Holidays in Riga. Good choice to have a rest!

Arriving in Riga, Latvia by plane

Riga Airport is linked by the direct flights with Helsinki, Stockholm, Tallinn, Copenhagen, Moscow, Vilnius, Hamburg, Minsk, Amsterdam, Berlin, Warszawa, Dublin, London, Brussels, Kiev, Prague, Frankfurt, Munich, Vienna, Milan and Tel-Aviv.

Essential Links: Riga airport

Getting to town

Riga Airport is the only airport around the capital of Latvia. It is distanced 13 km away from Downtown and 10 km away from Jurmala.

Every 25 minutes a public express bus No 22a drops off the airport and reaches the heart of Riga. The ride takes approximately 20 minutes and the ticket fare is 0,25 Ls (about 0,37 Euro).

Once every half an hour, starting from 05:50 a.m. to 11:15 p.m., a regular shuttle bus No 22 drops off the airport for Riga. The ride takes approximately 30-35 minutes and the ticket fare is 0,20 Ls (about 0,30 Euro).

Taking a taxi cab to Downtown Riga makes your wallet 5-7 Lats less (about 8-11 Euro).

Arriving in Riga, Latvia by train

Riga Accommodation Train communications link Riga with Saint-Petersburg, Moscow, Vilnius, Minsk, Gomel, Voronezh, Kiev, Lvov, Odessa, Simferopol, Adler, Rostov-na-Donu and Warszaw.

An overnight trip by train either to Moscow or Saint-Petersburg guarantees comfort. There are snacks and beverages on tables in compartments (one pays for those if consumed), but the spring water, tea and breakfast package is for free. The restaurant-on-wheels serves a la carte dinner. The borders and customs control takes about one hour and a half and is usually the matter of formality. A train fare is about 50 Euro and is more expensive than a bus ticket to Moscow or Saint-Petersburg. There are also passenger coaches with seats along the sides and cosequently the fare is almost equal to a bus ticket.

Getting to Downtown Riga

One would find himself / herself already in Downtown upon arrival to Riga Railway Station. The only railway station situated in the center of the city within five minutes walking from the Old Town.

The passenger terminal had been totally refurbished by2002 and presents nowadays a modern shopping passage with numerous restaurants, coffee bars. One shall find a luggage storage at the underground level, while the info center, booking offices, bank offices, currency exchange points are on the ground floor.

Taxi

Taxi stop is right by the railway station's main entrance. The taxi cabs run on counters, however one has to alert for not being cheated. (Learn nore of the drivers tricks“Money, transport, communication”.

Just opposite the railway station across the Satekles street, there is a central minivan taxi point. The minvans reach almost any corner in Riga and Jurmala (the fare varies from 0,20 – 0,40 Ls or between 0,30 to 0,60 Euro).

Provided the jorney doesn't stop in Riga or in the vicinity but goes indepth Latvia, the services of intercity trains and / or buses would be handy. The Intercity Bus Station is five minutes walking distance from the Central Railway Station.

Arriving in Riga, Latvia by bus

You can get almost everywhere in Europe by bus from Riga. The bus routes connect Latvia with Belgium, Holland, France, England, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Germany, the Czech Republic, Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.

Getting to Downtown

Riga Bus Station is situated in the center of the city, few minutes walking to the railway station and the same close to the Old Town.

More information at

Riga Bus Station

Arriving in Riga, Latvia by car

Driving a car in Latvia is easy having a driver's license which meets the international requirements.

When crossing the Latvian border, one has to buy a mandatory civil responsibility insurance policy which costs 13 Lats for a month. In case of an accident, you are entitled to compensation from the insurance company.

Remember to turn on the daylight headlights immediately upon crossing the Latvian border. This is a must for the daylight headlights to be turned on always whiel driving. The penalty for negligence or disregard of this rule is 10 Lats.

Once you stopped by the police, don’t leave your car for it is forbidden. Enjoy the view of the policeman heading over to you and bending to reach the window – you will be asked to leave the car if necessary. The speed limit in urban areas is just 50 km/h (60 is still OK, but 61 already pulls you into trouble), the fine for speed varies from 5 to 50 Ls.

The alcohol maximum is 0,5 ‰ (app. One bottle of beer), the penalty for driving under the alcohol is 100 – 400 Ls plus the driver's license withdrawal.

The penalty for unauthorized parking is 10 Ls.

Reference information

Police- 02

Riga traffic police - 737 70 00

On-the-road emergency help stations

CSDF - 800 66 00 (24/7)

Grieta - 737 46 11 L

Lamb - 800 00 00 (24/7)

Arriving in Riga, Latvia by ferry

Riga, Ventspils and Liepaja have ferry connection with other countries.

The following ferry lines are available:

Riga-Stockholm