Armenia and Georgia - Road conditions
 

I'm trying to search an alternative trip for my three weeks holiday in the summer.
I had already planned Morocco, but for some unexpected events I and my girlfriend most probably cannot go there.

Over the past two days, I have been searching a lot of infos about the beautiful Armenia and Georgia, but what worries me much (according to what I read in previous threads of this board also) is the matter of road conditions.
Can some of you guys who rode the area give me some indications about which are the best roads to ride on a huge HD Electra Glide there?
We'd mean to visit Gori and Tbilisi in Georgia + Yerevan, Lake Sevan, the temple of Garni, the Monastries of Tatev, Koravank and Khor Virap in Armenia.
Has somebody ever ridden those roads? Are they acceptably paved or are there potholes, "waves in tarmac" and so on?


More, are the customs proceedings between the two Countries quick or slow like the ones I experienced in Syria, Jordan or Russia?
Thanks you all for your advice and opinions.

Not sure about Armenia but i rode through Georgia from Turkey in 07 and the roads were shocking.Once entering Georgia the road to Tblisi has long unpaved stretches that are very rough in places.Also remember something about border crossings between Armenia and Georgia being difficult as they're not great nieghbours...or is it Azerbijan?Can't quite recall exactly but it might be worth looking into.
Despite the roads i really enjoyed Georgia,its like going back in time.Tblisi is an eye opener too.

Thanks Liam79, but which is the particular stretch you rode in Georgia?

This

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could be my trip, to be made in 8 days.

road conditions
 

hi there,
i was been in the area, on 2002. roads were really bad. it tooks me a whole day to ride from the border (rize) to tbilisi; average speed 40 kph. a lot of unpaved strethces and an impressive amount of holes. but landscapes are gorgeous; expecially on the georgian military highway, wich lead from the capitol to vladikavkaz (closed russian border). also nice and "easy" is the route from gori to borjomi, and to vale (the counterpart of the posof turkish border). the road was (2002) unpaved for the last kms and deserted, but it run up and down on the hills. i did it with an harley, and you can do the same too...

regards

www.lungastrada.it

Tbilisi - Erevan - Stepanakert - Meghri was all good asphalt in 2009.

I can only comment on Georgia. The place is changing fast, accounts from 2002 and 2007 are out of date.

I am currently in Sukhumi, came here from Azerbaijan. Following are the roads I've driven:

Lagodekhi - Tbilisi - mostly very good, some just goo, nothing bad.

Tbilisi - Gori - Kutaisi - Zugdidi almost all perfect asphalt

Zugdidi - Mestia (136km) starts off perfect, then just good, then bad, and keeps getting worse. Had to be towed out of knee-deep mud by a bulldozer!

Mestia - Ushguli Serious off-road work, but fun. Free cha-cha (local hooch) to impove driving abilities on the road as it hugs the sheer mountains side (no police around).

Zugdidi - Gali - Ochamchire Shockingly bad asphalt (it's a partially-deserted old warzone)

Ochamchire - Sukhumi Good asphalt.

Easy to take a car into Georgia, don't need insurace, but fuel is a little more than in the most of the former USSR, though less than Turkey (of course). Traffic police leave you alone, unlike AZ.

And Georgia is a wonderful, wonderful country. One of my favourites in my three year trip...

Hope this persuades you to go!

Daniel

ello Daniel,

Thanks for the heads up on the Zugdidi - Mestia section. We had that in our plans for June. Do you think the road was that bad just because of a lot of rain lately, or is it just a very bad road, period. Any alternate route suggestions?

KP

The road to Mestia is always a bumpy experience, but at this time of year as the snowmelt begins, mudslides are an everyday occurrence. I reckon by June it will be better, though don't expect a smooth ride... You'll make it OK though, people are pretty helpful here.

Daniel

Thanks to everybody! :D

Georgia and Armenia
 

I travelled through both countries last year and spent over three weeks in Georgia, as Daniel says, it's a fantastic country.

Some of the roads are a bit dodgy and it depends what kind of a rider you are as I've seen HD's travelling in the most unlikely places.

Avoid the southern route from Batumi to Vale if you're in that part of the country.

For crossing into Armenia, the best crossing seems to be the road due south of Marneuli. We crossed into Armenia to the west of there where the road was pretty bad and the Armenian border guards very shitty with us- to the extent that I had to claim to be a diplomatic chauffeur (on a very muddy BMW bike:rolleyes2:), long story, but I got away with it. The crossing took several hours. Returning to Georgia we used the other crossing and it was a lot more straight forward though beware as there is a customs fee to pay before leaving the country-as always I questioned the legality of it but which was actually backed up by a phone call to the US Embassy (another long story).
Armenia itself, well, what fantastic people and the scenery was great, I think all the roads you want to use are fine, some of the monasteries are at the top of curving mountain roads but the road surfaces are OK, just take your time.
Have fun and enjoy it.:mchappy:

Good luck

Thanks Tiffany!

Well, I've been riding custom cycles and Electra Glides for the past 14 years all across Europe, European Russia, USA and the Middle East so I'm quite experienced, but I never rode dirt roads for long stretches (the last one just yesterday in the middle of a wood on the northern Italy's mountains but I'm talking about 1.5 miles only... but I never fell! :clap: :scooter:).

Your talking about Vale... The road we'd mean to take is the Posof/Vale border to Gori. You've been on that stretch? Thanks, my friend!

road
 

the posof-vale border road it is doable at all.

Very good, Donato, this is what I wanted to read!
Now all the news you all gave me seem to push me to choose this trip and leave Lebanon (which was another option after being forced to cancel the Morocco trip) to the future.

After reading Travelbug's experiences here on the HUBB, I'm now also considering to exit Armenia at Meghri border thus riding two days on Iranian roads and having the chance to visit also Tabriz and Kandovan, the Iranian Cappadocia.
I already collected infos on the web saying that the road from Lake Sevan to Meghri is paved and doable with my bike, so why not try?
Visiting north-west Iran would give me the possibility to stop at Ishak Pasa Palace in Dogubayazit (TR), that is just on the way back to Italy: I only have to collect some news about the times it's open to tourists daily and then I'd say that our trip's route planning is over and paperwork for Iranian visas and Carnet de Passage can begin.

Look forward to visit those countries and contribute with my experience here on the HUBB!

I returned from Iran, Armenia and Georgia few days ago.
I passsed border in Nurduz-Meghri. About 1 hour of paperwork (I traveled without CPD) and 25 USD for car.
Armenian border is terrible. First f-----g soviet soldiers. I write soviet becouse this people didin't change. Soldier ask me why I'm so happy (I said becouse I,m traveler). He think that I must sceard him. Search car for knives, weapon or something like that.
Armenian visa 10 USD (for Polish). Next preparing documents for car for 5 hours, all the times problem with internet conection and they even don't know country Poland (he asked me about Portugal, Paraguay). No english, no german, no france only russians (I speak little).
53 USD for cars and 5 USD for custom officer (robbery)
Bad roads, bad signs, difficulty to find interesting places. But very interesting country worth to see.
Meghri-Kapan-Goris-Vayotsdzor-Yerevan bad roads
Yerevan-Sevan-very good roads
Sevan-Diljian-Vandzor-Bagratashen- not bad roads

Border Bagratashen-Sadakhlo
23 USD for car in Armenia (next robbery).
Don't take any petrol to Georgia. I had to turn back on neutral side and pour everything from roof tanks.
First we had to take many things to x-ray but after few minutes they stop all procedure and let us go (I think they understand we are travellers).
Very good main roads, all interesting places good signed. Good food and helpfull people and police.
Much works on secondary roads, wondrful Tbilisi, only few minutes on Sarpi border.
Georgian really care of their country. They really want to create free and independent country. We must help them to fight with the soviet system.
They build country but neighbour from north want to destroy everything.
Just drive in Armenia and Georgia and you will see what I mean.

Ok. I'm Polish so I know what is fighting with soviet occupant, but stop the politics.
My opinion: Armenia minus, Georgia big plus.

Thanks, Bartosz, for sharing your experience!
Some uniformed people should really realize that we entered the 21st century already a decade ago and that we are not living the cold war times anymore...

Too bad to know road is bad between Meghri and Yerevan...