FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Kazakhstan vs Georgia vs Armenia
View Single Post
Old Oct 2, 2022 | 10:01 am
  #11  
invisible
All eyes on you!
15 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Virginia City Highlands
Programs: Nothing anymore after 20 years
Posts: 7,190
I would agree with what most replied, and have returned from Georgia yesterday, having been at Tbilisi (capital), Stepantminda/Gergeti (North), Uplistsikhe/Gori/Borjomi (central), Vardzia/Akhalkhalaki (South), Kakheti (East).

Everything is pretty much back in 2019, with the significant exception of the exodus of Russians fleeing mobilization. Was on the border on the third day after the announcement and witnessed people crossing the border by foot and bikes. Most of them head to Tbilisi for now and now you will hear Russian on every corner. All mobile operator offices are mobbed by 'deserters' (as locals are calling them) so if you need a SIM with local data, better to schedule a delivery at your hotel/homestay instead of going to the office.

I would also recommend to be very flexible with schedule/plans and have buffer time because things might not go according to the plan. This applies to all three countries and the whole region.

If staying in Tbilisi I would recommend to stay somewhere near the metro station and using it as a primary transport - in the evening rush hour, it will take less time on the metro than driving via car. Download and use Bolt as a rideshare app - avoid Yandex and others. Don't use the transfer service from/to the airport offered by hotel/homestays - they will charge you $30, while Bolt Premium outside of rush hour will cost you $10. BTW, stick with Bolt Premium - the price difference with Bolt Economy is $1-$2, and wait times are half.

Good luck.

Last edited by invisible; Oct 4, 2022 at 1:31 pm
invisible is offline