taxi for travel between cities. Payment for taxi service is possible by cash or by credit card in case of using some taxi applications.

Persons wishing to visit Azerbaijan can obtain an electronic visa (“E-Visa”) online via the Azerbaijan institutional portal “ASAN VIZA”.

We are at your disposal to assist you in your efforts.

Warning! Entry into Azerbaijan is strictly prohibited for persons holding a visa issued by the de facto authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh or a stamp indicating a stay in Nagorno-Karabakh or in one of the seven occupied regions of Azerbaijan. These people face the risk of immediate arrest for illegal entry into the country.

Immunizations
There are no mandatory vacines for Azerbaijna.
For recommended vaccinations, visit the Institut Pasteur web page.

Emergency medical service: 103

Exchange rate
1 AZN (Azerbaijani manat) = 100 qəpik
1 EURO = 1.0959 AZN  (25/09/2020)
1 USD = 0.7939 AZN (25/09/2020)

Exchange
Many exchange is very easy in many exchange offices located in big cities.
Attention: only bring tickets in good condition, otherwise they can be refused.
There are also many distributors in which you can directly withdraw cash.
Exchange offices are working 24/7 at airports.

Banks
Banks operate in Azerbaijan from Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 18:00 and Saturday from 10:00 to 14:00. Each bank has at least one branch that works 24 hours / 7 days. Phone/online consultation is possible also 24/7.

Azerbaijan is in the GMT zone + 4h.
Compared to Europe there is the difference + 2 hours.

Opening time: Official working hours in Azerbaijan are from 10:00 to 18:00, from Monday to Friday.

Police: 102
Emergency medical service: 103
Fire and rescue service: 101

Phone calls
To call Azerbaijan from abroad:
1 – dial the country code + 994
2 – dial the city codes (12 for Baku, for example) or the mobile operator (55 Bakcel, etc.)
3 – dial the number of your correspondent

Code of Major Cities in Azerbaijan:

• Baku : 12
• Gobustan : 150
• Guba : 169
• Nakhichevan : 136
• Shamaha : 176
• Sheki : 177

To call abroad from Azerbaijan:
1 – dial the number for international calls (00)
2 – dial the country code (33 for France, for example)

Internet

In hotels and restaurants there is in general a high-quality internet connection. In the street (in parks and in tourist areas) of Baku there is free public Wi-Fi, which can be used in case of emergency.
The domain of the country is .az.

The official language in Azerbaijan is Azeri. The lanRussian language is also widely spoken in the country.

Demography
Total population of Azerbaijan is 9,981,000 (2019).
The majority are Azerbaijanis (91.6%), Lezgins (2%), Russians (1.3%), Armenians (1.3%), Talysh (1.3%) and others (2.4%).

Tips

In many restaurants, customers are expected to leave 5-10% of the sum; if this is not indicated in the menu, you can add 10% to the bill (doing so in advance may sometimes speed up the service).

You can give porters at the airport and in the hotel 5-10 manats, depending on the amount of your baggage.

Passengers are not expected to tip the taxi drivers, and it is recommended to negotiate the fare in advance (taxi drivers do not generally accept foreign currency).

Bargaining can be useful anywhere, especially in private stores and at markers – with good bargaining skills it should not be too hard to reduce the price by half.

Voltage

Utility-supplied voltage is 220/240 V/60 Hz. Standard sockets are Type C sockets with two pins. The system of measurement is the metric system.

Clothing 

Women will need head scarves for visiting of mosques in Azerbaijan and knees covered.

Other information

Azerbaijani tend to be somewhat reserved and soft-spoken. They are warm and friendly and will open up the more you get to know them. Though they tend to get straight to the point, Azerbaijani will always ask about your family and health first; this is because the family is a very important part of Azerbaijani social structure, even in the 21st century. Elders are respected for their wisdom and experience and women are treated with gallantry. Having said that, the family structure is still very traditional, with men supporting the family and women taking care of the home, although this is not necessarily so in cosmopolitan Baku. Though they are a friendly and good-natured people, there are certain things that the Azerbaijani tend to avoid in conversation. The country is largely an agnostic and non-religious state, even though 95% of the population is officially Shiite Muslim; therefore, religion tends to be a private affair, and open display of faith is frowned upon.

For COVID-19 restrictions & advisory, please visit the official site.