Most people use public transportation because of the large amount of traffic, the difficulty of parking and the high cost of owning a personal vehicle. Public transportation is free for kids and retired people and is discounted for students. To give you an idea of how cheap travel is, here, a full price, a 1-month unlimited transportation card costs $11. This card must be scanned whenever you get on the metro, marshrutka or bus. There are also taxis and taxi apps in Tiblisi, just like Uber in the U.S.A. Here in Georgia, the main travel app. is called Bolt, and this app. is much less expensive than Uber in the U.S., with a 20-minute ride costing around $5!
Moving to Tbilisi, I realized I do not walk as much as I thought I did in my American life. But here in Georgia, I walk a lot! Even on busy days when I mostly sit in the classroom, I still walk over 4 miles! On days when we take tours after class, I walk over 11 miles per day! I love to work out and hike, but most weekdays in the U.SA., I drive my car where I need to go and have a short walk to get to my destination. Given the fact I am not used to walking all that much, I felt a bit tired and sore from the added exercise at first, but I got used to it after the first week, and now I enjoy the walks!
Public transportation in Tiblisi is fantastic because it is often the fastest and cheapest way for travelers and locals to get around. There is also no need to worry about getting a car and the responsibilities that come with it. However, being reliant on public transportation can take some getting used to because of how crowded the buses and trains get!
