Friday, May 30, 2025

Georgia Trip planner : US Guide to Mountains, wine & culture (2025)

May 30, 2025

Georgia Trip Cost for Americans: 2024 Budget Calculator (With Flights!)

Exactly how much does a Georgia trip cost? I tracked every dollar during my 14-day journey - verified with 2024 data from Numbeo, BudgetYourTrip, and local operators.

← Back to Main Georgia Guide

✈️ Flights from USA to Tbilisi

From major hubs (data updated May 2024):

Departure CityAvg. PriceBest AirlinesTravel Time
New York (JFK)$780-920Turkish Airlines14h
Chicago (ORD)$860-980Lufthansa16h
Los Angeles (LAX)$1,100-1,300Qatar Airways20h

Money-Saving Tip: Set Google Flights alerts for "Chicago to Tbilisi" - prices drop 23% when booked 4-6 months early.

🛏️ Accommodation Costs (Per Night)

Budget Travelers

  • Hostels: $8-15 (Communicate Hostel Tbilisi)
  • Guesthouses: $15-25 (Nana's in Svaneti)
  • Airbnb Private Room: $20-30

Comfort Seekers

  • 3-Star Hotels: $40-60 (Hotel Verico)
  • Boutique Stays: $70-100 (Stamba Tbilisi)
  • Full Apartments: $50-80

🍲 Food & Drink Costs

Traditional Georgian feast for American travelers
  • Street Food: $1-3 (Khinkali dumplings at $0.40 each)
  • Local Restaurants: $5-8 (Khachapuri + wine)
  • Mid-Range Dining: $12-20 (Barbarestan Tbilisi)
  • Wine Tasting Tour: $50-65 (Full day from Tbilisi)
  • Supermarket Wine: $4-8 (Excellent quality!)
Pro Tip: Guesthouse dinners ($8-12) often include homemade wine - the best value in Georgia!

🚗 Transportation Costs

Transport TypeCost (USD)Route Example
Bolt Taxi (3km)$1-2Airport to City Center
Marshrutka (Minibus)$3-8Tbilisi to Kazbegi
Train (2nd Class)$5-15Tbilisi to Batumi
Domestic Flight$35-55Tbilisi to Mestia
Car Rental (Day)$25-40Manual transmission

📊 14-Day Total Cost Estimates

Backpacker Style

$500-700

  • Hostels/guesthouses
  • Street food & markets
  • Marshrutka transport
  • Self-guided hikes

Comfort Traveler

$900-1,400

  • Private rooms/hotels
  • Mix of local & restaurant meals
  • 1-2 tours + domestic flight
  • Occasional taxis

Premium Experience

$2,000+

  • Boutique hotels
  • Fine dining experiences
  • Private guides/drivers
  • Spa treatments

💡 7 Money-Saving Tips for Americans

  1. Visit in May/September - avoid 25% July price hikes
  2. Stay at guesthouses including dinner ($8-12 vs $15+ separately)
  3. Use Bolt app instead of street taxis
  4. Buy wine at supermarkets vs tourist shops
  5. Take overnight trains to save on accommodation
  6. Withdraw larger cash amounts to minimize ATM fees
  7. Eat lunch at markets, dinner at guesthouses

Now that you've seen the costs, explore the experiences:

 
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Georgia Travel for americans : mountain wines & welcomes (2025 guide )

May 30, 2025
Part 1 : Flying from U.S to Georgia

My journey began in Chicago.

I booked a Turkish Airlines flight through Istanbul for $860 roundtrip.

No visa needed for Americans – just show your passport!

Landed in Tbilisi early morning. The mountains looked big and beautiful.



🏙️ Part 2: Exploring Tbilisi

I stayed at Communicate Hostel ($12/night). Great for meeting other Americans!

What I did:

Walked through Old Town’s cobblestone streets

Tried the sulfur baths ($15 for a private room)

Visited the Dry Bridge Market for souvenirs


Felt safe everywhere – even walking alone at night.


🍷 Part 3: Wine Country Trip

Booked a day tour to Kakheti region ($65):

Tasted traditional wines from clay pots

Ate lunch at a family farm: fresh bread, cheese, salads

Bought a bottle of local wine for $18
"Georgian wine tastes like history" – our guide Nina



⛰️ Part 4: Mountain Adventure

Took a night train to Mestia ($20):

Best hikes:

1. Chalaadi Glacier (easy 3-hour walk)



2. Koruldi Lakes (tougher hike, amazing views)



3. Ushguli Village (Europe’s highest town)



Stayed at Nana’s guesthouse ($15/night) – she cooked us delicious meals!


💰 Part 5: Trip Costs

14 days cost me $620 (not counting flights):

Category Cost

Accommodation $180
Food $140
Transport $120
Tours $180


→ Full cost details in my Simple Georgia Budget Guide 
https://codeandcompass360.blogspot.com/2025/05/georgia-trip-planner-us-guide-to.html

🗺️ Your Georgia Plan

1. Before you go:

Book flights early

Pack warm clothes for mountains


2. Tbilisi (4 days):

Stay near Freedom Square

Visit sulfur baths

3. Kakheti (2 days):

Take a wine tour


4. Svaneti (4 days):

Hike and stay with locals



😊 Why I Loved Georgia

People are incredibly friendly

Everything feels authentic

Great value for money
"Georgia makes travel feel easy and real."
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FLORENCE: WHERE ART LIVES IN THE AIR

May 30, 2025
 I walked up to Piazzale Michelangelo just as the sun was going down — and it felt like the city blushed. The Arno looked like gold, rooftops glowed warm and orange, and the Duomo—tall and grand—stood lit by the last bit of sunlight, like it was meant to be seen that way.

You can’t take a photo that does it justice. You have to feel it. The smell of smoke in the air. The soft rustle of olive trees. The feeling that history is built into every stone around you.

This is Florence.
It’s taking a bite of a sandwich from All’Antico Vinaio so good, you forget where you are. Creamy truffle spread, salty prosciutto, and crunchy bread — all in a little alley where artists once drew hundreds of years ago.

It’s standing in front of David at the Accademia. Not just looking — really seeing. That lifelike stone. That strong stare. Michelangelo didn’t just make him — he set him free. And suddenly, you don’t feel like a visitor. You feel like part of something bigger.

Florence doesn’t just show art in museums.
It rises from the streets. It’s in the air, the stones, and every quiet moment in between.
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Rome After Dark: Where History Feels Alive

May 30, 2025


I thought I understood magic—
Until I sat at a wobbly café table near the Pantheon as the sky faded from gold to deep blue. The air smelled like fresh bread and strong coffee. Laughter drifted from a nearby trattoria, where locals argued playfully over a soccer match. No guides. No plans. Just me, a glass of red wine, and two thousand years of stories under my feet.

That’s Rome.
Not a postcard. Not a museum. A living, breathing soul.

Toss a coin into the Trevi Fountain at sunrise, when the streets are still quiet and the city feels like it’s yours. Wander through narrow alleys where laundry sways like flags between homes. Eat cacio e pepe at a little spot where the pasta hugs you back.

In Rome, history doesn’t just surround you—
It sits beside you, smiles, and says, “Mangia.”

Create this in a single photo make sure words look good
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Thursday, May 29, 2025

Albania’s Beach That Made Me Cry: €1.50 Spritz Healing

May 29, 2025


I went to Albania to escape.

I left feeling found.

This coast isn’t lined with luxury. It’s lined with life — Sicilian grandpas waving from cafés, fishermen tossing you peaches, and Aperol spritzes cheaper than a soda.

Come. Let me take you there.




The Beach That Made Me Cry

It happened on a quiet sandbar in Ksamil.

No signs. No crowds. Just warm, clear water stretching toward a tiny island. One lonely olive tree stood guard like a sentinel of peace.

I waded through silence. And something in me cracked open.

Tears came—fast, surprising. I hadn’t known I’d been holding my breath for years.

Then Agim rowed by in a faded blue boat.

“Sweet life, American girl!” he shouted, tossing me a peach still warm from the sun.



I bit in, juice dripping down my chin, salt on my lips. I laughed. I was free.



How to Get There (It’s Easier Than You Think)

From the USA:

1. ✈️ Fly to Corfu, Greece (~$450 from NYC)


2. ⛴️ Ferry to Sarandë, Albania (€25, 35 minutes – dolphin sightings included)


3. 🚐 Catch a blue furgon (minibus) up the coast ($1–$4 rides)

→ Sarandë (octopus grills by the dock)

→ Ksamil (your crying beach)

→ Himarë (where mountains meet the sea)






Where to Sleep Like Family

🛏️ Guesthouse Marini (Ksamil) – $28/night
Breakfast comes with a view and ocean sighs.

🍋 Villa Kolgjini (Himarë) – $32/night
Grandma Zara greets you with lemon cake and laughter.




Hidden Beaches & Wise Old Souls

Livadhi Beach at Sunset

Zara, 78, sat with her feet buried in the sand, knitting lace.

“You look lost, child,” she said. “Sit. The sea listens better when your belly’s full.”



She handed me cake warm from her oven. Then, her truth:

“Tourists run to churches. We pray here.”





Gjipe Canyon’s Whispering Cove

In a driftwood shack, Marco — silver-bearded and barefoot — passed me fig jam on bread.

“Why live here?” I asked.
“Why live anywhere else?” he smiled.



We swapped stories of heartbreak. Then sat in silence that felt like peace.



The €1.50 Miracle

Back in Sarandë, tucked beside the dock, sits Gjergji’s shack — peeling blue paint, walls steeped in salt and herbs.

 “Texas! You came home!” he cried, sliding me a glowing orange drink.



Aperol spritz. €1.50.

We clinked glasses. The sun melted into the sea. Old Sicilian men played cards nearby and hollered, “Cheers!”

That moment still lives on my tongue:

Bitter Aperol

Sweet belonging

The quiet knowing that some places stitch your heart back together





Your Healing Roadmap

10 Days = $650 Total

Stop Eat Do

Sarandë Octopus on the dock ($6) Dance with Gjergji at sunset
Ksamil Noni’s honey dough balls ($0.50) Find your quiet island
Himarë Zara’s lemon cake (free!) Swim as the water turns gold


Getting Around:

Hop in blue furgon vans ($1–$4)

Say: “Plazh!” (Beach!)

Smile. You’re in good hands.



---

Why This Place Changes You

Albanians don’t have much.

But they have:

Time to watch light dance on the sea

Hands that knead kindness into bread

Hearts that turn strangers into family


I came for the budget beaches.

I left with a piece of my soul I hadn’t known was missing.




Zara’s last hug:

“Nostalgia is love with no home. Give yours to the sea.”



So I did.

And the sea gave me back a new version of myself.




P.S. I still keep a little jar of €1.50 coins.
For the day I go home again.

No sponsors. Just a Texas girl who found her heart in a fishing net.
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