Airport to city centre, all three.

Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport sits about four kilometres from the old town, which makes it one of the closest capital-city airports anywhere in Europe. You can see the city from the runway.

Tram number four runs from directly outside the terminal to the centre in about fifteen minutes. Tram number two also leaves the airport and runs to the Old City Harbour instead, which is the one you want for a cruise ship. A ticket costs around two euros bought contactless on board, and it runs roughly every ten to fifteen minutes from early morning until close to midnight. It is the single easiest airport transfer in the region.

Bolt, which was founded in Tallinn, is the ride-hailing default and will cost around ten to fifteen euros to an old-town hotel. Taxis from the rank are legally required to display their tariff on a yellow card in the rear window, and some display an unpleasant one, so check before getting in.

Arriving late, the tram stops around midnight and Bolt runs all night, so a late flight is genuinely uncomplicated here.

Vilnius Airport is about six kilometres south of the centre. The most quietly useful option is the airport train, which runs from a platform beside the terminal to Vilnius central station in about seven minutes for roughly a euro. It is the fastest airport rail link most visitors will ever use.

The catch is frequency: it runs perhaps ten to fifteen times a day rather than continuously, so check the timetable against your landing time. If it does not line up, bus 88 and bus 3G run to the centre in twenty to thirty minutes for about a euro.

The central station is a ten-minute walk from the southern edge of the old town and a fifteen to twenty minute walk from the centre of it, which is fine with a small bag and less appealing with a large one at night.

Bolt costs roughly ten to fifteen euros to an old-town hotel and is the default for most arrivals. A booked private transfer with a name board at arrivals starts at around thirty-five euros for up to three people.

Riga is the largest airport in the Baltics and the airBaltic hub, so it is where most connecting itineraries pass through. It sits about ten kilometres west of the centre, the furthest of the three.

Bus 22 runs from outside the terminal to the centre, stopping near the old town and continuing to the central station, in around thirty minutes. A ticket costs about one and a half euros bought in advance from the kiosk or newsagent, or a little more from the driver. It runs frequently through the day and there is a reduced night service.

Ride-hailing is the pragmatic choice: Bolt or Yandex Go will cost roughly fifteen to twenty euros to an old-town hotel. Avoid unbooked taxis waiting at the terminal door, which is where Riga's overcharging reputation comes from.

If you are heading straight to Jūrmala rather than into Riga, it is worth knowing that the airport is on the correct side of the city for it, and a direct transfer avoids crossing the centre twice.

Tallinn's Old City Harbour is closer to the old town than the airport is, roughly a fifteen-minute walk or a five-minute tram ride, which is why so many cruise passengers simply walk in. The D-terminal is where the Helsinki fast ferries dock.

Riga's passenger terminal sits just north of the old town along the river, about a twenty-minute walk or a short ride. Klaipėda's cruise berth is a few minutes from its old town, and is the gateway to the Curonian Spit rather than a city in its own right.

For a cruise call, the constraint is never the distance to town. It is the ship's all-aboard time, which is the reason a fixed, met, private arrangement is worth more on a port day than on any other kind of arrival.

Honestly: not for a solo traveller with a carry-on landing at two in the afternoon in Tallinn. Take the tram.

It earns its cost in four situations. Landing after midnight, when public transport has stopped and you are tired. Travelling as a family or a group of three or more, at which point a per-head bus fare stops being cheaper. Arriving with heavy or awkward luggage, or in January when the pavements are ice. And starting a trip where the first drive continues past the city, to Jūrmala, Trakai or the coast, rather than stopping at a hotel.

Our airport transfers start at thirty-five euros for up to three people, with meet and greet at arrivals, and are a fixed price agreed before you land rather than a meter.

How do I get from Tallinn airport to the city centre?

Tram number four runs from outside the terminal to the centre in about fifteen minutes for around two euros, every ten to fifteen minutes until roughly midnight. Bolt costs €10 to €15 and runs all night. The airport is only four kilometres out.

Is there a train from Vilnius airport to the city?

Yes. A train runs from beside the terminal to Vilnius central station in about seven minutes for roughly a euro. It runs a limited number of times a day rather than continuously, so check the timetable. Buses 88 and 3G are the fallback.

How do I get from Riga airport to the old town?

Bus 22 takes around thirty minutes and costs about €1.50 bought in advance from the kiosk. Bolt or Yandex Go costs €15 to €20. Avoid unbooked taxis waiting at the terminal door.

How far are the Baltic airports from their city centres?

Tallinn is about four kilometres, one of the closest capital airports in Europe. Vilnius is about six kilometres. Riga, the region's largest airport and the airBaltic hub, is about ten kilometres.

Is Uber available in the Baltics?

Not meaningfully. Bolt is the dominant ride-hailing app across all three countries and was founded in Tallinn. Yandex Go also operates in Latvia. Download Bolt before you fly.

What if I land in the middle of the night?

Ride-hailing runs all night in all three capitals, so you will not be stranded. Trams, trains and buses stop around midnight. A late arrival is the clearest case for a pre-booked transfer with a fixed price and someone waiting at arrivals.

How much is a private airport transfer in the Baltics?

From €35 for up to three passengers, including meet and greet at arrivals and a price fixed before you land. It is worth it for late arrivals, groups of three or more, heavy luggage, winter, or when your first drive continues past the city.

• Visit Tallinn: arrival and airport trams
• Visit Tallinn: public transport tickets
• Rīgas satiksme: tickets on bus number 22
• Rīgas satiksme: time ticket prices
• Vilnius Airport: train to the city centre

• Transfers and private drivers
• Getting between the Baltic capitals
• The Baltics without a car
• Cash or card in the Baltics?
• Plan a custom trip