I am traveling so I can go to Ludza in East Latvia, so I can find an ancestor’s grave, so I can go to the town my grandfather on my dad’s side’s parents were from before they came to the USA. My plan is to see various museums and sites before and after Ludza. This is a solo trip. I already bought plane tickets. So far my supposed itinerary is:

Flight leaves Detroit on a Friday late afternoon. Friday night on the plane. Arrive in Vilnius Saturday Afternoon. Saturday, Sunday, and Monday nights in Vilnius. Part of Tuesday in Vilnius. Late afternoon or evening bus or train to Trakai, Lithuania. Tuesday night in Trakai. Wednesday, Trakai Island castle, Karaite museum if open, whatever else, bus or train to Kaunas, Lithuania. Wednesday Thursday, and Friday nights in Kaunas. I am unsure whether I should spend a 4th night in Kaunas. That’s all I have figured out so far. I still need to fit in Riga and Ludza in the remaining 8 days Saturday, Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat and my return flights leave from Riga at 6:50am on Sunday.



Have any of you seen Rundale palace in Latvia? It is worth it? It is rather close to Bauskas castle. Maybe I can see the castle if there is extra time.



Should I rent a car at the small airport in Kaunas and drive it to the airport in Riga, stopping at the palace on the way? Prices for the rental cars start at just under approximately 200 US dollars. OR should I take the buses from Kaunas to Riga and then do a separate day trip with a rental car to the palace and maybe the castle or somewhere else? Prices for the rental picking up and dropping off the same day at the airport in Riga start at about 39 US dollars. The price of the bus trip from Kaunas to Riga is approximately 35 Euros. I have rented a car 4 times in the United States and never outside the country yet.



I probably won’t see much on the day I take the bus to Riga if I take the bus. Dropping the rental car off in another country is technically allowed but it is expensive but it is technically more time efficient.



There is a train line that has a stop in Ludza and there are buses to Ludza too but there are no Bolt or Uber or other ride share drivers or taxis in Ludza. Look for “Memorial Site of 1941 Jewish Victims” near Ludza on google maps. Which would be stupider or more reason to feel guilty for doing something weird my mom wouldn’t want me to do: Rent a car and drive it to Ludza, or take the train or bus and acquiesce to skipping sites too far to walk to from the middle of Ludza?



My mom will freak out and act psychotically scared for my safety and beg me to cancel my trip, like how she acted before I went to Spain and before some other trips (I was 38 when I went to Spain in March 2022), and I will feel like I am screwing up and doing something wrong and then I will travel anyway but part of my brain will still feel like I am doing something wrong but I will sublimate it ok and still have a good trip. I will tell her about a week or less before my trip.

We cycled around West Latvia before Covid (you can trace my link back to my story) and safety was not an issue, roads are empty and quiet. Towns have traditional taxis, but if you are very concerned you could order a pick up from your accomodation or airport type transfer companies which do exist.

Bolt is the big service in the Baltics but there may also be MOBI (for normal taxis), Yango and inDrive.

Europe is a relatively safe place, certainly compared to the USA, and the Baltics are not a high tourist area and so the usual attractions are less obvious, that doesn't mean, of course, that drugs, prostitution, muggings, theft from cars etc are not present. Just be sensible. Don't (as seen in New Zealant recently) walk around with your back pack on backwards cradling your documents and money with large husbands walking protectivley, it just makes you look crazy.

Having a car seems to me to be more of a burden than a benefit, but then I don't live in a high car culture.

By "something weird" do you mean traveling, visiting these countries, renting a car, or perhaps all three?

Via-a-vis your mom I can't possibly tell you what to do. As a traveler, I think you should stretch your muscles. You can benefit from the freedom of renting a car, but perhaps more importantly, you can benefit form doing something fully reasonable yet out of your comfort zone. Everything will be ok.

I do not look at renting a car in other countries as being different than renting in the US, except by almost any standard driving is far safer over there. So is breathing, existing, eating, etc.

Certainly public transport is great for going long distances if you have no interest in those 'between' places. But if you have that interest, then there is nothing like the freedom of car travel.

Do you think this looks reasonable or do you think it doesn't give myself enough time in Riga and it would be better to just skip Rundale Palace?
Friday various museums in Kaunas. 8th night, 3rd night in Kaunas
Saturday: Bus to Riga. 9th night. 1st night in Riga
Sunday: day trip with a rental car to Rundale palace and Bauskas Castle. 10th night. 2nd night in Riga
Monday: Various museums in Riga. 11th night. 3rd night in Riga
Tuesday: Taxi or rideshare to pick up a rental car. Drive to Ludza. Find the grave, whatever else if time. 12th night. 1st night in Ludza.
Wednesday: Local history museum, castle ruins, site of mass shooting, lakes, various streets. 13th night. 2nd night in Ludza.
Thursday: Drive back to Riga, return rental car, taxi or rideshare to hotel. 14th night. 1st night of second stay in Riga.
Friday: Various museums. 15th night. 2nd night of second stay in Riga
Saturday: Various museums. 16th night. 3rd night of second stay in Riga
Sunday: Flights back to Detroit leave at 6:50am

I'm very confused by the concept that each action has two nights linked. Please advise, just too complicated for me to advise.

What time of the year are you doing this? The Baltics are pretty far north so the amount of daylight varies a lot. What is doable easily on midsummer's day is very different to on the winter soltice.

Singing; the way the Baltics kept their freedom under the Soviets was by mass-singing, you need to go to a singing event, in the summer these are all over but choose one and just go. So much part of the culture.

You may want to go to a collective restaurant. Often in what remains of an appartment kitchen or factory kitchen, the food is fine and very Soviet-traditional but certainly interesting. Also look out for local bakery products and what passed for sugary-snacks in those days.

While I have not visited Rundale Palace I have visited a few grand houses in these countries and well they are just like grand houses in other countries. The 0.1% population lived there with their staff. While grand they show the history of the rich. Rather like seeing Bezos's house as representative of 2026.

Choose your accomodation at least so it is not a US/International chain. Try and find someone local or maybe a converted religious building so at least the locals make an income from your visit.

I'm not sure the site of mass shootings is always a good place to go on your own. I would need a friend with me just because it can be depressing. I have visited one or two and not again. But think it through and prepare yourself.

Enjoy you trip.

Michael, are you going everywhere twice? That sounds unusual but maybe it makes sense. If so, why? Just curious.

My trip starts in June. I arrive in Vilnius and depart from Riga. I already bought my plane tickets. My flights are probably fixed. I am still working on finding hotels. So far my supposed itinerary only has one location that I am going to twice. The supposed summary is, 1 night on the plane, 3 nights in Vilnius, 1 night in Trakai, 3 nights in Kaunas, 3 nights in Riga, two nights in Ludza (hopefully that isn't too much time), Back to Riga for another 3 nights, 16 nights total. Riga is the only city I am going to twice. If I arrive in Riga in the late afternoon or evening, and if I do a day trip to Rundale Palace and wherever else i might fit in, than I really only have one full day in Riga on my first stay in Riga and if I arrive in Riga in the afternoon after Ludza, I only have 2 to 2-1/2 days in Riga on my second stay in Riga, unless I am persuaded to adjust my itinerary or unless i skip my supposed day trip from Riga.

1 night on the plane,
3 nights in Vilnius,
1 night in Trakai,
3 nights in Kaunas,
3 nights in Riga,
2 nights in Ludza
3 nights in Riga

I'd think the Kaunas to Trakai bit is where I might have to choose transport more carefully (due to low level frequency) but all the rest look good on trains or the odd bus. But I've just done a quick search on rome2rio.

Thanks for your input. My current supposed itinerary is: Train or bus from Trakai to Kaunas. I suppose it is more common to see Trakai as a day trip from Vilnius. Would I be better off just seeing Trakai as a day trip Instead of spending a night there?

Yes you are right. There are just a few appealing train trips from Trakai to Kaunas. I checked train schedules. The trip best looking train trips involve taking a train towards Vilnius and getting off at Lentvaris, and switching to another train going to Kaunas. There are more trains from Trakai going roughly east to Vilnius than trains going west towards Kaunas. Some train tickets require waiting over an hour in Lentvaris, other tickets require just waiting a half hour, and one ticket cuts the transfer time rather close with only six minutes between trains. Some train trips involve switching trains in Vilnius, but wouldn't that be logistically silly, or too much back tracking?