Roads and rails across Georgia

On Monday 11th August, we started what was a bit of an epic journey from Ushguli to Kutaisi to Tbilisi. The Wanderlush blog had advised us to stay in Mestia, to take a marshutra to Zugdidi, a very late train to Tbilisi and then onwards to Sighnaghi which was the original plan until I found out that there was a new road from Ushguli to Kutaisi which had just opened 2 months ago and would cut some of the journey and also mean that instead of arriving in Tbilisi close to midnight, we'd arrive at 16:00 - result!

So, we'd found a driver to take us from Ushguli to Kutaisi for 350 GEL (£96) called Dato Kuprashvili. We had been chatting on Facebook to arrange everything and he was super polite as we arranged our plans. We started off early (6am) and were able to see the sun rising over the mountains. Unfortunately, Tiger had been sick as she woke up (no idea why!) and the windy journey made her feel sick here and there - I did feel a little sorry for Dato with her retching out of the window. Nevertheless, the road was lovely and I didn't feel at all that for an adult it made me nauseous. Before we knew it we were at the Rioni (Kutaisi) station just before 10:30. The station was pretty deserted but there was a small snack shop, and an enormous waiting room with birds nesting in the roof! When the ticket lady arrived, she was ever so helpful and you'd have no problem getting the right ticket if you just turned up without having booked online.

When our train was about to arrive, she hustled us out and onto the platform where there were a few other backpackers. The train was on time, but there was a lot of rigorous checking our passports matched our tickets before we were allowed on! The train left on time at 11:47 and arrived in Tbilisi at 16:00. I had bought our tickets online on the Georgian Railways website. I had been wondering whether to book first or business class and in the end went with business but then was pleasantly surprised to discover that there was a child discount (adult 42 GEL / child 22 GEL) so our total cost was 64 GEL (65.28 including fees) or £17.82. However, Business Class wasn't worth it as it was exactly the same as First Class but behind a magic curtain! We did have AC, a plug socket and a table though and the journey was really easy.

As we were only stopping for one night, we checked into the Tbilisi Stay Hotel (108 GEL, £29) which was very close to train station at 28 Nikolai Gogol St. This turned out to be my one and only mistake (I think) of the whole trip. I had booked a "superior triple room" but was initially given a double, then when I asked again was moved to a twin room. Nevertheless it definitely wasn't what we had booked (i.e. a double bed and a single bed) and unlike every other place we stayed in Georgia which had been amazing, I left my only "average" to "bad" review - 6/10. I was kicking myself a bit as I could so easily have booked something nicer and just jumped in a Bolt taxi. Nevermind, lesson learned. Tiger never understood why I didn't like this hotel!

I'd hoped that as it was still quite early though we had time to head to Mtatsminda Park but Tiger had a total sense of humour failure on me (I guess since she'd been up being sick out of a window from 6am, oops!) so we just went out for a wander around the train station area. The park will to wait for another time!

The area was not the best, but also not the worst. There were a number of opticians and I really needed to get one of my pairs of reading glasses repaired as the screw had fallen out and one of them was able to do this. I wasn't sure how much to give the lady and I had a 5 GEL and 10 GEL note to hand. She took the 5 GEL and then gave me change (despite my protestations!) so it only cost 1 GEL i.e. 30p! We also went to the Carrefour supermarket but then had an early night before our onward trip to Sighnaghi.