For 29 days we navigated our way across roughly 2000 kilometers / 1242 miles of Georgian roadways. We will have a full report next week, but for now here’s a taste of what it’s like to drive in this former Soviet republic.
We rented a car through LocalRent, an aggregator working with small companies that often only operate out of one city, most of which are in Eastern Europe. Because these are smaller operations many of their vehicles are older models with correspondingly lower daily rates. We got a 2015 Prius Hybrid that averaged to about $37 CAD/day ($27.50 US$).
We picked it up in Tbilisi, and as we were nearing the city limits Howard realized the gas gauge was hovering over empty so we needed to find a filling station. The rental agent had commented that the reputable gas stations all have attendants who will fill your tank, but he cautioned us to ensure the attendant actually puts premium gas into the tank rather than substituting a cheaper blend while still charging the premium rate. It is certainly helpful having an attendant when dealing with unfamiliar pumps, however Howard was rather surprised when his request for a “fill” was met with a blank stare. Apparently, at some stations, you must stipulate a dollar amount. He asked for 50 GEL ($25 CAD), which was a pretty good guess and we left with half a tank. Gas prices vary somewhat depending on location and company, ranging between $1.44 and $1.66/litre CAD (roughly $4.00-$4.65 US for an imperial gallon). The other tip the rental agent gave us was to remain alert for other vehicles’ “manoeuvers.” Yeah, manoeuvers, now there’s a cute euphemism. Drivers in this country adhere to a very different code.
Most of the highway system on which we were traveling consisted of undivided single-lane roads, with virtually non-existent shoulders. Passing on blind corners? Why not? Traffic backed up? Just pull into the oncoming lane, creating a third lane, to move further up the queue. Daytime running lights, or perhaps headlights in a pitch-black tunnel? Overrated. And if the “manoeuvers” aren’t keeping you on your toes, you have to contend with free-range cows, horses, donkeys, dogs, and hogs trotting (or sometimes taking a siesta) on the road. Oh, yes, and car-swallowing potholes too, just for good measure. City driving is marginally less nutty – the roundabouts were baffling. Do you yield to the traffic already inside? Maybe, or maybe that traffic is supposed to come to a screeching halt and wave you in. Is there one lane of traffic or three? It was an ongoing mystery.
While we were pleased with the price of our rental, it did come with a few hiccups. Almost immediately the low tire pressure gauge lit up. Gas stations do not have air pumps, you need to find a car wash. Fortunately, having a clean car appears to be a priority in Georgia and car wash bays were easier to find than gas stations. We paid the grizzled old fellow who was manning one of them 5 GEL/$2.50 CAD for some air. The tire pressure was a minor inconvenience, the god-awful sound that started emanating from the front of the car on our way back from Mestia was a bit more alarming.
Mestia sits at an elevation of 1,500 meters (4,921 feet). The highway up to it is a series of hairpin turns hugging the side of the mountain, and had the worst road conditions we have EVER encountered. On at least four occasions the lane closest to the drop-off was gone, having slid down the side of the mountain into the valley below. Without a flagman in sight, traffic was left to take turns creeping along the roughly 10-15 m / 30-50 ft stretch of roadway that remained.
Where two lanes of road did still exist, they were frequently unsurfaced and we had to gingerly negotiate a path through the gravel, hoping we didn’t high center on one of the protruding boulders. We were very concerned this unpleasant sound might be suspension damage sustained during this leg of our trip. Howard checked under the car to see if there was any visible damage and noticed a plastic panel under the engine bay, which had come loose at some point in the past and been zap-strapped in place, now only had a single strap securing it, which was allowing it to drag on the ground.
The travel gods were smiling that day, and within a few miles of making that discovery we passed an auto shop. With the help of Google Translate (and 20 GEL / $10 CAD) Howard managed to explain the problem and the mechanic used what looked suspiciously like an old coat-hanger to re-secure the panel. Back on the road again. Sadly that wasn’t the entire solution, although we did register the sound now only seemed to be present when Howard was slowing down or braking. He figured it was likely the brake pads, but wow, it was a helluva noise. At this point, we figured we better let the rental company know we had a problem and they requested we return to Tbilisi as soon as possible.
The next day we met the rental agent at his lot, and he agreed it was the brake pads. He told us to get in and he would “take us on adventure.” A little idiosyncrasy we noticed with Georgian drivers is their penchant for hanging their left arm out the window. The first thing the agent did when he got behind the wheel was turn off the A/C – it was 35°C / 95°F outside! Then he rolled down the window, stuck his left arm out, crossed himself with the right, and off we went. Before long we arrived at a rundown industrial complex, full of dozens and dozens of bays, with just as many cars in various states of disrepair littering the grounds. As he searched for an empty bay he laughed and explained that none of these mechanics were certified, they learned their trade from YouTube, finishing his explanation with “Welcome to Georgia!” Repairs were undertaken, we were back to soundless braking and we just needed the work to last four more days.
Returning to Tbilisi at this juncture did require us to rejig our plans somewhat. Honestly, though, we had had just about enough of the backroads of Georgia so opting to stay on the northern outskirts of Tbilisi and do a couple of day trips from there, rather than retracing our steps back to central Georgia to follow our original plan, wasn’t a huge disappointment.
All-in-all, we enjoyed experiencing Georgia during this 29-day road trip, and wouldn’t hesitate to use Localrent again – we might just pick a newer model next time. If you’re not nervous behind the wheel, and are up for being a bit aggressive when the need arises, you’ll be fine as a driver in Georgia. If you’re the passenger you might want to close your eyes and take a nap while the car’s in motion.
Stay tuned for a full summary of our Georgian road trip!
Oh to be a fly in the back seat of that car. I have wanted to explore Georgia, but my spouse says we are too old. Sadly he is right, but looking forward to your next post.