Vladikavkaz — Tbilisi

This is a classic route for most travelers from Russia to Georgia. In fact, the Upper Lars border checkpoint is the only way to cross the border by car. Go.

In Vladikavkaz, I did not refuel – out of habit, I was waiting for refueling in front of the checkpoint, but there were none. I drove into Georgia on a half-empty tank, which I regretted when I saw the price tags. As of mid-May 2024, the cost of a liter of diesel was 3.33 lari, which is equivalent to 107 rubles (and due to exchange rate spreads - all 120 rubles).

I will write about Vladikavkaz separately. It takes about an hour from the city center to the border. A couple of places turned out to be so beautiful that I went out to take photos. I advise you to go in the morning to enjoy nature.

There were no traffic jams or road closures at the border (which often happens in winter). Only a small queue of 3 cars for 20 minutes.

Between the borders, the road deteriorates sharply – pits and potholes appear. A similar road condition is almost up to Tbilisi. The deepest ones are somehow filled in (on the way back, a large pit was already filled in), but you should be extremely careful. After passing through, there are duty-free shops with price tags in euros. But what struck me most was the parking lot of abandoned cars. Rather, their disassembly, because everything that can be easily dismantled and taken away was removed from them. Almost all cars were abandoned by their owners during the famous events in 2022. Due to days of traffic jams, people were running out of fuel, so they left their cars and switched to passing vehicles. Cars abandoned to the border were evacuated to Vladikavkaz, but this did not apply to vehicles that left the country.

After passing the Georgian border, a difficult but incredibly beautiful serpentine road begins. It is difficult because of the poor quality of the road surface, as well as driving behind slow trucks without the possibility of overtaking. To travel in Georgia, you need car insurance – you can buy it right away, but I decided to do it in Stepantsminde.

I recommend staying at special sites and enjoying the nature of the Caucasus Mountains.

Insurance for two weeks cost 30 lari (20 for the insurance itself and 10 for the seller's commission). They give out a piece of paper and enter it into the database. Without it, the fine is 100 GEL.

At one of the turns, he was stopped for overtaking under a forbidding sign. A ticket was issued to pay a fine of 50 GEL. In general, there are quite a lot of patrols, so it's definitely not worth taking risks. They check the insurance right away.

On the way, be sure to stop at the Monument of Friendship between Russia and Georgia

Incredible views can be seen from its observation decks.

You can also buy tea and coffee or souvenirs here. Car parking - 3 GEL.

Another interesting place on the way to Tbilisi is the Ananuri Fortress.

About an hour more, and we are in Tbilisi. It took me about 3.5 hours to get from the border to the city, while pushing in traffic jams to the city center took another hour.

Among the features of roads in Georgia, I would like to note the narrow European lanes, because of which not everyone manages to follow the markings. In most cases, there is some kind of chaos on the roads.

It is almost impossible to find free parking in the center on a weekday, and even paid ones are occupied. You can pay from terminals, but I haven't seen them, or in the application. Free parking is available just away from the center.

The best solution was to leave the car there and move around the center on foot and by subway. There are no parking problems a little away from the center. If you are traveling by car, I recommend taking a hotel away from the center or with its own parking.

The next publication is about Tbilisi