Vilnius, Lithuania — Travel Tips
Getting There By Air
VilniusAirport(VNO)
Tel: (5) 230 6666.
Website: www.vilnius-airport.lt
Vilnius airport is located 5km (3 miles) south of Vilnius. The airport’s new terminal opened in October 2007. Facilities include currency exchange, car hire, bars, cafes, a restaurant, telephones, shops, ATMs, a business lounge and both wired and Wi-Fi Internet access. Regular public buses 1 (to the city’s bus and train station) and 2 (to the city center) depart frequently. A wide range of shuttle minibuses are also available. Metered taxis are available outside the terminal. Passengers should ensure the meter is switched on or agree a fare in advance.
Getting There By Road
There is a good network of roads in Lithuania, with modern motorways connecting Vilnius with Klaipeda, Kaunas and Panevezys. Traffic drives on the right and the minimum driving age is 18 years. Speed limits are 50kph (31mph) in towns, 90kph (56mph) on country roads and 110-130kph (68-80mph) on motorways. Winter conditions can be severe in Lithuania so winter tires are a legal requirement from November to March. Dipped headlights are also compulsory all year round. Drivers must be in possession of a valid national driving license supported by photo-bearing ID.
Emergency breakdown services
(tel: 1810).
Routes to the city
Lithuania has the most developed motorway network in the Baltics with a motorway (the A1) linking Vilnius to the Lithuanian cities of Klaipeda and Kaunas. The A2 motorway heads north towards the Latvian border, while the less impressive M7 artery heads southeast to Belarus.
Coach services
Vilnius's bus station is centrally located by the main railway station on the edge of the old town at Sodu 22. Services run to all major Lithuanian towns and cities as well as outside the country to Estonia, Riga, Belarus, Germany and as far as the UK. The other main operators are Eurolines (tel: (5) 233 6666; www.eurolines.lt) and ECOLINES (tel: (5) 213 3300; www.ecolines.lt).
Getting There By Rail
Rail Services
The centrally located Vilnius Railway Station, Gelezinkelio Stotis, Gelezinkelio 16, offers domestic train services to Lithuania's second city of Kaunas (the journey by double deck electric train now takes under an hour) and other domestic destinations such as Trakai and Klaipeda, as well as international destinations such as Minsk, Kaliningrad, Moscow and Warsaw. Beware that some international trains transit neighboring Belarus, for which a transit visa is required.
Rail Operators
The national railway company, Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai (tel: (5) 233 0088; www.litrail.lt), has a sales agency at the train station.
Connections
From St Petersburg – 10 hours.
Getting Around in Vilnius, Lithuania
Public Transport
A large network of buses and trolleybuses is operated in Vilnius by the local authorities (tel: (5) 270 9339; www.vilniustransport.lt) and runs from 0400 in the morning until midnight. You can buy tickets at many newspaper kiosks, or pay when boarding, though it's cheaper to buy tickets beforehand. Private minibuses also operate, but routes (sometimes outlined by a placard in the front window) are erratic and subject to change mid-journey so are best avoided by most visitors.
Taxis
You can hail taxis in Vilnius on the street or at ranks at the railway and bus stations as well as in the Old Town. It's cheaper and safer to pre-book and you can ask your hotel receptionist for help. Pre-booked taxis can be ordered from a number of local companies. Reliable firms include Martonas (tel: 1422) and Ekipazas (tel: 1446). Ensure the meter is either switched on or agree a price in advance for all journeys.
Driving in the City
Driving in Vilnius's city center can be chaotic and intimidating with heavy traffic and local drivers bent on speed and dangerous overtaking maneuvers. Note that headlights must be used at all times.
Car Hire
International car hire companies have offices at the airport and in the city center. Companies at the airport include Avis (tel: (5) 232 9316; www.avis.lt) and Budget (tel: (5) 230 6708; www.budget.lt). In the city center there are offices of Avis (tel: (5) 230 6820), Hertz (tel: (5) 272 6940; www.hertz.lt), and Sixt (tel: (5) 239 5636; www.sixt.lt).
Bicycle Hire
Baltic Cycle (tel: 6995 6009; www.bicycle.lt) rents out bikes to those brave or foolish enough to take on the local drivers, many of whom tend to be both inconsiderate and erratic. They also offer one-way hires around Lithuania and on to Latvia and Estonia, as well as organized tours.
