Driving in Georgia in winter: what you need to know
Georgia's main highways stay open all winter, but the mountain sections can change character several times in a single day. Here is the minimum a driver should know between December and April.
Winter tyres — the rule and the dates
From 1 December to 1 April every car in the Fleet House fleet runs on winter tyres, and that is included in the rate — there is nothing to order and nothing extra to pay. Georgian rules require appropriate winter equipment on mountain routes during the cold season, so we simply meet that requirement by default across the fleet.
One practical point people forget: winter tyres are not magic on ice. They shorten your braking distance, but at 60 km/h on a frozen hairpin nothing will save you. In the mountains, double the following distance you would normally keep.
Snow chains
Chains are separate equipment, and on the Gudauri or Bakuriani runs you will genuinely be glad to have them.
| Equipment | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Winter tyres | 0 ₾ | 1 December – 1 April, included in the rate |
| Snow chains | 20 ₾ per rental | Free on the 4x4 category |
| Roof rack (for skis) | 25 ₾ per day | SUV and 4x4 only |
| Tyre replacement after damage | 120–400 ₾ | Not covered by insurance |
Learn to fit the chains before you leave, in a dry car park, rather than at -8°C halfway up a pass. We will walk you through it in two minutes at our office on Vazha-Pshavela Avenue.
Which roads actually work in winter
| Route | Winter status | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Tbilisi – Batumi (E60) | Open all year | Economy and up |
| Tbilisi – Kazbegi | Open, Gudauri section closes periodically | Crossover |
| Borjomi – Bakuriani | Open, peak season | Crossover plus chains |
| Zugdidi – Mestia | Usually open, closes briefly after heavy snow | 4x4 |
| Mestia – Ushguli | Effectively impassable | Not rented for this route |
| Abano Pass (Tusheti) | Closed from November to May | — |
| Goderdzi Pass | Frequently closed during blizzards | 4x4 |
Gudauri and the Jvari Pass are the main winter variable. The Georgian Military Road runs through avalanche terrain, and the roads department closes it pre-emptively — sometimes for a few hours, sometimes for a whole day, in both directions. This is not a breakdown and not something we can override: you simply wait.
What that means for planning: a same-day return trip to Kazbegi in winter is a bad idea. If you stay overnight in Stepantsminda and the road shuts, you come back to Tbilisi a day later. If you have a flight that evening, the risk is real. Build the drive so that you return one day before you fly.
Fuel and daylight
In December the sun sets in Tbilisi around 17:20, and in a mountain valley it goes dark noticeably earlier. That gives you a useful driving window of roughly 08:30 to 16:30 — eight hours, not twelve. Mountain switchbacks, darkness and black ice together are a combination we never recommend to a visiting driver.
- Refuel at half a tank rather than at the warning light. Sitting in a queue behind a closure burns fuel.
- Petrol stations in Kazbegi, Omalo, Ushguli and Shovi are either absent or unreliable.
- Beyond Zhinvali and Pasanauri the stations thin out quickly.
- Keep a phone charger and a blanket in the car. If the road closes, you may be waiting two hours with the engine off.
Emergency numbers
- 112 — Georgia's single emergency number: police, ambulance, fire and rescue. Operators speak English.
- The Fleet House hotline — 24/7. If the fault is technical and not caused by the renter, a replacement car reaches you within 6 hours at no charge.
After an accident the order is: 1) call 112; 2) call us; 3) do not leave the scene until the report has been drawn up. Leaving without a police report means losing the insurance cover.
What the insurance does and does not cover in winter
The CDW included in the price covers damage to the vehicle above the excess (300 ₾ on economy, 1,200 ₾ on a 4x4). But the damage that actually happens in winter tends to land on exactly the parts that are not covered:
- tyres and wheels;
- the underbody;
- mirrors and the interior;
- any damage taken on an unpaved road unless the car is in the 4x4 category.
Sliding a wheel into a kerb on an icy street is the classic winter incident, and it is entirely at the renter's expense. That is why adding SCDW at 25–45 GEL per day pays off more often in winter than in summer — the rates by category are on the pricing page.
What our winter policy covers
- Winter tyres on every car from 1 December to 1 April, included in the rate.
- Chains at 20 GEL per rental, free on 4x4s.
- 24/7 roadside assistance nationwide.
- A replacement car within 6 hours for a technical fault.
- Free date changes when the car is available on the new dates — which matters directly when Gudauri closes.
- An average fleet age of 4 years with servicing every 8,000 km. In winter that is a battery and brakes question, not a comfort question.
In short
Winter driving in Georgia is entirely normal if you keep three rules: move through the mountains in daylight, stay above half a tank, and give any mountain day trip a spare day behind it. We handle the rest.
Categories and specifications are on the fleet page, the full conditions on the terms page, and anything left over in the FAQ or straight through contact.