Tbilisi–Batumi Train: How to Buy Tickets on railway.ge

Sales usually open 20 calendar days ahead. In July, August and before public holidays, seats can run out long before the trip, so it's best to buy as soon as sales open.

For a comparison of all the ways to get to Batumi, see Tbilisi to Batumi: train, flight, bus and car.

Quick answer: how to buy a Tbilisi–Batumi ticket

1. Open Georgian Railway's official ticket site, switch the interface to English and register.

1. In the search form, choose Tbilisi as the departure station and Batumi as the arrival station, and enter the date and number of passengers.

1. Click Search, then choose a train and a class. If you want a specific seat, tick I want to select seats — it costs 1 GEL.

1. Enter the passenger's details exactly as in their document. For a foreign visitor, it's safest to enter your first name and surname in Latin letters as in your passport, and your passport number in the ID number field.

1. Pay for the order by bank card within 10 minutes of choosing the train.

1. Save the e-ticket. At boarding, show the ticket on your phone plus the original passport or other document it was issued to.

Important: the ticket is tied to the passenger. A mistake in the name, surname or document number can be grounds for being refused boarding.

How to buy a ticket on railway.ge: step by step

Step 1. Open the official site and choose a language

Georgian Railway's site is at gr.com.ge. On railway.ge, the Internet ticket link leads to the same system. The language switcher offers Georgian and English; for visitors, EN is easier.

Check the domain before entering passport and payment details. Aggregators also sell Georgian Railway tickets, but may charge their own service fee and apply a separate refund policy.

Step 2. Register or log in

Under Georgian Railway's current terms, buying on the official site requires registration. Click Login / Registration, fill in the required fields and confirm your registration with the code sent to your email or phone.

Use a working email address: it's needed to confirm your account and recover access. Your profile stores your issued tickets and offers online refunds.

Step 3. Find your route

In the search form, enter:

• From — Tbilisi;
• To — Batumi;
• the departure date;
• the number of adult seats;
• if needed, a return date in the Return field, child seats and a space for a passenger in a wheelchair.

The ticketing system uses short station names — Tbilisi and Batumi. These are Tbilisi's main passenger station and Batumi Central station on the north-eastern edge of Batumi. Don't choose intermediate stations, and don't look for the old name Makhinjauri (that was Batumi's terminus until 2015).

After you click Search, the system shows the train number, direction, departure and arrival times, available classes and price. If nothing appears for your date, first check whether sales have opened: the official limit is up to 20 calendar days before departure.

Step 4. Choose a train, class and seat

The route uses double-decker Stadler KISS electric trains. Pick a convenient time, then choose 2nd Class, 1st Class or Business Class, if available.

Choosing a specific seat costs 1 GEL. Tick I want to select seats and pick a free seat on the carriage plan. The system doesn't guarantee which way the seat faces: the train may be turned around.

After you choose a train, a ten-minute timer starts. In that time you need to fill in the details and complete payment; otherwise the reservation is released.

Step 5. Enter the passenger's details

Copy the first name, surname and document number without errors. For a foreign visitor:

• first name and surname — in Latin letters as in the passport;
• ID number — the passport number;
• for a child — passport, ID or birth certificate details and the date of birth, if the form asks for it.

One adult user can buy a ticket for another person or for a whole group. You can issue up to 9 tickets in a single online transaction. Under the official rules, several ordinary tickets may be issued using one passenger's details, but that person must travel with everyone and be present at boarding. For visitors it's safer to enter each passenger's own passport details: there's less risk at the check, and it's easier to handle an individual refund.

A child's ticket can only be issued together with an adult. One child under five can travel free without a separate seat; a separate seat needs a child's ticket. The child fare applies to ages 5 to 10, and from 10 the adult fare applies.

Step 6. Check the order and pay

Before paying, compare once more with the passport:

• route and date;
• departure time;
• class, carriage and seat;
• first name and surname;
• document number.

The official site accepts cashless payment by plastic card. The order total is in Georgian lari. The site charges 1 GEL per ticket as an online purchase fee; choosing a seat, if selected, costs another 1 GEL.

Then complete your bank's verification — this may be 3-D Secure, confirmation in an app or a one-time code. Don't close the tab before the result appears.

Step 7. Save the e-ticket

After a successful payment, the system generates an e-ticket with the journey details. Download it straight away and save it offline on your phone: a PDF, screenshot or photo of the ticket. The ticket should also stay in the buyer's profile.

You don't need to print it. The official rules recommend carrying an electronic or printed copy to avoid misunderstandings. The main thing at boarding is a valid ticket and the original document of the passenger.

How much the Tbilisi–Batumi train costs

The official tariff list as of August 2026 gives a range of base fares. For the full route you usually pay the top of the range, plus the 1 GEL fee when buying on gr.com.ge.

\*Without paying extra to choose a specific seat. Always check the final amount in your order: fares and fees can change. Third-party guides published in September 2026 quote about 35–36 GEL for second class and 75–76 GEL for first.

First or second class: which to choose

Second class is a sensible choice for most trips. In the Stadler KISS the seats are closer together; a row usually has five seats in a 2+3 layout. There are luggage racks and stands, toilets and sockets, but you sometimes have to share a socket with your neighbour.

First class is noticeably roomier: the layout is usually 2+2, with more legroom, more comfortable seats that recline further, a footrest, a table and a socket. The extra cost is worth it if quiet and space matter or you need to work on the way.

Business class offers the largest individual seats, a built-in table and more personal space, but costs about 3.5 times as much as second class. On an ordinary four-hour trip it's more a matter of comfort than necessity.

Air conditioning and toilets are on the train whatever the class. Wi-Fi is mentioned in descriptions of the trains, but don't rely on a stable connection: quality varies along the route. It's best to download what you need in advance and have mobile data. Georgian Railway doesn't promise separate catering in first class; bring water and a snack.

Timetable and journey time

Journey time: about 4 hours. Since 3 August 2026, after infrastructure upgrades on the Khashuri–Surami–Kharagauli–Zestaponi section and in Guria, fast trains take roughly 4 hours instead of about 5.5. Georgian Railway's live timetable was reported in August 2026 as showing runs of roughly 4 hours 00–03 minutes.

Departure times have changed with the speed-up. Older articles list two daily departures each way at times such as 08:00 and 17:10 — those are the pre-August schedule and no longer apply. A third-party guide reported four departures a day in each direction in the September 2026 timetable, each taking about 4 hours 1 minute, but that isn't an official source and summer extras are withdrawn as the season winds down. Check the exact trains for your date in the booking form and in the official general timetable.

Arrive at the station 25–30 minutes early. Online sales on the official site close an hour before the train leaves its starting station, and the ticket office closes 10 minutes before departure from the boarding station.

Paying with a foreign card

The official terms confirm payment by bank card but don't promise that every card, every bank or every payment scheme will work. Recent practical guides report successful payments with Visa and Mastercard cards, including those issued outside Georgia. That's user experience, not a guarantee from Georgian Railway.

Payment is taken in GEL. If your card account is in another currency, the issuing bank sets the conversion and any fee. On Georgian Railway's side, the official online fee is 1 GEL per ticket; an extra fee may apply for choosing a seat.

If the payment doesn't go through:

1. Check that online purchases and international transactions are enabled on your card.

1. Make sure you can confirm 3-D Secure.

1. Repeat the order once the previous ten-minute reservation has been released.

1. Try another card, or buy the ticket at the station ticket office.

Which passport details are required

For an adult passenger you need at least the first name, surname and document ID number. A foreign visitor should use their passport and enter the details in Latin letters exactly as in it. If the form asks for extra fields, copy the details without translation or abbreviation.

At boarding, you need the original document the ticket was issued to. A photo of your passport doesn't replace the original. For a child under 10, an original or copy of the birth certificate, or an ID card, is accepted, depending on the document used at purchase.

Do I need to print the ticket?

No. It's enough to save the e-ticket on your phone. In case of poor internet, download a PDF or take a screenshot with legible journey details in advance.

At boarding, show the conductor:

1. the e-ticket;

1. the original passport or ID of the passenger.

The document is what confirms the ticket is yours. A QR code by itself, without a passport, doesn't guarantee you'll be allowed on.

Luggage: suitcase, pushchair and bicycle

The ticket price includes up to 36 kg of hand luggage; the sum of length, width and height must not exceed 180 cm. Suitcases go on the shelves above the seats and in the vertical luggage stands at the end of the saloon. It's best to bring a big suitcase on board early, before the stands fill up.

A separate free allowance applies to each adult and child ticket. An item weighing more than 80 kg or longer than 3 m isn't accepted.

A bicycle can be carried for an extra fee: no more than one per carriage, packed, with the front wheel removed. The rules also require pushchairs and other bulky equipment to be carried folded and packed. Because space for bicycles is limited, it's worth confirming the conditions and availability in advance by calling Georgian Railway on 1331.

Where to board in Tbilisi

The train leaves from Tbilisi Central, at 2 Station Square. The nearest metro station is Station Square / Sadguris Moedani, on the red and green lines.

The waiting hall, ticket offices and electronic departure board are on the upper level of the station complex. Find your train number and platform on the board, then follow the signs to the platform. The carriage number may be shown on a plate by the door; the first carriage isn't always the one nearest the entrance.

Arrive 25–30 minutes early, especially with suitcases. If you need to leave your bags before departure, see luggage storage in Tbilisi: railway station, airport and city centre.

Where the train arrives in Batumi

The terminus is called Batumi Central and is on Queen Tamar Highway, in the Benze area, about 4 km from the Old Town. The train doesn't arrive in the tourist centre.

To get to the centre, take a city bus or a taxi. Adjara's official tourism portal lists bus No. 10, but routes and payment methods can change — check them in a current transport app before your trip. For more, see our guide to getting around Batumi.

How to buy a Batumi–Tbilisi ticket

The return direction doesn't need a separate page. On the same site, swap the stations: From — Batumi, To — Tbilisi, choose the date, train and class, then fill in the details and pay. The passport, luggage and refund rules are the same.

If the dates of both journeys are already known, you can tick Return and book the round trip in a single search.

When to buy tickets

Georgian Railway opens online sales no earlier than 20 calendar days before departure. In July and August, and before New Year, Easter and long weekends, buy as soon as your date appears. Adjacent seats, first class and convenient departures sell out especially quickly.

Out of season, tickets are often still available a few days before the trip, but that can't be guaranteed. If your trip is tied to a flight or an accommodation booking, don't put off buying.

What to do if there are no tickets

• Check the other train on the same day and neighbouring dates.
• Repeat the search later: returned tickets go back on sale.
• Watch Georgian Railway's announcements — in summer the company may add extra trains.
• Check the ticket office, but don't assume it necessarily has its own reserve of seats.
• Consider an intercity bus or marshrutka. On a popular route that's a perfectly normal alternative, though journey times depend more on traffic.

Don't buy a ticket from a stranger: tickets are named, and details are checked against your document at boarding.

How to get a refund

An e-ticket is refunded in the buyer's profile on gr.com.ge. An online refund is possible no later than 1 hour before the train's departure from its starting station. After that, an e-ticket can't be refunded.

The amount refunded depends on timing:

The service fee isn't refunded. The money goes back to the card you paid with; how long it takes to arrive depends on your bank.

The date, class and personal details on a ticket can't be changed: under the official terms, a ticket with a mistake has to be refunded and a new one bought. If you're refunding an adult's booking that includes a child, refund the child's ticket first, then the adult's.