How to: Tbilisi to Baku by Train

This article briefly outlines our train journey (with bikes) from Tbilisi (Didube Railway Station) in Georgia to Baku in Azerbaijan. We hope it’s of use to anyone else planning a similar journey.

Our inability to obtain an Iranian visa meant our planned route was blocked. In a way this was a blessing as we ended up exploring Georgia, a country we’d previously overlooked, which has been a highlight of the trip so far. You can read about our time cycling in southern Georgia here. However, this change of direction also meant we had to speed up if we wanted to get to the mountains of Central Asia before winter settled in. We took the decision to get the train from Tbilisi (Didube Railway Station) to Baku in Azerbaijan to save some time. Below we have outlined our experience on the train travelling in September 2018.

Purchasing a Ticket

We bought the ticket on the top floor of the station (Tsotne Dadiani St, Tbilisi), two days in advance of travel. When approaching from the street on the eastern side of the tracks, you enter directly to the ticket office level from the vehicle ramp. If you approach from the western side, it looks like a shopping mall on first appearances. Locate the escalators to the ticket floor above.

There is a numbered ticketing system for the kiosks, which are located at the top of the escalators. You shouldn’t have to wait longer than 10 minutes once you’ve collected a ticket. The person at the kiosk spoke basic English so we had no problem explaining when and where we wanted to go. We asked about whether the bikes would be allowed on and were advised to use the yellow ‘information’ phone at one end of the seating area. We chose not to and instead decided to arrive earlier on the day.

We paid 89.03 GEL per ticket (around £14 at the time) for first class tickets in a 2-berth cabin. We chose to avoid a shared 4-berth cabin in case we had to store the bikes, wheels and panniers in there with us. We needed to show our passports to buy the tickets - the passport number is printed on the ticket.

Day of Travel

We arrived at the station an hour before the train was due to leave. It is best to approach the station from the western side, from Akaki Tsereteli Avenue. If you have bikes, you can wheel them up the ramp on the left hand side (when looking at the station/shopping mall) and round past the barrier. This avoids having to wheel the bikes into the shopping mall and takes you directly onto Platform 1, which is where the train to Baku was leaving from.

The train was already on the platform when we arrived, however no one was allowed on until half an hour before the 20:35 departure. The cabin attendants were milling about the station, so we asked about where we could store the bikes. Firstly they gestured for us to ‘fold up’ the bikes. When we explained they do not fold, they asked us to remove all panniers and the front wheels. There were a few rolling eyes but at least it wasn’t an outright no.

We were allowed to board 45 minutes before departure. Passports needed to be presented with tickets to board. The train generally wasn’t too busy and there were spare cabins on our carriage. We suspect we could’ve bought a ticket on the day at this time of year. The cabin itself was clean and fairly spacious for two people, but it wasn’t very spacious with both bikes in between us which we’d tried to do... An attendant laughed and gestured for us to take the bikes to the end of the carriage, where they were stored in the vestibule area for the duration of the journey. The doors at this end of the carriage were locked so no opportunist thief could steal the bikes at a station stop. The panniers and front wheels all fitted in the cabin securely under the seat.

Georgia/Azerbijan Border

The train left on time and it took two hours to get to the Georgia/Azerbaijan border. In that time we were given sheets for the beds, tea with sweets and an Azerbaijan customs declaration form. When the train stopped we were made to sit up as the Georgian officials boarded the train to collect our passports. They were returned with an exit stamp about half an hour later. None of our luggage was searched. The whole process took about an hour.

They train lurched to the Azerbaijan side where officials boarded the train to collect declaration forms and passports, and asked to see our e-visa. There were random luggage searches but again we were not checked. After an hour we were called individually to a cabin further down the carriage where we were each photographed, had brief interview about the purpose of our visit and passports returned. The train moved again after three hours; this may have taken longer than usual as there was a visa disagreement with a passenger.

Other Information

There is no food or drink served on board although people seemed to get off at some stops to buy from stalls. We advise to bring everything with you before the station. There isn’t very much available at the station itself. We slept for the majority of the 13 hour journey and it was very comfortable. Our only disruption was the attendant coming in to offer more tea. When we said no thanks, we were asked for some money for the tea we had accepted previously. It wasn’t clear how much or what this was exactly for due to the language barrier. In any case we didn’t have any Georgian or Azerbaijan currency. We advise therefore that if you accept a hot drink, make sure you have some small change ready to give.

The train arrived in Baku at 10am local time, one hour later than scheduled. We were made to get off last to avoid blocking everyone with our bikes. All in all, it was a painless journey. Exiting the railway station in Baku by bike, ride to the right hand side up a small street and then left at the top to find yourself in the centre of town.