Not sure if I should carry coins for public transport in Georgia or if card payments are common. Advice?
I lived near Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi and used the metro every day. Bought a Metromoney card at Liberty Square station with 10 GEL cash. I could reload it at the machine using my Visa card, which was handy. But when I took a marshrutka to Mtskheta, the driver only accepted coins and notes in GEL, nothing else. I pulled money from a TBC ATM before boarding. It’s a mix: the city system is modern, the countryside stays cash.
Georgia’s transport was super cheap and easy. For Tbilisi, the Metromoney card worked smoothly - 1 GEL per ride whether on the metro or bus. I topped up using my Mastercard at Marjanishvili station without a hitch. Marshrutkas outside town were cash-based, but fares were only 1-3 GEL. Bank of Georgia ATMs were reliable and everywhere. Honestly, both systems were straightforward once you knew the rules.
The main problem was marshrutkas. Inside Tbilisi, the Metromoney card was great, but once I went to Kazbegi, every minibus driver demanded exact change in GEL. They wouldn’t accept foreign coins or large bills. I had to stop at a Liberty Bank ATM in Didube before leaving. It worked out, but it wasn’t tourist-friendly compared to other places.
In Tbilisi, buses, metro, and the funicular all use the Metromoney card. You buy it at metro stations for 2 GEL and load it with cash or card at the machines. Rides are 1 GEL and you just tap at the gate or bus reader. Marshrutkas (minibuses) outside Tbilisi are usually cash-only in GEL. ATMs from TBC Bank and Bank of Georgia are everywhere for local currency.