Tbilisi has a lot to offer when it comes to transportation, and it's super cheap. The only issue is that it can be pretty tough if you're not a local and certain language barriers come up. 

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   You need a bus pass for using the buses and have to know what number buses to get on for the right routes. The buses can get pretty crowded (especially if it's the school/college period) because a lot of students and young people use it, along with old people that can't drive anymore. That being said, Georgian buses are slowly being upgraded with the help of German bus companies, so who knows, maybe by the time you visit majority, if not all, of the buses will be upgraded to the more eco-friendly versions that are slightly larger so they'll be less crowded.

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   The marshutka is a city sponsored yellow van you don't need a pass for. You usually pay around 30-80 tetri (Georgian cents), but, much like the bus, you need to know the routes the martutkas go, and most of their signs on the windshield are in Georgian because only locals really ride it. That being said, if you do plan on traveling outside the city, the martutka is a cheap way to go literally from the mountains all the way to beach if you so desire. You can get the most away with the language barrier with martutkas by stating the city in cross country routes, but make sure you have someone who knows your destination well is picking you up from the station. The reason being that usually the marutka is used by villagers or street market vendors that go in and out of the city often, and while you may stumble upon students that know some English, most people will most likely will not be proficient enough to help you that well. One perk however, is that you will get to experience some interesting people, and it's a joke (but it's low-keye true) that martutka drivers love Georgian songs that are the Georgian equivalent of country (so if you don't enjoy it, you're not alone) so make sure to bring earphones.

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   DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE IN GEORGIA. If you have not yet witnessed Georgian roads, you may think I'm exaggerating, but I'm truly not. I live in Atlanta, and people often say "If you can drive in Atlanta you can drive anywhere" and let me just emphasize that THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO THE OTHER GEORGIA. It's not that Georgians are bad drivers, it's just that they don't care about road rules. For example, a Georgian driver can weave a car through the tightest spaces in the most crowded streets, but put them on an open road and they'll do essentially whatever they want. Honestly, it's a common occurrence to pass someone on a two way street, and while that may seem scary at first, you'll get used to it. Never bother driving in Tbilisi or Georgia in general because there is seriously no point if you enjoy calm driving. Also, if a local is driving you and you start thinking "Hey we're going a bit fast while weaving through cars on this windy narrow road... I hope I don't die", don't worry. Georgian locals (especially the taxi drivers) are used to the subtle lawlessness when it comes to driving, so while the driving can occasionally be something straight out of your drivers-ed teacher's nightmares, you just have to trust that the driver knows what they're doing. 

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   ( This taxi post will be a little longer because when you get the hang of how Georgian taxis work, it's truly super convenient)

 

   The requirements for taxis in Georgia are the following: 1. own a car, 2. own a taxi sign. That's literally it. That being said, you pay for what you get, and you can easily drive around Tbilisi for around 5 lari, give or take. Taxi cars honestly are rarely good, like Uber X level cars are more like a luxury, and the vast majority of drivers rely on their mental GPS, but that being said who cares when they get the job done. The trick with Georgian taxis is confidence. No joke. If you're a tourist some drivers will make you pay 10 lari for something that only really may cost 3 lari, and if you feel a driver is doing this to you, feel free to let him go and get another one.

 

  Taxis are everywhere in Tbilisi and if you want to ensure you don't get scammed, use the taxi as a "name your price" tool. I do this often, especially if I don't have much cash on me, where I  ask the driver "Hey, can you take me to ___ for 3 lari?", and if they agree that that's a reasonable price, then I get on my way to my destination. Sometimes they say no but then again, CONFIDENCE, let them go and move onto the newest one. Also, if you're coming out of a touristy site and see a bunch of taxis and their drivers just loitering outside, make sure to ask first what their rate is. Sometimes the parked taxis will cost more because the men know that most of the people coming out are tourists and they need to milk any business they get.

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  When it comes to stating places you need to go, things can get a bit tricky. Again, taxi drivers rely on their knowledge of the city, and most of the time villagers that come to Tbilisi will do taxi driving on the side, despite not knowing the city well (usually locals end up guiding them to where they need to go). To avoid this from happening, make sure you ask the taxi driver if they know what destination you're talking about and how to get there. This is super important because you don't want to end up in a random place in town. If you end up needing help getting across where you need to go due to language barriers, feel free to find a local that speaks enough English (most Georgians, especially younger Georgians know at least a little English, older Georgians will mainly know Russian) to talk to the taxi driver for you. With most major locations and tourist sites, taxi drivers will know where to go because it's a lot like asking "Do you know how to go to the Empire State Building" to a New Yorker, they'll know it because it's so common. With smaller stuff like restaurants, hotels, and cafés, show the taxi driver the address and he'll most likely drive to the street and just look for the building number. Sometimes with taxi drivers you just have to be like "Hey just drop me of there" if they can't find the place specifically, just make sure you're on the right street and ask a local for help.

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  No matter what mode of transportation ends up working the best for you, whenever you feel lost feel free to ask a local! Georgians love tourists and pride themselves on their hospitality, so if a Georgian can help, they'll usually go out of their way to help you till you find the right destination. Even though all this might seem somewhat chaotic, there's a method to the madness, just don't get intimidated by it. In the end, confidence is key when going around Georgia. 

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