If you didn’t go out by car, a taxi is better. If you went by car and had a drink, a sober driver is better: they take you home in your own car, and you don’t have to go back for it in the morning.
The rule is simple, but the devil is in the details: price, time, the morning after and where the car spends the night.
How is a sober driver different from a taxi?
A taxi takes you. A sober driver takes you and your car together. That one difference changes everything that follows.
After a taxi, the car stays outside the restaurant, the bar or a friend’s courtyard, and in the morning you have to go and find it. With a sober driver, the driver parks your car at your home, hands back the keys and leaves.
What do both options look like on the same evening?
Imagine: it’s Friday, you drove to dinner with friends in Vake, you live in Gldani, and you’re due at work at 9 am. Here’s how both options look:
| Taxi | Sober driver | |
|---|---|---|
| At night | You take a taxi to Gldani, the car stays in Vake | The driver takes you to Gldani in your car |
| The car overnight | On the street or in a car park, in another district | Outside your home |
| In the morning | You get up early and take a taxi or a bus to Vake for the car | You just get into your car |
| Number of trips | Two (night and morning) | One |
| Dropping friends off on the way | Possible | Possible, same price if they live on the way |
Which costs more?
Ride for ride, a taxi is often cheaper. But the taxi option means two rides: home at night and back in the morning for the car. Add the time in the morning and possibly paid parking.
A sober driver costs 40-50 GEL within the central districts of Tbilisi; elsewhere the price depends on distance and you’ll know it during the call. There’s more about prices in a separate article.
What happens to a car left overnight?
Usually nothing. But a car left overnight in an unfamiliar district is one more thing to worry about: it could be towed if it’s parked in the wrong place, or someone might scratch it.
And one more risk few people think about: the person who goes to fetch the car in the morning often isn’t sober yet. We write about that in our article on how long alcohol stays in your blood.
What if you have a sober friend?
That’s a good option, if the friend really hasn’t been drinking. Often, though, it goes like this: “I only had one glass, you had loads.” Both of you have been drinking, just to different degrees.
The law doesn’t forgive that: a friend over 0.3 per mille is punished just as you would be. And if you knew they’d been drinking and still gave them the keys, you’ll be fined 1,500 GEL.
When is a taxi better?
A taxi is better when you know in advance that you’ll be drinking and left the car at home. That’s the cheapest and simplest option, and we honestly recommend it.
A taxi also works well when there are many of you in one car heading in different directions. A sober driver drives one car, so if everyone is going a different way, you’ll get home faster in separate taxis.
When is a sober driver better?
Whenever you came by car and had a drink. Also if:
- you need the car early in the morning, for work or to take the children to school;
- you’re out of town, where finding a taxi and leaving the car are both a problem;
- you’re at a wedding or a big event and the car can’t stay there. For that we offer a wedding driver, booked in advance;
- you’re tired and simply don’t want to drive.
The one option that’s never better: getting behind the wheel yourself after drinking. That costs 6 months to 1 year without a licence, and that’s in the best case.
Our sober driver service works 24/7: +995 597 333 200.