The Tbilisi metro can hardly be called the main mode of transport in the Georgian capital, since the subway, although it exists, is not very developed. But if you come here for more than a day, then most likely you will use the metro, which means that the article will be useful to you. Today the Tbilisi metro consists of two branches that connect the central and sleeping areas, the railway station, suburban stations and bus stations.
History of the construction of the Tbilisi Metro
The construction of underground communication lines in the capital of Georgia began back in 1952. At that time, the authorities of the Soviet Union adhered to a clear position: a metro in a city could be laid down only if it had a population of at least 1 million people. Nevertheless, at the time the construction of the metro began, about 600 thousand people lived in Tbilisi (this partly indicates the priorities of regional development - the construction of the metro began in Minsk in 1984, when the population there had already reached 1.5 million people). IN construction works in the capital of Georgia, 2,500 workers were employed, including civilian and military personnel. The first section of the subway was opened in the city 14 years after the start of construction.
On January 11, 1966, a ceremonial start-up of the Didube-Rustaveli section took place. This line connected the populous residential area Didube, which also houses one of the city's largest bus stations and the same name, with the very center of Tbilisi - Shota Rustaveli Avenue. By the time the metro was launched, Tbilisi became the fourth in the entire USSR, yielding only to the subways of Moscow, St. Petersburg (Leningrad at that time) and Kiev. In the Caucasus, the Tbilisi Metro was the first and for a long time the largest. 
In 1979, the second metro line was opened in Tbilisi, and in the 1980s, the construction of the third was actively carried out (the first station was not completed and not even opened). In 2004, a large-scale restoration of stations and renewal of rolling stock began, which ended only eight years later. As a result, the carriages were seriously modernized, stations and stretches were repaired, the fare payment system was changed (plastic cards replaced tokens, which I will discuss below). By the way, Tbilisi metro tokens were originally metal, later plastic, and since 2010 they have been completely abolished.
Chronology of start-ups of Tbilisi metro sections
The general chronology of launches of the city metro sections is as follows:
- 01/11/1966 - Didube-Rustaveli;
- 11/06/1967 - Rustaveli - 300 Aragveli;
- 05/05/1971 - 300 Aragveli - Samgori;
- 09/15/1979 - Sadguris moedani-2 / Station square-2 / Vokzalnaya square-2 - Delisi (opening of the second line);
- 11/09/1985 - Samgori - Varketili (terminal station of the first line);
- 11/16/1985 - Didube - Guramishvili;
- 11/28/1985 - Grmagele (between Didube and Guramishvili);
- 11/07/1989 - Guramishvili - Akhmetelisteatri / Akhmeteli (terminal station of the first line);
- 04/02/2000 - Delisi - Vazha-Pshavela (terminal station of the second line).
Now the metro in Tbilisi has two lines with 22 stations, one of which is a junction. Now another line is under construction, 80% complete, as well as the State University metro station (next to Vazha-Pshavela). The cars of the Czech Republic, traditional for the post-Soviet republics, run in the subway. The first line consists of four cars, the second - three. At the same time, all stations of the Tbilisi metro can receive trains up to five cars long.
Here is a map of the Tbilisi metro in Russian, on which two lines are marked in blue and red. Below the map I will briefly tell you about iconic places and sights located within walking distance from one or another station of the Tbilisi Metro.
- Avlabari metro station - from here in 10-15 minutes you can walk to the Peace Bridge, the Temple, the Presidential Palace and the Holy Trinity Cathedral;
- Metro station Tavisuplebis moedani (Liberty Square) is located in the very center of Tbilisi, so there are a lot of attractions nearby. The closest to the metro is Freedom Square with the monument to St. George by Tsereteli. Dadiani street and Rustaveli avenue, popular among tourists, start from here, next to the metro entrance is located;
- Metro station Rusatveli (Rustaveli) - there is a McDonald's restaurant next to the station, although eating American fast food in the capital of Georgia, in my humble understanding, is a real crime;
- Didube metro station - the bus station of the same name is located here, from where you can go to almost anywhere in Georgia and the famous market also with the same name;
- Metro Station Sadguris Moedani (Station Square) - here is the Railway Station and.
I personally have not been to other stations. If you want to tell about any of them, I'm waiting for you in the comments. 
Tbilisi metro fare payment system
Since 2010, it is possible to buy a ticket in the Tbilisi metro only with a Metromoney plastic card. Maps are sold at any metro station. The cost of one card is 2 lari (approximately $ 0.8), but this cost is a security deposit. That is, before leaving Tbilisi, you can return the card to the cashier, receiving back your 2 GEL, as well as the entire balance on the card itself. Refunds are possible only if there is a receipt issued at the time of purchase of the card, so be sure to keep it.
The cost of one trip in the Tbilisi metro is 0.5 lari or 50 tetri (about 0.2 dollars). Using the same Metromoney card, you can pay for travel in any official transport in Tbilisi:
- Bus ride - 0.5 GEL.
- Travel in a city minibus - 0.3-0.8 lari, depending on the distance.
- A ride on the cable car (not to be confused with) from Rike Park to the fortress - 1 GEL.
Metromoney card nuances
The convenience of using a Metromoney card in Tbilisi lies in the simplicity of replenishment, since you can deposit funds not only at any metro station, but also at any ATM in the city. An additional plus is that after paying for one trip, you can change the mode of transport for free for 1.5 hours. That is, for example, having paid for a metro ticket, you can get off it, change to a bus and ride it for free (naturally, within 90 minutes). In this case, in the next type of transport, you will need to attach the card to the terminal, but money will not be withdrawn from it.
Also, when traveling in a couple or with a company, there is an option to purchase only one card, because in Tbilisi it is not forbidden for several people to pass through one pass. But it is worth keeping in mind the fact that in this case the rule of free travel for 1.5 hours will not apply to you. Therefore, decide according to the situation which is better: buy one card for two / three / so on, but be left without benefits, or buy with a card for each, actively using the free transfer.
From my own experience, I will say that in Tbilisi you are unlikely to make frequent transfers, since the city is still not the largest. We took one card for two and for both times, when we arrived in Tbilisi, we never changed from one type of transport to another within an hour and a half. 
Anticipating the question, I answer that you cannot buy a Metromoney card at Tbilisi airport. Anyway, in 2016 it was that way. If you have other information, please write a comment - I'll correct it!
Useful information about Tbilisi metro
Metro opening hours in Tbilisi: from 06:00 to 00:00.
Train interval: from 2 to 12 minutes depending on the time of day.
In carriages and at stations in the central regions, announcements are made in Georgian and english... The same applies to diagrams, explanations and other inscriptions in the metro. At the same time, some stations, especially in remote areas of the city and the old location, are not provided with English comments. However, this does not interfere with navigating the subway, because the Tbilisi metro map is quite simple.
Vazha-Pshavela station is unusual in this regard, because only one track is used here (the second is planned to be put into operation after the opening of the next station). There is also an open area in the Tbilisi metro on the first line - between Nadzaladevi and Gotsiridze.
I hope that I have answered all the questions that have arisen about the Tbilisi metro in this article. If you suddenly have any, write them in the comments, I will try to answer as quickly and as detailed as possible.
In love with Georgia, Igor OZIN.
About Tbilisi Metro in detail + scheme in Russian
4.7 (93.33%) VOTE 9Today's post is about how to prevent nervous tension in search of the necessary transport. Knowing about the exact time of arrival of the bus, and having laid the route in advance from point A to point B, you can save a lot of time!
This is the website of the public entity Tbilisi Minibuses LLC (შპს “თბილისის მიკროავტობუსი”). Here is a great interactive map that will help you figure out how to get around the city using minibuses. On the main page, click Eng (if English is more convenient for you than Georgian), select a category Routes and subcategory Search for Routes, click on “Eng” again and mark the departure and arrival points on the map. Thus, you can choose the more suitable minibus of the two.
Unfortunately, these websites are not yet integrated, but with a little practice, you can figure out how to make the necessary routes (Baratashvili St., Didube metro station, etc.).
You must pay for the fare on the bus as soon as you get on it. And in minibuses you pay at the end of the trip, if in cash - then directly to the driver. Both buses and minibuses provide the possibility of paying with the Metromani card (მეტრომანი), which you can purchase for 2 GEL in the metro. You can fill it using the devices installed at each metro station near the ticket offices. Fare: in buses - 50 tetri (0.50 GEL) and from 60 to 80 tetri for travel in a minibus. With a Metromani card, you pay for the fare for the first time, then when changing within one and a half hours: from one bus to another; from bus to metro or vice versa, travel for free. Interesting detail: if you plan to stay in Tbilisi for less than a month, then, keeping your receipt, you can return the card and return the paid 2 lari. The Metromani card is also valid for cable cars in Rike Park and on Mtatsminda.
Public transport in Tbilisi is one of the most developed systems in Georgia. The capital of the country is the only city with a metro. In addition, buses and minibuses operate in the city, there is also a funicular and a cable car.
Trams and trolleybuses can no longer be found in Tbilisi; in 2006, they disappeared from city streets.
A certain problem when traveling by transport is presented by information boards and signs on buses and at stops, sometimes they are absent. Where there are signs, it is difficult to navigate by them, since most of them are in Georgian. In the center of Tbilisi, information boards, in addition to Georgian, are also duplicated in English.
If you can't find the bus or minibus you need, then always get help
you can contact the locals and the police, most of them
know Russian well.
Tickets to Tbilisi
Kind of transport | The cost | Where can one buy | How to use |
0.40 lari (about 9 rubles) | In the machine at the entrance | Put money into the machine and get a ticket |
|
Minibus | 0.40 lari (about 9 rubles) | At the driver's entrance or use a single metro + bus ticket | When using a metro + bus ticket, attach the card to the reader |
Single ticket (metro + bus) | The security deposit is 2 lari (42 rubles). You also need to pay any amount on the ticket for travel | At the ticket offices at metro stations | Apply the ticket to the reader at the entrance to the bus and at metro turnstiles |
The security deposit is 2 lari (42 rubles). You also need to pay at least 0.5 lari (11 rubles) on the ticket - the cost of 1 trip | At the ticket offices at metro stations | Attach the ticket to the reader on the turnstile at the entrance to the metro |
|
Funicular | 1 lari - (21 rubles) - one way trip | At the box office of the funicular | Entrance through the turnstile |
Cable car | 1 lari - (21 rubles) | At the box office at the entrance | Buy a ticket and go to the station with it cable car |
On the buses, there are periodically inspectors in yellow uniforms who check the tickets themselves and collect a 5 lari (105 rubles) fine for traveling without a ticket. If the passenger does not want to pay for the fare, then the controllers can call the police, in which case the fine will be 20 lari (420 rubles).
City buses in Tbilisi
Most of the city buses in Tbilisi are new cars painted yellow. Medium and small buses run around the city, with a capacity of 60 to 40 passengers.
Buses stop only at stops, they work strictly on schedule from 06:00 to 20:00. Many buses have electronic scoreboardson which the route is written, the next stop will always be indicated on such boards. In most buses, stop announcements are made in Georgian, less often in English.
You need to enter the buses through the front doors, where ticket vending machines are installed. At bus stops, bus drivers open everything rear doors for the exit of passengers, there are also buses in which you need to give a signal to exit by pressing a button near the doors.
You can watch the movement of buses in Tbilisi in real time in English.
Minibuses in Tbilisi
In addition to city buses, minibuses have become a popular transport in Tbilisi. In the Georgian capital, these are mainly yellow FordTransit minibuses for 16-18 passengers.
Minibuses work in Tbilisi on average from 08:00 to 20:00. After 20:00 most of the townspeople use buses or taxis.
It is especially convenient to use minibuses for those who bought reusable bus passes, they can also be used on minibuses and metro. In order to drive on a reusable pass, you need to attach it to the reader at the entrance. The ticket will be automatically charged for travel.
The fact that the new cars are equipped with air conditioners that work on hot days adds to the great popularity of minibuses in Tbilisi.
Metro in Tbilisi
Metro in Tbilisi consists of 2 lines - Akhmeteli-Varketilskaya and Saburtalinskaya with 22 stations on them. The Metro operates from 06:00 to 24:00, the intervals between trains during peak hours are about 2-3 minutes, closer to the night, when there are fewer passengers, the intervals increase to 10-12 minutes. The entrance to the Tbilisi metro is marked with a red letter M.
The main convenience of the Tbilisi metro is that it conveniently connects the city center with the railway station and bus stations Ortachala and Didube. All signs in the cars, as well as at the stations, except for the Georgian language are duplicated in English. Announcements in the carriages are also in Georgian and English.
Apart from internal lines, the Georgian railway has connections with Azerbaijan and Armenia. This type of transport is especially convenient if the trip is many hours. These trains leave mainly in the evening - you go to bed, wake up on the spot. Recently, you can pay for a train ticket (as well as many other things) in special Paybox machines, which are found everywhere - in banks, shops, just on the streets.
Passenger traffic is carried out mainly by the Central Station
address: Vokzalnaya square, 2
tel: 219 95 95, 219 92 92
The most popular form of transport within Tbilisi is the metro. The metro covers almost all parts of the city (except for Vake - one of the most prestigious and expensive areas of the city) and has 22 stations.
The fare is 0.50 lari (0.30 $).
It should be noted that in recent years it has also been reconstructed.
Before getting on the bus, you need to make sure that you have 0.50 lari (0.30 $) with you, since you can buy a ticket only at the cash register, which accepts only the exact amount and does not give change. Payment to the driver is prohibited. Buses, unlike route taxis, stop only at bus stops... All buses are relatively new and technically sound. At the bus stops there are electronic displays that let you know the arrival of the nearest numbers.
Recently in Tbilisi they began to replace the old route taxis with new ones, also technically sound and quite comfortable. Unlike buses, you can pay for the fare both through the machine and the driver. Minibuses stop on demand.
Bus stations
- "Okriba": Karaletskaya st., 14; Tel. 234 26 92
- "Central bus station": st. Gulia, 11; Tel. 275 34 33
- "Dedakalaki": Vokzalnaya square; Tel. 256 61 13
- "Svir": st. Vekuya, 110; Tel. 262 65 15
- "Navtlugskaya bus station": Moskovsky prospect, 12; tel: 271 66 29
If you are going to stay in Tbilisi, it is more convenient to buy a special plastic card for 2 lari (a little more than a dollar) and put a certain amount on it for a deposit. This card can be used to pay for travel on the metro, bus and route taxi... At the same time, there is a system of discounts in the metro and the bus, for the second and third travel in one day the cost is reduced by 0.1 lari.
Taxi most convenient tool transportation, quite popular in Tbilisi and relatively inexpensive due to high competition.
There are several companies where you can call a taxi by phone.
OOO "Tiko"
tel: 220 02 00
contractual tariff
car: "Nissan"
Express - taxi
tel: 291 06 07; 291 20 05
contractual tariff
car: "Opel"
Service
tel: 003
contractual tariff
car: "Mercedes", "Opel"
Omega - taxi
tel: 237 78 77
contractual tariff
car "Mercedes", "Opel"
Service-center
tel: 088
contractual tariff
car: "Mitsubishi"
Service - suite
tel: 253 55 35
tariff: 0.6 lari
car: Toyota
Autogas - Nostalgia
tel: 291 14 14; 294 14 14
tariff: 0.3 lari
car: "Mercedes", "Volkswagen", "Opel", "Gas 31".
The most expensive tariff is 0.6 lari (0.4 $) per kilometer. Waiting for an average of 10 lari (about $ 6) per hour. In addition, you can stop a private trader on the street and agree on a price, but it is better not to do this, since, unfortunately, many private traders say the price is much too high if they understand that the person is not local. And it is very easy to distinguish them, a car, company-owned besides checkers has a phone number of this very company.
As for car rental, there are many companies in Tbilisi offering this service, with or without a driver, with the provision of child seats or GPS navigation, with a wide range of other services. All machines are in excellent working order and are naturally insured. Prices depend on the rental period, and of the class of the car itself. Discounts for regular customers. And if you arrived in Tbilisi by plane, then right at the airport one of these companies is at your service.
Leading companies in this field:
Avis
Tbilisi airport
rustaveli Ave., 1 (head office)
tel: 2923594
www.avis.ge
Concord Motors
st. Barnova, 82
tel: 2220960
www.concordmotors.ge
CT Auto Ltd
st. Leselidze, 44 / II
tel: 299 91 00
www.hertz.ge
Geo Rent Car
st. Lermontov, 9
tel: 293 00 99
www.georentcar.ge
Info Tbilisi Cars
st. Nikoladze, 6
tel: 218 22 44
http://cars.info-tbilisi.com
Jeep Rent
st. 5 Mardzhanishvili st.
tel: 294 19 10
www.jeeprent.info-tbilisi.com
MSG +
st. Kostava, 40
tel: 247 00 47
www.carrental.ge
Naniko
tel: 214 11 22
www.naniko.com
Tbilisi metro - most convenient transportation in the capital, quickly and comfortably will take you from point A to point B. In this post - a map of the Tbilisi metro in Russian, stations and where you can get in this way. Here about another public transport Tbilisi - useful routes of buses and minibuses.
Tbilisi metro
The Tbilisi Metro was put into operation in January 1966, and is currently considered the second largest in the Transcaucasus (in the first place - Baku, in the third - Yerevan).
In total there are 2 lines and 22 stations, or rather, even one with a small branch, it is on it that most tourists travel, because it passes through the center and all important transport and outlets cities.
The last station opened in 2000, one more line is being designed (maybe under construction), but it is not known when it will be ready. Metro operating hours: from 06:00 to 24:00, and the interval is on average 6-7 minutes. The stations are announced in Georgian and English, all the schemes inside are also duplicated in two languages. The metro fare is 0.5 lari (about 13 rubles).
Read also:
Tbilisi metro map in Russian
Here is a map of the Tbilisi metro in Russian, with all existing and planned stations. There are red and blue branches on it - they exist now, and the third branch is planned.
Now let's take a closer look at useful and necessary stations in the Tbilisi metro.
"Didube" - goes to the Didube bus station, from where many minibuses depart to all parts of Georgia: for example, to Kazbegi, Mtskheta, Batumi, Borjomi, Kutaisi and others.
"Vokzalnaya Square" - goes to the railway station, trains depart from here to Batumi (and everything on the way), Zugdidi, Poti, Borjomi, Yerevan, Baku.
"Rustaveli" - overlooks the main street of the city - Shota Rustaveli with many hotels, cafes, shops. There are also theaters, government and many other interesting things.
"Freedom Square" - the very center of Tbilisi, near the old city, Pushkin and Kote Afkhazi streets, museums, Narikala fortress.
"Avlabari" - exit to Tsminda Sameba Cathedral, Europe Square, Rike Park, Metekhi Church.
Isani and Samgori - go to bus stations with the same names. From here minibuses go to Kakheti, to the Azerbaijani border.
Fare payment
The public transport system is very well thought out in Tbilisi. Since 2010, payment has been made only using Metromoney plastic cards. The fare is 0.5 lari (50 tetri).
The card can be bought in the station lobbies for 2 GEL, and you can replenish it there or at numerous machines throughout the city. The Metromoney transport card is suitable not only for the metro, but also for buses (travel 50 tetri), large yellow minibuses (travel 80 tetri) and the cable car from Vake Park to the Narikala fortress.
That is, the scheme is as follows: we buy a card for 2 GEL, replenish it with another 2 GEL (for example). As soon as you lean against the turnstile, 0.5 GEL is debited from the card and the remainder is displayed on the screen. The buses also have special machines that issue a check with the balance on the account - very convenient.
Now the rule is that within 90 minutes after entering the metro, you can use the buses for free. It is very cool. And our policy in Omsk is that people are specifically forced to make more transfers (by closing routes) so that there is more money ...
Then 2 GEL (for which the card was bought) can be returned if you have a receipt in good condition... It faded for me ;-)
Other public transport in Tbilisi
There are many buses and even more minibuses in the capital. Of course, tourists rarely use them, largely because all the inscriptions are in Georgian.
There is one where you can see all the bus routes, even find out where a particular bus is at a given time.
Useful Tbilisi bus routes:
37 - goes from the airport through the center and to the railway station.
124 - from the Rutsaveli metro station through Svoboda square, and further along the Sololaki district and to Mount Mtatsminda (to the amusement park).
7 - Metro station "Didube" - village Digomi. It is convenient if you need to get out on the highway to hitchhike further to Mtskheta-Gori-Kutaisi.
8 - airport - metro "Isani".
55 - Baratashvili street - Ortachala bus station (all international buses to Istanbul, Ankara, Yerevan, Baku).
