What language to use in Georgia — Russian or English?

One traveling family (Canadians) found English worked comfortably in Georgia — younger locals understood fine, and there was no negativity about speaking English. Occasionally older locals asked them to switch to Russian.

Russian is widely understood almost everywhere, especially in the service industry — nearly everyone there speaks it, with rare exceptions. English tends to be spoken poorly by locals. There can be occasional inconvenient cases: for example, at a TBC bank branch, a staff member spoke neither Russian nor English, so communication happened via Google Translate. Overall, Russian is sufficient in about 99% of situations.

A useful tactic is to open with 'English or Russian?' to quickly figure out which language to continue in — this approach worked without issues even for younger travelers. In remote areas where only Georgian is spoken, an online translator app helps bridge the gap.

Over 4 days in Georgia, Russian worked in most situations. Where it didn't, basic English was enough — ordering food, getting a SIM card. A friendly attitude goes a long way. Handy tip: look up key phrases on your phone before approaching someone.

Statistically, more people in Georgia understand Russian than English. However, some younger locals may deliberately pretend not to understand Russian — it depends on the individual and how you approach them.

Some locals don't speak Russian at all. In those cases, English or gestures help. The one Georgian word worth knowing is 'gamarjoba' (hello).

In remote areas far from tourist spots, even older locals may not speak Russian. That said, Georgians are generally very willing to help even without a shared language.