- Important points
- Choosing wings
- Hotel or apartment
- Transport subtleties
- Nightingales are not fed with fables
- Useful details
- Perfect travel to Latvia
Until a few decades ago, the Riga seaside was the coveted target of the Soviet intelligentsia, who preferred to relax under the cool Baltic sun. Even today, the white sand of the beaches of Jurmala is set off by the emerald green of the pines, and those who find a piece of amber on the shores of the Baltic Sea are still guaranteed luck and prosperity. And a trip to Latvia is old Riga with its cozy medieval streets, ancient castles and aromatic coffee with a drop of the famous balsam, which, like many years ago, is considered the most authentic Baltic souvenir.
Important points
- Being among the participants of the Schengen Agreement, the Republic of Latvia is subject to all the rules of the international organization. This means that obtaining a Schengen visa for a Russian tourist is a prerequisite.
- There is no road use fee in Latvia. Only when entering the resort area of Jurmala, the owner of the car is obliged to buy a permit. The issue price is 2 euros. If you decide to visit the famous resort from October 1 to March 31, you will not be charged.
Choosing wings
The Republic of Latvia has its own airline called Air Baltic. Its base is the Riga International Airport near the Skulte village, 13 km from the center of the capital. Flights of other carriers delivering passengers to Latvia also land there:
- The price of a ticket for an Air Baltic flight from Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport to Riga is about 160 euros. The journey takes just under two hours.
- UTair carries passengers to the Latvian capital from Vnukovo and estimates its services at 150 euros.
Ground transportation also links the two capitals. By train from the Rizhsky railway station in Moscow, Latvia can be reached in 16 hours. One-way tickets start at 75 euros for a seat in a reserved seat.
Ecolines buses offer their services to everyone who wants to travel to Latvia. The journey will take from 14 to 15 hours, depending on road traffic; cars leave from the VDNKh bus station near the Cosmos hotel every day at 20.30. One way travel in a comfortable bus with internet, toilet, TV screens and sockets will cost from 50 euros.
Hotel or apartment
There are almost no hotels left in Latvia since Soviet times, in the sense that most of them have been restored or even rebuilt from scratch. So, the observance of the world standards of star classification is guaranteed for the guests of the Latvian hotels.
Prices for hotels with three stars on the facade, which are the most popular in all tourist destinations, in Riga start from 28-30 euros. For this money, guests get at their disposal a clean and comfortable room in the historical center of the Latvian capital. Rooms in "treshki" are equipped with private bathrooms and wireless Internet. For car travelers, the opportunity to park their car is provided, and those who arrive by plane are guaranteed a transfer from the airport by prior arrangement.
Hostels in Riga offer beds in a dormitory room for 10-12 euros, and private rooms for 15-20 euros. Internet, a kitchen with the necessary equipment and an advantageous location near the main city attractions are guaranteed for hostel guests.
In the resorts in the Jurmala zone during the "low" season, you can stay in a 5 * hotel for only 70 euros per day, and in "treshki" vacant rooms are rented out for 40-50 euros. In summer, the picture changes and prices become at least half as high. The most convenient way to spend your vacation on the Baltic coast is to rent a room in a private apartment or a house on the beach. The price of the issue is from 20 euros and more, depending on your preferences and the amount of funds in your bank account.
Transport subtleties
Urban public transport in the capital and other cities of Latvia is represented by buses, fixed-route and regular taxis and trolleybuses. Payment for travel is carried out using electronic tickets and a reader, to which the document should be brought up upon boarding. The price of the trip is 1, 15 euros, if you buy a ticket from the driver, the cost increases to 2 euros. Electronic coupons are sold in kiosks at bus stops and in shopping centers, where special machines are installed.
Nightingales are not fed with fables
The famous Riga sprats and coffee balm are not the only culinary masterpieces of Latvian craftsmen. Each cafe or restaurant offers a wide range of dishes from potatoes and fish, pork and lamb, vegetables and seasonal berries and fruits.
The cheapest food for a tourist is on the streets, where local fast food of quite decent quality is sold on stalls. You can have a snack on the go for 4-6 euros.
Lunch in a cafe or a small restaurant, which serves set meals during the day, is a little more expensive. The price of the issue is from 10 euros for a salad, hot meals and a drink.
Average prices for a main course in a restaurant with waiters and white tablecloths start from 12-15 euros. A check for lunch or dinner with beer or wine for two in such an institution will be about 50-60 euros.
Sweet tooths and coffee lovers usually experience the deepest sense of satisfaction when traveling in Latvia. A cup of aromatic drink brewed from freshly ground beans and a handmade cake in a local coffee shop costs only 3 euros.
Useful details
- The cheapest way to get from the airport to the center of Riga is by bus N22. The journey will take half an hour. The price of the issue is 2 euros, the interval of movement is about 30 minutes.
- When planning to rent a car while traveling in Latvia, keep in mind that parking lots in Riga are paid from 8 am to 8 pm on weekdays. The cost depends on the zone and starts at 1 euro per hour of parking.
- Public transport operates from 5 am to 11 pm.
- A liter of gasoline at a gas station in Latvia costs about 1, 08 euros.
- The website www.saraksti.rigassatiksme.lv will help you to plan your movements in Riga. The resource will suggest the necessary bus or tram numbers and the names of stops.
- Even the most modest amber jewelry cannot cost less than 30 euros. If you see a silver ring with amber at half the price, rest assured that this is a fake. The largest selection of sun stone jewelry at reasonable prices is in Klaipeda.
Perfect travel to Latvia
The transitional climate from maritime to continental Latvia ensures mild and rather humid weather throughout its territory. The old-timers call May the best month for a trip, when there is no rain and the sun peeps out from behind the clouds almost every day.
It is cool and rainy here in summer, thermometers in water and air do not rise above + 18 ° С and + 25 ° С, respectively, but at the end of June the swimming season begins on the beaches of Jurmala. It lasts until mid-August.
Winter in Latvia lasts from mid-December to the second half of March. The average air temperature during this period is from –2 ° С to –6 ° С, although Latvians know firsthand about 20-degree frosts.
For fans of national traditions and holidays, the most popular time for a trip is Midsummer Day. On June 23-24, Latvians widely celebrate Ligo Day. The traditions of this holiday are reminiscent of the customs of the day of Ivan Kupala, and thousands of tourists come to the republic to get acquainted with the national culture in the days of Ligo.
