# 5 Places to Visit in Georgia from Batumi: by Car Sharing or by Rental Car

Gonio, Makhuntseti, Bakhmaro, Martvili and Svaneti: what to see, how far it is and what a day costs by car sharing and by daily rental. Counted honestly, with fuel and kilometres.

Source: https://cartome.ge/en/blog/5-places-from-batumi-car-sharing-or-rental
Publisher: Cartome — car rental in Georgia (Batumi, Kutaisi, Tbilisi), https://cartome.ge
Published: 2026-11-01
Language: en
Places: Batumi, Kutaisi, Tbilisi, Adjara, Svaneti, Mestia, Martvili Canyon, Prometheus Cave, Gelati Monastery, Bagrati Cathedral, Tskaltubo, Gonio Fortress, Sarpi, Makhuntseti Waterfall

Batumi is great on its own, but Georgia is best seen from a car window: Adjara's waterfalls, the sea of clouds in Guria, Imereti's canyons and the towers of Svaneti. We picked five places worth the drive from Batumi and, for each one, worked out what a day costs by car sharing and by rental car. Honest numbers: kilometres, fuel and insurance included.

## How we counted
**Car sharing.** Batumi has one major service. According to its website in October 2026, the daily tariff is 74 GEL (about $27), but it includes 0 km: every kilometre is paid separately, 0.74 GEL. Fuel is included. Super insurance is another 25 GEL (about $9) a day.

**Rental.** A Toyota Corolla from our fleet on a rental of 3+ days: $50 a day, or $40 with the promo code NOVEMBER20 (−20%, valid until 1 December). Unlimited mileage, insurance with excess included. You pay for fuel: about 6.5 L per 100 km at 3.5 GEL a litre, roughly 8 cents per km. Exchange rate — about 2.7 GEL per dollar.

## 1. Gonio, Sarpi and the Botanical Garden — ~60 km
Morning at the [Botanical Garden](https://cartome.ge/en/blog/batumi-botanical-garden) on Green Cape: paths above the sea, bamboo groves and plants from all over the world. Afternoon at the Roman fortress of Gonio and the beach at Sarpi right by the Turkish border, with clear water and pebbles. An easy coastal road, any car will do.

**One day:** car sharing about $44, rental about $45. The only route of the five where car sharing is slightly cheaper: few kilometres. More ideas near the city — [5 places in Adjara](https://cartome.ge/en/blog/adjara-day-trips-from-batumi).

## 2. Makhuntseti and Keda — ~100 km
The Adjaristskali gorge: Makhuntseti waterfall, about 20 metres high, Queen Tamar's 12th-century arched bridge and the wine cellars of Keda, where you can try local Chkhaveri. Asphalt all the way to the waterfall, about an hour each way.

**One day:** car sharing about $55, rental about $48. From this distance on, a rental is cheaper.

## 3. Bakhmaro — ~280 km
![Bakhmaro from above: wooden cottages and the road up to the resort](https://cartome.ge/uploads/post46_bakhmaro.webp)

A mountain resort in Guria at about 2,000 metres: wooden cottages among alpine meadows, pine air and sunsets over a sea of clouds. The road goes via Chokhatauri and climbs the last few dozen kilometres on a serpentine, partly gravel, so an AWD car is the better choice. Season: June to September; from late autumn to spring the road is usually closed by snow. It's about 4 hours each way, so many people stay overnight.

**One day:** car sharing about $104, rental about $64. One catch: car-sharing contracts usually forbid gravel roads or exclude them from insurance. With a rental, we tell you in advance which car can go there, and more than half of our fleet is AWD.

Full guide: [Bakhmaro by car from Batumi](https://cartome.ge/en/blog/bakhmaro-by-car-from-batumi).

## 4. Martvili and Prometheus Cave — ~400 km
The turquoise [Martvili Canyon](https://cartome.ge/en/blog/martvili-canyon-georgia) with boats and waterfalls, and Prometheus Cave near Tskaltubo — about 1.4 km of halls with stalactites and lighting. Combines well with [Kutaisi](https://cartome.ge/en/blog/kutaisi-by-car-what-to-see): Bagrati Cathedral and Gelati Monastery are on the way.

**One day:** car sharing about $137, rental about $74 — almost half. Also, a car-sharing car can't be left in Kutaisi; it has to go back to Batumi, while a rental can be returned at Kutaisi airport.

## 5. Mestia and Svaneti — ~560 km
Svan towers, the museum in Mestia, Chalaadi glacier and [Mazeri](https://cartome.ge/en/blog/mazeri-svaneti) — the most impressive trip in Georgia and the longest: about 280 km each way on a mountain road. In one day it's 10–12 hours behind the wheel, so we count it honestly as two days with an overnight stay. How to get there — [the road to Svaneti by car](https://cartome.ge/en/blog/svaneti-road-trip).

**Two days:** car sharing about $208, rental about $127. A difference of over $80, about $100 with super insurance in car sharing.

## The five trips at a glance
| Route | Distance | Car sharing | Rental with fuel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gonio, Sarpi and Botanical Garden | ~60 km | ~$44 | ~$45 |
| Makhuntseti and Keda | ~100 km | ~$55 | ~$48 |
| Bakhmaro | ~280 km | ~$104 | ~$64 |
| Martvili and Prometheus Cave | ~400 km | ~$137 | ~$74 |
| Mestia, 2 days | ~560 km | ~$208 | ~$127 |

The break-even point is about 65 km a day. Below that, car sharing is slightly cheaper; above it, a rental wins and the gap grows with every kilometre: a kilometre in car sharing costs about 27 cents, fuel in a rental about 8. If you take super insurance in car sharing, a rental is cheaper from about 20 km a day. On a 4+ day rental the break-even drops to about 35 km a day.

## A week: all five places in a row
All five places in a week add up to about 1,400 km. For round numbers, let's count 1,000 and 1,500 km.

- **1,000 km, car sharing:** 7 days × 74 GEL plus 1,000 × 0.74 GEL — about $466, about $531 with super insurance.
- **1,000 km, rental:** a Corolla for 7 days with the promo code — about $235 plus about $84 of fuel. About $319 in total, and airport delivery is free on rentals of 7+ days.
- **1,500 km:** car sharing about $603, rental about $362.

## When car sharing is still more convenient
We rent out cars, but it would be unfair to pretend car sharing is useless. It wins if:
- you need a car for 20–40 minutes: to a restaurant, the market or the beach. Two such city trips cost about 15–16 GEL;
- you only drive around Batumi and the nearby coast, under 65 km a day;
- you need a car for a couple of hours, not the whole day.

## What else to know about car sharing
- **Return zones.** You can end a trip only in certain zones of Batumi, in some areas for a fee.
- **The way back.** The car must be returned to Batumi, even if your route ended in Kutaisi or Tbilisi.
- **Damage.** You inspect the car yourself before the start. Miss a scratch on the photos and it's hard to prove it was there before you. Insurance has an excess and exclusions that hardly anyone explains.
- **Wear.** A car-sharing car goes through dozens of drivers a week, and nobody is responsible for it beyond one trip. Worn tyres and tired brakes on Adjara's serpentines are a safety issue.

## How it works with us
- **A check every 2 weeks:** tyres, brakes, fluids, suspension, air conditioning, interior. Our cars are in near-perfect condition.
- **Joint inspection.** At handover we walk around the car together, take photos and video and send the files to you.
- **We explain the insurance in advance** and show you each car's features: how to engage AWD, which fuel, how to connect your phone.
- **Available almost 24/7** on WhatsApp and by phone. A breakdown that isn't your fault — we replace the car.
- **Unlimited mileage** across Georgia, **most cars with no deposit**, **pay on pickup**, **second driver free**.
- **Airport meet** in Batumi, Kutaisi and Tbilisi, delivery to your hotel. Free delivery on rentals of 7+ days.

For the mountains we have [AWD crossovers](https://cartome.ge/en/blog/4x4-suv-rental-georgia), for families — [7-seat cars](https://cartome.ge/en/blog/7-seater-minivan-rental-georgia).

## As easy as an app
- choose a car and dates on the [booking page](https://cartome.ge/en/booking) — only available cars and the final price are shown;
- enter your name, phone and email — the booking is confirmed instantly;
- fill in the driver details and sign the contract online, from your phone;
- pick up the keys at the office, the airport or your hotel — only an inspection on the spot, 10–15 minutes.

Everything is electronic, just like car sharing, and often even faster than waiting for a car-sharing service to verify your documents. All options in short — [daily car sharing in Batumi by Cartome](https://cartome.ge/en/car-sharing-batumi).

## FAQ
**Where can I go from Batumi by car for one day?** Gonio and Sarpi, the Botanical Garden, Makhuntseti waterfall and Keda, Bakhmaro. With an early start — Martvili Canyon and Prometheus Cave.

**Can I take a car-sharing car to Kutaisi or Svaneti?** You can drive there, but the car must be returned to a return zone in Batumi. On mountain gravel roads car sharing is usually forbidden or not covered by insurance.

**How much does car sharing cost in Batumi?** According to the service in October 2026: 0.19 GEL per minute, 17 GEL per hour with 10 km, or 74 GEL per day. Each extra kilometre is 0.74 GEL. Fuel included.

**From what mileage is a rental cheaper than car sharing?** On a 3+ day rental with the promo code NOVEMBER20 — from about 65 km a day, or about 20 km if you take super insurance in car sharing. On a 4+ day rental — from about 35 km.

**Do I need AWD?** For Gonio, Makhuntseti and Martvili — no. For Bakhmaro, Svaneti in winter and mountain Adjara — recommended.

**Do I pay for fuel?** In car sharing — no. In a rental you refuel yourself and return the car with the same level. Fuel is included in all the calculations above.

**Do you rent by the hour?** No, the minimum is 1 day. For half an hour in the city, car sharing or a taxi is the honest choice.

**What documents do I need?** A passport and a licence in Latin letters, age 21+ and 2+ years of driving experience. An international permit isn't needed if your licence is in Latin letters.

**Is there a deposit?** Not on most cars. Where there is one, it's paid in cash at pickup and returned at drop-off.

**Can I return the car in another city?** Yes: pick up in Batumi and return in Kutaisi or Tbilisi — at the delivery rate, free on rentals of 7+ days.

## Bottom line
For short trips around Batumi car sharing is convenient — no argument there. But all five places in this article are 60 to 560 km away, and from the second route on, a daily rental with unlimited mileage is cheaper and calmer: you can turn off to a waterfall, stay overnight in Mestia and return the car in Kutaisi.

Available cars for your dates are on the [booking page](https://cartome.ge/en/booking), prices in detail — in [how much car rental in Georgia costs](https://cartome.ge/en/blog/car-rental-prices-georgia), more routes — in [7 places in Georgia worth renting a car for](https://cartome.ge/en/blog/georgia-road-trip-places-rental-car).