it was like scene from an action movie or old movie.it was amazing! an old train, very noisy but safe.didnt know that this type of train still exist in this modern world...wow!!
Here's an outing for you in the morning. I was badly in need of a 'converter' for my electronics and they are a bit hard to come by. As I went from place to place I finally found out I could find them at the mall at the Metro Central Vagzall. Took a cab, found the converter at the first store I visited and was on my way in 10 minutes. Stood on the steps and looked around and saw what looked like a vast number vendors. Something perfect to explore on a busy weekday morning. This fairly large neighborhood is really quite fun. Yes...vendor after vendor after vendor but while you would see everyday stuff...there were some interesting oddities. The streets are narrow and the buildings are a bit run down and basic....but that's the intriguing part. Lots of business taking place...an you know these folks have been doing this for a lifetime. Great people watching....maybe find something of interest. But give yourself and hour to walk deep into this neighborhood just to see what's happening that day.
Maybe little old but punctual, safe and cheap and these are the most important things! Buy a card and charge it, one ticket costs 0,50 lari. Probably best way to travel in Tbilisi.
Simply Tbilisi Metro is the best method of Transportation in Tbilisi !Safe, Easy, Fast, Clean (to some extent) .the system is real good ... with escalators and the staff monitoring it all the time and even the police is on the station and platform levels all the time !
Tbilisi metro works well, and gets you about very quickly - assuming your destination is close to a station.You need a metro card, which is very cheap. Individual journeys are also very cheap.Stations are very deep - a long ride on the escalator - but the trains come very quickly. Everything is very clean, but it looks like a long time since there was any refurbishment. It has a slightly tired look.
The Metro in Tbilsi dates back to Soviet era. All the halls are exactly as you find in St Petersburg, Moscow etc. Efficient and regular service and not expensive.What amazed me was that before each station there is an announcement - first in Georgian and then in English!! Tavissuplebniis Moedani ... suddenly becomes, next stop Freedom Square. I liked that very much! Like all Metros some stations are more crowded than others - Station Square for example where two lives converge - but it is far from daunting for the traveller.
The Tbilisi metro was really cool to see especially if your from the US. I was amazed by how fast the escalators move. You really have to hold on, but it was awesome. It stops at all the great sights. Some of the trains seem a lot older than others, but still not bad.
I had a schematic map of metro lines from the internet. It shows 3 lines. In combination with orientation signs downstairs it was easy to find where to go and which train to get on. I asked for a ticket, but did not want the card. So the lady told the man waiting behind me to get me there on his card and I paid only about 0,25 GEL :-)
We used the metro daily during our holiday. Cheap and very easy to use. Just go to the window and request a card. We shared one. To recharge, use the electronic kiosk. There is a button for English on the top right corner. All stops are announced in English and the signage is also in English. A great way to get around the city.
It's clean, airy and easy to navigate! And boy is it deep! If you suffer from vertigo, keep your eyes closed :) one of our favourite stops is Didube for the market :)