Reminder for tourists traveling to Latvia. Independent trip to Riga - five simple steps Riga by car

We got ready for a trip. We bought a car and decided to test drive it over long distances. Romantic trip to Latvia.

If such thoughts come to you, then this is perfect for you. travel by car to Riga.

Riga is the capital of Latvia, which is the most big city Baltic states. The population of Riga is approximately 700,000 people. In 1921, after the signing of the Soviet-Polish peace treaty, a “golden age” for the development of the city began. However, Latvian society was never formed, and the population continued to be divided into Russian, German, Jewish and Latvian communities.

Then, in 1990, the Latvian parliament nevertheless declared its independence from the Soviet Union. Riga again became the capital of the sovereign Latvian state.

Riga welcomes tourists with some inexplicable warmth, cozy streets, kind smiles, Russian speech and attractive architecture of the old city.

Old city is the historical center of Riga, which is located on the right bank of the Daugava. It has preserved the fortress-like features of the structure, the curves of the structures and defense ramparts. The city canal separates Old city from the new, and the demolition of the city wall opens up views of squares and parks.

The center of the old town is bustling with evening life. Music flows from many cozy cafes with gentle lighting, courteous waiters bring delicious dishes and drinks, pedicabs are ready to travel through architectural monuments. Everywhere there is laughter, music, lights in the eyes and from the candles on the cafe tables.

The center of the Old Town is Town Hall Square, which is famous for its Town Hall and the House of the Blackheads. There is a statue of Roland in the square.

So, to see and feel all this romance and beauty, you need to drive 950 km along highway M9 – Moscow (Russia) – Riga (Latvia). The road to the Republic of Latvia is quite good. There are several areas closer to the Tver region that are constantly being renovated. There, about an hour is lost in dismantled sections, passage with traffic lights, ceilings and holes. The road to these sections can be called “without major flaws.”

Our journey has begun on Friday at 5 a.m. Moscow time. Such an early departure is explained by the desire to avoid traffic jams when leaving Moscow. And we succeeded.

We quickly jumped onto the Moscow Ring Road, in about 40 minutes, and rushed off!

At approximately 1 p.m. we reached the border. The first thing that caught my eye was the endless line of trucks and trucks Fortunately, passenger cars pass in a separate lane. There was a queue of about 5-6 cars in front of us. However, she moved very slowly. The border guards were busy with everything but the cars waiting patiently for their turn.

We finally, after about 30 minutes, approached the long-awaited document verification window. We were given a declaration form for imported goods that needed to be filled out. For what? We do not import anything, we have romantic trip. Well, we only had to fill in our data and the car’s data, and put a dash in all the other columns relating to imported goods. This document is, of course, necessary!? All that was left of the romantic mood were notes of calm.

Hurray, after 1 hour there was only one car left in front of us. The ignition is on, the foot reaches for the gas pedal, it’s our turn for inspection. But it was not there!

We don’t know what was wrong with the car and the driver in front of us, but for another 30 minutes the border officers walked back and forth, chatted with each other, approached the car, walked away, came back again, and so on for about 40 minutes. Finally, our predecessor moved away, and we took the honorable inspection pedestal.

We were lucky, they let us through quite quickly, after checking our car documents and passports. The car itself was examined inside, in the trunk, and the hood was lifted.

Not even 2 hours had passed since we “crept” through the border!!! The long-awaited romantic Riga is just 300 km away.

Riga really greeted us with kindness, warmth and comfort. Two romantic day flew under live music in the cafe; with walks through the narrow streets of the Old Town; with delicious home-cooked food at the Lido Mill; with acquaintance with architecture and simply with pleasant fresh Latvian air.

There was a way home. We immediately remembered the procedure for crossing the border, we winced, but what other options!?

We left for Moscow at 5 a.m. local time. By 9 o'clock we were already at the border. We thought that in the morning we would pass it quickly, without delays or overlaps.

When we arrived at our border, all the corridors were lined with queues of 5-7 cars with Latvian license plates. One corridor “for Russian citizens” was blocked. We didn’t bother to find out why, and parked next to everyone in line. A border guard approached us and sent our car to the same blocked lane. He proudly pulled back some kind of barrier and left us waiting.

The document checkpoint on our lane was empty. Moreover, right in front of our noses, a border guard came out and left. I had to go to the general queue at a point in another lane. A flaw, but a fact.

They checked passports, documents for the car, and the car itself everywhere, and gave the green light for passage, which was literally a couple of meters before the next blockade. We stopped again. They assumed that if we had just undergone a thorough inspection, the barrier would now be raised and the road to the house would be clear. But it was not there!

We are standing, the barrier is not moving, the person at the checkpoint is sitting and does not blink an eye. Strange!?

We got out of the car and headed to the house where the customs officer was now sitting imposingly.

“Check again? We were just thoroughly checked a meter earlier,” our nerves began to fail.

The customs officer brazenly asked: “Who checked you?”

“That checkpoint is over there,” we answered in unison and pointed to the border guard, who was in too easy visibility.

“Who is he?” - said the inspector. From his look we realized that he was not expecting an answer from us. They gave him documents for the car and passports. I checked and went to the car. We simply couldn’t believe our ears when he said: “Open all the doors of the car, the hood, the trunk, the glove compartment. What are we bringing? Where are we going from? ..." A meter ago there were the same questions and the same inspection!!! Now it’s clear where all these lines of cars come from!

We were checked again, the barrier opened and we, tired, a little angry, “humiliated tourists,” rushed forward.

Oh my God, after 100 meters a barrier, a “booth with a big aunt”, and a traffic light with a red light again appeared in front of us. I wanted to howl. They got out of the car again, went to the window, checked our documents again, asked questions, and only then, after a total of 2 hours, they were allowed to go home.

Why do border workers allow themselves to treat tourists so humiliatingly? It feels like they had a competition among themselves: “Who can let the next car pass the slowest?”

Documents at checkpoints are slowly checked by a border guard or customs officer, both from the Russian and Latvian sides, sitting imposingly on a chair, while simultaneously discussing his personal life with another employee, barely turning the page of the inspector’s passport.

I live in Moscow and regularly travel to Latvia for own car. Optimal weather for travel: early autumn or late spring. At the height of summer there are many animals on the roads: in Russia - domestic, in Latvia - wild. In winter it gets dark very early, and our part of the route is not lit or cleared. In Latvia, they clean only if there is no prolonged snowfall; there is also no lighting between settlements.

Best direction I think Novorizhskoye Highway, although some people travel along Minsk through Belarus. If we talk about Novorizhka, there are practically no cities here. On the other hand, after Volokolamsk (where the smell from Yadrovo still lingers, so be sure to close all the windows, and under no circumstances stop for gas), a two-lane road begins, so here you will have to overtake trucks. Or choose those days when there is a minimum number of them. In my experience, you shouldn't go on Friday or Monday, better days- Tuesday, Thursday and weekends, but not Sunday evenings.

As for the quality of the road surface, unfortunately, it doesn’t happen every time. On our part, there may be repairs at any time of the year, and the asphalt may run out without warning (!). In Latvia, repairs are carried out as planned and only after the snow has melted. However, major renovations are being carried out, so you need to be prepared for traffic lights and serious traffic jams. Currently, repairs are underway on the main highway through Latgale near Ludza (Burački-Terehova border), so you need to either leave very early in the morning, or pre-book an overnight stay at the Sebezh boarding house or at the Golden Fox motel between Ludza and Rezekne. I stayed at the motel and highly recommend it. A double room per night costs 29 euros.

Crossing the border takes from half an hour to several hours. I assume that during the 2018 World Cup many people will want to come to Russia by car, so I advise you to use the Estonian border near Pskov: there is an electronic queue, and you can book your desired time in advance. According to the documents: passport, driver's license, registration certificate, green card (can be issued at any insurance company) and diagnostic card for cars older than three years. When crossing the border, you fill out a form where you must indicate the number of imported cigarettes (no more than 40 pieces), alcohol (1 liter of strong alcohol per person) and gasoline (in the tank plus a maximum of 1 canister of 10 liters).

Car rental and tourist routes inside the country

If you arrive in Latvia by plane and want to rent a car, then I advise you to use large operators: SIXT and Europcar. You can select and book a car on the website; there are representative offices at Riga airport; payment is made on the spot; you pick up the car at the parking lot, a five-minute walk from the airport building. The cost will depend on your age, type of car, gearbox and other conditions, but offhand, SIXT now offers mechanics from 2,465 rubles per day, and Europcar - from 2,270 rubles per day.

Now about the routes. If you are traveling by car from Russia via Ludza, then you should start from Daugavpils, where the 19th century fortress is located.

If you are traveling through Pskov, then head straight to Cesis, where there is beautiful castle, an international level conservatory with concert hall, national park and much more.

If your starting point is Riga, then start in Jurmala (entry and parking cost 2 euros) or go to Rundāle Palace near Bauska.

Route along the sea: Saulkrasti - Tuja - Salacgriva - Pärnu (Estonia). Besides great beaches(both public and wild), you can visit the Munchausen Museum and walk along forest paths to the sea, and also spend a couple of days at an Estonian resort.

Rules

Speed in cities is 50 km/h. On roads - 90 km/h, on highways - 110 km/h. Parking in Riga is paid. All major highways have speed cameras, which are not always reported.

Auto tourism among Russians is becoming more and more popular every year. Traveling by car has many advantages.

It is not surprising that many tourists prefer to get to the Baltic countries, which are quite close to Russia, by car.

On such a trip, travelers do not depend on other people's schedules and prices - they can stop at any time and enjoy the place they like.

To Riga by car

Trip to Riga with your own transport has obvious advantages:

autotourists do not depend on the schedule of planes, trains and buses;
traveling in your own car, especially if 4-5 people are traveling in it, is much cheaper than air travel and even train and bus travel;
the opportunity to travel around the country on your own route, regardless of other tourists.

In order for a trip from Moscow to Riga by car to go well, without any incidents, you need prepare your route in advance travel, familiarize yourself with the rules for crossing borders with Latvia and collect all the necessary documents.

Documents for traveling to Latvia by car

To enter Latvia by car, tourists need the following documents:

foreign passports for each of the tourists. Children under 14 years of age may be included in the foreign passport one (or both) of the parents traveling with the child;
If a child travels without parents, he must have his own passport, regardless of age. Moreover, in this case you need power of attorney from parents, certified by a notary;
children's birth certificates;
a valid Schengen visa affixed to the foreign passport;
valid for the duration of the trip medical insurance, issued in accordance with the requirements of EU countries, with the amount of coverage not less than 30,000 EUR;
for a car driver - a driver's license, which meet international standards(that is, the driver’s data must be written on the license in Latin letters);
car registration certificate;
Green card (motorist liability insurance), valid in Latvia.

The green card is issued by the insurance company no earlier than 30 days before the start of the trip. The minimum validity period of a Green Card is 15 days.

It is useful to read about what it is, because in Latvia they strictly monitor compliance with its rules.

Read here what you need to apply for a visa to Latvia and get all the necessary information if you are going to apply for a visa to this country yourself.

Travel routes

You can enter Latvia by car either through Russia or Belarus. When traveling from Moscow, the difference in mileage between routes is about 90 km. By Russian territory(along the M9 highway) the path is shorter.

Despite this, most motor tourists prefer to travel through Belarus (along the M1 highway). This is due to the fact that usually checkpoints on the Latvian-Russian border are more heavily loaded, and motorists have to wait for several hours stand in lines at customs.

In addition, many drivers were not satisfied with the quality of the road on the M9 highway. Until recently, the road in the Tver region and in the Rzhev area was badly damaged, but last year there was road repairs carried out.

Route along the M9 highway on the map

Distance from Moscow to Riga by federal highway M9 (“Baltic”) is about 950 kilometers. Travel time without stops is 11-12 hours.

The route passes through Volokolamsk, Rzhev, Velikiye Luki to the automobile border checkpoints Burachki (on the Russian border) and Terekhovo (on the Latvian border). Further on the territory of Latvia the route passes through Ludza, Vilany and Ogre.

Road after repair latest reviews motorists, really good. The exception is small areas near Rzhev. In the Tver region, where the worst section of the road was, new asphalt was laid and fresh markings were applied.

The road on Latvian territory is slightly worse from Ludza to Vilana(all in patches), but there are practically no holes. In general, Latvian roads (A6, A12) are of fairly good quality.

One of the advantages of this route is the small number of settlements where the driver has to reduce speed greatly. Therefore, you can get to Riga quite quickly.

Among the disadvantages of this route, tourists note a small number of cafes and gas stations.

On the Russian-Lithuanian border there are often queues in which you can stand from 2 to 6 hours. Point Burachki-Terekhovo considered the busiest of 4 automobile checkpoints located on the border of Russia and Latvia.

Cars containing small children are allowed to pass without a queue. The customs inspection itself is quick. The main thing is that you have all the necessary documents.

Latvian border guards are only just planning to, following the example of their Estonian colleagues, introduce electronic booking places in line at the border, so queues can rarely be avoided.

The Burachki-Terekhovo point is open around the clock.

Technological checkpoint breaks: 08:45 – 09:00 in the morning and 20:45 – 21:00 in the evening.

Route along the M1 highway on the map

There are two possible options here.

Option one: from Moscow, take the Minsk highway (M1 highway), and then, a little before reaching Smolensk, turn onto the road towards Velizh-Nevel, and in the Pustoshka area take the Baltic highway (M9). Then you can continue moving towards the Russian-Latvian border;
Option two (via Belarus): from Moscow take the M1 highway, after the Smolensk bypass you need to turn onto the road to Vitebsk. Continue on across Belarus along the P21 and P20 highways. Border crossing is carried out at the Urbany-Silene and Grigorovshchina-Paternieki checkpoints.

The distance from Moscow to Riga is just over 1000 kilometers. Travel time is approximately 13-14 hours without stops. And although the route is a little longer than the M9 highway, you can get to Riga faster.

This is due to the lower congestion at vehicle checkpoints on the border of Belarus and Latvia. Therefore, as a rule, there are no such queues as on the Russian-Latvian border.

Works around the clock . The average waiting time in queues at the border with Latvia is approximately 1-2 hours.

The Grigorovshchina-Paternieki checkpoint is also located in the Vitebsk region along the road R-20 Novopolotsk-Verkhnedvinsk-Riga.

The point is open 24 hours a day from technological breaks: from 08:45 to 09:00 and from 20:45 to 21:00.

There are more cafes and gas stations along the M1 than along the M9. However, the last gas station is located in the Polotsk area. The next gas station is in Latvia. Motorists should remember that in Gasoline is much more expensive in Latvia, so it’s better to fill the tank full before crossing the border.

Duty free in Republic of Latvia allowed to import:

one full tank of gasoline plus one 10 liter canister;
40 cigarettes or 10 cigars;
1 liter of strong alcohol or 2 liters of weak alcohol, or 4 liters of wine.

It is prohibited to import dairy products and meat, including sausages, into Schengen countries.

Motorists should also take into account that in Latvia You can't use a radar detector, so it is better to remove it before the border. Studded tires are allowed only in the autumn-winter period (from October 1 to May 1).

Your car must have a warning triangle and a reflective vest.

The capital of Latvia is close enough to Russia, so traveling by car from Moscow to Riga will not be tiring. Traveling by car is less expensive than flying or taking a bus.

Having your own car gives you freedom of movement, independence from the route of other tourists and the ability to independently plan your time during the trip. For it to be successful, you need to familiarize yourself with the route in advance, think through stops for rest and meals, prepare your car and take with you all the necessary documents.

List of required documents

To travel to Latvia, the following documents are required:

Foreign passport with a valid Schengen visa.
Child's birth certificate.
A driver's license that meets international standards.
Vehicle registration certificate.
Diagnostic card for the car.
Medical insurance.
Car owner's civil liability insurance policy (“Green Card”).

A Green Card can be purchased from an insurance company no earlier than a month before the start date of the trip. The minimum period for which insurance is issued is 15 days, while its cost for a passenger car will be 1,670 rubles.

From January 2015, the price of the policy will increase by 23%.

Travel routes

You can get from Moscow to Riga by car along the M9 (“Baltic”) or M1 (“Belarus”) highway. The first route is a direct road to Riga; choosing the second route, you will have to enter Latvia through Belarus.

The length of the route to Riga along the M9 highway (its other name is Novorizhskoe Highway) is 919 km; without stopping, this distance can be covered in 11-12 hours. The road passes through Volokolamsk, Rzhev, Velikiye Luki to border crossing Burachki-Terekhovo. The advantages of this route include a small number of settlements, when passing through which you will have to reduce your speed. Among the shortcomings, drivers note:

Insufficient density of roadside cafes and gas stations.
The congestion of the checkpoint on the border between Russia and Latvia.
Queue for border control on weekends and holidays which reaches several hours. Reason: flow increases Russian tourists to Latvia.

Driving along the M1 highway allows 2 options:

You can move from Moscow along M1 (Minsk Highway), before reaching Smolensk, turn towards Velezh-Nevel. In the Pustoshka area you need to return to the M9 highway and continue in the direction of the Russian-Latvian border.
Another option involves driving along the Minsk Highway to Smolensk, after which you need to turn onto the road to Vitebsk. The rest of the route passes through the territory of Belarus to the Grigorovshchina-Paternieki checkpoint. The queue at the border here is usually shorter than at the Burachki-Terekhovo crossing.

The distance from Moscow to Riga in this case will be just over 1000 km, travel time – 13-14 hours. Along the entire length of the M1 highway you can find a sufficient number of cafes and gas stations. The last gas station in Belarus will be near Polotsk. Considering the high cost of gasoline in Latvia, it is better to fill it with a full tank. The average cost of 1 liter of gasoline in Latvia is 1.2 €.

Features of traveling around Latvia by car

When planning a road trip to Latvia, you need to take into account local rules:

IN populated areas the maximum permissible speed is 50 km/h, beyond them – 90 km/h. For speeding you can pay from 7 to 570 €.
At any time of the day, while the car is moving, low beam headlights must be turned on.
The permissible level of alcohol in the blood is 0.5 ppm, that is, the driver can drink 1 glass of beer or glass of wine. For drivers with less than 2 years of driving experience, the maximum permissible level is reduced to 0.2 ppm.
Studded tires are allowed only from October 1 to May 1.
The use of seat belts is mandatory for all vehicle passengers. The fine for this violation is 30 €.
Children under 14 years of age and less than 150 cm tall must be transported in special restraints. Failure to comply with this requirement will result in a fine of 15 €.
The car must have: a warning triangle, a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit and a reflective vest. For the absence of any item from this list, a fine of 7 € is imposed.
The use of radar detectors is prohibited within the country. Otherwise, the device is confiscated and the car owner is issued a fine of 55 €.

The import of meat and meat products, dairy products (with the exception of baby food), animal feed containing meat or milk.

Without paying customs duties, you are allowed to import into the territory of Latvia:

2 packs of cigarettes or 10 cigars.
1 liter of strong alcohol, or 2 liters of alcohol with a strength of no more than 22%, or 4 liters of non-sparkling wine and 16 liters of beer.
A full tank of gasoline and 1 canister of fuel with a capacity of no more than 10 liters.

Travelers who carry excise goods with them to more, must pay customs duties. To do this, they need to fill out a declaration, select the “Red Corridor” at the customs post and present their luggage for inspection. Cash in amounts exceeding €10,000 is also subject to mandatory declaration.

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