How to rent a car in Georgia: a step-by-step guide

Step 1. Choose the category and the length

Pick the route first and the car second. For asphalt, economy class from 75 GEL a day is plenty; for mountain routes a crossover from 130 GEL; for gravel — Ushguli, Tusheti — only the off-road 4x4 from 240 GEL is permitted. A minivan for seven or eight starts at 200 GEL, a commercial van at 185 GEL.

Length moves the price directly: from 7 days −10%, from 30 days −25%. A seasonal coefficient of +15% applies in July and August, and +10% over the Easter and New Year weeks. The complete table is on the pricing page.

Step 2. Book

The site has no online payment module — booking is by phone or email and requires no prepayment. We need your dates, the category, the pickup point and your age, since age affects the rate.

Cancellation terms: more than 48 hours ahead is free; 24 to 48 hours ahead costs one day's rate; less than 24 hours or a no-show costs two days' rate. Changing the dates is free if the car is available.

Step 3. Documents

An International Driving Permit is needed only if your national licence is not issued in the Latin alphabet — an Arabic, Chinese or Japanese licence, for instance. Licences from the EU, the USA, the United Kingdom, Israel and the CIS countries are valid in Georgia as they are. Note too that an IDP is never a standalone document: it is only valid alongside the national licence it translates.

Step 4. Age and experience

There is no upper age limit. A second driver costs 20 GEL per day, up to two in total; each must meet the same requirements and sign the agreement.

Step 5. The deposit — how the card block works

This is where most misunderstandings happen. The money is blocked on your card, not charged to it. The bank places an authorisation hold: the amount disappears from your available limit but never leaves your account.

• Economy 300 ₾, crossover 600 ₾, business class and minivan 1,000 ₾, commercial van 800 ₾, off-road 4x4 1,200 ₾.
• The hold is released within 3 business days of the car being returned, provided there is no damage and no fine.
• On a credit card the block eats into your limit; on a debit card it freezes real money. Budget for that on a longer trip.
• If you pay in cash, the deposit is taken in cash and handed back on the spot.

Step 6. Insurance and the excess

The rate includes CDW (damage to the vehicle) and TPL (third-party liability). CDW caps your liability at the excess: 300 GEL on economy class, up to 1,200 GEL on a 4x4. Even in a serious incident your exposure does not exceed that figure. SCDW at 25–45 GEL per day takes the excess to zero — on a 4x4 down to 300 GEL.

The insurance does not cover: driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs; driving by anyone not named in the agreement; damage taken on unpaved roads unless the car is a 4x4; tyres, wheels, the underbody and the interior; lost keys (400–1,200 GEL); and any commercial use.

Step 7. Handover and the photo protocol

At handover we complete a report with photographs: all four sides, the interior, the odometer and the fuel level. The identical procedure runs on return, and it is what removes any argument about damage.

While you inspect the car, check for yourself:

1. that every existing scratch is recorded — ask for an extra photo if you are unsure;
2. the windscreen for chips and cracks;
3. tyre condition, plus the spare wheel, jack and wheel brace;
4. the fuel type, petrol or diesel — misfuelling is not covered by the insurance;
5. the vehicle registration document and insurance policy in the glovebox;
6. in winter, the snow chains (20 ₾ per rental, free on a 4x4).

Step 8. Cross-border travel

Permission has to be arranged at least 48 hours in advance, because an international insurance policy and a power of attorney must be prepared. Crossing without permission breaches the agreement and forfeits the entire deposit.

Step 9. Returning the car

Fuel runs full to full: you receive a full tank and return a full tank. A short tank costs the price of the fuel plus a 20 GEL service fee. Late return is free for up to 2 hours, then one third of the daily rate for every 3 hours started. Returning in another city is possible: Tbilisi↔Kutaisi↔Batumi from 100 GEL.

Eight mistakes visitors make

1. Arriving without an IDP when one is required. A non-Latin licence with no IDP is grounds for refusing the rental.
2. Ignoring the card limit. A 1,200 GEL hold on a 4x4 takes a real bite out of a travel budget.
3. Taking an economy car onto gravel. Damage on the way to Ushguli or Omalo is not covered — that is an explicit clause, not a technicality.
4. Rushing the inspection. Five minutes of photographs is two hundred times cheaper than a dispute at the return.
5. Forgetting about fines. They can arrive up to 30 days later and are charged with a 20 GEL processing fee.
6. Planning 500 km in a day. Your mountain average is 45 km/h, not 90.
7. Not refuelling before the return. The last station before the airport is not always open.
8. Arranging a border crossing too late. The 48 hours is a technical minimum, not a formality.

The full conditions are on the terms page, remaining questions in the FAQ, and background on the company in about us. To book, call or write from the contact page.