My wife and I are considering travel to the Baltic States for six days or so. We will be in Sweden and will probably fly in to Tallin or Riga. We would then drive to the other capital and spend a few days there. We'd welcome any advice on driving between Riga and Tallin and any stops we should make enroute. I see that Hertz rents cars in Tallin, so that looks like a more probable first stop. Also, the only guide I have found on the Baltic States is Lonely Planet. While that is a good guide, it's about four years old, and I know there have been lots of changes in the region. Any suggestions for further research would also be appreciated.

Check out the In Your Pocket online guides for more up-to-date information than the printed books have.

http://www.inyourpocket.com/

Hi! I'm not sure how much I can help but I did live in Riga for 5 months a while ago & have been back twice since. I travelled to Tallin by train so cannot give you any advice on the roads, etc....unfortunately. I really love Riga & if you have any questions I'll be happy to try to answer them.

Midnightsun,

just as imanta I also used to live in Riga for a while. As I, too, love the country, I have returned a couple of times ever since.

I also travelled to Tallinn repeatedly.

A few remarks:

1. Hertz also has an office in Riga. I actually rented from them. They have an aiport office in Riga and also an office on Aspazijas bulv. 24 in the city center.

2. Driving time between Riga and Tallin is about 4 hours via Via Baltica, the coastal route. While leading through inland countryside for the first part of the trip heading out of Tallinn you would hit the coast after a while. Pärnu makes for a very nice stop. It's a seaside resort and labelled Estonia's summer capital. The beach is wide and the water clear and shallow. Thus it warms quite nicely despite its northern location. The Bauhaus style Scandic Ranna Hotell (Beach Hotel) is located a bit to the South of town directly on the beach, offers secure parking and nice pastry in their café along with a view. You could also take a dip into the sea should you stop over there. The Scandic chain is affiliated with Hilton.
I think the coastal route is quite nice as it will take you through lush green fields and forests and you will often be able to catch a glimpse of the sea behing a few pine trees.

3. Another option would be to take a more inland route. You could do the drive from Tallinn to the South of Estonia and the area around Otepää or Viljandi. There is a border crossing at the divided town of Valka/Valga. From there you could head into the Latvian "mountainside" around Valmiera (rolling hills actually fits the bill a bit better) and make it further South via the medieval city of Cesis. This would be followed by Sigulda, the entry gate to the Gauja National Park. This is a very pleasant town that you should pay a visit when in Riga anyway. There are a few castles with interesting mythology, nice hikes and the only bobsleigh track of the former Soviet Union that can be climbed (and sometimes rides are featured for a small fee, too).
This drive will take considerably longer as roads are small, but still can be done in a long day of driving (approx. 7 hours, but more if you spend time in the cities indicated).

4. The recommendation of the inyourpocket webpage is spot on. Inyourpocket provides vital information and I would urge you to obtain a printed copy of their current guides upon arrival in each city. They are available at Hotel front desks and kiosks or durgstores such as the Narvesen chain in Riga for a very small price.

5. The idea of renting a car is great IMHO as it provides the freedom and flexibility to explore the country free of hassle. Plan on a half day trip to Bauska (close to Riga) for a visit to the nearby Rundale Palace.

Should you need further advice on accommodation and dining or should you require any more hints, do post here indicating your interests. I shall gladly try to help.

hsv: Your post was a wealth of information, and I expect imanta has a lot of good data on Riga as well. From what you have posted, I am beginning to formulate a circle route between Riga and Tallin, since it would certainly be easier to return our car to the same place we pick it up. That might give us a chance to do both the coastal and interior routes, and I think we could lengthen our trip by a couple of days if needed. BTW, we will be traveling late June/early July. Hotel and restaurant recommendations in Riga would certainly be welcome. Our preference is to avoid big chain hotels; we'd like to spend somewhere in the $100-$150 range for hotels in the city. Post here or e-mail me. Thanks!

Hi Midnightsun & hsv!

As far as hotels to stay in Riga----of course the most desirable area to be in Riga is the Old Town (Vecriga), but it can get decently expensive there. The last time I was in Riga I stayed at Hotel Laine which is just a few blocks outside of Vecriga & was less expensive than the Vecriga hotels. It was a great location overall & it only took a couple-few minutes to walk to the Old Town. The room we had was large & clean & we had large buffet-like breakfasts in the am (european style, not US-pancakes, etc...). The staff was very friendly & helpful & spoke English quite well. Recently, a friend of mind stayed at this same hotel & also enjoyed it. One possible negative (although this may be different now)---the elevator did not go up to the top floor at the time of my stay. That wasn't really a problem for us, but if you have any sort of health problem that makes getting up stairs difficult, this could possibly be an issue.

Another time that I stayed in Riga, I was on Brivibas Iela (one of the main streets in central Riga---it actually ends at the entrance to Vecriga). I stayed in a rented apartment through the Patricija company & then also used them for a longer stay in another Riga flat.

I definitely agree with hsv re: visiting Sigulda & Cesis. They are both really interesting places. Cesis was one Latvian city that managed to retain much of it's Latvian heritage during the Soviet years (unlike, for example, Daugavpils). Also, if you manage to get further away from the Riga area, I would definitely recommend a little city in the northwest called Kuldiga. Again, this was another city that retained much of it's Latvian-ness throughout the Soviet years & it's like a little storybook town/village.

I am also planning a trip to the Baltic states next summer. I saw a bed and breakfast place in Riga called Homestay which is in Mezapark, which looks very nice. Would Mezapark be very inconvenient? It appears to be just a city bus ride from the center. Does this make sense to those of you who have lived there?

I have stayed further away from the city center & also right in the midst of the city center & I would definitely say I prefer being right in the midst of busy Riga, close to the Old Town & the Central Market. However, I looked up Homestay on tripadvisor.com just now & it sounds like a charming place to stay, just far away from Old Town. So I guess it really just depends what you want out of your stay & what type of traveler you tend to be.

I have used Riga's public transportation tons, including from relatively far out of the city center & it was fine. No significant problems at all & it was relatively easy to use as well. Hope that helps a bit! If you have any other questions I can help you with, I'd be more than happy to try to help! I really love Riga the city & also Latvia as a whole.

Midnightsun,

that circle route might indeed be a very good idea.

I agree with imanta's hint on Kuldiga. It's a true gem in the Latvian province of Kurzeme (Courland).

Given your budget, I would suggest you look into the Konventa Seta Hotel (Convent Yard). It is quite popular and has a prime location in the Old Town of Riga. It is a three star that is managed by the same people that operate the 4.5 star Hotel de Rome. They also have a parking space that is fenced in and under surveillance to secure safety. The only downside is that you'd have to buy a permit to enter the pedestrian zone of Old Town. Consult with the hotel beforehand - and also to reserve one of the parking spaces.
I used to live in one of their apartments on a long term basis and would certainly recommend this place.


Slightly cheaper and only steps from the Konventa Seta is the Radi un Draugi (Friends and Relatives) Hotel, tucked away behind St. Peter's Cathedral. It is under English management and usually receives very good reviews. Accordingly it gets booked up fast, so reservations are a must. I am not quite sure whether they have any parking spaces, though. Of my recommendations here, this is the only place with which I have no first hand experience at all.

I also stayed at Hotel Laine, that imanta suggested. It is tucked away in a courtyard close to the huge Hotel Latvija. It did indeed offer pleasant service. The rooms should have been renovated since I stayed there, too. The location is pretty good if you want to explore the Art Nouveau District along Elizabetes iela and its side streets such as Alberta iela. Many worthwhile restaurants are also located in the belt surrounding Old Town. I am not sure whether Laine offers secure parking options.

I would not stay as far out as Meza Parks. Meza Parks is a beuatiful recreation area, but it is indeed quite a way into the city center. Somewhere between Old Town and the Hotel Laime would be ideal.

Another option that is not at all bad from my experience is the Reval Hotel Latvija. It is a big skyscraper and is part of the Estonian Reval Hotel chain and therefore might not qualify for your demands. But it has been meticulously renovated and refurbished and provides gorgeous views from its rooms, its rooftop sauna and rooftop bar. The rooms are pleasant and staff cheerful. They also offer parking spaces in their garage - reservation needed in advance. It is located very conveniently to Old Town and the Art Nouveau district, slightly out of Old Town on the corner of Elizabetes and Brivibas.

Check the following website for usually quite competitive rates on Riga Hotels, too:

http://www.viariga.com/pub/?id=1&sub=1&h_loc=1

I'll follow up with some restaurant recommendations another time.

I just came to Riga from Tallinn this afternoon by Eurolines bus. It is 4.5 hours, almost straight arrow. Check the map. There is no longer a train between Tallinn and Riga. I went from Helsinki to Tallinn by ferry. I believe that there are also ferries from Stockholm to Tallinn and/or Riga.

The ferry is a great way to travel up here. The Silja line ferry from Stockholm to Helsinki is a floating masterpiece. Take the second seating at 19:30 for the buffet all-you-can eat dinner to avoid children. It includes beer and wine. Aquavit is nominally priced and goes well with the herring and salmon. It's an overnight trip so you don't lose day time. I was on a EurailPass and the cabin, shared with 3 other gents, was free.

In Riga try the Lido restaurant in the old town. It is a buffet a-la-carte of plenty of items. One of the best meals I have ever had, and cheap.

My Riga hotel is way too cheap for you, and includes breakfast which comes tomorrow morning. The hotel is in the old town and it is clean and modern. It even has this free internet connection with a qwerty keyboard, not the normal thing in Europe for sure. Normally I burn up 5 or 10 minutes of expensive time trying to figure out the keyboard, when I can find an internet connection.

I second the In Your Pocket and LP Europe On a Shoestring recommendations. Read them thoroughly before you make your trip. I bought my LP a few months ago at Amazon but don't have it handy so I don't know the publication date.

Hopscotch: Thanks for the information. I'd appreciate any further thoughts about Riga, and cheap is good. What is your hotel's name?

We're going to our son's wedding in Lithuania this summer and plan to visit the rest of the Baltics then, so I have also been looking at travel books. I'm surprised you could only find the Lonely Planet book as it only took me a second to locate this book on Amazon--Latvia, 4th : The Bradt Travel Guide (Bradt Travel Guide). I just ordered the Lithuanian version of this travel guide and it is due here any day. It had excellent reader reviews on Amazon. I'll look through it and try to reppost on this forum after I've had a chance to look over the book. I'm pretty picky about my travel guides, so I should be able to give a pretty informed opinion as we've travelled a lot in Europe and I've use a number of books from different publishers.

Here is the Estonia book from the same publisher (4 out of 5 stars for a customer review) Estonia, 4th : The Bradt Travel Guide (Bradt Travel Guide). Do a search on Amazon as I also noticed a book just on Riga.

A quick question since I have done no research on lodging yet. What are you finding for lodging prices, and what types of establishments are these? Super fancy international type hotels, smaller b & bs, small family run hotels, 2* type, 3* type, 4* type? Thanks.

As I had promised to drop back in here again with some restaurant recommendations, here are a few:

1. I do second Hopscotch's recommendation of the Lido restaurant in Old Town. Lido is a chain of restaurants founded by a Latvian entrepreneur shortly after the independence and is immensely popular for a reason. The Old Town outfit goes by the name of <b>Alus Seta</b> and is located next to the Dome Cathedral on Tirgonu iela No.6. The style of cuisine is rustic, hearty Latvian and it's self service. Some good brews to match the name (translates to Beer Garden), too.

2. My favourite of the Lido restaurants, though, is called <b>Staburags</b> and is located at the corner of Stabu iela and Caka iela No.55, some 20 min. walk from Old Town. It also features hearty Latvian fare but is a full service restaurant. It has a rustic and pleasant decor and is pretty cheap. Try the smoked and then fried Latvian chicken (vista) - it's interesting and very good.

3. Lido has other outfits, too, which you might enjoy. One of them is their &quot;themepark&quot; restaurant a bit out of the way on Krasta iela 76 by the name of <b>Lido Atputas Centrs</b>. It is all buffet, too. Conveniently located near the Art Nouveau District is <b>Dzirnavas</b> on Dzirnavu iela No.76.

4. For International food and a pleasant upscale-casual atmosphere, I'd be inclined to seriously look into <b>Charleston's</b> on Blaumana iela 38/40 in the Art Nouveau district. Wonderful atmosphere and food to match prepared by Canadian Latvians.

5. If you really want a splurge, <b>Vincents</b> on Elizabetes iela No. 19 has been around for ever since the independence and has been reliably great. Heads of state and other celebs have visited and, I should think, have been pleased.

6. For truly great panoramic views at night, pay a visit to the rooftop bar at the Hotel Latvija. While it also attracts some dubious females, the views of Old Town and the rest of the city really are worth it.

7. If you care for a bustling bar and some international pub grub with definitely American influence, look into A.(ndaluzijas) Suns (strangely named after the movie &quot;Andalusian Dog&quot;, I believe) in the Berga Bazars shopping arcade on Elizabetes iela No. 83/85 is a safe bet.

8. If you are set to have a pint or more, <b>Dickens Pub</b> opposite the street from the formerly immensely popular Paddy Wheelan's Irish pub (which is a bit ailing now) might be worth a try. The address is Grecnieku iela right in Old Town by St. Peter's cathedral.

One remark on the ferry suggestion from Stockholm: The Silja Line ferries are indeed great. But they will take you only into Helsinki, from which you would have to do another crossing (which BTW is easy and does not take too long granted you take an express ferry, which is also offered by Silja).
Estonian shipping company Tallink offers direct service into Tallinn. They operate two vessels. One of them is called &quot;Victoria&quot; and is brand new. I have heard good things about it. The other is a bit older (Regina Baltica) and I think resembles the Estonia which sunk in a stormy winter night under suspicious circumstances about ten years ago. You might want to avoid that one. But Victoria might be an alternative.

hsv: Thanks again for all the useful information; I'm feeling more prepared. Julies, I can't tell you much about hotel rates yet, since I have not begun to research them. I'm planning some other parts of summer travel first, so I haven't yet gotten specific about Baltic dates. About all I know is that the Scandic Ranna Hotell in P&auml;rnu is around $110 per night and anyplace in Cesis looks to be quite reasonable ($60 per night). Car rental (out of Tallin) that I've checked on is a bit over $300 per week. Note to hsv and hopscotch: I did the overnight Silja ferry from Helsinki to Stockholm a few years back, and it made for many of my trip highlights: a band that did &quot;Achy Breaky Heart&quot; with solid Finnish accents, a most unusual karaoke bar, blackjack at sea, and the interesting rush of all the Finns into the duty free shop (I gathered some just did the cruise for the general party atmosphere and then turned around and went home).

Midnightsun, My hotel is the Hostel Profitcamp. I have a single in which I can barely turn around. Cost is 20 lati, about $35. Toilet and shower are down the hall. Refurbished and sparkling clean. Included continental breakfast and unlimited internet. Laundry Ls 1.00 per load.

hsv, I walked up to the Staburags and sat down. After looking at the prices I stood up and walked back to Old Town to find Alus Seta again. I hailed a police car to ask where it is, even though I had found it twice last night. The cops had a few words between themselves and then one of them said &quot;Get in. We drive you there.&quot; I had another great dinner, a plate of herring and salmon with a half liter of beer, followed by a plate of roast pork and kraut and another half liter of Latvia's brew. Total cost Ls 7.57, about $13,35. It's all a la carte buffet style. What a deal.

Your suggestion for the Dickens Pub was great. I walked into the restaurant side of the place and looked at the menu. Too rich for me so I went over to the pub. Today's special served from 11 to 17 was &quot;American steak with cream sauce, green vegetables, and fried potatoes and a half pint of Rebel Pilsner for Ls 3.95.&quot; What I got was about 6 ounces of excellent grilled sirloin, boiled and herbed potatoes, and a nice salad of tomatoe, cucumber, etc., the half pint of an awful beer (the Latvian beers are very good), PLUS a small tub of ketchup. I gave the ketchup back. Thanks for the tip on this excellent place, even though it is an English pub.

The Tallink ship I came on from Helsinki to Tallin was the M/S Romantika. The trip was about 3 hours. The bar featured karoke and there was no shortage of volunteers. Looked like a nice modern ship.

hopscotch,

glad you had some fun.

Have prices for dinner at Staburags really gone up so much? How embarrassing. Given the general price level in Latvia I should think it might still be affordable.

But given my experience with Latvian Police, how charming are you that you manage to pusrsuade them to drive you over to Alus Seta? ;-)

I have never heard of that deplorable Rebel Pilsener, but I agree that a pint of the omni-present Latvian Aldaris Zelta is indeed a very good brew. BTW, the beers from Cesis Brewery are really worth more than just an honourable mention.

Please note, that I only mentioned the Pub side of Dickens - and for good reason as I feel that their restaurant section might not be worth the sticker prices they are asking.

Tallink's Romantika, which you used, should be a sister ship to the Victoria, so I guess it is indeed quite nice.

I just keep wondering where you are staying in town. Would you mind to elaborate?

Have lots of fun in a city that won my heart when I used to live and work there (and which has made me long to return ever since I left)!
hsv

hopscotch,

sorry. Over the bottle of excellent Riesling I am just enjoying I overlooked that you had just mentioned your accommodation.

A cheerful toast to you!
hsv

There's a 2004 Rough Guide to the Baltics.

I also have a Cadogan Guide from 2005 called Flying Visits: Iceland, Finland, and the Baltic, which has less detail on the Baltics because it covers more territory.

Otherwise, I can't help you, because I'm still at the dreaming and planning stage myself (for 2007).