Georgia - 12th Oct 2019- Travel & Acomm

Leaving Dublin the Wednesday night and getting back the following Wednesday. Stopovers in Moscow and Athens included in the itinerary

Roberto_Carlow wrote: Does the Baku-Tbilisi train run on a Friday evening?

Daily but overnight. It leaves at 20:40. You can get a bed in a four bed compartment for about €17 or in a two bed compartment for about €34. And don't forget the need for a visa for Azerbaijan ($23). In total, you should allow €50 for the cost of getting to Tbilisi from Baku.

https://ticket.ady.az/en/tickets will sell you the ticket but you need to show up in the station at least an hour in advance.

I assume the route you are looking at is the following:

10 October

DUB 05:55 - 09:50 BUD Aer Lingus €50

BUD 23:45 - 05:30 GYD Wizzair €69

12 October

Baku 20:40 - 08:55 Tbilisi

That allows a full day in Budapest but no need for a hotel there. You will need one for Baku, obviously, and it is a very early start from Dublin. It's just a pity the Ryanair Dublin to Budapest flight lands at 23:40 and not, say, 20:40. One other thing: the train does cross the border (obviously) so there is a border check. However, that will probably only be an hour or two before you arrive in Tbilisi, but it will take some time, so don't worry if you're still sitting there 90 minutes after arrival.

I think Yerevan is every other night. However, during the summer, there is also a train from Yerevan to Batumi (at the far end of Georgia on the Black Sea) every other night as well, making a daily schedule during the summer, but it only runs until the end of September.

Yerevan - Tbilisi departs on even days, Tbilisi - Yerevan departs on odd dates.

Incidentally, if you are very brave, there is a direct Kiev - Baku train once a week. However, you'll need a Russian visa for that as well, and it runs through Dagestan.

Also, the direct Ankara - Baku train via Tbilisi should be running by October as well. I think it will be three times a week, maybe twice a week.

poznan7 wrote: Would one hour transfer in Istanbul on the way home be very tight? Haven’t travelled through it before

On the one ticket? If so, you're grand.

Otherwise, which airport?

If it's the 4am one, there's loads of people on it, be fine 

Yeah it’s the 10am flight. Fair play thanks lads

poznan7 wrote: Yeah it’s the 10am flight. Fair play thanks lads

It's the new Istanbul airport then, which isn't all that busy just yet. You should be grand.

Any decent Hotels to recommend 

I'm doing the one hour layover on the same flight. It should be fine I think.

I've booked it all through Turkish Airlines. I imagine there'll be plenty doing the same. The key will be to be in decent shape and not be making stupid turns or decisions around the airport