COMMUNICATION
Georgian SIM-card can be purchased at the offices of the local mobile operators as well as in local supermarkets. The SIM cards cost from 1 to 2 GEL. You will need to show your passport. Calling from mobile to a fixed line phone, dial 0 then the city code then the 6 last digits. Calling to other mobiles, dial the last 9 digits of the number. If that doesn’t work, just dial the full number starting +995. Calling from one mobile to another costs 0.20 GEL (20 tetri) per minute.
Some area codes of Georgia:
Batumi – 422, Kobuleti-456, Tbilisi-322, Kutaisi-431
Directory Inquiry Service. Tel: 11808
24-hour Tourist Information Center – Tel: +995 577 90 90 93
You can replenish your SIM card balance by Pay Boxes (by selecting your language preference – English or Russian)
INTERNET
There is a free public Wi-Fi available in the territory of Batumi Boulevard. Also most of the cafe/restaurants/bars have free WiFi. There are also a number of internet cafes around Batumi.
Internet café:
Addresses: 10, Rustaveli st.
23, P.Melikishvili st.
GEORGIAN POST
№6010 Batumi service center
Postal Code: 6010
Address: Batumi, Akh.Melashvili str.№4
Working Hours: Mon-Fri: 09:00-17:00, Sat: 09:00 - 14:00, Sun: closed
№6004 Batumi service center
Postal Code: 6004
Address: Batumi, I.Chavchavadze str.№90
Working Hours: Mon-Fri: 09:00-17:00, Sat: 09:00 - 14:00, Sun: closed
Tel: +995 422 27 22 89 / +995 322 24 09 09; georgianpost.ge
ELECTRICITY
Georgia supplies its residents and visitors alike with electrical current of 220 volts AC, 50 Hz. AI sockets require two round pins.
NATIONAL MONEY LARI
The Georgian national currency is the Lari (GEL) divided into 100 tetri. All payments on the territory of Georgia are carried out in GEL. Cash is the most frequently used method of payment in Georgia (especially in the regions and villages). You can also exchange currency at banks and currency exchange points.
112-EMERGENCY RESPONSE CENTRE
112 is unified emergency number for police, fire rescue and medical services. You can reach 112 free of charge during 24-hours from all fixed lines and mobile networks, even if the number is disconnected from both sides or there is no SIM-card in the mobile phone. Calling police is the same for the foreign citizens using roaming and any international calling operator. Calling an ambulance is not free of charge for foreigners, the cost is 50 GEL (about 30$). For more information, please visit: police.ge
HEALTH INSURANCE
There are few clinics in Adjara that cooperate with foreign insurance companies. Therefore, foreign visitors in most cases will have to pay for services on the site and prepare a document for their insurance agencies.
INCLUSION
The following tourist sites in Adjara are equipped with the facilities for disabled.
Hotels: Hilton (3 rooms), Sheraton (2 rooms), Radisson (2 rooms), Euphoria (8 rooms), Intourist Palace (2 rooms), Wyndham Batumi (1 room), Georgia Palace (6 rooms, Kobuleti), Black Sea Hostel (1 room for 3 persons).
Restaurants and cafes:
Sidewalk cafes and restaurants that have an outdoor area. ‘’Divan Suites Batumi’’ offers the restaurant and toilet adapted for disabled people located on the ground floor of the hotel.
Tourist sites:
Dolphinarium, Botanical Garden, Batumi Boulevard, Old Batumi and port area.
Transportation: Gray buses have lifts or ramps for wheelchairs.
CUSTOMS
You can bring 400 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 50 cigarillos or 250 gram of other tobacco products as well as 4 liters of alcoholic beverages into Georgia without declaring it at customs. There are allowances for importing without declaring up to 30 kg of food, not exceeding 500 GEL, once in a calendar day. Exporting antiques and old works of art is subject to licensing and permission from the Ministry of Culture. Cats and dogs must be accompanied by veterinarian health certificate. All international regulations on narcotics, guns and explosives apply. Import of export of money up to 30 000 GEL or equivalent in other currencies is exempted from duty. The temporary presence on the territory of Georgia is alowed during 90 days for vehicles crossing the Georgian border by sea and during 65 days for the vehicles crossing theborder by land. (More information is available on rs.ge)
VISA REGIME
Citizens of the European Union and Eastern Europe as well as USA, Canada, Turkey, Ukraine, Russia, Poland, the Baltic States, Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Iran, Israel, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and many other countries are now able to enter and stay in Georgia for a year visa-free. To enter Georgia, it is necessary that one has a passport, valid for at least 6 months from the date of entering the country. Citizens of other states need to arrange visa before travelling to Georgia. Georgia’s electronic e-visa portal went online in 2015. This system enables foreigners coming to Georgia as tourists or for business to obtain an e-Visa without having to apply to Georgia’s consular offices abroad. For additional information about visa please visit evisa.gov.ge
FOREIGN CONSULATES IN BATUMI
Azerbaijan – 62 Parnavaz Mepe / 24 Demetre Tavdadebuli St. Tel: +995 422 27 67 00
Estonia – 58 Gorgasali St. Tel: +995 422 27 09 10
Turkey – 9 Ninoshvili St. Tel: +995 422 25 58 00
Iran – 83 Parnavaz Mepe St. Tel: +995 422 22 86 01
Armenia – 31 Tavdadebuli St. Tel: +995 422 27 99 90
PARKING
Parking in Batumi is on a free paid basis. You can pay Parking fee at any bank, online, by Pay Boxes, at parking meters. For payment you must specify vehicle’s number and serial number.
Parking rates are:
1 day – 1 GEL; 7 days – 5GEL; 30 days – 10 GEL; 182 days – 25 GEL; 1 year -40 GEL
Forced evacuation will be applied to vehicles parked with violation of traffic regulations and rules of public welfare and the drivers of those cars will be brought to administrative responsibility. (More information is available on batumitransport.ge Tel: +995 422 21 21 89)
The fine can be paid in any bank. If you lost a receipt, the copy can be obtained in the transport agency. Fine shall be paid within 30 days after notification. Foreigners will need a valid passport to make payment.
TRANSPORT
AIRPORT
Batumi International Airport is located 7 km from the center of Batumi on the road from Batumi to the Turkish border. There is a tourism information center on the territory of the airport, where you can get free brochures, maps and information to help you make the most of your trip to Adjara. There are also several ATMs, currency exchange, a gift shop, a bistro, VIP and CIP zones.
Address: Airport highway 220
Tel: +995 422 23 51 00
batumiairport.com
Getting from airport to town (or from Batumi to the airport):
1. By public transport. Take the bus #10. On Batumi public buses you need to purchase two tickets, printed on one piece of paper. Tickets cost 0.80 GEL. You can buy tickets from the driver. As soon as you get the ticket validate it by running it through the ticket validation machine on the bus.
2. By Taxi. Most taxi cars are private and don’t carry meters with fixed rates. Agree the price before you get in. A taxi from the airport to the city center will cost about 10-15 GEL.
3. A taxi from Batumi airport to Kobuleti (25 km from Batumi) will cost about 40 GEL. You may also order a taxi (with taxi-meter) by contacting one of the local taxi companies.
RAILWAY AND BUS STATION ‘’BATUMI CENTRAL’’
New railway station is 4 km from the center of Batumi, in the village of ‘’Tamaris Dasakhleba’’ (Benze), near the Batumi State Musical Center. There are ATMs, currency exchange and bank branches on the territory of the railway station.
Address: Queen Tamar Highway
Tel: +995 422 22 22 22 / +995 595 22 02 49
batumicentral.ge
Getting from ‘’Batumi Central’’ to town (or from Batumi to ‘’Batumi Central’’):
1. By public transport. Take the bus #10. On Batumi public buses you need to purchase two tickets, printed on one piece of paper. Tickets cost 0.80 GEL. You can buy tickets from the driver. As soon as you get the ticket validate it by running it through the ticket validation machine on the bus.
2. By Taxi. Most taxi cars are private and don’t carry meters with fixed rates. Agree the price before you get in. A taxi from the railway station to the city center will cost about 7-9 GEL.
3. You may also order a taxi (with taxi-meter) by contacting one of the local taxi companies.
BATUMI SEA PORT
Batumi Sea Port is located in the center. There are several regular passenger lines that connect Batumi with Illichivsk port in Ukraine and Sochi in Russia.
Batumi Express: connect Batumi and Sochi. Run two times a week. Ticket price is about 250 GEL. Approximate duration of the trip is about 6 hours.
Tel: +995 593 33 39 66
UKRFERRY: passenger and transport ferries run between Illichevs’k and Batumi. Approximate duration of the trip is about 2 days. Ticket price is about 400 GEL.
Address: Gogebashvili St. 1
Tel: +995 422 27 41 19; batumiport.com
BATUMI BUS STATION
There are two bus stations in Batumi, local in the city center. There are about 200 bus services daily to various parts of Georgia, Adjara and the neighboring countries.
New bus station:
Address: Gogol st. 1
Tel: +995 422 24 26 12
Old Bus Station:
Address: Maiakovski st. 1
Tel: +995 422 27 85 47
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
The main types of public transport: buses, minibuses, taxis.
Bus: for using the municipal transportation means, one must purchase one of the contactless plastic cards for free:
A. Standard Card - BATUMI CARD – Available for international travelers as well.
It can be purchased in the service center of “Metro Service +” located at #55 Gorgasali Str. Batumi.
It is also available at the Express Pay machines (the ones who have the function of issuing the transport card) of the Bank of Georgia. In the menu of the Express Pay machine one must find the option “Order the Transport card” and follow the instructions.
The price of transportation with BATUMI CARD is 0.30 GEL.
B. Discount Card – for Georgian residents only.
The discount card can be used by the pensioners, teachers, internally displaced persons (migrants) and travel for 0.15 GEL.
As for the elderly beneficiaries of the social center, veterans and equal persons, persons with disabilities and beneficiaries with 0-70000 points – they can travel for free with this card.
It can be purchased in the service center of “Metro Service +” located at #55 Gorgasali Str. Batumi.
C. STUDENT CARD - for Georgian residents only.
It can be purchased in the service centers of EXPRESS BANK and the price of transportation is 0.15 GEL.
D. School card - SCOOL CARD - for Georgian residents only.
It can be purchased in the branches of the BANK OF GEORGIA and the owners travel for free.
Travelling by the public transport is also possible by the contactless cards of the BANK OF GEORGIA: EXPRESS BANK, SOLO, VISA ELECTRON and etc. Also all the transport cards of Tbilisi: METROMONEY, Discount, Student and School cards of Tbilisi City Hall.
One can fill up the balance of the transport cards for free at the EXPRESS PAY machines of the BANK of GEORGIA by following the instruction in the menu.
Minibuses (marshrutkas): The fare for a ride within city is usually 0.50GEL, payable to the driver when you get off. The fare for a ride outside Batumi ranges from 1 to 8 GEL.
Taxi: Some taxis carry meters with fixed rates (1 km is about 0.50-0.60 GEL), but not all. There are also private taxis in the city that don’t use taximeter. Agree the price before you get in.
Car rent: The average rate for a one-day rental starts from 120-150 GEL per day. For more detailed information, please contact Batumi Tourist Information Centers.
batumi.ge
batauto.ge
BATUMVELO
To get a BatumVelo card visit the Tourist information center at the main entrance to the Boulevard, near the fountains. You should have an identity card or passport.
‘’BatumVelo’’ offers 2 types of packages:
The annual package – 20 GEL (10 GEL – price of BatumVelo card+ 10 GEL to your balance for cycling)
To replenish the balance on your card please visit the Tourist Information Centre where you purchased the package.
Tel: +995 577 37 76 76
batauto.ge
