How to Get Around the Baltics

We recently wrapped up an amazing adventure exploring the capital cities of the Baltics: Tallinn, Estonia; Riga, Latvia; and Vilnius, Lithuania. We had so much fun on this trip and were amazed at how beautiful each city was and how different they were from each other. The food, the historic old towns, the lovely people we met along the way — everything was fantastic. We highly recommend exploring this area of the world and want to share with you a few options for how to get there and how to get around on the ground. 

We’re real travelers posting about our authentic experiences to help you plan your next adventure.

Flying There Is Easy 

The best way to do this trip is to start in either Tallinn or Vilnius, since Riga is in between and about a 4 hour journey from each. 

You can get cheap flights on budget airlines to either city from major hubs in Europe, but Tallinn has a few more options. You can also find reasonable flights from the U.S. on SAS with a connection in Copenhagen or Stockholm. We flew Lufthansa from Munich.

Consider Taking the Ferry

We opted to fly into Helsinki, Finland, spend a few nights there, then take the Megastar ferry to Tallinn. You can even do this excursion to Tallinn as a day trip if you’re going to be in Helsinki for a bit — and you definitely should!

Although this journey only took two hours, the ferry was more luxurious than some cruise ships we’ve seen people board for a week. We actually wish we had more time to explore and enjoy the ferry. But it was an easy journey. We took a short Uber ride to the port in Helsinki (make sure you know which port because there are a few). Then we were able to walk from the port in Tallinn to our Old Town apartment. 

Pro tip: We got a room on the boat because we heard it can get crowded (particularly on weekends when people from Finland head to Estonia to shop). But the boat wasn’t ever full on our weekday excursions in September.

Take the Lux Bus

Since there isn’t a train service between the Baltic capitals, we were looking for an affordable but comfortable alternative and were so pleased to find the Lux Express. We paid for the upgrade seats in the back that were a little more spacious, but really, all the seats looked super comfy. And with entertainment screens on the seats, a coffee machine and snacks, and even a lavatory, this bus truly offered more comfort than a plane. For $26 per person, we would gladly take the Lux Express again. 

Once again, we did a quick Uber ride to the Tallinn bus station and could walk to our hotel in Riga from the terminal.

Pro tip: Be prepared to use Bolt instead of Uber in the Baltics. It’s an Estonian company and there’s way more availability.

We even got to stop across the street at Riga’s huge market for an affordable meal after the 4-hour ride. 

Rent a Car

We don’t generally like renting a car and would’ve taken the Lux Express from Riga to Vilnius, too, but we actually weren’t able to get a flight home out of Vilnius (as we would recommend doing), so we had to return to Riga. We rented a car at the Riga airport and did a little driving loop to explore Latvia and Lithuania, which was fantastic. 

The roads were really simple to navigate. Just remember to let the rental company know you are crossing country lines. You’ll have to pay an extra fee and take a pass to show in case you’re stopped at the boarder (we were not stopped but were glad we mentioned that we were going to Lithuania so that the insurance covered our journey). 

Check Out DayTrip

If we didn’t rent a car, we may have opted to book a one-way private driver through DayTrip. We love that this company offers Point A to Point B transportation and allows you to add sightseeing stops along the way. We’ve used this service in several countries, and while it’s not cheap, it was much more affordable in the Baltics than other parts of Europe. 

With our rental car, we actually did stop at four places DayTrip recommended:

Bonus: Tips for Staying at Riga Airport

We spent our entire last day exploring Lithuania and Latvia with our rental car and dropped it off after sunset at the Riga Airport. 

Since we had an early flight the next day, we wanted to stay near the airport. Originally, we booked the Hampton Inn, but then we read that they don’t have a shuttle and walking was a little difficult, especially in the dark. 

So, we changed our reservation to the Sky High Hotel. At first we were confused about how to get there but as soon as we figured it out, it was just a short walk right from the terminal. 

The restaurant at the hotel was closed but the little cafe near the rental car counters in the airport was actually open until midnight,  and we got sandwiches and wine there. The hotel also had some items for purchase in a cooler. 

Although the hotel was a bit odd and very basic, we wound up loving it. The front desk person was very nice and had little snack bags for us. The room just had two twin bed but it was all we needed for a few hours of sleep. The air conditioner worked well. So did the shower. And everything was clean. I put on my eye mask and pretended my little twin bed was a business-class lie-flat seat, and I got a good night of sleep. 

There is also a well-rated capsule hotel in the terminal that’s available for the night or through Priority Pass for 3 hours — but that wasn’t what we wanted on this trip. The hotel worked out great. 

What Mode Did We Prefer?

All of our transportation on this trip ran seamlessly, so based on our experiences, we highly recommend it all, depending on your preference. 

Although we didn’t use DayTrip this time, we’ve had great experiences in the past. You can certainly save money and avoid the hassle of a rental car by just taking the Lux Express everywhere. If you go that route, we’d highly recommend at least taking the train from Vilnius to Trakai Island Castle. It’s such a great place to enjoy for a few hours and have lunch on the lake.

And you should also consider taking a day trip from Riga to Rundale Palace. It’s stunning and nowhere near as crowded as Versailles in France. 

The Baltic states were super easy to navigate and very interesting to explore. Have you been? Are you planning a trip? Let us know in the comments. 

Next Up: Which Baltic Capital Should You Visit? Tallinn, Riga, or Vilnius?