Public Transportation in Riga

The public transportation in Riga is operated by Rigas Satiksme and includes a network of trams, busses, and trolleybuses. Rigas Satiksme also operates a network of minibuses and night transport is available. You find the routes, timetables, and plan your trip online on the homepage of Rigas Satiksme.

Tickets

The Riga public transport operates with electronic tickets. Each vehicle has several electronic ticket machines for registering the trip which is done by putting a ticket to the machine upon entering the public transport vehicle.

Public transport tickets are sold at Rigas Satiksme customer service centers, numerous trade outlets across the city, e.g., Narvesen kiosks, in ticket vending machines, as well as online. Tickets can be bought either for a set number of rides that can be freely chosen or for a set period time (e.g., 24h, 3 days, 1 month etc.).

There are three basic types of electronic tickets:

• Yellow tickets - from cardboard, can be reloaded
• Blue tickets - from plastic, can be reloaded and personalized, requires a deposit of 2.58 EUR
• White tickets - sold in public transport for a single trip, usually more expensive

For more information on tickets and prices consult the homepage of Rigas Satiksme.

Trains in Latvia

Train connections are available between Riga and the largest towns, as well as Estonia and Russia. Overall, trains are a reliable and fairly cheap way to travel across Latvia, e.g., a train ride to Daugavpils by the Russian border or Liepaja by the Baltic Sea in the Southwest each takes approximately 3 hours and costs around 7 EUR.

Train schedules and prices can be found either on the homepage of the service provider Pasazieru Vilciens or through the webpage of the information hotline 1188. Tickets can be bought directly at the ticket counter in the train station.

Interactive map of train routes in Latvia

Buses in Latvia

The hub of national and international bus connections in Riga is the Riga International Coach Terminal. If compared to trains, busses run more frequently and enable travel to towns outside the rail network. That said, the tickets are slightly more expensive, e.g. travel to Daugavpils or Liepaja takes approximately 3.5 hours and costs around 9 EUR.

Bus schedules and prices can be found either on the homepage of the Coach Terminal (Rigas Autoosta) or through the webpage of the information hotline 1188. Tickets can be bought at the ticket counter in the bus terminal or at the bus driver.

Riga Airport

The largest international airport in both Latvia and the Baltic states is the Riga International Airport (RIX) that offers flights to over 80 destinations and services almost 5 million passengers a year.

Transport to/from Airport

Shuttle: There is no shuttle service available. Inquire at your hotel if they offer private options.
Bus: Bus route 22, costs between 1.15 EUR and 2 EUR
Drive: Highway P133 that connects the airport with route E22
Taxi: Service offered by Baltic Taxi and Red Cab, costs between 10 EUR and 15 EUR

For more information please see the homepage of the Riga International Airport.

Taxis in Riga

Taxis can be hailed directly on the street by simply stretching out your arm, approached in taxi parking slots, or called via phone or mobile app. If you wish to avoid scams it is recommended to use the latter two approaches. Official taxis are clearly marked by a taxi sign on the car's roof and have to display the prices on the side of the car.

Taxi Companies

Some reliable companies:

• Baltic Taxi
• Red Cab
• Riga Taxi
• Lady Taxi

Fares & Tipping

Boarding typically costs around 2 EUR, whereas the price per kilometer is between 0.65 EUR and 0.75 EUR. Tipping the driver is optional.

Car Hire in Latvia

The international car rental companies Avis, Budget, Europcar, and Sixt have offices in several places across the city, including the Riga International Airport. Depending on the type of car, the rental costs are typically from 50 EUR per day. That said, special offers, e.g., weekend rentals from Friday to Monday, can be as low as 120 EUR per three days.

Parking in Riga

Parking for free is difficult to find in the city centre, be prepared to pay at parking meters on the street or choose one of the numerous Europark parking places. Prices vary by the location and tend to grow the closer the parking place is to the Old Town, e.g., parking by the Old Town can cost 3 EUR per hour, whereas outside the city centre it is around 1 EUR per hour.

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