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Getting There By Air:

Riga International Airport (RIX)
Tel: 6720 7009.
Website: www.riga-airport.com

Riga International Airport (Lidosta Riga), located 13km (8 miles) southwest of the city, handles an increasing number of direct flights to cities all over Europe. The majority of the routes are in Central and Eastern Europe. A major renovation program has brought the airport up to international standards following EU membership in 2004.

Approximate flight times to Riga: From London is 2 hours 30 minutes; from New York is 9 hours 35 minutes; from Los Angeles is 12 hours 20 minutes; from Toronto is 10 hours 35 minutes and from Sydney is 24 hours.

Airport facilities: These include bureau de change, ATM, lost property bureau, post office, left luggage, hotel reservations, tourist information, bar, cafe, duty-free shops, pharmacy, medical service and car hire from Avis, Budget and Hertz among others.

Transport to the city: Riga Taxi Park (tel: 6720 7509) operates a 24-hour taxi service to the city center. Taxis can be ordered at the counter in the arrivals hall or picked up outside, at the taxi stand. Public transport bus 22 departs from outside the terminal building for the city center every 20 to 30 minutes. There are drop-off points at Riga’s central station and Strelnieku laukums (journey time - 30 minutes).

Getting There By Road:

Road conditions in Latvia are variable and, while most main roads are of a fairly good standard, some main roads and many minor roads are unsurfaced and become muddy bogs during heavy rainfall or snowmelt. Main routes in Latvia are designated by a number. Speed limits are 50kph (31mph) in towns, 70kph (43mph) in suburban areas, 90kph (56mph) on open roads and 110kph (68mph) on motorways. Driving in Latvia is on the right and the minimum driving age is 18 years. Foreigners driving their own vehicles are required to carry a national license, an International Driving Permit, proof of third-party insurance (such as the international Green Card) and registration documents, at all times. It is compulsory to wear seat belts and fines for minor offences, such as speeding, are given on the spot - a receipt should be issued. Drink driving is illegal and the legal alcohol to blood limit for driving is zero. It is also illegal for drivers to use handheld mobile telephones while driving. It is compulsory to drive with vehicle lights switched on at all times.

The Auto-Moto Society of Latvia - LAMB (tel: 6756 6222; website: www.lamb.lv) provides further information.

Emergency breakdown service: Riga Autostavietas (tel: 1888).

Routes to the city: The main transit corridors to Riga are the north-south Via Baltica, which runs from Tallinn to Warsaw through Riga, Vilnius and Kaunas, and Via Hanseatica, which runs from Berlin to Riga through Gdansk, Kaliningrad and Siauliai. Corridors also run east-west, linking Riga to Moscow, Ventspils, Liepaja, Vitebsc and Pskow. The A2 northeast from Riga leads to Cesis.

Approximate driving times to Riga: From Cesis - 1 hour 45 minutes; Vilnius - 5 hours; Tallinn - 5 hours.

Coach services: Passenger facilities at Riga’s coach station (Autoosta), Pragas 1 (tel: 900 0009, calls charged at a premium rate; website: www.autoosta.lv), include an ATM, bureau de change, cafe, left luggage, pharmacy, shops, taxi park and barber shop. The bus station operates both international and domestic services. Tickets to all international destinations can be purchased at the ticket offices in the bus terminal. Reputable operators include the main state motor firm, Nordeka (tel: 6746 4620, for tickets; website: www.nordeka.lv), which operates regular long-distance and international services, as well as Eurolines (tel: 6721 4080; website: www.eurolines.lv), for services to Berlin, Bremen, Kiel, Warsaw, Prague, Vilnius, Tallinn, Munich, Kaliningrad, Cologne and London. Eurolines generally has the most modern and comfortable buses, with luxurious double-deckers often plying the Tallinn route.

Getting There By Rail:

Latvia’s national railway company, Latvijas Dzelzceļš (tel: 1181, in Latvia only or 6723 1181; website: www.ldz.lv), operates rail services in Riga. Development of the Latvian railways has not been a great priority since independence in 1991. The system has suffered as a result of this, though the main station has been revamped. Many trains are poorly maintained and delays are common - the routes to the satellite towns and villages around Riga generally have a better service than intercity and international routes.

Riga’s central station, Centrala Stacija, Stacijas laukums, has separate departure and arrival halls for international and domestic services. Passenger facilities include ATM, bureau de change, train service information, post office, left luggage, cafes and restaurants.

Rail services: Long-distance rail services in Riga can be slow and prone to delays. Tickets for mainline services are sold in the main departure hall and tickets for the electric commuter trains are sold in the smaller departure hall. Long-distance journeys can be booked in advance. Direct trains go to Minsk (journey time - 8 hours), Vilnius (journey time - 4 hours 30 minutes) and Moscow (journey time - 16 hours). Trains no longer run to Tallinn, Berlin and Warsaw.

Getting Around:




Public Transport
Riga’s Transport Information Authority (tel: 800 1919; website: www.ttp.lv) provides cheap and plentiful public transport, with buses, trams and trolleybuses. In addition, some routes have a night service. Each mode of transport requires a separate ticket, which can only be bought from the on-board conductor (konduktor). Routes are displayed on the Riga City Map available from most city kiosks. Comfortable mikroautobus (small buses on set routes) and taksobus (small buses/vans on varying routes) also operate. Suburban electric commuter trains run to Skulte, Aizkraukle, Jelgava, Dubulti, Kemeri, Lielvarde, Ogre, Salaspils, Saulkrasti, Sloka and Tukums.

A one-month bus pass and a one-month trolley pass are available. Passes are available from post offices and most city kiosks. The Riga Card (see Sightseeing) gives visitors free use of trolleybuses, buses and trams.

Taxis
Taxis can be hailed on the street or pre-booked by telephone. Riga Taksometru Parks  (tel: 800 1313) and Bona (tel: 800 5050) are both reputable companies. Whenever possible, visitors should only use the official metered taxis. When taking non-metered taxis, it is essential to agree the fare in advance. A tip of 10% is generally expected and appreciated.

Driving in the City
Riga has a reasonable network of well-maintained roads. However, driving in the city can be a frightening experience, as other road users are generally aggressive and fast, erratic driving is common - or, even worse, some locals choose to flaunt Latvia’s stringent drink-driving laws. Defensive driving, quick reactions and nerves of steel are essential.

Car parks that are open 24 hours are identifiable by the Autostavieta sign. A central car park can be found at Pragas 2, opposite the bus station.

Car Hire
A valid International Driving Permit, national license and passport are required to hire a car in Riga. There is a minimum age of 21 years. This can be raised to 23 or 25 years, with two years’ minimum driving experience, depending on the hire company and car model. Third-party insurance is compulsory.

Major providers include Avis (tel: 6722 5876; website: www.avis.lv) and Hertz (tel: 6720 7980; website: www.hertz.com).

Bicycle Hire
Gandrs, Kalnciema 28 (tel: 6761 4775; website: www.gandrs.lv), hires bicycles.

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