Izmir to Tbilisi by train
Travel from Izmir (Turkey) to Tbilisi (Georgia) by train (1546km): schedule and information to the train connection. Compare fares and buy your ticket.
To travel by train from Izmir in Turkey to Tbilisi in Georgia, you have to make a big detour via Russia. Therefore the direct bus connection is much faster and recommended. Please read the following information and blog posts.
There are two main routes. Compare them and decide which one feeds your needs best.
- 1Izmir (Turkey) - Tbilisi (Georgia)
- 2Izmir (Turkey) - Kars (Turkey) - Batumi (Georgia) - Tbilisi (Georgia)
1546 km
How to use the following information: we show you the best routes and where to buy tickets. On longer routes you may need more than one ticket. Book your tickets step by step as explained. If you have questions about the route from Izmir to Tbilisi, please ask in our forum. Of course, sometimes there are as well other travel routes possible.
The following links could be interesting for you.
train connections : popular connections travelled by other users
Tbilisi - Izmir / Ankara - Tbilisi / Istanbul - Batumi / Ankara - Batumi / Izmir - Batumi / Kars - Batumi1 Izmir (Turkey) - Tbilisi (Georgia)
1a Travelling from Izmir (Turkey) to Tbilisi (Georgia)
Travel from Turkey to Georgia by train. For the border crossing you have to use a bus.
First travel by train to Erzurum or Kars. There is an overnight train available from Ankara with a journey time of 22 hours (Erzurum) or 27:30 hours (Kars). This overnight train called "Doğu Express" is comfortable and it is a very scenic journey. The train ticket fares start from 60 TRY (7 EUR) in a seat and from 80 TRY (9 EUR) in a 4-bed sleeper-wagon.
From Erzurum or Kars take a bus to the border at Sarp. The journey time is 5 hours. The bus ticket fare is about 10 EUR. Cross the border by foot. And continue by bus to Batumi.
Other options by bus are as follows:
the bus line from Trabzon (Turkey) to Batumi (Georgia). At least four connections daily for about EUR 15. From Istanbul (Turkey) to Batumi (Georgia) at least two connections daily for about EUR 25.
Trabzon (Turkey) is not connected to the railway network of Turkey. Therefore the easiest way is to take a bus directly from Istanbul or Ankara (Turkey) to Batumi (Georgia). Buy your bus ticket for Metro Turizm online.
In Batumi (Georgia) change to a train to continue to Tbilisi (Georgia).
Border crossing is currently: you leave the bus with the luggage before the border, cross the border by foot (easy) and after the border the bus picks you up again.
In future there will be a train connection from Turkey to Georgia. But it is still under construction.
Where to buy a ticket from Izmir to Tbilisi?
Buy your ticket at the bus station or at the website of the bus company.
The following links could be interesting for you.
bus: Bus connections that might be helpful.
Batumi - Trabzon / Trabzon - Batumi
train company:
TCDD Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Devlet Demiryolları / METU Metro Turizm
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Tbilisi - Izmir / Trabzon - Batumi / Istanbul - Batumi / Ankara - Batumi / Istanbul - Tbilisi / Ankara - Tbilisi / Adana - Tbilisi
2 Izmir (Turkey) - Kars (Turkey) - Batumi (Georgia) - Tbilisi (Georgia)
The route consist of more than one step. You have to buy several train tickets.
2a Travelling from Izmir (Turkey) to Kars (Turkey)
To travel in Turkey by train, buy your ticket via the given booking links or locally at a train station. Via the links you also find schedules and ticket prices.
Turkey offers high-speed trains and long-distance trains which run overnight.
If no train connection is available, travel by one of the many bus connections. Bus tickets are also available via the booking links.
Where to buy a ticket from Izmir to Kars?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train types: Train types you are likely to travel with.
Optima Express (OPEX) / Standard (TCDD)
night train: Night trains that might be suitable for this trip.
Bosfor Istanbul - Bucharest / D 81032 Istanbul - Sofia
bus: Bus connections that might be helpful.
Istanbul - Athens / Istanbul - Thessaloniki
train company:
TCDD Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Devlet Demiryolları / METU Metro Turizm
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Kars - Izmir / Istanbul - Ankara / Istanbul - Izmir / Istanbul - Kars / Istanbul - Samsun / Istanbul - Edirne / Ankara - Istanbul / Ankara - Izmir / Ankara - Kars / Izmir - Ankara / Izmir - Istanbul
search for train schedules here: Online timetable information, on which you can find relevant, up-to-date connections.
rail.cc Deutsche Bahn
2b Travelling from Kars (Turkey) to Batumi (Georgia)
Travel from Turkey to Georgia by train. For the border crossing you have to use a bus.
First travel by train to Erzurum or Kars. There is an overnight train available from Ankara with a journey time of 22 hours (Erzurum) or 27:30 hours (Kars). This overnight train called "Doğu Express" is comfortable and it is a very scenic journey. The train ticket fares start from 60 TRY (7 EUR) in a seat and from 80 TRY (9 EUR) in a 4-bed sleeper-wagon.
From Erzurum or Kars take a bus to the border at Sarp. The journey time is 5 hours. The bus ticket fare is about 10 EUR. Cross the border by foot. And continue by bus to Batumi.
Other options by bus are as follows:
the bus line from Trabzon (Turkey) to Batumi (Georgia). At least four connections daily for about EUR 15. From Istanbul (Turkey) to Batumi (Georgia) at least two connections daily for about EUR 25.
Trabzon (Turkey) is not connected to the railway network of Turkey. Therefore the easiest way is to take a bus directly from Istanbul or Ankara (Turkey) to Batumi (Georgia). Buy your bus ticket for Metro Turizm online.
In Batumi (Georgia) change to a train to continue to Tbilisi (Georgia).
Border crossing is currently: you leave the bus with the luggage before the border, cross the border by foot (easy) and after the border the bus picks you up again.
In future there will be a train connection from Turkey to Georgia. But it is still under construction.
Where to buy a ticket from Kars to Batumi?
Buy your ticket at the bus station or at the website of the bus company.
The following links could be interesting for you.
bus: Bus connections that might be helpful.
Batumi - Trabzon / Trabzon - Batumi
train company:
TCDD Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Devlet Demiryolları / METU Metro Turizm
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Batumi - Kars / Trabzon - Batumi / Istanbul - Batumi / Ankara - Batumi / Istanbul - Tbilisi / Ankara - Tbilisi / Izmir - Tbilisi / Adana - Tbilisi
2c Travelling from Batumi (Georgia) to Tbilisi (Georgia)
Travel from Batumi to Tbilisi by direct train of Georgian railways. The journey time is 5:30 hours. The train ticket fare is 35 GEL (12 EUR) in 2nd class and 75 GEL (26 EUR) in 1st class.
The departure time in Batumi is 08:30. The arrival time in Tbilisi is 14:00.
Find the exact train schedule and buy your tickets via the given booking links.
Where to buy a ticket from Batumi to Tbilisi?
Buy the train ticket at a railway station. Note: in some countries you have to pay a service fee at the ticket counter. The ticket can be purchased at a station in the country of departure, also sometimes in other countries.
The following links could be interesting for you.
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Tbilisi - Batumi
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Do you have questions about the connection between Izmir and Tbilisi? Does something not work as it should? Just ask in our forum and get competent answers from our rail travel experts.