Car Rental With a Driver in Georgia

Car rental with a driver in Georgia means the car comes with someone behind the wheel for the day, while you decide the route and the stops. At DRACARS the service is available in Tbilisi, Batumi and Kutaisi, and a driver's day lasts 7 hours.

When a driver makes more sense than driving yourself

Most trips around Georgia are easy to drive yourself, but a few days are better with a driver:

• A wine day in Kakheti — the insurance does not apply if the driver has been drinking, so with a driver everyone can taste and nobody has to drive back.
• Mountain roads in bad weather or in winter — when you would rather watch the road than drive it.
• A city day with meetings — no parking to look for between addresses.
• A group where nobody wants to drive — everyone gets the view.
• A day for photography — stops wherever the light is good, without looking for parking.

For everything else, a car you drive yourself is usually the simpler and cheaper choice.

How car rental with a driver in Georgia works

You rent the car together with a driver, who picks you up and drives the route you have agreed. There is no group and no fixed timetable: you stop where you want and stay as long as the seven hours allow.

If you want history and context along the way, a guide can be booked on the same terms. The guide speaks Russian and English. A driver is not a tour operator: the itinerary is yours, and entrance tickets or tastings are paid on the spot.

Day ideas with a driver

Ideas for a day with a driver from each of the three cities:

• From Tbilisi — a wine day in Kakheti, or Mtskheta and Ananuri fortress on the Georgian Military Road.
• From Tbilisi to Kazbegi — a long mountain day, so agree the start time and the stops in advance.
• From Batumi — Makhuntseti waterfall and Queen Tamar Bridge in the Adjara mountains, or Gonio and Sarpi on the coast.
• From Kutaisi — Prometheus Cave and the Okatse canyon, which are close to each other and fit into one day.
• From Kutaisi to Martvili — the canyon with a boat ride, a comfortable half-day.

Plan each day around the seven hours: the longer the drive there and back, the less time is left for the stops.

What is paid separately

Fuel is paid by the client, so a long mountain day costs more than a short city one. For a trip lasting more than one day, the driver's meals and accommodation are paid separately as well.

Settle both before you set off, not at the end of the trip. Ask for the full figure for the whole trip in the reply to your request, rather than multiplying a daily rate yourself.

Driver or self-drive for the rest of the trip

For most itineraries the answer is both. Rent the car for the week, drive it yourself between cities and along the coast, and take a driver for the one or two days where it really helps.

That keeps the car with you in the evenings, which a tour arrangement does not. A village restaurant an hour from the hotel is a much easier decision when the keys are in your pocket.

What to agree before you set off

• The route — and roughly how many stops you want to make.
• The start time — so the seven hours go on the route, not on waiting.
• Whether you return the same evening — or stay overnight.
• A guide — whether you want one as well, and in which language.
• The pickup point — the hotel address or another place to meet.

Write these points in your request, so the day starts with a plan rather than a discussion in the car park.

In short

A driver in Georgia is a practical answer to a few specific days: a wine tasting, a mountain road in bad weather, a city day of meetings. Send your request with the date, the route and whether you need a guide.