Georgia is not a loop. The country's best destinations — Tbilisi, Kazbegi, Kakheti, Kutaisi, Svaneti, Batumi — are spread across a country that stretches 490 km from east to west. The most natural way to see them is point to point: fly in, travel west, fly home. Retracing your route to return a car where you picked it up wastes time and miles that could be spent on new roads.
One-way car rental in Georgia solves this cleanly — pick up at Tbilisi Airport, drop off at Batumi. Or the reverse. Or via Kutaisi. The practical question is whether this costs extra, and with StarCar the answer is straightforward: no drop-off fee between our three main locations — Tbilisi, Kutaisi, and Batumi.
This guide covers how one-way rental works in Georgia, the best one-way itineraries, what to watch for when booking, and how to plan a route that uses the full geography of the country.
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Quick facts: StarCar one-way rentals — no drop-off surcharge between Tbilisi, Kutaisi, and Batumi. Minimum rental period: 2 days. Specify pickup and drop-off location at booking. Airport delivery available at all three airports. |
A one-way rental means you pick up the car at Location A and return it at Location B. The rental company then repositions the car. In many countries this repositioning cost is passed to the customer as a "drop-off fee" — sometimes $50, sometimes $200, occasionally more. StarCar absorbs this cost between its three main locations, meaning the one-way option is genuinely available at the same daily rate as a return rental.
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Pickup location |
Drop-off location |
Drop-off fee |
Min. rental |
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Tbilisi Airport (TBS) |
Batumi Airport / city |
None |
2 days |
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Tbilisi Airport (TBS) |
Kutaisi Airport (KUT) |
None |
2 days |
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Batumi Airport / city |
Tbilisi Airport (TBS) |
None |
2 days |
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Batumi Airport / city |
Kutaisi Airport (KUT) |
None |
2 days |
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Kutaisi Airport (KUT) |
Tbilisi Airport (TBS) |
None |
2 days |
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Kutaisi Airport (KUT) |
Batumi Airport / city |
None |
2 days |
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Any of the above |
Other city address |
Confirm at booking |
2 days |
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Important: One-way availability depends on current fleet positioning. During peak season (July–August) and holiday weekends, one-way slots fill up faster than return rentals. Book at least 2–3 weeks in advance if you need a specific pickup/drop-off combination. Last-minute one-way bookings are possible but not guaranteed. |
One-way rental unlocks a different style of travel — linear, progressive, with no backtracking. Here are the routes that make most sense as one-way trips.
Direction: East to west, finishing at the Black Sea.
Pickup: Tbilisi International Airport
Drop-off: Batumi Airport or city centre
Best for: First-time visitors to Georgia who want the full range of the country in one trip.
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Day |
Route |
Highlights |
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Day 1 |
Tbilisi — city exploration |
Old Town, Narikala, Rustaveli Ave, rooftop wine bars |
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Day 2 |
Tbilisi → Mtskheta → Kazbegi |
Jvari Monastery, Ananuri Fortress, Gergeti Church |
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Day 3 |
Kazbegi → Tbilisi → Kakheti wine region |
Signagi, Bodbe Monastery, winery visits |
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Day 4 |
Kakheti → Tbilisi → Borjomi |
Borjomi Mineral Park, Rabati Castle (Akhaltsikhe) |
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Day 5 |
Borjomi → Kutaisi |
Sataplia Dinosaur Park, Prometheus Cave, Gelati Monastery |
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Day 6 |
Kutaisi → Martvili Canyon → Batumi |
Canyon boat tour, coastal drive, Batumi Boulevard |
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Day 7 |
Batumi — city day + drop-off |
Botanical Garden, Old Town, seafront, airport return |
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Car recommendation: For this route, a crossover (Mitsubishi Outlander) handles everything comfortably — the roads are mostly paved with only optional off-road side trips. If you want to include the Gergeti Church drive on Day 2, upgrade to the Subaru Forester. |
Direction: West to east, finishing in the capital.
Pickup: Kutaisi International Airport (KUT)
Drop-off: Tbilisi International Airport (TBS)
Best for: Budget travellers flying Wizz Air or Ryanair into Kutaisi who want to exit via Tbilisi.
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Day |
Route |
Highlights |
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Day 1 |
Kutaisi → Prometheus Cave → Sataplia → Kutaisi overnight |
Georgia's most impressive cave system, dinosaur footprints |
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Day 2 |
Kutaisi → Martvili Canyon → Zugdidi |
Turquoise canyon, boat tour, Dadiani Palace |
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Day 3 |
Zugdidi → Gori → Tbilisi |
Uplistsikhe cave city, Stalin Museum, Old Tbilisi arrival |
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Day 4 |
Tbilisi sightseeing → airport drop-off |
Narikala, Sulphur Baths, Dry Bridge market |
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Budget travel note: Kutaisi Airport is served by Wizz Air from many European cities at very low fares. Pairing a cheap Kutaisi inbound flight with a Tbilisi outbound is one of the most cost-effective ways to see western and central Georgia. The one-way rental from Kutaisi to Tbilisi makes this logistically clean. |
Direction: West to east via the southern highlands.
Pickup: Batumi Airport
Drop-off: Tbilisi International Airport (TBS)
Best for: Travellers who want Adjara, the cave monasteries, and the Caucasus in one linear trip. Higher difficulty — SUV required.
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Day |
Route |
Highlights |
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Day 1 |
Batumi — coast and city |
Gonio Fortress, Batumi Boulevard, Black Sea |
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Day 2 |
Batumi → Khulo → Goderdzi Pass |
Adjara gorge road, gondola cable cars, alpine pass |
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Day 3 |
Goderdzi → Akhaltsikhe → Vardzia |
Rabati Castle, Vardzia cave monastery, gorge views |
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Day 4 |
Vardzia → Borjomi → Gori |
Mineral park, Uplistsikhe cave city |
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Day 5 |
Gori → Mtskheta → Tbilisi |
Jvari Monastery, Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, Old Tbilisi |
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Day 6 |
Tbilisi → airport drop-off |
Final sightseeing, TBS airport |
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SUV required: This route includes Goderdzi Pass, which needs an SUV in spring and an SUV-minimum year-round. The Subaru Forester handles it comfortably from late May onwards. For April, use the Toyota Prado. This is not a sedan route. |
Direction: East to west, compact version.
Pickup: Tbilisi International Airport (Friday evening)
Drop-off: Batumi Airport (Sunday evening)
Best for: Long weekend travellers flying in and out of different cities.
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Day |
Route |
Highlights |
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Fri evening |
Arrive Tbilisi — overnight in city |
Old Town dinner, Narikala views |
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Saturday |
Tbilisi → Gori → Borjomi → Batumi (long drive) |
Uplistsikhe cave city, Borjomi Mineral Park, coast arrival |
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Sunday |
Batumi — beach + city |
Botanical Garden, Boulevard, seafront — evening airport |
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Weekend tip: The Saturday drive Tbilisi → Batumi via Gori and Borjomi is approximately 420 km and takes 6–7 hours with stops. Leave Tbilisi by 8am. The direct highway (no stops) is 370 km and takes about 4.5 hours if you prefer more time in Batumi. |
For planning purposes, here are the direct drive times between Georgia's main rental cities — without stops.
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From |
To |
Distance |
Drive time |
Highway |
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Tbilisi |
Batumi |
370 km |
4.5–5 hrs |
S1 (E60) — fully paved, excellent condition |
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Tbilisi |
Kutaisi |
220 km |
2.5–3 hrs |
S1 (E60) — same highway, western section |
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Kutaisi |
Batumi |
150 km |
1.5–2 hrs |
S1 (E60) — straightforward coastal approach |
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Batumi |
Tbilisi |
370 km |
4.5–5 hrs |
S1 reverse — same road, same conditions |
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Tbilisi |
Kazbegi |
148 km |
2.5–3 hrs |
S3 (Georgian Military Highway) |
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Tbilisi |
Borjomi |
160 km |
2–2.5 hrs |
E60 west then S14 south |
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Batumi |
Akhaltsikhe |
175 km |
2.5–3 hrs |
Via Keda and Goderdzi — SUV recommended |
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The S1 highway: The Tbilisi–Batumi highway (E60) is Georgia's main artery — a modern, well-maintained dual carriageway for most of its length. Speed limit is 100–110 km/h on open sections. The Rikoti Pass section through the Surami Range is winding but paved and easily drivable in any car. |
The three main locations are Tbilisi Airport (TBS), Kutaisi Airport (KUT), and Batumi Airport / city centre. All combinations between these three are available with no drop-off fee. If you need pickup or drop-off at a different address — a hotel, a train station, a border crossing — confirm this at booking as it may require a small repositioning fee.
When completing your online booking, specify both pickup and drop-off locations clearly in the booking notes or the designated fields. Ambiguous bookings slow down the confirmation process. If the booking form only has one location field, add the drop-off city in the comments section — the StarCar team will confirm both in the booking response.
For airport pickups, your inbound flight number lets the agent track your arrival. For airport drop-offs, your outbound flight number ensures the agent meets you at the right time. Provide both when booking — it makes the whole process faster and eliminates any timing uncertainty.
When you receive the booking confirmation from StarCar, verify that the total shown matches the daily rate × rental days, with no additional line item for drop-off. If there's a discrepancy, clarify before you travel — not at the pickup desk.
One-way rentals operate on the same full-to-full fuel policy as return rentals. You receive the car with a full tank and return it full. If you're dropping at Batumi Airport, fill up in the city — there are several petrol stations on the road to the airport. Don't rely on finding a station right at the terminal.
When dropping a car at an airport without a desk, the process is straightforward: the StarCar agent meets you at the designated return area (usually the short-stay car park or the departures drop-off lane). The handover takes 10–15 minutes — walk-around, fuel check, confirmation of return. Allow 20 minutes buffer before your check-in window.
For a drop-off before a flight, allow at least 90 minutes between car return and your check-in deadline. This covers: car handover (15 min), walk to terminal (5 min), check-in queue (20–30 min), security (10–20 min), and a small margin. Budget airports like Kutaisi can be faster; Tbilisi during peak season can be slower.
If your inbound flight is delayed, the car is held automatically — no calls or changes required from you, as StarCar monitors flight arrivals in real time. If you're running late for a drop-off due to traffic or a longer route, contact the agent directly via WhatsApp — they can usually accommodate a 30–60 minute delay without issue.
On the Tbilisi–Batumi route via the S1 highway, fuel stations are plentiful — roughly every 40–60 km. On mountain routes (Batumi → Goderdzi → Akhaltsikhe → Tbilisi), fuel is sparse between Keda and Akhaltsikhe. Fill up in Keda before the mountain section and again in Akhaltsikhe before continuing east.
StarCar allows cross-border travel to Armenia and Turkey with prior written approval — but cross-border one-way rentals (pick up in Georgia, drop off in Armenia) are not currently available. The car must be returned to a Georgian location. If you're planning a Georgia–Armenia circuit, this must be a return rental to a Georgian city.
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Factor |
One-way rental |
Return rental |
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Route shape |
Linear — no backtracking |
Loop — start and end same city |
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Drop-off fee (StarCar) |
None (Tbilisi / Kutaisi / Batumi) |
N/A |
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Flexibility |
High — follow the geography |
Must return to start point |
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Availability |
Book early — fills faster |
More widely available |
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Best use case |
Multi-city trip, fly in/out different airports |
Single-city base, day trips |
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Flight booking |
Two airports needed |
One airport |
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Cost |
Same daily rate at StarCar |
Same daily rate |
The decision is usually made by your flight logistics. If you're flying into Tbilisi and out of Batumi — or vice versa — a one-way rental is the obvious and practical choice. If you're basing yourself in one city and doing day trips, a return rental is simpler. The cost is the same either way with StarCar.
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Book your one-way rental today. No drop-off fee between Tbilisi, Kutaisi, and Batumi. Pick up at the airport, return at a different city — same price. → Book at starcar.ge/cars |
Is there a drop-off fee for one-way car rental in Georgia with StarCar?
No. StarCar charges no drop-off fee for one-way rentals between Tbilisi, Kutaisi, and Batumi. You pay the standard daily rate for the number of rental days — no additional surcharge for returning the car at a different location. This applies to all vehicle types including SUVs. For drop-offs at locations other than these three, confirm at booking as a small repositioning fee may apply.
Can I pick up a car in Tbilisi and drop it off in Batumi?
Yes — this is one of the most popular one-way routes in Georgia. Pick up at Tbilisi Airport (TBS) and drop off at Batumi Airport or any Batumi city address. No drop-off fee applies. The direct drive is 370 km on the S1 highway — approximately 4.5 to 5 hours without stops. Most travellers do this over 5–7 days, stopping at Borjomi, Kutaisi, and the western highlands along the way.
Can I pick up at Kutaisi Airport and drive to Tbilisi?
Yes. Kutaisi Airport (KUT) to Tbilisi is one of the most practical one-way combinations — particularly for travellers flying in on Wizz Air or Ryanair, which serve Kutaisi from many European cities. The drive is 220 km on the S1/E60 highway — approximately 2.5 to 3 hours. Drop the car at Tbilisi Airport for maximum convenience if you're flying home from TBS.
How far in advance should I book a one-way rental in Georgia?
For travel in July and August (peak season) and during major holidays (Easter, New Year, Orthodox Christmas), book at least 3–4 weeks in advance. One-way slots — especially for SUVs — fill faster than return rentals because fleet repositioning limits availability. For shoulder season travel (April–June, September–October), 1–2 weeks is usually sufficient but earlier is always better.
Can I return a one-way rental to a hotel or city address rather than an airport?
Yes, with prior arrangement. StarCar can organise drop-off at a central city address — a hotel, a train station, or another agreed location — rather than an airport. Specify this clearly when booking and confirm the exact address and timing in the booking confirmation. For non-standard drop-off points, a small repositioning fee may apply depending on location.
