How to travel cheaply around the Baltic countries. To the Baltics by car - complete route Travel to the Baltics on your own

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 subsiding, 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 a member 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 travel, which you can read by following this link ().

In our understanding, the best solution is an airplane. When completely reasonable prices You don't lose the 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 is coming out 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 most beautiful city of the Baltics!

Hello dear readers and guests of the site. In previous posts, I promised to tell you about my recent trip to the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania), which I managed to go on without planning at all.

After I managed to achieve my goal for 2012, namely to go to the Black Sea, which I described in the article “”, it was decided that there would be more than enough vacation for the next year. However, it turned out completely differently...

Trip to the Baltic States (Talin - Sigulda - Riga - Jurmala - Vilnius)

At our work, the “trade union committee” organized tourist trip in the Baltic cities, and only four of these were allocated to our site. Naturally, everyone wants to travel for a modest price, since half of the trip or even most of it is paid for by the company.

It’s clear that I didn’t get the ticket right away, because I hold a modest position, and there are other people who are offered first. But at the last moment, someone, for unknown reasons, refused the trip and then it was my turn. Of course, I did everything quickly, which included submitting photographs, money and a passport for a Schengen visa, also filling out an application form and getting insurance.

Since I understood that I would be gone for about a week, which meant that the blog would not be updated for about 10 days, since it’s time to come to your senses after rest, and you also need to write an article at the same time. It was decided to write the article “” in advance, but I planned to publish it on April 13, thanks to the WordPress engine for allowing me to do this.

Estonia – excursion around Tallinn

Since we live in a small town called Luninets, and the bus departed from Baranovichi, we had to get there by our favorite transport - a “diesel train”.

There we all boarded a bus together and went to the city of Lida, because we needed to pick up the remaining people there.

Then, as always, we crossed the interstate border with Lithuania, where we had to stand for about one hour. It’s good that there wasn’t a long queue, and checking documents always takes some time, especially since we were entering the territory of the European Union.

Then, while I was sleeping, in 9 hours we drove through Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. At about 10 o'clock in the morning the beauty of the city of Tallinn appeared before us.

After breakfast at the hotel, which took place in the form of buffet(food is in plain sight and you can eat as much as you want), we went on a tour of Tallinn.

To tell everything where we went, I simply don’t have the patience to write, since there were a lot of places, and I took even more photos.

First we drove along the shore of the Baltic Sea, namely the Gulf of Tallinn, where we could see several famous monuments(Mermaid, Singing Stage). We looked at the Pirita area and the Olympic sites.

But most of all I was impressed by the Baltic Sea, since our country does not have it at all, and we really like to contemplate the unusual views of the water receding beyond the horizon.

Usually you go to the sea in the summer, but here it’s a completely different matter to see the sea in winter period, despite the fact that it was the middle of spring.

After everyone finally felt cold, we went to warm up on the bus and were taken to Old city, the most historical part of Tallinn.

On the way, we were greeted by Estonian youth who were walking along the city streets and simply “fooling around.”

The Estonians were the luckiest, as they had the most towers and the fortress wall that protected the city from enemies.

Visited Town Hall Square, which is very different from our Lenin Squares. Almost all cultural and public events take place here. We also visited the largest Orthodox church - the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.

The old town is divided into Lower and Upper. If you want you can climb observation deck and see the city from a bird's eye view.

There really is a lot to see in Tallinn; I was very impressed that everything was done for the convenience of tourists. Although there is nothing to be surprised about here, because tourism replenishes the city treasury.

Various souvenirs and trinkets are sold at every turn. For a simple refrigerator magnet you will have to pay from 2 euros. In Estonia, only euros are used in currency circulation.

Their standard of living is much better than in our Belarus, this can be seen even in the cars they drive, including law enforcement agencies.

Then, a little tired, we went to the hotel where we still had to check in. I’m probably very far behind civilization, but it was surprising to me that everything in the room worked only with a plastic card: the door lock and the light.

If you compare their elevator with ours, it’s absolutely heaven and earth; after riding in ours, you can definitely get motion sickness.

After checking in, we went to see Tallinn by moonlight. Although the town is small, there are plenty of places to take a walk.

There are a lot of bars, discos and restaurants. We sat in some bar and were even treated to homemade liqueur. The people are very kind and friendly, although they speak Russian very poorly.

We did not have to resort to the services of public transport, since we can get everywhere on our own two feet... After an overnight stay, breakfast and check-out from our room, three hours later we were already in Latvia.

Latvia - Riga, Sigulda and Jurmala

The first thing we did in Latvia was the city of Sigulda. It is also called Latvian Switzerland - it is a favorite holiday destination for tourists and residents of Riga.

We started our tour from Sigulda Castle, the passage to which lies through the New Castle, in other words, a palace or manor. It is a pity that only a small part of the castle has survived to this day.

Then we went to Gutman's cave. This is one of the largest caves in Latvia, from the base of which flows a source of pure healing spring water.

Then we visited Turaida Castle. Only one tower has survived to this day, the bottom of which is made of stone, and then turns into red brick. After I climbed the 5 floors of the tower, I was treated to a beautiful winter view of the castle from above.

Then we also visited the museum and walked around the landscapes of the estate. Beauty, and only if in such bad weather the landscapes were simply mesmerizing, I can imagine how everything looks there in the summer.

After the end of the excursion, we went to Riga, where we had to check into a hotel and go for a walk around Riga at night.

Of course, Riga impressed me very much, as I like big and beautiful cities. We decided to walk around the old part of it in the evening. Songs flow all around, music plays, which fills and charges tourists with a good mood.

We continued our tour of Baltic Riga in the morning. Even though the weather was damp, it still didn’t spoil our holiday.

We visited a lot beautiful places and looked at all the main attractions of the city. I can’t help but mention the Church of St. John and the House of the Blackheads - some of the most beautiful Gothic buildings.

And also many other attractions: Riga Castle, Dome Cathedral, Swedish Gate, Powder Tower and much more.

By the way, Latvians are very fond of pets, especially cats. Therefore, it is not surprising that they are even used as decoration for buildings and other structures.

They say that if you rub a monument "Musicians of Bremen" and make a wish, then it must come true.

So I also decided to wish for it, and to find out whether it came true or not, I will tell you at the end of this year in a report on the work done for the whole year. So stay tuned and don't miss new articles on the blog.

Having seen enough of Riga, we went to Jurmala, a city that I often heard about on TV, as various New Wave festivals are held there, as well as the well-known KVN-Voting Kivin and others.

Of course, I tried to look at concert hall"DZINTARI", however there was construction work going on there and there was no good access to it.

But most of all I was again impressed by the Baltic Sea, or rather the Gulf of Riga. For the first time in my life I saw a sea that was practically frozen. I threw a coin for luck to return there again.

After Jurmala, we all boarded the bus and went on our final tour of Lithuania.

Lithuania - travel to Vilnius

Arriving in the capital of Lithuania, Vilnius, we stayed at a hotel for the night. If we compare this hotel with Tallinn or Riga, then I would give it 2 out of 5. It can be seen that before it was very poor, but minor renovations have made some adjustments.

After spending the night, we went on a bus and walking tour of the city. I liked it very much Cathedral, which is of great value both for Lithuania and for the whole world.

The walls of the cathedral are decorated with paintings and frescoes from the 16th century, and in the dungeon there is a museum.

It was also fascinating to look at the monument to Gediminas, the Church of St. Anne, three crosses, and the Church of Saints Peter and Paul.

After sightseeing tour in the old town everyone wanted to go to the Akropolis shopping center. This is the so-called entertainment center, where you can buy absolutely everything and also have a great time.

You can really find anything here. Starting as a designer Lego and ending with a cool car.

What’s most interesting is the opportunity to buy some goods at good discounts, but I didn’t pick up anything for myself, since the prices were no different from ours in Belarus. But it's really worth visiting...

After shopping center we went to our homeland, and 10 hours later I was already sharing my impressions with my relatives and friends.

Let's sum it up

To be honest, of the three countries, I liked Estonia and Latvia the most. And if we consider cities, Riga, perhaps, has no equal. So historical and modern city In one place. However, Tallinn is more modern in terms of development.

It felt like you were not in Estonia, but some Czech Republic. In a word, Tallinn struck me with its modern way of life, which cannot be said about Lithuania (Vilnius), which reminded me more of my country.

As for prices, Estonia turned out to be the most expensive country, where prices are cheaper in Latvia, and Lithuania became the most affordable.

If I sum up my expenses, they turned out to be very modest.

1) Insurance + travel package (travel, accommodation, breakfast and guide) + visa cost me and my wife $400 for two.

2) Well, the rest of the expenses amounted to another 300 dollars for two.

The total is 400 + 300 = 700 divided by 2 = $350 per person. I think it’s very cheap, so if you have the opportunity, be sure to go on an excursion to the Baltics.

I will be glad to hear in the comments from everyone who has already visited these countries, what impression do you have?

Don't miss my new trips around the world, subscribe to update blog. See you soon!

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 that the countries former USSR, who zealously 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, leaves. 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 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 in cool cars with thieves' license plates 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 is 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 a little more and a knight will gallop from the neighboring street onto the square on horseback.
By the way, many cafes that are located at every turn in the Old Town are decorated in 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. Very beautiful city, which is home to one of the oldest universities in Northern Europe. Don’t be too lazy to get to Haapsalu - “ North Venice» Estonia. Haapsalu will amaze you with its small streets and cute wooden houses.

Share your impressions

So, general impression from 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 suggest a route 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 is 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 so happens that PRTBRT often broadcasts from the Baltic countries - one of its editorial bases is located in Latvia. We often look at how our friends and acquaintances travel around Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania and clutch our heads. That's why we decided to write this column about how to truly experience these small countries where you really need to look for color.

Do not take the route Tallinn - Riga - Vilnius at once

For several days you just walk around the Old Towns of three capitals, drink, eat, stare and spend money, and then say: yes, I was in this Baltic region, everything is the same. Although all three cities are unique and very different, this can only be understood by visiting each one separately.

During a trip to three capitals you will remember some passages, but everything will stick together into one lump of cathedrals, towers, food and booze. And at the same time, each city has its own face and its own unusual places, which you most likely won't see. Simply because the “three (five, seven) days - three cities” format does not imply anything other than an endless race and walks in the Old Town together with British lovers of cheap flights to stag parties and getting drunk, old people and tourists from ferries.

Advice: Don't be fooled by the size of the countries - each is best viewed individually. Therefore, do not try to travel around everything during the allotted vacation time.

Old town of Tallinn

But if you do go, don’t spend all your time in the Old Town

As already mentioned, each city has its own face and its own places of power: in Tallinn this is the Telliskivi district, which is located outside the Old Town. In Riga, for example, the best bars have never been located within the Old Town: just go for a walk along Krisjan Barona Street and turn into small streets. That's where the most will be interesting places and establishments such as the editorial staff's favorite bar - Taka or the city's most current dance floor - Piens.

In the Old Town there is average entertainment, typical bars and restaurants, of which there are many in any city in Eastern and Northern Europe from Krakow to Stockholm. This is not why you come to see the country.

Advice: If you know that there is no life in the Old Town, then there is no need to rent housing there either. Look for apartments on Airbnb or hotels near places of power: you will save both time and money.

Telliskivi district in Tallinn

Another cool place outside of the old town of Riga – Kaņepes Kultūras centrs

Don't linger in cities

You won't get to see the country in cities, so be sure to plan to visit alternative or out-of-town attractions.

From Tallinn you can easily go to see the quarry in Rumma (there is still room to climb through, don’t be scared by the fence), and then go to the island of Saaremaa, where there are almost more attractions than in all of Estonia.

From Riga you should definitely go to Irbene - a ghost town with a huge radar, spend the night on Cape Kolka, see the seaside Ventspils and Liepaja. Who even knows about the existence of the Mark Rothko art center in Daugavpils? The famous artist was born in this city.

From Vilnius you should definitely go to the Hill of Crosses and visit landscape park Europos Parkas is an analogue of the Russian Nikola-Lenivets, explore Klaipeda and cross the border with Russia on the Curonian Spit.

All three countries have many opportunities for diverse tourism: alternative attractions, eco-farms and national parks - plan your route so that you can stay in the capitals for one or two days, get acquainted with the main places and cultural life, and then go deeper!

Countries are replete with craft, family-run productions of everything from cheese to amber. Every year a fair is held in Latvia, where you can buy not just handmade things, but modern and beautiful accessories and clothes. It’s nice to use such things not because they are crafted, but simply because they are convenient and beautiful.

Mountain of Crosses

Quarry in Rummu

But if you are still delayed, be sure to travel out of town at least one day

If it’s already late and you stay in each of the capitals for three days, then don’t be sad: there are many interesting places around each of the cities:

near Vilnius - the beautiful Trakai Castle;

from Riga you should definitely go to Jurmala or national park"Kemeri";

From Tallinn, go to Laachema National Park.

By the way, the locations from the previous paragraph also apply to this: this is the Baltics, and you can go back and forth to any place within one country! The main thing is not to be lazy and plan. It’s entirely possible to rent a car for one or two days, or find a driver using BlaBlaCar, use Lux Express buses, or maybe even stop hitchhiking. In summer, Estonia is overrun by friendly Finns, and Latvia and Lithuania are overrun by Poles and Germans (and less wary tourists in Russian cars).

Kemeri National Park

Spend more time searching

Not all good hotels, campsites and guesthouses are available on the usual booking sites. For example, the editor’s favorite campsite Saulesmājas with barrel houses on Cape Kolka (another chic Latvian location - the meeting place of the waves of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga) appeared on booking.com only in May of this year!

Or another great option - glamping Klaukas in the Sigulda area and national park Gauja. And this is just what is on the surface - there are dozens of such places, but you will have to prepare well and search.

Camping Saulesmājas

Don’t forget that these are already different countries

If in the minds of the older generation this is still a homogeneous Baltic region, then for the modern traveler striking differences are striking: Estonia and especially Tallinn are full-fledged Northern Europe, Lithuania gravitates towards Poland, and Latvia is still at an undefined crossroads, but with European features. At the same time, each of these countries has preserved unique original places and cultural features. Understanding this simple fact will help you take a different look at these neighboring countries and choose the one that is closer in spirit for a full-fledged trip!

Check tickets to Tallinn, or maybe Riga or Vilnius

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