Riga Travel Forum

Hi everyone,

I will be visiting Riga at the end of April and have not yet decided on how to get from the airport to the city centre. The home page of Riga airport mentions a shuttle bus that goes to Brivibas Blvd at the city centre. But I can't find that street on the map (viamichelin.com). Could someone please tell me where Brivibas Blvd is? Close to the main station maybe?
Or would it be better to take a taxi from the aiport right to the hotel?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance,
Elena

http://www.airbaltic.com/public/32059.html
A lot of hotels also have free shuttles.

There is a Bus Number 22 that goes every 20 minutes or so from outside the airport to near the downtown Bus station. I used it twice last September/ October. There is also Number 22A that is express, but is not right at the bus Station, but at the Cathedral a ways off. Taxis are expensive and sometimes fraudulent. Bus may be crowded, but it is sure to get there, and cheap. I have forgotten, but less than 1 Euro in LVL. I think 30 cents LVL. You can pay on the bus. Figure 30 minute ride. I understand Taxis are about 15 to 20 Euro. Unless you are in a big rush, the bus was good.

Forgot to mention, you can go into the bus station and there is a information desk that can tell you what tram or bus to take for Brivibas Blvd. I am not sure where it is. They speak very good English.

Should not be a problem whatsoever! Brivibas is the name of Riga's main street (13 km long btw), while Bulvaris (bulevard) is a small section of this street in the city centre - from the Freedom Monument to the Reval Latvija hotel, several hundreds metres. That's it :)

It is very central and close to much of what would be worthwhile to see in a short time in Riga.

Yes, the bus fare is very low, LVL 0.40. Buying from the driver it goes up a little bit to LVL 0.50 (if I am not mistaken). Those small moneys are called "santimi" (not cents) in Latvia. Just thought, it might be useful to know...

Can't find Brivibas (Freedom or Liberty) Blvd on the map! It is one of the most important streets in the city! The first part is pedestrian only (and illegal bikes!) and is where the Laima clock and the Freedom Monument stands - guarded in hours of daylight by two ceremonial soldiers wearing the uniform of the early 1920s with contemporary guns. The Russian orthodox cathedral (or as some of the older inhabitants of the city still call the Planetarium) is in the same street about 100 metres from the monument. My cd-rom gives a lot of information of the street which, depending on the occupier of the time, has also been known as Hitler Blvd and Lenin Blvd.

>>Can't find Brivibas (Freedom or Liberty) Blvd on the map!<<

Hey sorry, I did type that street name in at viamichlin.com and that site found:
Brivibas Gatve & Brivibas lela
So I did not know if this was the same as Brivibas Blvd or if this was just another street.

Many thanks to all of you for your replies!!

Elana : Just take a taxi about $10.00 That street you ask about is one of the main streets downtown, It goes by the freedom monument,everybody uses that for a reference, most all the busses stop near the Freedom, train depot is a couple of blocks. next to the Reval Latvia hotel 25 stories and a great place to have a drink and observe the city I have a lady friend there and have been to Riga three times last year and will be there in Feb. I can answer or get answers to any questions! a friend from here in California [US] is married to a Riga lady. Sam

Elana : iela os Latvian for street ! Taxis are much faster to the hotel, you probably be tierd and want to just get er done anyway. What hotel ? Sombody ask on here about a dentist have a friend in Riga that is a great dentist. Sam

>>>>>>Just take a taxi about $10.00<<<<<<<<

last time we went to riga...about 2 week ago didnt bother with a taxi, bus is so easy. get on right outside airport and drops you off in town 0.40lvl. time before we got a taxi, he wanted 15lvl...we managed to agree 13lvl that's approx $27USD. suppose it all depends how much cash you've got. but part of the experiance for me is meeting latvians and experiancing their way of life. busses,trains,trams,food...great fun. been 3 times now and planning to go again

You were ripped off in your taxi, although even the locals can get stung! Normally it should cost about 5 or 6 LVL to or from the airport to the centre of town about $10 9 euros today.

I just use the red cars from the riga taxi company, telephone number 8001313 - they also seem to have a monopoly on passengers away from the airport.

Davids - Where was the last time you took a taxi from the airport to the centre? If you can get one for under 10 lats you have a bargain. 5 to 6 lats was the norm 4 years ago when petrol was 40s (it is now 70+). And with inflation at 15 to 50% - depending if you believe the official figures or if you check your supermarket, gas and electricity bills for the past three years - it would not surprise me if the taxis were charging 20 lats!
My advice is do not use the taxis lined up outside the airport as they charge an arm and a leg, but phone for one from one of the smaller companies (I can give you a number if you care to email me)

I have never had any problems with the red Renault (?) taxis (which are the ones you'll find outside the airport) - on my last visit to Riga (3 weeks ago) we paid 8-9 lats between the airport and the city centre. On return to the airport, we agreed on a fixed price (9 lats) - which included a *long* wait outside Hotel Albert while I was trying to make the not-so-bright receptionist understand that she'd overcharged us by 150 euros! (Grrrrr!)

Overcharge... sometimes happen.. everywhere in the world... incl. Riga... good that you timely discovered it...and in the end recovered your money back! :)

Red Renault taxi from airport - be sure that on teh meter panel in right corner should be flashed symbol "L"- and this should not be changed to any other symblos (which are code sfor teh tariff)- then you'l get 1.50 LVL flat fee + 0.50 LVL/km ,waiting time/low speed 6 LVL/hr. City center is around 15km from airport terminal.

Howver if you hire the same taxi opeartor from Riga( calling toll free 8001313), the tariff cod eshould "A"(as "L"is only from the airport) and charges are 1.20LVL +0.45LVL/km - slightly cheaper.

The cheapast taxi from Riga, and without dioubts most hones and conevninet - they accept Visa, EC/MC and Amex online without hassle or surcharge ( I remember 20% Credit card surcharge in London black cabs ... :D ) is Smiel Taxi - 1.00 LVl +0.40LVL/km, 6LVL/hr, cars are new as well, call 67262525.Wish you go from teh airport by taxi and if you intend to save some money and have some reserve time, then you can call them they will arrive to teh airport without additional charge but will pick you up on the upper level at departures.

If no big bags, hotel not far from bus stops, not in the night and want to save some 15-20$, I would advice public bus (22 or 22a). When exiting the airport just cross the parking place and you will see the glass stop on the right side behind the parking place (below large advertising screen). Currently it costs 0.40 Ls (0.80 USD) from the airport to city center by public bus. 22 stops just after the river or near the Stokman super market. 22A (kind of express with fewer stops, costs a bit more 0.50 Ls?) crosses the river by different bridge and stops near big Orthodox cathedral (Brivibas street), Reval hotel Latvia is 200 m from this stop. Old town some 400 m. You can buy tickets in the bus.
Only cash, only local currency, better change, not big nominal.

Still it is lot cheaper than taxi (8-10 Ls) and also cheaper than recently introduced airport shutle (airBaltic) 3 Ls (6 $), which takes the same route as 22A.
You will see schedule near the stop. So if too long to wait, take a taxi.
To make things easier, I created this map in Google map with main stops of 22 and 22A:
http://www.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=lv&amp;msa=0&msid=101246882726494671877.000445fbe8adb44035c88

Mangled url previously. Hope this works:
http://www.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=lv&amp;msa=0&msid=101246882726494671877.000445fbe8adb44035c88

sorry, delete amp; from the URLs above, then it works

Air Baltic runs a shuttle bus to the Reval Hotel Latvia

http://www.airbaltic.com/public/32091.html

Ticket price EUR 4.50 (LVL 3). Cash (Latvian lats only) and payment cards accepted.

When using the City Bus 22 or 22A you should be aware that there is a charge for luggage. The charge is the same as a single person but my medium sized roller bag is always charged as two people! Still cheaper than a taxi.

When using the 22 bus (the route differs from the 22A Express) I recommend getting off at the Stockman department store, near the Railway station and inter city/international bus station, before the bus goes off to the city bus depot, which is slightly out of the way.

For travelling around the City I always buy a 5 day ticket, from the window at the side of the inter city/international bus station, which is cheaper and more convenient than buying individual tickets and is justified by just a dozen or so individual journeys.