Renting a car in Georgia is the easiest way to see the country. Buses to the mountains are rare, long taxi rides are expensive, and with your own car you can stop at any fortress or viewpoint you like. I live in Batumi and drive around Georgia a lot — here is everything worth knowing before you rent: documents, prices, insurance and where you are not allowed to take a rental car.
Car rental in Georgia: what documents do you need?
The list is short:
- your passport;
- a driving licence — the real, physical one, and still valid. Copies and electronic licences are not accepted;
- your booking voucher — it arrives by email after the prepayment.
Most cars do not require a credit card — Localrent has a filter that shows only those. If your licence is only valid in your home country, bring an International Driving Permit as well.
Age and experience rules differ between rental companies. Some cars are available from 18 with one year of driving, more choice opens up from 21 with 2 years, and the whole fleet from 23 with 3 years of experience.
Rental car insurance
Basic insurance is usually included in the price. But it comes with an excess: if you damage the car, you pay part of the cost yourself — usually up to the deposit. Even if an accident was not your fault, the deposit (or part of it) may be held until things are sorted out.
If you would rather not take the risk, choose full insurance with no excess. On Localrent many cars already include it in the base price — you can see it on the car page. Check what is excluded: often tyres, glass, the underbody and the interior.
Tip! After any accident, call the police and get a report — the emergency number is 112. Always tell the rental company too, even if you have already called the police: their number is in your contract.
Do not confuse car insurance with health insurance: since 2026 you also need the latter to enter Georgia. More in my guide to travel insurance for Georgia.
Where is the best place to rent a car?
I recommend booking through Localrent. It is an aggregator of local rental companies: cars from different Georgian firms, which are usually cheaper than the big international brands. The service has thousands of reviews on Trustpilot with an average rating of 4.8.
Why Localrent is handy:
- you prepay only 15–20% when booking and pay the rest to the rental company when you pick up the car;
- many cars come with no deposit at all, or a deposit of up to $100;
- almost all cars have unlimited mileage — but still check it on the car page;
- the photos show the actual cars, and you see the full final price straight away, with no hidden fees.
Why book a car in advance?
You can rent a car on arrival, but booking online pays off for a few reasons.
Choice. You see every rental company’s fleet, not just what is left at the desk. In summer and autumn few cars are free and prices go up — book a few months ahead.
Price. Walk-up prices at the airport are an unpleasant surprise. Online you can calmly compare offers from different companies.
Convenience. The car can be brought to the airport, an office or straight to your hotel — you choose the place when booking.
Car rental prices in Georgia
The price depends on the car class, rental length, season and extras such as a child seat or GPS. The longer you rent, the cheaper each day.
Localrent guide prices for 2026: in winter you can find a car from $20–25 a day, in summer from $30–35. On average a rental costs $35–45 a day, with the peak season (July–August) the most expensive. Prices change every year, so check the exact amount in the search below.
What drivers should know about Georgia
Where you cannot take a rental car
Rental companies ban dirt roads and dangerous mountain routes — insurance does not apply there. Off limits:
- Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia) — these territories are not controlled by Georgia;
- Tusheti and Omalo, Shatili, Truso, Juta and Vashlovani;
- the Akhaltsikhe — Batumi road over the Goderdzi Pass — even locals try to avoid it;
- the Mestia — Ushguli — Lentekhi road: only if your booking includes a special permit, and only from 1 May to 30 September.
Also: you cannot take a rental car out of Georgia — not to Armenia, Turkey or Azerbaijan.
To be fair, there are few such places, and the main tourist routes are not among them. New asphalt roads appear every year, and since late 2025 a new highway through the Rikoti Pass with tunnels has made crossing the country from east to west noticeably faster.
Fuel, speed limits and parking
At the end of 2026 a litre of petrol in Georgia cost about 4 lari, diesel a little more, and LPG much less. Fuel prices keep rising, so budget with a margin. Fill up at chain stations — Gulf, Wissol, Socar, Rompetrol, Lukoil: almost all are open 24/7 and the fuel is more reliable. An attendant usually fills the car — tell them the amount or litres and pay by card or cash.
Speed limits: 60 km/h in towns, 90 km/h outside towns and 110 km/h on highways. Fines for violations went up in May 2026.
Paid parking operates in Tbilisi, Batumi and Kutaisi; elsewhere parking is free unless signs say otherwise.
Camera fines
Georgia has a lot of traffic cameras. Foreigners cannot pay these fines online, and an unpaid fine can cause trouble when leaving the country. So a day or two before returning the car, ask the rental company whether any fines have come in.
Children in the car
A law making child car seats mandatory is still being prepared in Georgia, but if you travel with a child, take a seat anyway — you can add one to your Localrent booking as an extra. Children under 12 are better off in the back.
How people drive in Georgia
The famous Georgian temperament shows on the roads too: local drivers often overtake across solid lines, use the horn for everything, and on mountain bends you may see double overtaking on a blind corner. Keep right, do not speed up on climbs and be ready for surprises. Cows are a common sight on village roads.
Car rental in Tbilisi
Tbilisi has the biggest choice of cars, and it is the easiest place to find a good price.
Many people rent a car right at the airport — there are about a dozen rental desks in the arrivals hall. But without a booking the prices will surprise you. For online bookings an airport office is not needed: the car is brought to the exit and collected later. So, as everywhere in Georgia, the easiest way to rent a car in Tbilisi is through Localrent. More about the airports themselves: Tbilisi Airport and Kutaisi Airport.
Tip: when you pick up the car, photograph it from every side, including the tiniest scratches. Pay special attention to the lower parts of the front and rear bumpers — they get scratched most. Ask for all damage to be written into the contract.
If you are heading from Batumi into the mountains of Adjara, a car is handy there too. For example, you can drive yourself to our Eco House Merisi, although the hotel also runs its own daily transfer from Batumi. More in my selection of the best hotels in the mountains of Georgia.
Read more:
- Travel insurance for Georgia: mandatory since 2026
- Tbilisi Airport: how to get to the city
- Kutaisi Airport: transport, flight board, prices
Hello!
I am Victor, the founder of this site and its main, but not the only author.
Traveler and photographer. Visited more than 60 countries.
Born and raised in Batumi. I love to travel in Georgia.
More about me here.