Popular Airport | Kutaisi Intl. Airport |
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Popular Airlines | |
Approximate Flight Duration | 6 hour |
Approximate Travel Distance | 4802 Km |
The city center and Entebbe International Airport are very close to each other and you can easily get to the airport. Although there is no public transportation service to the airport, you can take a taxi at affordable prices for transportation to the airport.
If you prefer, you can also get to the airport very easily by renting a car in the city center. Transfer services provided by a private company is another alternative you can take. Although the airport is so close to the city center, you need to set off taking the potential heavy traffic in Entebbe into consideration and be careful about timing.
You can easily get a taxi in Entebbe city center. If you don’t have a luggage or if you are traveling with a hand luggage, you can also prefer the motorbike taxis called Boda Boda. Since there is no taximeter available in the taxis, you should bargain with the driver about the taxi fare and you shouldn’t do the payment in advance. You are advised to get help from someone you know or your hotel to get a taxi because taxis in the city are not considered reliable in general.
You can contact one of the car rental companies in the city center to rent an affordable car. You can rent a car as well as a motorbike. If you prefer, it is also possible to rent a car with a driver. Your hotel can also help you with the car rental procedures and contact information of the car rental companies. If you are going to drive the car yourself, you should keep in mind that you must have an international driver’s license.
The private company named Uganda Airport Transfers provides transfer services between Entebbe city center, Kampala city center and Entebbe International Airport. The company picks up passengers at anywhere they want and take them to the airport. It is especially a good transportation alternative for crowded groups because the vehicles of the company vary from 3-person cars to 25-person buses. You can get the contact information and price list of Uganda Airport Transfers on its website. Your hotel can also help you with this.
Very few hotels in Entebbe provide their guests with airport shuttle services. If your hotel offers this service, you need to get information about its price and make a reservation in advance to take advantage of the shuttle option. Even if your hotel doesn’t have such a service, they will absolutely help you find a transportation alternative to get to the airport. Under any circumstances, you should keep in mind to bargain for the price in advance.
Entebbe International Airport is the most important and largest airport not only in Entebbe but also in Uganda. A large number of airline companies arrange flights to Entebbe International Airport on a daily basis. Many others also arrange flights to the airport every other day or weekly. Many cities in Uganda, especially Kampala which is the commercial center and capital of the country, use this airport air transportation.
Entebbe International Airport is located on the banks of Lake Victoria, in the immediate vicinity of Entebbe city center. The airport is 41 kilometers away from Kampala and regular minibus services are arranged between Kampala and the airport. The airport has a post office, safe deposit box, cash dispensers and banks.
Entebbe Airport also has cafés, restaurants, and duty-free shopping stores. There is also an internet cafe for those who don't want to stay away from internet access at the airport.
Karibuni Lounge serves at the departure terminal for passengers who want to get relaxed while waiting for their flights. The lounge starts to serve 2 and a half hours before the first flight of the day and it is open until the last flight time. At Karibuni Lounge, you can take advantage of the free internet service, watch TV, read the daily newspapers, take a shower, and relax in the cozy sitting areas. The entrance fee for the lounge is only 15 dollars and the time you can stay in the lounge is limited to a maximum of 3 hours.
There is the Rioni river at the entrance of Kutaisi, which is the second largest and most developed city of Georgia, and this river literally divides the city into two. Kutaisi is located in the Imerati Region in the western part of Georgia and its distance to the country’s capital, Tbilisi, is approximately 221 kilometers. The city’s population is around 201.000. Kutaisi’s urban transportation is mostly composed of buses, trolleys, taxis and mini-buses called marshrutka.
There is also a big train station in the city. But from this train station, daily express trains from Kutaisi to Georgia’s other major cities depart. As the area of the city is small, majority of the visitors walk or use taxis for transportation.
Kutaisi railway terminal is directly connected to Georgia’s capital city, Tbilisi. All of the trains leaving from this terminal are operated by Georgian Railways. You can travel to Tbilisi from Kutaisi in around 5.5 hours by taking the train #18, which departs from Kutaisi I station. There are also daily express trains.
The train starts its trip at 08.50 every morning and arrives at Tbilisi in 6 hours. This train also stops in Mtskheta, the former capital of Georgia. There are also regular bus trips from Didube bus station in Didube, where the metro station in Tbilisi is located at, to Kutaisi. Price for this bus trip is only 10 Lari.
In addition to the marshrutkas and buses, you may also consider using car rental services or taxis for transportation to city centre from the Kutaisi Airport.
After arriving at the Kutaisi Airport, take the exit from the arrival terminal and proceed to the bus stops. As well as the buses, marshrutkas also depart to Kutiasi city centre or suburbans from the bus stops at the area in front of the terminal building. Marshrutka drivers may not accept paying with dollar or euro, so do not forget to stop by the exchange office in the airport just in case.
Marshrutkas leaving from Kutaisi Airport go directly to the Kutaisi bus station just behind McDonalds. Marshrutkas, which run in every 20 minutes, provide transportation services to the town of Samtredia from Kutaisi Airport for a fee of 2 Lari. There are also vehicles named ‘direct marshrutkas’, which have a fare of 5 Lari. These direct marshrutkas will take you to your destination as well.
There are direct marshrutkas running between Kutaisi Airport and Tbilisi, and fare is currently 20 Lari. Likewise, there are also marshrutkas going directly to Batumi, another major city of Georgia, for a fare of 18 Lari.
Bus service timetable are usually updated according to the flights' arrival times. You don’t need to worry if you forget to get Georgian currency, as it is possible to buy bus tickets with euro or dollar as well.
Taxi is the most economical vehicle you can use for traveling to the city centre from Kutaisi Airport. Traveling to the city centre from the airport by taxi costs around 25 Lari, but you can drop the price to 20 Lari by bargaining with the taxi driver.
The only thing that you need to do to go city centre from Kutaisi Airport by your rented car is to take the highway, which passes right by the airport, and follow the direction signs to the city. You can reach the city centre in around 20 minutes by your vehicle.
As well as you can find several rent a car services at the exit of Kutaisi Airport terminal, you can also make benefit of discounts by making an online reservation. People visiting Kutaisi often prefer renting a car as they usually include visiting other Georgian cities such as Tbilisi and Batumi in their travel plans.