Journal
Routes, seasons and honest advice on renting and driving in Georgia — from the people who hand over the keys.
Motor racing at Rustavi: how to watch the Georgian championship round on 25 October
Five times a season, twenty identical BMWs line up on the grid at the circuit outside Rustavi. What this championship is, how its drivers ended up in NASCAR, and how to get to the round on 25 October.
The world's most expensive car collections: who built them and what they are worth
Two thousand cars belonging to a Brunei prince that nobody had started in years, a Mercedes sold for 135 million euros, and a mill where laid-off workers found 123 Bugattis. Whose collections count as the most expensive, how they are valued and what they fetched when sold.
Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 250 diesel: a review of the European version
One body, four engines and two names. We look at which versions of the new Prado are found in Georgia, and in detail at the most common of them: the European version with the 2.8-litre diesel.
Cars for parts: how car dismantling yards work in Georgia
Why do so many cars in Tbilisi have no bumper? Almost four out of five passenger cars come to Georgia from the US, mostly from insurance auctions, and some of them are sold for parts. The article covers which models are dismantled most often, where people buy parts and what fines sellers across the country face from 1 October 2026.
More dangerous than Europe: what Georgia is changing in its traffic rules
In Georgia a child under three may ride on an adult's lap in the back seat, and nobody in the back has to wear a belt. The government means to change that by 2030. It set exactly the same target last time and missed it.
Prius, Transit and Lada: what actually drives on Georgia's roads
A Toyota Prius, a Ford Transit minibus and an old Lada in one courtyard are an ordinary sight in Georgia. Where that composition comes from, and why more than eighty percent of the vehicles registered in the country are over ten years old.
The Rustavi car market: where its American cars come from and why there are fewer of them
On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays more than twenty thousand people come to the lot outside Rustavi, and the cars they buy are driven on to Baku, Yerevan and Bishkek. How the largest car market in the Caucasus works and how many cars pass through Georgia in six months.
Georgian license plates: series, prices and transit plates
White with a blue band, red with white characters, one marked TRANSIT, a square one in two rows — the plates on Georgian roads differ, and so do their prices. The Service Agency price list, and where the red and square plates come from.
F9 in Tbilisi: How the Final Chase Was Filmed and What Cars Were In It
In August 2019 Universal took over central Tbilisi for a month and filmed the finale of the ninth Fast & Furious here: opposite the Parliament, catapults hurled cars at an armoured hauler. Here is what was filmed and where, which five cars appear in the chase, and how to drive the route today.
Parking in Georgia: What It Costs, How to Pay and What to Do When the Car Is Towed
Paid parking in Georgia works differently in every city: Tbilisi runs two systems on the same streets, while Batumi has no hourly payment at all. Here are the tariffs of the three cities, how to pay without a Georgian personal number, the fines set by the code, and what to do when the car has been towed.
Taking a Rental Car from Georgia to Armenia: How the Border Run Actually Works
The barrier at Sadakhlo lifts for a rental car only if one document is in the glovebox, and rental listings never mention it. Here is the step-by-step of driving a Georgian rental to Yerevan, and why the same trick will not work with Azerbaijan.
A helicopter instead of a car: where you can fly in Georgia and what it costs
Omalo is six to eight hours away by road, and only in summer; by air it is under an hour. Who flies helicopters in Georgia, what it costs and what can cancel the flight.
Does autopilot work in Georgia: Tesla, driver assistance and the law
Tbilisi workshops sell "FSD activation", yet Georgia is on none of Tesla's lists. What actually switches on here, what gets in its way, and who is liable in a crash.
Grape harvest in Georgia: where to go for rtveli in September and October 2026
Rtveli has no date: an estate goes into the rows when the grapes are ready. Three routes through Kakheti, the estates that let you pick, and a day that ends at a table in the yard.
Classic Cars in Georgia: Where to See Them and What Import Costs
Where to see collector cars in Georgia, what makes them worth seeing, what it costs to import a car thirty years or older, and why bodywork here is cheap while electronics are not.
Wedding Cortege in Georgia: What It Costs and What the Law Allows
A planner quoted $9,900 for three hours and thirty guests. The cars are the one line in that budget you can check to the dollar before agreeing to anything.
Accident in a Rental Car in Georgia: What to Do and Who Pays
Students crashed a rented car near Tbilisi, did everything right at the scene, and still ended up with a demand for eight thousand dollars. What decides that outcome takes thirty minutes and three phone calls.
A Sports Car in Batumi: Three Routes Worth the Rental
A guide for anyone renting a sports car in Batumi: the best routes near the city, options for speed lovers, and the speeding fines currently in force.
Top Off-Road Routes in Georgia: Jeep Tours, 4x4 Passes, and What Your Rental Contract Allows
Everyone lands in Tbilisi with the same plan: rent an SUV and drive the Abano Pass. Then they read the rental agreement. Eight classic routes, sorted into the four you should drive yourself and the four that deserve a local at the wheel.
What Cars Do Georgia's Football Stars Actually Drive?
Kvaratskhelia's AMG GT R and Revuelto, Mamardashvili's Audi, Kaladze's declared G63: the documented cars of Georgian football stars, every claim sourced.
Celebrity Cars You Can Rent in Tbilisi in 30 Minutes
When Ronaldo posted his Brabus G-Wagon, 15 million people reacted. The same silhouette is parked in a Tbilisi fleet right now, and a concierge can have it at your hotel door in half an hour. We matched every star-and-car story to a car you can actually book — with sources and dates on every claim.
Rustavi Motorpark: Track Days, Drift and Karting Near Tbilisi
Half an hour southeast of Tbilisi there is a real racing circuit with a public price list: 50 GEL puts your own car on it for three laps. We rent cars here, so we also answer the question everyone asks — can a rental go on track.
Owning a Luxury Car in Georgia vs Renting: The 2026 Math
A grey G63 idles outside the Iveria, and ten minutes down Rustaveli you will pass three more. We run a Tbilisi fleet, so we sat down and did the honest math on owning one of these here after the April 2026 tax change. The answer surprised even us.
Car Rental Deposits in Georgia: What You Actually Risk
The deposit is the number everyone asks about. The excess is the number that decides what a scratch actually costs you, and most rental sites never print it.
Georgia's 2026 Entry Insurance Will Not Pay for a Cracked Windscreen
Georgia's entry insurance and your rental car's insurance are different products. What the 30,000 GEL rule pays for, what CASCO and OSAGO pay for, and where both stop.
Winter Tires in Georgia: The Exact Rule, the Named Roads, and Who Pays the Fine in a Rental
Most guides stop at “mandatory on some mountain roads”. Here are the named roads, the exact tire spec, the 100 GEL fine, and why on a rental the driver pays it.
Rent a Car or Hire a Driver in Georgia? The Route Decides
Military Highway, Kakheti wine country, winter Gudauri: which Georgian routes reward self-drive, which call for a chauffeur, and what both actually cost.