A trip to the baltics on your own recommendation. How to travel cheaply in the baltic states. Vilnius - Kaunas - Trakai

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 visit without planning.

After I managed to achieve my goal in 2012, namely to go to the Black Sea, which I told about in the article "", it was decided that there was more than enough rest for the next year. However, it turned out quite differently ...

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

At our place of work, the "trade union committee" organized a tourist trip to the cities of the Baltic States, and only four of them were allocated to our site. Naturally, everyone wants to travel for a modest price, since half of the trip or even the most part is paid by the company.

It is clear that I did not get a ticket right away, because I occupy a modest position, and there are other people who are offered first. But at the last moment, for unknown reasons, someone refused to travel and then my turn came to me, of course I did everything quickly, and that was to hand in photos, money and a passport for a Schengen visa, also fill out a form and get insurance.

Since I understood that I would be gone for about a week, which means that the blog will not be updated for 10 days, because until you come to your senses after the rest, you also need to write an article in 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 it to be done.

Estonia - sightseeing 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 - "diesel train".

There we all plunged into the bus together and went to the city of Lida, because it was necessary to pick up the remaining people there.

Further, as always, crossing the interstate border with Lithuania, where we had to stand for about one hour. It's good that there was no long queue, and checking documents always takes a certain amount of time, especially since we entered the territory of the European Union.

Then, while I slept 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 was in the form of a buffet (food is in everyone's sight and you can eat it as much as you like), we went on a tour of Tallinn.

To tell everything where we have been, I simply will not have the patience to write, since there were a lot of places, and I took even more pictures.

First, we drove along the coast of the Baltic Sea, namely the Tallinn Bay, where you could see several famous monuments (Rusalka, Singing Stage). We saw the Pirita area and the Olympic facilities.

But most of all I was impressed by the Baltic Sea, since there is none at all in our country, and we really like to contemplate the unusual views of the water leaving the horizon.

Usually you go to the sea in summer, but here it is quite another thing to see the sea in winter, despite the fact that it was the middle of spring.

After everyone became completely cold, we went to bask on the bus and we were taken to the Old Town, the most historic part of Tallinn.

On the way, we were greeted by the Estonian youth who walked the streets of the city and were just “fooling around”.

The Estonians were the luckiest of all, as they have the most towers and a fortress wall that protected the city from enemies.

We visited the 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 - Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.

The old town is divided into Lower and Upper. If you want, you can go up to the observation deck and look at the city from a bird's eye view.

There is really something to see in Tallinn, I was very impressed that everything was done for the convenience of the tourist. Although there is nothing to be surprised here, tourism replenishes the city treasury.

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

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

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

If we compare their elevator with ours, it is generally heaven and earth, after a ride in ours it can definitely get seasick.

After settling in, we went to see Tallinn by the light of the moon. Although the town is small, there is a place for a walk.

There are a lot of bars, discos and restaurants. We sat in some bar and even treated us to homemade liquor. People are very kind and friendly, though they speak Russian very poorly.

We did not have to resort to the services of urban transport, since you can get everywhere with your own two ... After an overnight stay, breakfast and checking out of the room, in three hours we were already in Latvia.

Latvia - Riga, Sigulda and Jurmala

The first thing in Latvia we went to the city of Sigulda. It is also called the Latvian Switzerland - it is a favorite vacation spot 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 a manor. It is a pity that only a small part of the castle has survived to this day.

Then we went to the Gutmana 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 5 floors of the tower, I got a beautiful winter view of the castle in heights.

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 were to check into a hotel and go for a walk in Riga at night.

Of course, Riga impressed me a lot, as I like big and beautiful cities. In the evening we decided to walk along the old part of it. Songs are pouring around, music is playing, which fills and charges tourists with a good mood.

We continued our tour of the Baltic Riga in the morning. Although the weather was damp, it still did not spoil our rest.

We visited many beautiful places and looked at all the main attractions of the city. I cannot 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 to decorate buildings and other structures.

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

So I also decided to make it up, and to find out whether it was fulfilled or not, I will tell you at the end of this year in the report on the work done for the whole year. So that keep for updates and don't miss new blog posts.

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

Of course, I tried to look at the DZINTARI concert hall, but construction work was underway there and there was no good access to it.

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

After Jurmala, we plunged into the bus amicably and went on the final tour of Lithuania.

Lithuania - travel in Vilnius

Arriving in the capital of Lithuania Vilnius, we stayed overnight at a hotel. If we compare this hotel with Tallinn or Riga, then I would give it 2 out of 5. It can be seen that it was very poor before, but a small renovation made its own adjustments.

After an overnight stay, we went on a bus and walking tour of the city. I liked the Cathedral very much, 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 a museum is located in the underground.

It was also fascinating to see the monument to Gediminas, the church of St. Anne, three crosses, the church of St. Peter and Paul.

After a sightseeing tour of the old city, everyone wanted to go to the Akropolis shopping center (Akropolis). 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 constructor Lego and ending with a cool car.

What is most interesting is the opportunity to buy some product at good discounts, but I did not find anything for myself, since the prices were no different from ours in Belarus. But it's really worth visiting ...

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

Summing up

To be honest, of the three countries I liked Estonia and Latvia the most. And if we consider the cities, then Riga, perhaps, has no equal. Such a 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 impressed me with its modern lifestyle, 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 has become the most affordable.

Summing up my expenses, they turned out to be very modest.

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

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

The total is 400 + 300 \u003d 700 divided by 2 \u003d $ 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 everyone in the comments who have already visited these countries, what impression did you have?

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

It doesn't matter if you are an experienced traveler or if you are in Europe for the first time, you can easily organize your trip to Riga on your own. Without dwelling on the merits of the city, which we have written about many times, here are five stages of planning a trip on our own.

Time planning for a trip to Riga

Riga is a very popular city among tourists, it is visited by more than a million guests a year, and the city hall plans to bring this figure to 1.5 million tourists a year. And this is with a population of 700 thousand inhabitants, that is, there are 1.5 tourists per one resident of Riga.

But nevertheless, we hasten to reassure you, even during the peak periods, tourists are absorbed in 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 the Christmas and New Year holidays. If you are planning a trip at this time - take care of hotel reservations and transport tickets 2-3 months in advance.

If you prefer a calm atmosphere, then we advise you to come in the second half of April, or from September to mid-October.

The tourist flow decreases, but the weather often gives warm sunny days. Plus, hotels at this time reduce their 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 most profitably.

Registration of an entry visa to Latvia

Latvia is included in the countries of the Schengen zone, which means that if you have a Schengen visa in your passport, you can skip this item - the road to Riga is open to you.

If you don't have a visa, you will have to apply for it.

We have described this process in sufficient detail on our website in the section ““, here you can read about the necessary documents, the procedure for filling out the questionnaire, etc.

We book a hotel in Riga

Yes, we start with the hotel.

There are several reasons for this - you can get to Riga by various means of transport, the number of only flights per day reaches five (Aeroflot, Transaero, Utair and Airbaltic). But there is still a train, a bus, a private car, finally. There are also a lot of hotels in Riga (about 200), however, in the high season the occupancy reaches 100%. Finally, hotel reservations can be canceled, but plane tickets are problematic.

With booking, everything is very simple, without further ado, it is enough just to go to one of the on-line services for booking hotels.

The risk at this stage is minimal, because no one forbids it later.

We plan what we will use to get to Riga

We have already done an overview of the most economical ways to travel, which you can read by following this link ().

In our understanding, the best solution is an airplane. With absolutely reasonable prices, you do not waste a night on the train (with a mandatory rise at three in the morning for customs control), do not waste your nerves crossing the border by car and do not shake on the bus for fifteen hours.

Getting ready and dreaming about the trip

The worries are over, it's time to plan your trip. First, we search the Internet for travel guides around Riga.

You can't, there are sites, and so to download to your phone? But you don't want to buy books - carry them around the city later?

Well, it’s quite a reasonable desire, which we are going to meet - on our website you can download (and, free) four parts of the guide to Riga -

No copyright infringement - the guide has been prepared by the site and we give you all the rights to use and distribute it! (just don't change anything in the text) In the near future, the fourth part will be released - "Riga - the pearl of Jugendstil". 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 let's stop here and wish you an unforgettable vacation in the most beautiful city in the Baltic States!

We have been planning a trip to Latvia for a long time. And then somehow all the cards came together. I wanted to change the scenery, but to go close and the sea was.

I'll start with a pleasant one - a visa. I heard that Latvians are harmful in this regard, and you shouldn't count on a long-term visa. But here the brothers did not let us down: they opened a six-month "cartoon" to all the members of our trip. I will not write about the whole process, documents, etc. I will only say that the delivery service Pony express surprised me. This service is provided free of charge at the visa center and the passports are delivered straight home.

We went on a trip by car. It came out more budgetary and on the spot we had our hands untied, that is, our legs. The whole trip took 13 hours, including the border. There were no problems at the border control. Everything is fast and clear. But here the main thing is to calculate the time and not get into the border guard shift. Usually it is from 8 to 9 and from 20 to 21.

Riga welcomed us with wonderful weather. Despite the fact that it was August, it was good luck to find +30 degrees in the Baltics. I can confidently add Latvia to the list of cities where I would like to return. Therefore, I will write down the points how and what and answer the main questions.

What to watch?

Of course, the most important asset and charm of Riga is the old city. You can safely park your car on the outskirts and go sightseeing on foot.

The Dome Cathedral is the country's main cathedral and a must-see. This is a fairly ancient structure. The first stone was solemnly laid already in 1211. Since then, it has been rebuilt many times, but it has not lost its greatness.

Unfortunately, when we were there, the spire and tower were completely in the forests, so there are no particularly beautiful photos. But then we went to the historical museum. The ticket cost 3 euros.

The main asset of any Catholic cathedral is its organ. We were not lucky and it was restored, but now in the Dome Cathedral they regularly hold not only services, but also concerts. The poster can be viewed on the official website. If there is an opportunity to hear the music of this particular organ, then it should not be missed. It is not for nothing that he was recognized as sounding wonderful in the world.

The interior decoration is not particularly luxurious, but how calm it is ...

Stained glass is an integral part of all Catholic cathedrals.

There is an observation deck at a height of 72 m where an elevator will take you. From a bird's eye view, there is an excellent view of the city on the banks of the Dvina. The observation deck is open every day, except Monday.

Main Dome Square. She seemed a bit typical to me. It is very similar to the squares where the Gothic style is preferred, as in Germany, Czech Republic, Hungary. The same neat gingerbread houses.

Cat house. I used to think that Egypt is the country of cats, but it turns out that Latvia. They are everywhere and all black! Superstitious people would go crazy. But as a desperate cat lover I wanted to see this particular house.

The story goes: the house belonged to Mr. Blumer, who really dreamed of joining the guild, which was located opposite his house, but was not accepted in any way. As a sign of protest, he installed black cats on the roof and turned them around with their priests directly to the guild. As a result, comrade Blumer was nevertheless accepted into the coveted state, and the cats were turned in the opposite direction. But since then they have been symbols of Riga.

Narrow streets of Riga. Back in the days of the USSR, if it was necessary to film "abroad" in a movie, then we went to Riga, because even then it resembled Europe as much as possible. Such film masterpieces as Sherlock Holmes and 17 Moments of Spring were filmed here.

Monument to the Bremen Town Musicians.

The monument was cast by the Bremen sculptor Christa Baumgartel. The moment is depicted when the musicians look into the window to the robbers, and judging by their worn noses, everyone believes in the magical power of these guys. But they look scary.

Within walking distance from Old Riga, or as the locals affectionately call it - an old woman, there are also several attractions.

Powder Tower.

Lyme clock. In Latvia there is Laima not only Vaikule, but also watches, and even sweets. By the way, Lyme is translated into Russian as "happiness". An invariable meeting place for all citizens. They are located opposite the Freedom Monument.

Riga National Opera. Quite a significant place in the city.

This is a fast food cafe. The specialty of this institution is spicy dishes. Every day the menu changes and opposite each dish there are hot chili peppers, which determine the sharpness of the sensations. Maximum 10. On the day we were there, the hottest thing was with 3 peppers. I must say right away that tears come out from a dish with 2 peppers, and with 3 you breathe fire. It is scary to imagine the level of extreme with 10 points.

The prices are very nice. You can take both the whole dish and half of the serving. This establishment is closed on weekends! And on weekdays it works from 11 am to 8:30 pm.

Address: Gertrudes iela, 6

2nd place. Lido restaurant. A fairly well-known restaurant with unusually beautiful decorations! I advise you to first walk around the territory and take a couple of pictures, and then go inside. There is a buffet restaurant on the ground floor. Take a tray and fill it with whatever you want. I must say right away, everything is delicious! Especially desserts. There is a bar on the -1 floor. They also have their own mini-brewery, where they brew beer and immediately serve it to guests. And on the 2nd floor there is a restaurant, a banquet hall. There is already dinner on the menu. The choice is yours. But the interior is incredible! And how beautiful it is here at Christmas, I can't even imagine.

I want to tell you how my friend and I ourselves, without agencies, visited the Baltics. I will not talk about the sights, only about the case. How to go yourself. This is my first independent trip.

At the time of our trip, such a tour of the three capitals of the Baltic countries cost 44,000 per person for a week, and we got 23,000. Almost two days in each city. There is a difference!!! TIP: I always buy books from the Orange Guide series. A wonderful series. I take it with me on all trips when I go myself.

VISA. I must say right away that we decided to submit documents to the visa center. A little more expensive, but easier: if something goes wrong, they will still reprint the documents on their own forms. For money. Documents are submitted to the embassy or visa center of the country where you will be staying more time, namely nights, regardless of the sequence of visiting countries. We started from Lithuania, but we applied for a visa to the visa center of Latvia, because there were two days in Vilnius, but one overnight stay, and in Riga and Tallinn for two nights. You can find a list of documents on the websites. Along with the documents, be sure to bring copies of your hotel reservation and copies of all tickets, insurance is required. Read carefully. For example, at the time of our registration, they did not accept hotel reservations from booking in Lithuania. Maybe something has changed. We booked on Hotels.com. There were not many people in the center, they handed over an hour and a half. We waited longer for the documents to be reprinted. After 10 days my husband arrived and took the passports with visas. When submitting documents, you mark who will pick it up. Very comfortably.

MOVING BETWEEN COUNTRIES: we chose the bus. Tickets were booked on the website.

Very user-friendly site. Buses take 4 hours on average. There is not much to see on the road. The buses were empty. Maybe it's not a tourist season, or maybe so lucky. We chose the afternoon, left at 5 pm, arrived at 9 pm, slept, and in the morning with fresh strength to walk around the city. Hotels were chosen closer to the center and to the bus stations so as not to spend extra money on the road ..

HOTELS. We chose inexpensive ones with the expectation only to spend the night. Breakfast.

VILNIUS. We flew in by airBaltic. The plane is tiny: rows of 15, two seats across the aisle.

We flew perfectly. From the airport we took a bus to the Comfort Vilnius 3 * hotel. In Vilnius, there are two hotels with a similar name and we were a little misinformed by the locals, but from the same hotel

to our extra 15 minutes on foot. Found. The hotel is small but cute. For a night or two, no more. There was not even a closet in our room.

We took only breakfast in all hotels. The food was decent, the linen was clean. All attractions are within walking distance. They did not spend on the road anywhere.

We arrived in Vilnius at 10 am, the bus to Riga was the next day at 16.30. From the hotel to the bus station on foot 10 min. Almost two days were enough to see the main attractions and just walk around the city. But the review is not about that. Travel yourself, fear nothing.

RIGA. From the bus station to the hotel 4 * on foot 10 minutes. The hotel is very good. We got a discount when booking. Breakfast for slaughter, there was even champagne. There is no such breakfast in Turkish fives. Clean, quiet, 5-7 minutes to the center. The room even had an ironing board with an iron, kettle, tea, coffee. Bus to Tallinn at 17.00. Everywhere we went on foot, we did not spend on transport.

TALLINN. In Tallinn, from the bus station to the hotel 3 * by tram 10 min and walk 5 min. The hotel is not bad, but there is no pallet in the shower, and water almost did not go into the hole in the floor and flooded the entire floor in the bathroom. But in a mock there was a mop, you know, with such an elastic band to collect water. But across the road is the Old Town and all the sights. Back to Moscow by airBaltic. By taxi 15 euros and in 20 minutes on the spot.

CONCLUSION: It is twice cheaper for yourself, you are your own masters, travel yourself and everything will be fine. We walked in all cities, I can't say anything about the prices for transport.