THE TICKERS WENT DOWN TO GEORGIA

May 2025. Georgia. The Caucasus.

Mrs RM’s 75th country tick, though the confidence with which she picked that number out of the air yesterday when quizzed by an Aussie traveller suggests it may be worthy of audit.

Anyhow, Luton Airport Mid-Stay, again, where (from top, l-r) Tumble. Mischief, Buzzy Bee and Shirley were left in charge of the campervan and a recently opened box of Milk Tray.

The other Georgia is commemorated in more popular song than almost any other town bar Luton, this classic competing with Joy Division’s Atmosphere for my early musical affections in 1979;

Georgia (the country) is about as far as you can fly on a budget airline from Luton without refuelling, with the mysterious “Stans” and “Jan” just out of reach for now.

Blimey ! Isn’t Kazakhstan big !

We arrived at Tbilisi airport at 9pm with a carry-on bag and Duncan’s 2023 blog post which would surely be all we needed to survive. A tiny airport, off plane and at bus stop in 5 minutes.

I’ll bet that public transport in Georgia (the country) is safer and more efficient than in Georgia (the US state), a quick swipe of the Monzo card on the card reader on Tbilisi’s 4 times an hour airport bus producing a charge of about 23p. Cash has been replaced by card here in all but the most simple apartments.

Always a thrill negotiating a new country, particularly one bordering Russia, more so one with hills to rival Sheffield.

Half a mile from the bus stop, down Wine Rise and across the Kura to our Old Town hotel.

Mrs RM had spent a third of the week’s accommodation budget on the first night; worth it for the views.

Those UFOs are cable cars; the yellow balloon is a UFO.

Tbilisi looked great at night,

but it’s the art you’re here for, and the pubs.

But does Tbilisi have pubs ?

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Published by retiredmartin

Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.

12 thoughts on “THE TICKERS WENT DOWN TO GEORGIA”

  1. Was this a direct fight or did you need to change?

    The Wizz Air direct flight to Kutaisi did not seem to come back after Covid.

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    1. Hi Alan. Yes, direct from Luton to Tbilisi with Easy Jet. As mentioned this is (I think) the furthest you can get on a budget airline without changing. We drove past Kutaisi Airport and wondered about Wizz, who we’ve used for all our planet-killing trips to Eastern Europe these last couple of years. Have you been ?

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      1. We have not been to Georgia but did not realise that Easy jet fly non stop so it is now more of a possibility but Family and Work look like limiting trips a bit this year.
        However I do have two nights in Bournemouth next week to do the the Southampton to Bournemouth stretch of my endeavour to walk the entire England and Wales Cost paths. This bit represents a gap in my progress 60 Miles by foot along the coast path
        With completing South Devon hopefully in September I can say I have walked from front door in North London to Cornwall border and next summer will have got to Lands end.
        Maybe I will have completed before BRAPA does the GBG?.
        I make a point of ticking the GBG and Camra heritage pubs in each town on the coast and Brighton/Hove /Worthing Hastings and Kent all done in that regard
        Portsmouth and Southampton are works in progress
        Being a bit obsessive I have looked up distances and think Easy jet to Hurghada in Egypt and Sal in the Cape Verde Islands are further away from London than Tbilisi and Gatwick to Sal will be the longest non stop budget airline flight from London 6 hours and 10 minutes

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      2. Congratulations on your walking, great efforts.

        Easy Jet only started non stop to Tbilisi this April; Mrs RM booked cheap tickets on release but they’re already no longer bargain! You’re right about Hurghada and Sal being further. Shame they can’t get to Armenia yet.

        My money would be on you beating BRAPA ! Loads of really good pubs in Pompey/Saints though rarely heritage.

        NB Who are you ? I can normally identify folk who comment on here !

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  3. We loved Tbilisi and Georgia. Didn’t really look for much beer as we were on a tour, but recall a very nice pub/cafe overlooking Republic Square which was great for people watching. Friendly place too overall, but very hot and humid when we were there.

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    1. I’ll be very interested to read your observations on that trip on these pages in September, Robin

      We could have squeezed in a day trip over the Armenian border but want to do Yerevan properly !

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    1. No, our annual European travel insurance with RAC expressly includes Georgia (and a few other parts of the Caucasus) within “Europe”, though I did have an anxious check the day before travel !

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