Time zones

Georgia falls 4 hour ahead of GMT. At midnight on the last Sunday in March Georgia shifts to "summer time", setting clocks ahead 1 hour, and on the last Sunday in October sets them back again. Water & Food

You do not need to take with you food and drink for personal use in Georgia, only if you need special diet.

Georgia is a country of springs. Drinking water is usually good even from taps and one can use it without boiling. Traditional mineral water in bottles, fruit drinks and Coke are available almost everywhere. We recommend tasting original Georgian natural soft water "Lagidze Waters".

Variety of Georgian food from different parts of the country makes Georgian cuisine unique. We recommend the cafes and restaurants that serve not only Georgian but European foods as well, since Georgian cuisine with spices may be too rich for the foreigners. Also Georgian system of fast food (khachapuri) and western-like hot-dogs or McDonalds operate in major towns. Please avoid food and drink from street vendors. Price for McDonald standard meal in Tbilisi is around 5 USD. Prices in normal restaurants are 15-30 USD/PP, in luxuries – more then 50 USD/PP.

Medical Aid

Immunization are not required for travel to Georgia. Medical care in general is not up to western standards, especially in villages. It is recommended to have all-inclusive travelers` medical insurance that covers medical evacuation if you require hospitalization. However you do not need to have with you common drugs, you can easily buy them in Georgia if necessary.

Money

National currency of Georgia is the Georgian Lari which consists of 100 tetri. Coins are issued in 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 tetris as well as bank notes of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 laris. All payments are made in cash. Only few shops, restaurants and hotels accept credit cards and cheques. Foreign currency in banknotes and travelers cheques can be easily exchanged in the large banks. The most popular foreign currencies are US dollar and Deutschemark, which can be exchanged in special exchange booths in the streets of large towns. Western Union, Federal Express and large banks provide money transfers.

Communications

Georgia`s country code is 995 and Tbilisi city code – 32. There are telephones for local calls on main streets of big towns. For international calls visit the post offices. There are several telephone agencies throughout the cities, conditions and prices are similar. In central post offices you can use video message, fax and e-mail (incoming and outgoing) facilities. Now on much territory of Georgia it is possible to use mobile phones.

Ordinary post in Georgia at present works with considerable delays. If necessary, for urgent mail or packages, it is better to use express post service.

Prices for post services in Georgia are approximately the same as in Europe or slightly higher.

Mass Media

Different types of newspaper, mostly in Georgian, circulate throughout the country. You can also find newspapers brought from Russia, Europe and USA. Now available some Georgian newspapers and magazines in English. The English-language newspapers are: Georgia Today, that appears on Fridays and costs GEL1.50 (US$0.75) and The Georgian Times, that appears daily Monday to Friday, costing GEL1.There are about ten local TV channels in Georgia. Cable TV with satellite programs of many foreign channels is also available in main towns. Local radio stations broadcast mainly in Georgian. Around ten FM musical stations broadcast popular western pop-music.

Power supply

Electrical current – 220 volts, 50 Hz. Sockets require a European plug with two round pins. Because of the energy crisis sometimes electricity is irregular (mostly in wintertime and in villages) and visitors are recommended to have the little flashlights.

Weight & Measures

The Georgia operates on the metric system (meters, kilos, liters etc.).

Temperature

Convert °C to °F by formula °C x 1.8 + 32 =°F.

Length & Volume

• 1 centimeter = 0.39 inch
• 1 meter = 3.28 feet = 1.09 yard
• 1 kilometer = 0.62 mile
• 1 hectare = 2.47 acre
• 1 liter = 0.22 imperial gallon = 0.26 US gallon

Photography

Kodak and Fuji films can be easily bought and developed at net of Express Shops in big towns. Service and prices there are the same standard as in similar shops in the western countries.

Transport

Intra-city

Tbilisi is an only city in Georgia with a metro (underground) and tram systems, while all towns have some form of public transport – buses and trolleys. The metro is operate from 6AM to 12 PM; other public transport from 8 AM to 8 PM. System of mini-buses that you can catch just rising your hand and ask to stop in any place you need on their route is very convenient. They operate from 7 AM to 10 PM. You must pay to driver, as conductors are rarely present. In metro you need to buy token at the metro station to walk through the barrier. Public transport in Georgia usually is very cheap. Also you can hail taxis on the street, pick them up at a taxi stand or call by phone. So named "red taxis" have meter and you pay what is on the meter. With the others better to agree on the price to your destination before you get in.

Inter-city

Airports are located in Tbilisi, Batumi, Kutaisi, Mestia, Senaki and Telavi. Plane and helicopter service between cities is inexpensive but irregular.

Bus, mini-bus and train service links the major towns of Georgia in a reasonably efficient way. Service is not up to western standards yet but the service to the coast is considerably good.

Before leaving towns, make sure you get exact route and schedule, especially if you do not know Georgian or Russian languages.

Shopping & Tipping

Larger shops open from 09.00 to 20.00 Monday to Saturday, state-owned ones closing for lunch. Kiosks and housefront groceries are usually open from 08.00 at the latest until in some cases midnight or later, and are usually on Sundays too.

In Tbilisi there are quite a few "antique salons", in which you can buy items such as ceramics, wood- and metalworks, and carpets. An export permit is needed from the Ministry of Culture to export carpets and some other items. You may find it simpler to take wine to your loved ones, or, if you really want to perplex them, sticks of churchkhela.

Among the more interesting items is the male national dress, the chokha and akhalukhi, a sort of frock coat with a row pockets across the chest to hold cartridges, and a silk inner coat. More exotic perhaps is the nabadi or burka, the shaggy sheepskin cape worn by mountain shepherds. Men with the national dress always wear a dagger or khandzali; it should have an elaborately decorated side, for weddings, and a plain one, for funerals. A winehorn or khantsi is another possible present.

The food prices in Georgia are similar or lower than in European supermarkets. Imported cigarettes, sweets, drinks, clothes can be bought at a low price at Wall Markets. You can find high quality goods in western style shops. Prices there are approximately the same as in Europe or slightly higher.

Prices are not negotiable in department stores and supermarkets, unlike free markets where some bargaining is usually expected.

No set percentage for tips is universally agreed upon in Georgia. The best method is to round off your bill or fare to the next higher sum.

Traditions

Georgian families are usually big (mainly in villages) and ruled by patriarchal traditions. Often three generations of parents and children live together. Georgian highland has little embraced feminism.

An unusual phenomenon for foreigners is the Georgian table, which is more than ordinary meal. The table is ruled by "tamada", who proposes traditional toasts. Each toast must be interpreted by table members before drinking it. In Georgia you never drink wine without toasting, which is not applicable to beer. Traditional tables usually last a long time and are accompanied by folk singing and dancing. In restaurants one person usually pays the bill. Normally men pay for women.

Anyone is allowed to enter the church, but in this case women usually do not enter bareheaded and men with hat. In village regions and especially in Georgian Highlands people do not wear shorts and low-cut dresses or short skirts.

The 2015 UEFA Super Cup was a football match between Spanish teams Barcelona and Sevilla on 11 August 2015 at the Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena in Tbilisi, Georgia. It was the 40th UEFA Super Cup, an annual tournament contested by the winners of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. Barcelona were appearing in the Super Cup for the ninth time, they had previously won and lost the competition four times each. Sevilla were appearing in the competition for the fourth time, they had won once and lost twice. The two sides had met before in the competition in 2006, when Sevilla won 3–0.

The teams had qualified for the competition by winning the two seasonal European competitions. Barcelona won the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League, defeating Italian Juventus 3–1 in the final. Sevilla qualified as winners of the 2014–15 UEFA Europa League. They beat Ukrainian team Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk 3–2 in the final.

Barcelona won the game 5–4 after extra time to claim their fifth Super Cup title, tying Milan's record. Their ninth Super Cup appearance was also a record, two ahead of Milan. Dani Alves's fourth Super Cup win and fifth appearance matched Paolo Maldini's records, while Luis Enrique became the fourth man to lift the UEFA Super Cup as coach and player after Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti and Diego Simeone. The nine goals scored was also the most in any Super Cup fixture, and the attendance of 51,940 was a record for a one-off, neutral venue UEFA Super Cup.

The Mikheil Meskhi Stadium was originally announced as the venue of the Super Cup at the UEFA Executive Committee meeting on 5 March 2014, but the venue was changed to the Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena. This was the first UEFA Super Cup hosted in Georgia. The Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena was built in 1976 and renovated in 2011. It is the home stadium of the Georgia national football team and FC Dinamo Tbilisi.