If you have any questions about the conference, please email 15icaane@tsu.ge

Welcome to Tbilisi – The City That Loves You!: Practical Information

Tbilisi is the capital and largest city in Georgia. Traditionally understood to have been founded by Vakhtang I of the Kingdom of Iberia, the city has been the cultural, political, and economic center of Georgia for almost fifteen centuries. Tbilisi’s cosmopolitan nature is epitomized by it’s cultural and religious diversity.

Language: Georgia has a population of 3.9 million. The official language is Georgian, a non-Indo-European language with a unique script. However, most in Tbilisi will also speak English and/ or Russian and signs and menus will often come in English. Many people in hotels and restaurants will also speak several other languages.

Transportation to Georgia

Kutaisi is Georgia’s second largest city. David the Builder Kutaisi International Airport (KUT) is Georgia’s primary low-cost aviation hub that connects Georgia to 20 European destinations through carriers such as Wizz Air. While significantly cheaper flights can be found flying in and out of Kutaisi, the city is four hours by shuttle bus to Tbilisi (€13-15).

Transportation from the Tbilisi International Airport

The airport is located 17 km southeast of the city. Many higher-end hotels will have transport services directly from the airport to the hotel. Taxi service at Tbilisi International Airport is available outside the terminal. They can be ordered at the desk on the left as you exit baggage claim, or at a second desk just left of the door exiting the Arrival Hall. The travel time to the city center is approximately 20-30 minutes depending on traffic. The cost of a taxi depends on the location of your destination within the different zones of the city (From 80 to 100 GEL).

As a popular tourist destination, many persistent and unscrupulous individuals will accost you about a taxi ride while in the terminal. Do not engage with them, as they will often charge you significantly more than the actual rate.

Taxi Apps like Bolt or Yandex are available and an affordable option. Download the app and load your credit card information beforehand. If you do not have functional internet on your phone, you can order using the free Wi-Fi in the airport, or you can purchase temporary SIM cards at the airport desks as you exit baggage claim. However, most Bolt or Yandex rides will request your pickup to be at the Departure terminal, some 20 meters down the road (Costs 30 to 40 GEL).

The cheapest option is to take public transit. The airport city bus, N 337. It cost 1 GEL and departs from the Airport from a bus stop to the right to the departure terminal going to Station Square via Freedom Square, Rustaveli Avenue and Heroes Square. It works with the Municipal Metroman card (See below) or any debit/credit card).

Transportation In the City

Taxis are numerous and relatively inexpensive, and taxi apps (Bolt or Yandex) are available that make transportation within the city fairly effortless. The Tbilisi Metro, built in 1966, has two lines that reach across the city; however, the closest metro stop to the University is Rustaveli Metro, a 17-minute walk from TSU. The system operates daily from 6:00 AM to midnight. Numerous buses can be taken from the University that run along Chavchavadze-Melikishvili-Kostava-Rustaveli Avenue route towards the old city center (Buses 23, 301, 309, 345, 388, 540) with more buses that lead from the old city center to the University (23, 24, 305, 306, 309, 342, 345, 354, 466, 512, 532, 540). A standard single journey on the bus and metro system costs 1 GEL, which can only be paid for using a rechargeable Metromoney card. The cards can be purchased for 2 GEL at ticket offices inside any metro station. Cards can be recharged at numerous kiosks around the city. If you prefer not to buy a transport card, you can use any contactless Visa, Mastercard, or Apple/Google Pay directly at the turnstiles. However, these methods cost slightly more (1.50 GEL).

Accomodations: Airbnb is also a very popular and quite affordable option in Tbilisi. However, a large number of Airbnb’s are located in the smaller alleys that can often be difficult to find on your first arrival, especially if your arrival is early in the morning. In addition, Tbilisi frequently duplicates some street names on opposite sides of the city, or smaller alleyways off a larger road can have frustratingly similar names which can cause some difficulties when using apps like Bolt, Yandex or even Google Maps. Always check the first initial letter of the Street (e.g. G. Tabidze str ≠ T. Tabidze str. ; Sh. Dadiani Str ≠ Ts. Dadiani Str. etc.) and note beforehand the location of your destination on the Airbnb website to make sure you choose the proper street, especially if arriving late at night. Some Airbnb’s will offer an airport pickup, and if they do, it is recommended that you take that option to safely and efficiently get you to your accommodations.

We suggest following hotels in Tbilisi, but feel free to also search for other hotels. We have negotiated a general discount for a number of hotels in the Tbilisi area through Hotelplanner.com, but are still negotiating directly with some of the recommended hotels for special ICAANE pricing. If special rates are available, the discount codes will be next to the hotel in the list below, or it will be linked directly to the promotional page. Rooms are of course subject to availability. Because of the Orthodox Easter weekend before the conference, we highly recommend booking your accommodation as early as possible, as Tbilisi hotels will experience high demand during the conference season.

* NOTE – many flights into Tbilisi frequently arrive very early in the morning (2-3am). If you are in this situation, remember to book your lodging for the night before your arrival so you will have a place immediately upon arrival. Otherwise, you might have wait 8+ hours to get access to your lodging.

*Average Walking Time to TSU conference venue: For most hotels in the selection, it takes only 10 to 25 minutes to walk to the venue. The farthest hotels from the venue are Paragraph Freedom Square and Tbilisi Marriott Hotel (located near Freedom Square), or the Pullman in Vake, with a walking time of approximately 38 to 40 minutes.

High-End Hotels (€ 110+ a night)

Stamba Hotel: Large capacity (150 rooms – 950m, 13min walk)

Radisson Blu Iveria: Large capacity (249 rooms – 1.6km, 27min walk)

The Biltmore Hotel Tbilisi: Large capacity (210 rooms – 1.6km, 22min walk) Discounted Rate

Tbilisi Marriott Hotel: Large capacity (125 rooms – 2.2km, 29min walk)

Wyndham Grand Tbilisi: Large capacity (160 rooms – 2.6km, 35min walk) Discounted Rate

Paragraph Freedom Square: Large capacity (220 rooms – 2.7km, 37min walk)

Mid-Range & Business Hotels (€50 -€110 a night)

Artizan Design Hotel: Limited capacity (50 rooms – 400m, 6min walk) Discounted Rate

Orion Hotel Tbilisi: Limited capacity (45 rooms – 150m, 3min walk)

Ibis Styles Tbilisi Mziuri Park: Large capacity (110 rooms – 350m, 5 min walk) Discounted Rate

Hotel Vere Tower: Limited capacity (35 rooms – 500m, 7min walk)

Tbilisi Philharmonic by Mercure Hotel: Large capacity (125 rooms – 600m, 8min walk) Discounted Rate

Best Western Tbilisi City Center: Large capacity (45 rooms – 650m, 11min walk) Discounted Rate

Rooms Hotel Tbilisi: Large capacity (125 rooms – 950m, 13min walk) Discounted Rate

Royal Plaza Hotel: limited capacity (20 rooms – 900m, 13min walk)

Hotel Iliani: Large capacity (30 rooms – 1km, 14min walk)

Ibis Budget Tbilisi Center: Large capacity (150 rooms – 1km, 15min walk) Discounted Rate

Tbilisi Villa Flora: Limited capacity (15 rooms – 1km, 15min walk)

Hilton Garden Inn Tbilisi Chavchavadze: Large capacity (170 rooms – 1.9km, 27min walk)

Holiday Inn Tbilisi: Large capacity (270 rooms – 1.9km, 27min walk) Discounted Rate

Pullman Tbilisi Axis Towers: Large capacity (220 rooms – 1.9km, 27min walk) Discounted Rate

Courtyard by Marriott Tbilisi: Large capacity (120 rooms – 3.2km, 47min walk)

Budget Hotels (sub €50 a night)

Budget Options are best found through Airbnb and Booking.com. They will often be smaller with limited available rooms and farther away from the conference venue. Many will be concentrated in the Old City, Mtasminda, Marjanishvili, or Sololaki which would be about a 1 hour walk from the conference venue but a 10 GEL taxi ride.

Hostels

For most hostels listed below, it takes only 12 to 23 minutes to walk to the conference venue (TSU 1st building).
The farthest hostels from the venue are Friends Hostel and My Hostel (located near Rustaveli Avenue / Mtatsminda area), or Fabrika Hostel (Marjanishvili area) with a walking time of approximately 25 to 30 minutes (TSU 1st building).

Benevo Hostel: 25–30 guests (600m, 9 min walk)

The Tbilisi Pod: 40–50 guests (750m, 10 min walk)

Capsule Hotel Happy lounge: 30–40 guests (850m, 12 min walk)

My Hostel: 20–30 guests (1.4km, 19min walk)

Museum Hostel: 30–40 guests (1.7km, 27min walk)

Friends Hostel: 25–35 guests (2.1km, 30min walk)

Fabrika Hostel: 300-400 guests (2.9km, 41min walk) Discounted Rate

Where to find what
Pharmacy: PSP (Chain of Pharmacies), about 5 minutes walk in either direction from the campus, with locations conveniently found all over the city.
Toiletries: Most supermarkets (Spar or Carrefour) or Pharmacies like PSP