By train
Georgian Railways (http://www.railway.ge/por...) operates trains between Batumi and Tbilisi. Night train leaves Tbilisi at 22:55 and arrives in Batumi's Makhinjauri Station at 7:05 the next morning. Day train #30 leaves Tbilisi at 8:50 and arrives in Batumi at 4:00pm. First class costs 40 GEL, second class costs 23 GEL. In first class, there are two people per cabin, the berths are a little short, narrow and hard but rather comfortable, and linen is provided. Makhinjauri Station is 5 km north of Batumi, and taxis and buses await incoming passengers. Night train #621 returns from Batumi's Makhinjauri Station to Tbilisi at 22:40, arriving at 7:10.
Train tickets can be bought at the station or from an office in the old town at 5 General Mazniashvili St between Melashvili and Abashidze. This office is very plain and nondescript with no signs in English. The door and window frames are green and some metal chairs are visible inside. Hours are 09:00 to 18:00.
Reserve your seats in advance on the weekends, as many Georgians flock to the seaside.
Female travellers who travel alone might consider travelling first class and buying both tickets, since many Georgian men enter the night train intoxicated and can keep you from getting a good night's sleep. Every carriage, including both first and second class, has a watchman/woman, who protects the passengers from drunks, so you don't need to worry.
By ship
Ferries run from Sochi, Russia and from Ilyichevsk, near Odessa, Ukraine $145, 42 hours, irregular service. More boats are operated from Poti 5 Lari with marshrutka and take one hour. It's a kind of Freighter travel. Probably best to call first to make inquiries, to avoid coming back from Poti empty-handed. The booking office is on Kutaisi 34, but the staff only speaks Russian and is not very helpful.
A boat operates between Sochi, Russia to Batumi, Georgia. It is a high speed hydrofoil which operates three times a week, Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m., Fridays at 9:30 a.m., Sundays at 10:30 a.m. In 2010, the cost is 3500 rubles for adults, 1750 rubles for children. The number is +7-8622-609-622 or +7-918-409-12-96. Sochi port schedule
By bus
Buses and minibuses marshutkas operate regularly between Batumi and Tbilisi. Travel time is 6 hours and the minibuses are more comfortable than the local marshrutkas in the city. The fare is 18 Lari. The scenery along the way is breathtaking.
Daily buses also operate between Batumi and Trabzon, Turkey, with stops in Rize and the border crossing at Sarpi. Make sure you meet all visa requirements before crossing the border into Georgia.
There are two Marshutka stations. One has long distance minibuses to Kutaisi, Tbilisi, Poti, etc. The other, on Tbilisi Square, has marshutkas to Sarpi 2 GEL, 20 minutes.