An independent trip to Riga - five simple steps. Not only Riga: a great trip to Latvia Lithuania - a trip to Vilnius
Finally, I got around to writing a text about our road trip route around the Baltics.
The total length of the route is 2975 kilometers, but taking into account trips within cities and to nearby attractions, we covered significantly more - 3672 kilometers. I’ll say right away that you should hit the road only if you have a love for traveling by car, and if you are traveling with a child, it is advisable that he shares this passion.
Our daughter, fortunately, is growing up as a tireless traveler, and takes long trips more than favorably - after all, during this time you can listen to a whole bunch of fairy tales!
So, the route broken down by day:
In the morning we leave Moscow along the M-1 highway and drive towards Smolensk (380 km). To save time and nerves, I highly recommend using the Odintsovo toll bypass.
We have lunch in Smolensk (I highly recommend the Peter Push cafe @restoran_peterpush on Lenin Street, 14) and move further towards Belarus. There are no borders between countries, even the most formal ones.
We didn’t like any of the hotels in Minsk, so we spent the night at the “Quiet Courtyard” agro-estate in Lagoisk (306 km from Smolensk)
We have breakfast and go to Minsk (distance from Lagoisk - 40 km).
There we went to the zoo @minsk_zoo_official (Tashkent street, 40), had lunch and moved towards the border with Lithuania (191 km to the Benyakoni crossing point)
We cross the border and go to Vilnius (distance from the border - 53 km), where we settle in for the night
The third day takes place in Vilnius - we have already been here, so we did not repeat the inspection of the historical center. Instead we visited:
Museum under open air“Europe Park” (Joneikishku village, LT-15148)
Cafe with a huge game “World of Dwarves” (Laisvės pr. 88)
Interactive “Toy Museum” (Shiltadarzho str., 2)
We begin to move towards the sea. We leave Vilnius towards Trakai, but on the way we stop at a wonderful corn maze (Vilnius–Trakai 16 km)
Having got out of the labyrinth, we go to Trakai and walk around the castle there (the drive is only 11 km)
From there we go to Kaunas for a walk and lunch (the journey is 87 km)
After Kaunas we continue driving to the sea. Our correspondent office on the coast was the town of Sventoja (250 km from Kaunas)
We come to our senses after a busy day and explore the surroundings. We went to the beach in the morning, and then went to the entertainment complex HBH Palanga (Zhibininkai, Lepu 23). You can easily hang out there for the whole day.
In the morning - the sea, and then we go to the dinosaur park DINO.LT (Radailiai, Klaipeda region). After the lizards, you can have lunch and take a walk in Klaipeda or Palanga, they are very close.
We have breakfast and go to the old port of Klaipeda, where we take a ferry to the Curonian Spit. In this part of the spit you must visit the Lithuanian maritime museum, he's wonderful.
We return by ferry, get into the car and drive towards the border with Latvia. Again, there is no border between countries.
We spend the night in the small but wonderful town of Liepaja (from Sventoji to Liepaja - 61 km)
We walk around Liepaja, swim, if the weather permits, and go to Riga (the drive to the capital is 216 km)
There we went to the Latvian Museum of Nature (4 K. Barona St.), had dinner and went to bed
This day takes place in Riga - we dedicated it to a walk through the huge open-air Ethnographic Museum of Latvia (10 Bonaventuras Street).
Then I recommend stopping by for lunch or dinner at one of the restaurants of the Lido chain - it’s delicious, cheap and very colorful
We have breakfast and go wander around historical center Rigi. To appreciate all the beauty of the city, we climb the tower of St. Peter's Church (Skarnu St., 19).
Then we leave the capital and go to Cesis to look at the local castle (88 km)
Afterwards we say goodbye to Latvia and leave for Tallinn (the journey is 300 km)
We walk around Tallinn, although one day here, of course, is criminally not enough.
We went to the Tallinn Zoo @tallinnzoo (Ehitajate tee 150 / Paldiski mnt 145), the medieval restaurant Olde Hansa @olde_hansa (Vene 1) and went to Pirita beach 15 minutes from the city center.
In the morning we walk around Tallinn, and then we move towards the border with Russia - it was more convenient for us to leave through Narva (211 km). Don't forget to sign up for the email queue!
Once at home, we go to rest and sleep in Veliky Novgorod (distance - 272 km)
We have breakfast, walk around the Novgorod Kremlin and head towards Moscow. I would use paid Leningradka as much as possible, because it saves a lot of time.
We have lunch and stretch our legs in Tver (387 km from Novgorod)
The last push to Moscow (176 km)
Soon, very soon already New Year holidays. Where to go for the holidays? The A-Renta company is ready not only to provide you with truly inexpensive prices for renting a car from Moscow, but also to provide ideas for holidays. For example, Why don't you arrange a romantic car trip around the Baltics?
Many people treat the Baltic states with disdain: they say, the countries of the former USSR, which eagerly rushed to Europe, although there is no smell of European there. There is nothing to see there, zero service, and the attitude of the Balts towards us Russians... to put it mildly, is disappointing. However, those who think so are completely wrong. Let's try to destroy the existing stereotypes by driving around the Baltics.
Trip to the Baltics by car
Taking care of documents in advance is a must:
- For those traveling by car, it is necessary to obtain a so-called Green Card, which will need to be presented when crossing the border.
- And don’t forget that Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are part of the European Union, so passports must have valid visas.
How to get there?
You can get to the Baltic states in two ways: through Belarus and through the Leningrad region. Residents of central Russia, as a rule, travel via Belarus. Therefore, if you need to travel by car to the Baltics from Moscow, then you can at the same time take a look at some of our former ones, as they say.
Tests at customs
The first and, perhaps, only thing that overshadows traveling by car is the incredible queues at the border with Lithuania. You can stand for 6, 8, 12 hours. It depends on your luck. You need to be prepared for the fact that arrogant drivers driving cool cars with thieves' license plates will pass without waiting in line. And for some reason they are missed.
Before your trip, it’s better to “scour” auto traveler forums, where people share observations and thoughts about what time is best to cross the border.
The procedure for inspecting a car and passports takes a little time.
Traveling around the Baltics...
Lithuania
And now the treasured border crossing stamps are in your passports: you are in Lithuania.
The most famous Lithuanian city, Vilnius, is a must-see. Don't be confused by the old five-story buildings of the Khrushchev era. Yes, yes, they are the ones who will meet you at the entrance to the city. But the so-called Old town in Vilnius incredible:
- cozy atmosphere,
- small streets,
- beautiful architecture of ancient buildings,
- paved paths,
- Hospitable cafes - that's what it's worth visiting Vilnius for!
In addition to visiting the sights in Lithuania, you should definitely take a ride along the coast. Both Klaipeda and little-known Palanga are great places to relax by the sea. Palanga, by the way, is the largest resort city on the Lithuanian coast. And the prices for housing, as well as for food, are very high there.
Latvia
To get to neighboring Latvia you do not need to cross any borders. It takes about four hours to drive from Lithuania to Latvia.
Naturally, the first city you need to see is stunning Riga. The old town in Riga is one of the most beautiful in all of Europe. At every step there are incredible ancient buildings, cathedrals, squares. An ideal place for romantic walks for two or for visiting with the whole family.
There are cozy cafes here and there on small streets. Prices are truly European. A fairly modest lunch for three will cost at least 50-60 euros.
The most important thing you need to know about Riga when traveling by car is paid parking in the Old Town itself. You can leave your car for free only in specially designated areas and only for a few hours. Usually at night.
When booking a hotel, it is important to check whether there are free parking spaces, which most likely will not be included in the price of your stay. In addition to Riga, auto travelers are advised to look into Jurmala, Cesis and Liepaja.
Estonia
Last in line, but not the least beautiful, is Estonia.
According to tradition, start your acquaintance with the country from the Old Town in Tallinn. There are a lot of incredibly beautiful towers, town halls, fortresses and cathedrals here. The center of the Old Town is the famous Town Hall Square. The place is truly amazing: once you find yourself there, it’s as if you’re transported back to the Middle Ages. It seems that in just a little while a knight will gallop into the square on horseback from a neighboring street.
By the way, many cafes that are located at every turn in the Old Town are decorated in the medieval style. The prices are quite high. The closer to Town Hall Square, the more expensive it is.
Another must-see place in Estonia is Tartu. A very beautiful city, home to one of the oldest universities in Northern Europe. Don’t be too lazy to get to Haapsalu - “ Northern Venice» Estonia. Haapsalu will amaze you with its small streets and cute wooden houses.
Share your impressions
So, the general impression of the Baltic states:
- Incredible, beautiful, atmospheric.
- The tracks and roads are ideal, everything is very clean and comfortable.
- The ancient buildings and churches are amazing.
- They treat our compatriots very well, they are always ready to help with directions or any other question.
- Cafes and restaurants have menus in Russian. The waiters are very welcoming and friendly. They constantly ask if everything is okay and if you liked the dishes you ordered.
- Almost everyone speaks Russian perfectly. The only exception is young people. She speaks almost no Russian.
- Hotels for every taste and budget, and there are almost always free places. (It is better to book the room you like for the night; if desired, you can always extend it).
- Be sure to take warm clothes with you. Even in summer it can be very cold in the Baltics. Nature in Estonia is especially capricious: it often rains there, and the temperature in July-August can only reach +16-17 degrees.
- Of the minuses: it takes a long time to cross the border from Russia and back. And also the prices in the cafe: they are quite high, designed for wealthy Germans and French, of whom, by the way, there are a lot there.
It doesn’t matter whether you are an experienced traveler or this is your first time in Europe, you are quite capable of organizing a trip to Riga on your own. Without dwelling on the advantages of the city, which we have written about more than once, we will present five stages of planning a trip on your own.
Planning time for a trip to Riga
Riga is a very popular city among tourists; more than a million guests visit it every year, and the mayor’s office plans to increase this figure to 1.5 million tourists per year. And this is with a population of 700 thousand inhabitants, that is, there are 1.5 tourists per Riga resident.
But still, we hasten to reassure you, even during the peak periods, tourists disperse throughout Riga and Jurmala in such a way that for Muscovites the city may seem deserted.
The best period to visit Riga is from May to August, as well as during Christmas and New Year holidays. If you are planning a trip at this time, make sure to reserve your hotel and transport tickets 2-3 months in advance.
If you prefer a calm atmosphere, then we recommend coming in the second half of April, or from September to mid-October.
The tourist flow is declining, but the weather often gives warm sunny days. Plus, hotels at this time reduce prices for accommodation, so you can save up to 30-50% of the summer room rate. Below we will share the secret of how to book a hotel in Riga at the most profit.
Applying for an entry visa to Latvia
Latvia is part of the Schengen zone, which means that if you have a Schengen visa in your passport, then you can skip this point - the road to Riga is open to you.
If you don’t have a visa, you will have to apply for one.
We described this process in sufficient detail on our website in the ““ section, here you can read about necessary documents, the procedure for filling out the questionnaire and.
Book a hotel in Riga
Yes, let's start with the hotel.
There are several reasons for this - you can get to Riga by various means of transport, the number of flights per day alone reaches five (Aeroflot, Transaero, Utair and Airbaltic). But there is also a train, a bus, a personal car, finally. There are also a lot of hotels in Riga (about 200), however, in the high season, occupancy reaches 100%. Finally, you can refuse a hotel reservation, but plane tickets are problematic.
With booking, everything is very simple; without further ado, you just need to go to one of the on-line hotel booking services.
The risk at this stage is minimal, because no one prohibits it later.
We are planning how we will get to Riga
We have already reviewed the most economical ways to travel, which you can read by following this link ().
In our understanding, the best solution is an airplane. At completely reasonable prices, you don’t waste a night on the train (with the obligatory rise at three in the morning for customs control), don’t waste your nerves crossing the border by car, and don’t sit on a bus for fifteen hours.
Getting ready and dreaming about the trip
The troubles are behind us, it's time to plan your trip. First, we look for guides to Riga on the Internet.
It doesn’t work, there are websites, but how can I download it to my phone? If you don’t want to buy books, then carry them with you around the city?
Well, it’s a completely reasonable desire, which we are meeting halfway - on our website you can download (and freely) four parts of the guide to Riga -
There are no copyright violations - the guide was prepared by the site and we give you all rights to use and distribute it! (just don’t change anything in the text) The fourth part will be released soon - “Riga - the pearl of Art Nouveau”. We can promise that it will not be the last.
Finally, we have available advice on where and how to pay for parking... oh, it’s not good to praise yourself, so we’ll stop here and want to wish you a great unforgettable vacation in the very beautiful city Baltics!
– two countries and five cities.
Day 1. Moscow – Riga – Jurmala
I decided to start my journey from, where I arrived by train (5 thousand rubles). I love traveling with this particular type of transport, I like to look out the window and watch cities, forests and fields flashing by one after another. I got into the compartment late in the evening, and the next morning I found myself in one of the most beautiful cities Baltic states.
I lived in a hostel for two nights in Riga Seaqulls Garret Hostel(60 EUR for two for two nights). I’ll say about the hostel that it was not the best choice - the beds creaked, there was shouting outside the door, and at night there was terrible snoring. Then I still had little experience + greed is my second nature. Now I'm trying to fight this quality for the sake of comfort.
In general, you won’t be able to relax in a hostel, unless, of course, you first stock up on earplugs. But the main thing is cheap and clean bed.
Having left my things, I decided to postpone the tour of the city until tomorrow, and on the first day of my trip to go to the famous resort city where “New Wave”, “Jurmalina” and other festivals take place. It's terribly interesting! We all think that Jurmala is the whole city, but no. This is one collective name for the entire coast, where such settlements as Dubulti, Bulduri, Lielupi and, God forgive me, Stirnurags are located. But I went to Majori.
How did I get to Jurmala? Jurmala is located just 20 kilometers from Riga. The easiest way is by train, which departs every 15-20 minutes from the central station towards Sloka or Tukums.
I spent the rest of the evening in Riga, in the restaurant with cows “1221”, which is located on “Blumenstraße” - Flower Street.
Day 2. Riga
Riga is the real one medieval Europe, This ancient city on the cold Baltic coast. She is like a rich merchant's wife who guards her treasures. The city seems to have frozen and does not want to change anything. This trip was like traveling back in time for me.
All day I walked along the narrow streets of the city, ate in best restaurants, went on sightseeing tours and followed the “must visit” plan that I wrote about.
Day 3. Trakai – Kaunas – Vilnius
Early in the morning I left Riga for a new country for me - Lithuania. I got there on a luxury bus, one might say a five-star bus with all the amenities. I was the only one who had a whole chair with lunch on it. Before my eyes hung a TV filled with films and music for every color and taste. And for all this I had to pay only about 1,200 rubles.
It’s only a three-hour drive to Lithuania, but this move was like a whole journey for me. Green fields, grazing cows and Lithuanian-Latvian villages flashed through the window. And it was so good! Look for bus tickets from Riga to Vilnius.
Upon arrival, I immediately checked into the hostel Jimmy Jumps House(30 EUR). A cozy, inexpensive youth hostel where you can make yourself a delicious breakfast with waffles in the morning.
Trakai is another reason to come to Lithuania for the weekend. This is a great idea for a trip, let's say, for the May holidays. When people talk about the Baltic country, the first thing that comes to mind is Trakai, a place that should be included in the “must see” list.
Trakai harmoniously combines an orange-colored castle; mirror surface of water; boats painted in the Lithuanian flag with fishermen sitting in them; whimsical courtyards with ladybugs, hand-painted glass bottles. This is all complemented by sunny weather, spring mood and red tulips that grow everywhere here.
This is a wonderful place, harmoniously combining a castle, mirror-like surface of water, boats painted with the Lithuanian flag and quaint courtyards with ladybugs, glass bottles, hand-painted with acrylic. This is all complemented by sunny weather, spring mood and red tulips that grow everywhere here.
Not far from Vilnius there is a wonderful town of Kaunas, not yet trampled and untouched by crowds of tourists, which is definitely worth a look if you are in Lithuania.
Returning to Vilnius, happy as an elephant, I quickly fell asleep. The next day promised to be fine and rich in pleasant impressions from walking around Vilnius.
Day 4. Vilnius
After exploring the city, it turned out that this is an amazing place to relax on May holidays. You’re even surprised how in such a way, completely small town so many interesting things fit in.
We went to the Prie Katedros brewery, where we tried local beer, climbed Castle Hill, walked around the Old Town, and looked at all the painted houses in Užupis.
We took the Vilnius-Moscow train back home (we paid 7 thousand per person for a compartment).
This Baltic route turned out to be complete and eventful; we tasted a lot and saw even more. For four days on the road, 38 thousand were spent for two, including travel, accommodation, food and a couple of souvenirs.
An article about traveling by car to the Baltic countries: what you need to know, what documents to prepare. At the end of the article there is a video about what you need to know before traveling to the Baltics by car.
Contents of the article:
If you are planning to take a look at the Baltic countries, but find that ticket prices are, to put it mildly, expensive, auto tourism can be a great solution.
A trip by car to the Baltic countries has large number pros. The main thing is to know some of the pitfalls and features of paperwork and driving in these countries.
The Baltic states are already Europe, the rules for entry and driving here are approximately the same, but small differences still exist. We'll tell you about the main points that you should know in advance.
Pros of traveling by car
If you love car tourism, you have long known these advantages:
- If you drive a car not alone, but with two or three of you, the cost of gasoline (even taking into account depreciation of the car) will be significantly cheaper than purchasing tickets for transport, be it a bus, train tickets, and especially air tickets.
- A car will allow you not to worry about excess luggage and liquids prohibited for carriage on an airplane. Also, the problems of “overweight” are pushed back to the limit of the weight of luggage, which is critical for a particular car, and are not limited to the weight specified by the airline in the region of a modest 20 kg per person.
When looking for your next purchase in a souvenir shop, you won’t have to think about whether you can bring it home.
- A personal car is freedom. You are not limited by time frames, you do not have to move along a predetermined trajectory, as in the case bus tour. Seeing a building you like on the horizon, populated area, you can always turn off the highway and visit more interesting places. Tempting, isn't it?
Required documents for entry
If you are entering the Baltic country in a personal car, you will need a standard set of documents.
For car:
- registration certificate;
- international driver's license;
- technical passport;
- "green card"
If the car is older than three years and has Russian registration, at the border you may be required to present a diagnostic card of the car, which indicates that the car is in good working order.
Those who have recently traveled to the Baltics note that even for a more recent car, it is better to undergo unscheduled maintenance in advance. They ask for a diagnostic card at the border after tourists have received a stamp in their passport to enter the country.
If the car does not meet the serviceability requirements, they will immediately put an exit stamp at the border and send it home. If you purchased a one-time Schengen visa, the trip can be considered over.
A diagnostic card may be required not only at the border. According to the laws of the Baltic countries, any police officer can ask to see this document.
If your car has tinted windows, you should be concerned about their light transmittance. Tinted side front windows of a car must transmit light at least 80%. In the case of side rear and rear windows, the light transmittance of the coating may be less. As a rule, there are no problems at the border with factory tinted windows.
Studded tires in the Baltics are allowed from the beginning of October to the end of April. If the car's windows are cracked or there is damage to the body, the car may not be allowed through at the border - according to European laws, such cars do not have the right to enter the country.
If a power of attorney is needed for a car, it must be notarized.
For adult passengers:
- application with questionnaire;
- international passport with a Schengen visa;
- certificate of income from work;
- confirmation from the bank that there are funds in your account;
- health insurance;
- confirmation of hotel reservation, rental apartment or guest house.
- birth certificate;
- up to 14 years of age, the child’s data can be entered in the passport of one of the parents;
- when a child travels without parents - his own international passport with Schengen and notarized consent of the parents to travel abroad.
Medical insurance for entry into the Baltic countries must be issued for a coverage amount of at least 30 thousand euros.
To make the trip comfortable, it would be useful to have a navigator. It's better if it's a program. Designed not only for cars, but also for pedestrian movements.
For example, navigator Sуgic will do an excellent job of both “guiding” the driver to a given destination and will tell you about the sights of the country closest to the route.
On a long trip it is very convenient if you can change while driving. A second driver in the company makes the trip much easier.
Restrictions on the import of goods and features of border crossing
In the photo: checkpoint on the border with Estonia
When crossing the border, motorists will have to pay an environmental fee - about 20 euros for each passenger, plus the amount for the car itself.
There are restrictions on the import of a number of goods into the Baltics, which may differ from country to country. As a rule, this applies to cigarettes, alcoholic beverages, fuel and some products.
For example, you cannot import into Latvia more than 40 cigarettes (that is, two packs), one liter of alcohol with a strength above 6 degrees or two liters of weaker alcohol such as beer, 10 liters of gasoline, as well as meat and any meat products.
The use of “anti-radars” in the Baltics is strictly prohibited. Upon entry, such devices will most likely be taken away or simply not allowed into the country. If the presence of these devices is discovered already in the country, the driver will face a fine of up to 1,200 euros - an amount more than the average salary!
The length of stay at the border depends on the specific border checkpoint and the type of queue. When entering the Baltics, an electronic queue is a faster way to get through control. At a minimum it will take about forty minutes, but on average tourists estimate the time to be up to one and a half to two hours.
Theoretically, you can call the border control point and ask in advance how long the queue is. But it’s not a fact that they will answer you.
When leaving the country, it is better for motor tourists to use advance booking of the electronic queue. It is worth keeping in mind that in the Baltics, border guards specifically pay more attention to the electronic queue than to the “live” queue, so it makes sense to spend one and a half euros to reserve a place in the electronic queue than to later tell the “horrors” about a seven-hour stay at the border control point.
Driving Features
There are no toll roads in the Baltics; all roads for passenger vehicles are free. Similar to most European countries, here on roundabouts cars located at the intersection itself have priority.
Similar to the Russian rules, in the Baltics, low-beam headlights are mandatory.
Parking in cities is usually paid. They will cost from two euros per hour, but in capitals and central areas of cities they can be three times more expensive.
In Tallinn there is interesting feature parking: here you will need a parking watch, which can be purchased at the gas station. This watch is placed under the windshield. Payment for parking is made via SMS, if you have a country SIM card, or through a specialized machine.
It is better to study speed limits in the Baltic countries in advance. Thus, the “fairy tale” about the slowness of the same Estonians is by no means a fairy tale if we talk about the speed limit on the roads. The car is allowed a maximum speed of 110 km/h, and then only on specialized highways marked with a “road on a blue field” sign, and only in the summer. And in the period from the beginning of November to the end of March outside the city you can move at a speed of no more than 90 km/h, within the city limits - no more than 50 km/h.
In case of speeding, you will have to fork out: an excess of up to 10 km/h can go unnoticed, but if the speedometer needle has crawled 20 km/h above the norm - this is 400 euros or a six-month deprivation of rights, 40 km/h above the upper limit - 800 euros and one-year deprivation of rights, 60 km/h “overkill” - 1200 euros and deprivation of rights for two years.
The car, as per Russian standards, must have a first aid kit, a fire extinguisher, a reflective vest and a warning triangle. However, the presence of a reflective vest is not strictly necessary, but without it being on highway You can't go outside the car.
As in any European country, the Baltic countries have many video cameras for recording traffic violations. In addition, here you can often find hidden police patrols along the roads, which will not hesitate to record violations and issue fines. Please note that here police cars are often “disguised” as civilian vehicles so that they cannot be distinguished.
If you are stopped on the road, you cannot get out of the car: this may be interpreted as an attempt to escape. You just need to open the driver's side window and put your hands on the steering wheel. The policeman will approach you himself.
Fuel cost
In the photo: gas station in Estonia
When driving into the Baltics, it is better to have a full fuel tank. The distances here are short, but the price of fuel is not low:
- In Estonia: 95 gasoline - from 80 rubles, diesel fuel - from 76 rubles, gas - from 36 rubles, but there are very few gas stations here.
- In Lithuania: 95 gasoline - from 75 rubles, diesel fuel - from 66 rubles, gas - from 34 rubles, and gas stations in this country are quite common.
- In Latvia: 95 gasoline - from 78 rubles, diesel fuel - from 75 rubles, gas - from 35 rubles. In all the Baltic countries, the roads are not congested, cars move in “gentle” traffic, so fuel consumption is quite economical.
Conclusion
In general, a trip to the Baltics by private car is a pleasant adventure if you follow the traffic rules, are law-abiding and are willing to endure a little paperwork at the border. Have a nice trip!
Video about what you need to know before traveling to the Baltics by car:
