Riga getting there
Guide to Riga transport from cheap flights to car hire
The only credible way to get to Riga is on a flight, although Baltic cruise ships and ferries also visit regularly.
Trains largely head eastwards from Latvia to Russia and journeys from western Europe by road are long and tiresome.
Cheap flight airlines offer holiday flights to Riga from several UK airports. There are also plenty of holiday deals that include stopovers in Riga.
There are daily flights to Riga from most major European cities. There are UK flights from London's Heathrow and Gatwick, Liverpool, Manchester, Bristol, East Midlands and Glasgow to Riga Airport. There are no tourist information services at the airport so you must make your own hotel arrangements.
Getting to the city from Riga airport: The modern Riga airport is about 8km southwest of Riga city centre. There are airport buses into the centre - #22 and #22a every 30min and the journey time is 30min. The bus stop is just across the car park from the Arrivals hall.
A taxi takes 15min but costs double the bus fare and drivers may try to charge even more. You can order a taxi in the Arrivals hall, but it costs extra.
Several companies offer routes to Riga. There are direct buses from all the Nordic countries and from Germany, Poland, Russia, Belarus, Estonia and Lithuania. Buses are modern and services are reliable.
The bus station Autoosta is south of the Old Town in the centre of Riga and is a modern, spacious building with plenty of tourist information. A left luggage office opens from 5.30am to midnight. There is a city centre #7 tram stop right outside.
Rail services to Latvia are all from the east. The old Soviet connection means there are daily services to Moscow and St Petersburg with links to Kiev, Lviv, Vilnius and Odessa. The rail journey from Moscow takes 12hrs.
Riga's main railway station Centrala Stacija is close to the bus station in the Old Town and international trains arrive on platform two. There are luggage lockers, banks and cash machines in the central hall and several currency exchanges in tunnels A and B. Local trains run to Jurmala, Riga's nearby beach resort.
There are direct ferries from Stockholm, Sweden and Travemünde, Germany. The Riga Passenger Port Juras Pasazieru Stacija is about 1km downstream from Akmens bridge in Eksporta St - you can get trams #5, #7 or #9. It's a drab place though, with the ticket counter and duty free shop the highlights.
Travelling overland is not recommended. There are many border crossings to cause delays and you need an international driving licence and extra insurance. Europe's standard green card is not yet recognised in Latvia.
EU citizens need a passport or identity card to enter Latvia. You can only stay in Latvia for up to 90 days in any six-month period without a visa. For longer visits you must get a residence permit.
Nearly half of Latvia's population of 2.5m lives in or near Riga
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