Travel across the baltics on your own. Travel by car in the Baltics. Estonia. Latvia. Lithuania. Latvia - Riga, Sigulda and Jurmala

- two countries and five cities.

Day 1. Moscow - Riga - Jurmala

I decided to start my journey with, where I arrived by train (5 thousand re.). I love to travel with this particular type of transport, I like to look out the window and observe the cities, forests and fields flashing one after another. I got into my compartment late in the evening, and the next morning I found myself in one of the most beautiful cities in the Baltic States.

I lived in a hostel for two nights in Riga Seaqulls Garret Hostel (60 EUR for two for two nights). As for the hostel, I will say that it was not the best choice - the beds creaked, screamed outside the door, and terrible snoring was heard at night. Then I still had little experience + greed is my second nature. Now I am trying to fight this quality for the sake of comfort.

In general, you won't be able to relax in the hostel, unless, of course, you first stock up on earplugs. But the main thing is cheap and clean bed.

Leaving my things, I decided to postpone the tour of the city until tomorrow, and on the first day of my trip to go to the famous resort city, which hosts the "New Wave", "Jurmalina" and other festivals. It's terribly interesting! We all think that Jurmala is a whole city, but no. This is one collective name for the whole coast, where such settlements as Dubulti, Bulduri, Lielupi and God forgive me, Stirnurags are located. But I went to Majori.

How did I get to Jurmala? Jurmala is located just 20 kilometers from Riga. The easiest way is by train, which leaves every 15-20 minutes from the central station in the direction of Sloka or Tukums.

I spent the rest of the evening in Riga, in the restaurant with cows "1221", which is located on "Blumenstrasse" - Flower Street.

Day 2. Riga

Riga is a real medieval Europe, an ancient city on the cold Baltic coast. She is like a rich merchant's wife who guards her treasures. The city seemed to be frozen and does not want to change anything. This trip for me became like a journey through time.

All day I walked along the narrow streets of the city, ate in the best restaurants, went on sightseeing tours and fulfilled the "must visit" plan, which I wrote about.

Day 3. Trakai - Kaunas - Vilnius

Early in the morning I left Riga for a new country for me - Lithuania. I got there on a luxury bus, one might say a five-star bus with all the amenities. I alone had a whole chair on which the lunch lay. Before my eyes hung a TV, filled with films and music for every color and taste. And for all this I had to pay only some 1200 rubles.

It takes only three hours to get to Lithuania, but this trip was like a whole journey for me. Ha window flashed green fields, grazing cows and Lithuanian-Latvian villages. And it was so good! Look for bus tickets from Riga to Vilnius.

Upon arrival, I immediately checked into the hostel Jimmy jumps house (30 EUR). Cozy, not expensive, youth hostel, where in the morning you can make yourself a delicious breakfast with waffles.

Trakai is another reason to come to Lithuania for the weekend. This is a great travel idea, let's say, for the May holidays. When people talk about the Baltic country, they first of all remember Trakai, a place that should be included in the "must see" list.

Trakai harmoniously combines an orange-colored castle; mirror surface of water; boats painted in the Lithuanian flag with fishermen sitting in them; quaint courtyards with ladybirds, hand-painted glass bottles. All this is complemented by sunny weather, spring mood and red tulips that grow everywhere here.

This is a wonderful place that harmoniously combines a castle, a mirror-like surface of water, boats painted in the Lithuanian flag and quaint courtyards with ladybirds, glass bottles, hand-painted with acrylics. This is all complemented by sunny weather, spring mood and red tulips that grow everywhere here.

Not far from Vilnius there is a wonderful town Kaunas, which has not yet been trodden down and untouched by crowds of tourists, which is definitely worth a look if you are in Lithuania.

Having returned to Vilnius, happy as an elephant, I quickly fell asleep. The next day promised to be fine and rich in pleasant impressions from walks in Vilnius.

Day 4. Vilnius

After exploring the city, it turned out that this is an amazing place to relax during the May holidays. You even wonder how so many interesting things can fit in such a very small town.

We went to the Prie Katedros brewery, where we tasted local beer, climbed the Castle Hill, walked around the Old Town, examined all the painted houses in Uzupis.

We returned home by train Vilnius-Moscow (we paid 7 thousand per person for the compartment).

This route through the Baltic States turned out to be full and rich, we tasted a lot, and saw even more. For four days on the road, 38 thousand were spent for two, including travel, accommodation, meals and a couple of souvenirs.

An article about traveling by car to the Baltic countries: what you need to know, what documents to prepare. At the end of the article - a video about what you need to know before traveling to the Baltics by car.

Traveling by car to the Baltic countries has a lot of advantages. The main thing is to know some of the "pitfalls" and features of paperwork and driving in these countries.

The Baltics are already Europe, the rules of entry and driving are about the same here, but there are still small differences. Let's talk about the main points that you should know in advance.

Pros of traveling by car

1. If you go by car not alone, but together or three, the cost of gasoline (even taking into account the depreciation of the car) will cost significantly less than purchasing tickets for transport, be it a bus, train tickets, and even more so by air.
2. The car will allow you not to worry about excess baggage and liquids prohibited by air. Also, the problems of "overweight" are pushed back to the limit of baggage weight, which is critical for a particular car, and not limited to the weight agreed by the airline in the region of modest 20 kg per person.

   Looking out for another purchase in a souvenir shop, you don't have to think about the question of whether you can bring it home.

3. A personal car is freedom. You are not limited by time frames, you do not have to move along a predetermined trajectory, as in the case of a bus tour. Seeing on the horizon a building you like, a settlement, you can always turn off the highway and visit more interesting places. Tempting, right?

Required documents for entry

For auto:

• registration certificate;
• international driving license;
• technical certificate;
• "green map".

If the car is older than three years and has a Russian registration, at the border they may be required to present a diagnostic card of the car, which indicates that the car is in good working order.

Those who have recently traveled to the Baltic states note that even for a more recent car, it is better to undergo unscheduled maintenance in advance. A diagnostic card at the border is asked after the tourists have received a stamp in their passport to enter the country.

A diagnostic card may be required not only at the border. According to the laws of the Baltic countries, this document can be asked to be presented by any police officer.

If your car has tinted glass, you should take care of the question of what is their light transmittance. Tinted side front windows of the car must transmit light in the volume of at least 80%. In the case of side rear and rear windows, the light transmittance of the cover may be lower. As a rule, there are no problems with the factory tinted glass at the border.

Studded tires are permitted in the Baltics from early October to late April. If the windows of the car are cracked or there is damage on the body, the car may not be allowed at the border - according to the laws of Europe, such cars are not allowed to enter the country.

If a power of attorney is needed for a car, it must be notarized without fail.

For adult passengers:

• application with a questionnaire;
• international passport with a Schengen visa;
• certificate of income from work;
• bank confirmation that you have funds on your account;
• medical insurance;
• confirmation of hotel reservation, rent of an apartment or a guest house.

• birth certificate;
• up to 14 years old, the child's data can be entered in the passport of one of the parents;
• when a child travels without parents - own passport with Schengen and notarized parental consent to travel abroad.

Medical insurance for entering the Baltic countries must be issued for a coverage amount of at least 30 thousand euros.

For instance, navigator Sуgic will perfectly cope with both "leading" the driver to a given destination, and will tell about the sights of the country closest to the paved route.

Restrictions on the import of goods and features of border crossing

Photo: checkpoint on the border with Estonia

There are restrictions on the import of a number of goods into the Baltic States, which may differ from country to country. Typically, this applies to cigarettes, alcoholic beverages, fuels and certain foods.

For example, more than 40 pieces of cigarettes (that is, two packs), one liter of alcohol with a strength above 6 degrees or two liters of weaker alcohol such as beer, 10 liters of gasoline, as well as meat and any meat products cannot be imported into Latvia.

The use of anti-radars in the Baltics is strictly prohibited. At the entrance, such devices are likely to be taken away, or simply not allowed into the country. If the fact of the presence of these devices is found out already in the country, the driver will be fined up to 1200 euros - the amount is more than the average wage!

In theory, you can call the border checkpoint and ask in advance how long the queue is. But not the fact that you will be answered.

When leaving the country, autotourists are better off using the advance booking of the electronic queue. It should be borne in mind that in the Baltics, border guards specifically pay more attention to the electronic queue than to the “live” queue, so it makes sense to spend one and a half euros to book a seat in the electronic queue, than then tell the “horrors” about a seven-hour stay at the border checkpoint.

Driving features

Similar to Russian regulations, in the Baltics, dipped headlights are mandatory.

Parking in cities is usually paid. They will cost from two euros per hour, but in capitals and central regions of cities they can be three times more expensive.

There is an interesting feature of parking in Tallinn: here you need a parking clock, which can be purchased at a gas station. This watch is placed under the windshield. Payment for parking is made using SMS, if you have a SIM card of the country, or through a specialized machine.

It is better to study the speed limits in the Baltic countries in advance. So, the "fairy tale" about the slowness of the same Estonians is by no means a fairy tale if we talk about the speed limit on the roads. A car is allowed a maximum of 110 km / h and then only on specialized highways marked with the sign "road on a blue field", and only in summer. And in the period from the beginning of November to the end of March, outside the city you can move at a speed of no more than 90 km / h, in the city - no more than 50 km / h.

If you exceed the speed limit, you will have to fork out: exceeding up to 10 km / h can go unnoticed, but if the speedometer arrow crawled 20 km / h above the norm, this is 400 euros or a six-month disqualification, 40 km / h above the upper limit - 800 euros and annual deprivation of rights, 60 km / h "bust" - 1200 euros and deprivation of rights for two years.

The car, as well as by Russian standards, must have a first aid kit, a fire extinguisher, a reflective vest and an emergency stop sign. However, the presence of a reflective vest is not strictly required, but without it, it is impossible to be on the road outside the car.

If you are stopped on the road, you cannot get out of the car: this can be interpreted as an attempt to escape. You just need to open the driver's side window and put your hands on the steering wheel. The policeman will approach you himself.

Fuel cost

Photo: gas station in Estonia

1. In Estonia: 95th gasoline - from 80 rubles, diesel - from 76 rubles, gas - from 36 rubles, but there are very few gas stations here.
2. In Lithuania: 95th gasoline - from 75 rubles, diesel fuel - from 66 rubles, gas - from 34 rubles, and gas stations are quite common in this country.
3. In Latvia: 95th gasoline - from 78 rubles, diesel fuel - from 75 rubles, gas - from 35 rubles. In all the Baltic countries, roads are not overloaded, cars move in “sparing” traffic, so fuel consumption is quite economical.

Conclusion

In general, a trip to the Baltics in a private car is an enjoyable adventure if you follow the traffic rules, are law-abiding and are willing to endure a little paperwork at the border. Happy trip!

Video on what you need to know before traveling to the Baltics by car:

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 per 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 spend 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 passed in 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 didn't 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 transport prices.

Don't let the rising currency rate scare you. If you plan your trip well, the trip will cost you a fraction of the cost. I was convinced of this once again during my last trip to the Baltic States, and now I am sharing with you my advice.

1. Buses between Riga, Vilnius and Tallinn for 3 euros
The capitals of the Baltic countries are connected by a bunch of bus routes with great service (toilet, heating, Wi-Fi and even free monitors).

The SimpleExpress carrier throws out 5 promotional tickets for each flight exactly six months before departure. To travel Vilnius-Tallinn, Vilnius-Riga, Riga Tallinn and back for only 3 euros.
There are also ongoing promotions in the bus companies LuxExpress, Ecolines, and Eurolines.
Discounts can be up to 70% and a ticket for an international route costs around 5 euros.

2. Discounts on railways and buses.

There is a 15% discount on Lithuanian railways when buying a round-trip ticket. Remind the cashier of this. In Latvia, travel by electric trains on weekdays during working hours is a quarter cheaper. Between Estonian cities it is better to travel by SuperBus. The ticket costs 2 euros (the cunning ones indicate the price in Eureka, but you can't get away from paying for the reservation).

3. Do not overpay for travel in cities.

The cost of travel in public transport for our money is crazy. For example, in Riga, a ticket when purchased from a driver costs as much as 2 euros! However, the same ticket in the machine will cost you 1.15 euros. If you will use the transport more than 4 times in 24 hours (from the date the coupon is broken through), then it is more advisable to buy a travel card for 5 euros.

In Tallinn and Vilnius, for multiple trips, you should buy a special plastic card. They cost 2 and 1.5 euros, respectively. In the capital of Estonia, it can be returned (but only at the customer service center), Lithuanians do not return money.

4. Get free cards at tourist centers.

Each tourist information center provides a free paper map of a city, region or the entire country. As a rule, they are located in the main squares of cities, train stations and airports. Do not hesitate to ask the workers of the travel center about the events that take place in the city, free museums and where to eat inexpensively but tasty.

5. Business lunches, canteens and fast food.

On weekdays at lunchtime (usually from 11 to 15), many restaurants offer set meals (or business lunches) at a significant discount. For example, in the center of Tallinn in the Karja Kelder restaurant, minced meat soup (this is how they presented it to us) and the main course (pictured) cost us only 3.7 euros.
There are still Soviet canteens in Vilnius. Lithuanian they will be Valgykla.
If the goal is to satisfy hunger, then in Riga fast foods you can buy a complex: burger, french fries and cola for 2.65 euros.

6. Where is it more profitable to refuel?

The cheapest gasoline among the three Baltic countries is in Estonia. A liter of the 95th costs a little more than euros. You will have to pay the most in Latvia. The difference in the price of fuel between states is within 10 cents.

7. No money for the museum and parliament.

There are a number of interesting museums where admission is absolutely free or the fee is purely symbolic. For example, these are museums of money at banks in Estonia and Lithuania. It's not boring here - it's very modern and interactive. You can even print your own money or treat yourself to a bank-branded candy.

Also in the Baltic countries there is a great opportunity to visit local parliaments. You can sign up for an excursion to the Lithuanian Sejm or the Estonian Parliament in advance.

The art museums in Tallinn have the so-called "One Euros of the Environment". Entry once a quarter on Wednesdays for only 1 euro. Check the museum website before you travel!

Some museums have free admission with a press ID. And it doesn't matter if it is "Zhmerynsky worker" or "Forbes Ukraine". For example, in the interesting Maritime Museum Tallinn. Employees of other museums (including ours) also have a similar benefit.

8. Shopping from catalogs in supermarkets.

The lowest supermarkets in Lithuania. We are just mad about their chocolate curds! Price from 0.2 eurocents. Citrus fruits - like ours. Please bring your promotional pricing brochure before entering the supermarket. Sometimes the discount can be up to 50%. Of course, everything that is cheaper to take is not worth it, but in this way we bought ourselves delicious Riga sprats or double snickers with coffee in an IKI supermarket for 1 euro.

9. We book accommodation earlier.

We booked a hotel in Riga a couple of months in advance. In addition to discounts for early booking, we used a promotional code on the hotel website. Won more than € 10 A friend of mine used Airbnb. Had a private room in Tallinn for 9 euros.

Are you planning to travel to Europe with your family or company, and ticket prices are so expensive? Don't be in a hurry to get upset - consider auto tourism. It has many advantages.

Firstly, by car, you can move along any trajectory and are not limited in time. Secondly, if there are at least two of you, gasoline will come out much cheaper than tickets (accordingly, the more you are, the more profitable!). And third, you don't have to worry about overweight luggage.

And if you are still in doubt, read below the real story of how we set off to travel the Baltics.

For the first time, we decided to start small and go for a few days to the Baltics - Latvia and Estonia. Here I must say that we only had cars on studded tires at our disposal, and far from all EU countries it is possible to drive on such tires - check this point when making a route.

To travel to Europe by car you will need ...

1. Reliable car.

2. A green card for a car (like our OSAGO) - costs about 2,500 rubles, you can get it both in advance, at any insurance company in your city, or just before leaving the Russian Federation. As you approach the border, you will now and then begin to meet points with appropriate signs, and cards are also drawn up at some border gas stations.

3. Schengen visa. A surprise awaited us. It turns out that now almost all embassies are moving to work with intermediaries. That is, of course, you can do without them, but then you will have to make an appointment with the consulate to submit documents for two or three weeks and plus 10 days for obtaining a visa, but you will save 25 euros on Pony Express services.

4. Navigator. We downloaded Sygic, which took us from house to house, that is, to rented apartments. In addition to the basic functions, it can be used in pedestrian mode - it will show the nearest sights and give brief information about them.

5. Good company. After all, you will have to spend a lot of time nose to nose: if in the city you can still run to different places, and sit on the plane at different ends, then in the car you cannot get away from each other. And it's even better if this company has a second driver whom you trust - the road goes much easier if you change driving every two to three hours.

By the way, about the road. There are several options for how to travel to Europe: the choice depends on the specific route. Our first destination was Riga, so we chose Novorizhskoe highway with the border crossing at Burachki (Russia) - Terehovo (Latvia). Judging by the reviews of friends and internet blogs, the highway was reconstructed just a couple of years ago. We did not have a single complaint: neither to the quality of the coating, nor to the markings, nor to the signs. There was only one imperfect, but also short-lived site in the Pskov region, it did not cause any serious inconvenience.

Leaving Moscow at 4 am, already at 11 we were at the checkpoint. On the way there was a feeling that we were alone on the track. Only in the rear-view mirror were the headlights sometimes visible, and once every five minutes, oncoming cars rushed. We were third in the line at the border, but ten minutes later there was already a decent tail of cars behind us - it's not even clear where all these people came from. When passing the control, it is mainly the driver who has to fuss: he takes all the passports, and shows the car, and draws up the documents. The maximum number of passengers may be asked to get out of the car, and even then not always. Having settled the formalities in about an hour, we moved on.

On the other side of the border, the asphalt became noticeably worse, but still of acceptable quality. By the way, fill a full tank before the border - a liter of 95th gasoline in Latvia costs about 1.8 euros. The next 300 km to the capital of Latvia took us about 5 hours - there are many settlements on the highway and the speed drops to 50, and sometimes to 30 km / h. That is, the whole road, taking into account the passage of the border, stops at gas stations and lunch, took about 13 hours. For comparison, the train Moscow - Riga takes 16.5 hours.

Parking in the center of European cities is paid, so think ahead about where to store your car. We had an agreement with the owners of the rented apartment that they would give us the keys to the courtyard of the house, which helped us save a lot and not worry about the safety of transport. By the way, the apartment itself with all conveniences for four people, 10 minutes walk from the Old Town, cost about 50 euros per night.

Of course, we immediately went to the Old Town. Having reached the Church of St. Peter and appreciating its scale, we realized that we were getting hungry from the road. Having looked around, we went into a cafe of local cuisine - what a knuckle there was! To be honest, it was the most delicious dinner of the whole trip. I wanted to order mulled wine, but the waiter suggested trying a hot drink based on Riga Balsam and blackcurrant juice - delicious! The bill for dinner in a restaurant in the center is about 20 euros per person - this is meat with a side dish and a drink. Some, but not all establishments automatically include a 10% service charge.

You can save a lot on food if you eat at home or in establishments similar to our "Mu-mu", for example. In the latter case, a very hearty dinner will cost about 10 euros. But we decided that we would lose some of the flavor without exploring the local cuisine.

After walking a little more in the evening center and carefully tasting mulled wine in the central square, we went to rest.

In the morning we left the car and went to Jurmala by train. The fact is that the station is located right next to the Old Town, the train takes only 20 minutes, and we decided not to bother. And the price of gasoline again ... Jurmala is a resort on the coast of the Gulf of Riga. In the very center is the Majori station, where we got off. Previously, it was here that the "New Wave", KVN and other festivals were held. A very cozy town with beautiful architecture and pine trees. On the beach in winter, the wind, of course, knocks down, but on the streets themselves it is quiet and nothing interferes with the walk. I can imagine how great it is here in summer! This place is especially suitable for families.

Returning to Riga and armed with a guidebook, we headed to the Old Town again. If you wish, you can hire a personal guide on the square near the House of Blackheads, who will take you around the city and tell you everything in detail. Unfortunately, we were not able to climb to the observation deck of St. Peter's Church: due to heavy snowfall, it did not make sense. The next morning we wanted to go to a 20-minute organ concert at the Dome Cathedral. So we went to buy tickets. As it turned out later, it was a very correct decision - there is a huge queue at the box office immediately before the concert. Proceeding further and looking into the Cathedral of St. James, we got to the end of the service and was just playing the organ. "Eh, my 10 euros were crying, I wasted nothing," I thought. True, it turned out nevertheless that the organ of the Dome Cathedral sounds much cleaner, even in my amateurish opinion. But if you want to save money, this is quite an option.

The day after the concert, we went to Tallinn. There are about 300 km between cities, and this journey took about five hours. Crossing the border is purely formal: you pass without stopping at a low speed checkpoint, and that's it - you are in Estonia. The track immediately noticeably changes - the road surface is getting better, there are much more cameras, and gasoline is cheaper (about 1 euro per liter). In Tallinn, we also parked in a closed courtyard with the prior permission of the owners. The price of an apartment is comparable to that of a dwelling in Riga - 50 euros for a spacious apartment within walking distance from the historic center.

On the Town Hall Square, following a very tasty smell, we found ourselves in the medieval tavern "Three Dragons". In all seriousness, no electricity or cutlery - the soup must be drunk from a cup-bowl! The choice of dishes is limited to one type of soup, wild boar ribs and hot sausages; there are also pies with various fillings and drinks. The prices are reasonable for a tourist center: dinner with sausages - 12 euros, with ribs - 20 euros. Of course, I wanted to try something unusual, and I chose boar ribs. The portion is oh-oh-very large and it is quite enough for two young ladies. Objectively, the meat is cooked well - not tough, very juicy. But he has a very specific marinade, it gives off sweetness. And sweet meat is ... not mine in general. Although the surrounding men ate beer with pleasure.

In the morning we decided to catch up and went to the observation deck in the Fat Margaret tower in the Old Town. To get upstairs, you need to buy a ticket to the Maritime Museum for 6 euros. The good news is that if you are traveling with your family, the ticket will cost you 12 euros for everyone. The prospect of walking around a boring specialized museum did not please us at all, but what a surprise it was when it turned out to be extremely exciting. There are interactive exhibitions, real masts with sails from sunken ships, and ship models. In general, it will be interesting for both big and small, for boys - in general, paradise. You can also go to the Hydrogavan, the second part of the museum, and climb there on a real submarine!

In principle, a couple of days is enough to explore the historical part of both capitals. If you want to go out of town or delve into the study of museums in more detail, of course, it is better to allocate more time.

The return trip to Moscow took us about the same 13 hours through the checkpoint Luhamaa (Estonia) - Shumilkino (Russia). A couple of differences from the Latvian border: it is better to book the time of crossing the border in advance - spend about an hour. How long will have to stand in a queue is unknown. And you also have to pay a service fee of about 5 euros per car.

Total:

In total, it took us about 12 thousand rubles for the road for gasoline for a sedan with a 1.6 engine on the machine. For three people it turned out much cheaper than tickets.

Green card (insurance) - 2500 rubles.

Service fee at the Estonian border - 5 euros.