At the end of January, Lukáš and I headed on a trip to Riga, Latvia. It probably wasn’t the best time to visit, because it was freezing cold and rainy on top of that. But Riga Latvia has its charm even in the kind of weather that makes you want to crawl into bed and stay there.
Here are a few of our observations.
1) Getting Around Riga
Whenever I travel somewhere, the first thing I want to know is how to get around.
The good news about Riga is that you can walk practically everywhere in the centre, so on one of our days we didn’t even need to use public transport at all.
We couldn’t figure out their timetables in three days. It didn’t help that they have tram no. 3 and also bus no. 3, which was a bit confusing for us as tourists. And there’s no decent app that works offline either.
2) Where to Buy Public Transport Tickets
Be careful — don’t buy tickets directly from the driver, because they’re more expensive. Buy them from the ticket machines at stops, or at a newsagent. A three-day pass costs €10, and a single ride is €1.15, but from the driver it’s €2. The Riga Latvia currency is the euro, so no need to worry about exchanging money.
3) Getting from the Airport to the City Centre
It takes about half an hour. Buses 222 and 22 run from the airport to the centre. Riga International Airport (airport code RIX) is well connected and quite easy to navigate.
4) Sending Postcards
Wherever I go, my second priority is finding out where to buy stamps. In Riga, it’s just like back home — you can buy stamps at any newsagent or kiosk.
5) The Most Important Word in Latvian
Kafejnica = café
Cafés are everywhere here, and given the weather we had, we visited quite a few. Some even offer soy milk options, and all the ones we went to felt super modern. An ideal destination for café lovers 🙂
6) Ham
Latvian ham is not like what you’d find at home. It’s fatty and thick. Bleh.
7) English
Riga is very multicultural, and almost everyone speaks excellent English. So is Riga Latvia safe for English-speaking tourists? Absolutely — you’ll have no trouble communicating and getting around.
8) What to Bring Back from Riga
Definitely pick up some eco or organic products — there’s a huge selection here, and at great prices. Or you can buy a mushroom-shaped nutcracker at the market (Why not?)
9) What to See in Riga
Riga, the capital of Latvia, has a beautiful historic centre. Even if you’re not religious, don’t be afraid to peek inside the churches — in St. Peter’s Church, we truly felt as if earth and heaven were connected for a moment…
You can also visit the National Library, a massive glass-walled, imposing building where you get a visitor card and can wander around freely.
As for museums, we’d recommend the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia. For views, our favourite was the Sky Bar, where we spent most of our time hiding from the freezing weather. If you’d like to explore the city with a guide, you can easily find walking tours and activities on GetYourGuide.
We also recommend the app Like a Local 🙂
10) Fur Coats
Everyone in Riga wears real fur coats, or at least has a jacket with real fur trim. In my regular coat, I felt terribly out of place. Given the Latvia weather in Riga during winter, I can’t really blame them!
Tips and Tricks for Your Vacation
Don’t Overpay for Flights
Search for flights on Kayak. It’s our favorite search engine because it scans the websites of all airlines and always finds the cheapest connection.
Book Your Accommodation Smartly
The best experiences we’ve had when looking for accommodation (from Alaska to Morocco) are with Booking.com, where hotels, apartments, and entire houses are usually the cheapest and most widely available.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Good travel insurance will protect you against illness, accidents, theft, or flight cancellations. We’ve had a few hospital visits abroad, so we know how important it is to have proper insurance arranged.
Where we insure ourselves: SafetyWing (best for everyone) and TrueTraveller (for extra-long trips).
Why don’t we recommend any Czech insurance company? Because they have too many restrictions. They set limits on the number of days abroad, travel insurance via a credit card often requires you to pay medical expenses only with that card, and they frequently limit the number of returns to the Czech Republic.
Find the Best Experiences
Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace where you can book guided walks, trips, skip-the-line tickets, tours, and much more. We always find some extra fun there!
