Rent a car in Kutaisi

Kutaisi is unusual in Georgia because the city itself isn't always the main destination. People fly in cheaply and conveniently, then head onward — to the Black Sea, to the Svaneti mountains, to the Imereti monasteries, or all the way east to Tbilisi. Without a car, the logistics turn into a chain of marshrutkas and taxis, and each link eats half a day.

There's little reason to rent a car for Kutaisi itself — it's small and walkable. But every trip out of Kutaisi — to a monastery, a canyon, the sea, or the mountains — without a car becomes a lottery of marshrutka schedules.

There are noticeably fewer suppliers in Kutaisi than in Tbilisi. The local fleet doesn't always meet demand, especially at Wizz Air peak and over New Year. That's why most cars offered in Kutaisi are actually pulled from the Tbilisi fleet, with delivery to David the Builder airport included free or at a modest fee. For the renter it's a net positive: the range is as wide as in the capital.

We tell clients plainly: a Kutaisi rental is usually the same vehicle as in Tbilisi, driven out to match your flight. The choice isn't reduced, and for rentals of a week or more the transfer is normally free of charge.

How pickup works at Kutaisi airport

David the Builder airport is compact: one terminal, one arrivals zone, the car park about 100 metres from the exit. Meetings run by flight number with automatic delay tracking, so there's no need to race against a timer on the day of departure.

International chains (Europcar, Hertz, Sixt) operate small desks in Kutaisi and typically serve standard traffic. Local suppliers and aggregators meet you with a name board immediately past the controlled zone. Contract and inspection take 10–15 minutes before you're on the road.

Kutaisi accepts Wizz night flights, sometimes at 3 or 4 in the morning. That's not a problem for meetings: the supplier arrives ahead of time, and the guest goes straight from passport control to a running car.

Cars are most often driven in from Tbilisi. The trip takes around six hours, so dispatch is scheduled against your arrival time in advance. On rentals of seven to ten days and longer, this delivery is typically included at no extra cost — a supplier would rather secure a week's booking than optimise a short local turn.

If you book same-day or the day before, agree the timing straight away: short-notice windows are tighter and urgent-delivery fees do exist. The ideal booking window is 5–10 days before your arrival, so the car can move at a relaxed pace.

We ask clients to share the actual landing time rather than the departure hour. That way the driver leaves Tbilisi with the right buffer and meets you as you walk out of arrivals, not 40 minutes after you've landed.