By air, which is what most people do
The flight from Germany to any of the three Baltic capitals takes about two hours. Riga is the region's hub, served by airBaltic and Lufthansa from Frankfurt and Munich, and by low-cost carriers from Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Dortmund and Memmingen.
Vilnius and Kaunas both take German traffic, with Kaunas in particular carrying a lot of low-cost capacity. Kaunas is roughly an hour and a half from Vilnius by road or coach, which is worth factoring in against a cheaper fare. Tallinn is served from Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin.
Palanga, on the Lithuanian coast, is the fourth option and the one to consider if the Curonian Spit is your destination rather than a capital. It is small, seasonal and about half an hour from Klaipėda.
Fares are usually lowest in late autumn and January, and highest in July and around the Christmas markets in December.
By ferry, if you are bringing a vehicle
Two crossings run from Germany directly to the Baltics, and both are working ro-pax ships rather than cruise ferries. Expect a comfortable cabin and a decent restaurant rather than entertainment.
Stena Line runs Travemünde, near Lübeck, to Liepāja on the Latvian west coast. The crossing takes roughly twenty-one and a half hours and lands you within easy reach of Riga, about three hours by road, or the Curonian Spit to the south.
DFDS runs Kiel to Klaipėda in Lithuania, a crossing of roughly twenty-one hours. Klaipėda is the gateway to the Curonian Spit and about three and a half hours from Vilnius.
The case for the ferry is simple: you sleep through the distance, you skip roughly a thousand kilometres of Polish motorway, and your car, campervan or bicycles come with you. The case against is cost and frequency, since both routes run a few times a week rather than daily and cabins for peak summer sell out months ahead. Book early.
By road, through Poland
Berlin to Vilnius is about a thousand kilometres and roughly eleven to twelve hours of driving. Berlin to Riga is around thirteen hundred kilometres, and Berlin to Tallinn about sixteen hundred.
The route runs east through Poland, past or around Warsaw, then north on the Via Baltica corridor through Bialystok and Suwalki to the Lithuanian border. The Polish sections have improved enormously in the last decade, and the Suwalki stretch that used to be the bottleneck is now largely expressway.
Practical points. Poland charges tolls on parts of its motorway network, and the electronic system is worth understanding before you set off. None of the three Baltic states charges a toll or requires a vignette for a car, which surprises people used to Austria and Switzerland. Latvia is the exception to watch in a campervan: its road user charge applies to any single vehicle over 3,000 kg gross weight, which takes in a good many motorhomes. Headlights are compulsory at all times in all three countries, in every season.
Most people split this into two days with a night in Poland, and the obvious stop is Warsaw or Bialystok. Done in one day it is legal and doable but long, particularly with children.
By rail and coach
Rail is the honest weak point, and it is a legacy of Soviet-era track gauge rather than a lack of interest. There is no direct train from Germany to the Baltics. The workable route is Berlin to Warsaw in about six hours, then onward north with a change toward Kaunas and Vilnius, which turns the journey into a long day and a half.
This will change. Rail Baltica, the new standard-gauge line linking Warsaw to Kaunas, Riga and Tallinn, is under construction with services targeted for the end of this decade. When it opens it will be the most attractive way to make this trip.
Long-distance coaches run daily from Berlin to Vilnius and Riga, taking roughly eighteen to twenty hours. They are cheap and perfectly comfortable, and they are the budget answer rather than the pleasant one.
Which to choose
Flying, if you want a city break or a guided trip and do not need a vehicle. Two hours, and a car and driver can meet you at arrivals.
Ferry, if you are bringing a campervan, a car with bicycles, or a dog, and you want the journey to be part of the holiday rather than an endurance test.
Driving, if you want to see Poland on the way, which is a genuinely good reason. Gdańsk, the Masurian lakes and Warsaw all sit close to the route.
Coach, if the budget is the deciding factor and you do not mind a long night.
Arriving, and what happens next
There are no border controls between Germany and the Baltic states. All are in the Schengen area and in the European Union, so you travel on your national identity card, use the euro throughout, and your German phone plan roams free.
If you are flying, the practical question is the first hour after landing. All three capitals have their airports close to the centre, and our transfers meet arrivals with a name board at a price fixed before you land.
If you are driving or shipping a vehicle, the practical question is where to leave it. Old-town hotels in all three capitals mostly rely on nearby paid garages rather than their own parking, so it is worth asking when you book rather than circling at midnight.
- Is there a ferry from Germany to the Baltic states?
- Yes, two. Stena Line runs Travemünde near Lübeck to Liepāja in Latvia, about twenty-seven hours, and DFDS runs Kiel to Klaipėda in Lithuania, about twenty-one hours. Both carry cars and campervans and both run a few times a week rather than daily.
- How long does it take to drive from Germany to Lithuania?
- Berlin to Vilnius is about a thousand kilometres and eleven to twelve hours of driving, through Poland and up the Via Baltica corridor. Most people split it with a night in Warsaw or Bialystok.
- How long is the flight from Germany to the Baltics?
- About two hours from Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt or Munich to Vilnius, Riga or Tallinn. Riga is the regional hub with the most connections; Kaunas and Palanga carry a lot of low-cost traffic.
- Is there a train from Germany to the Baltics?
- Not directly. The current route means Berlin to Warsaw, then a change onward toward Kaunas and Vilnius, taking well over a day. Rail Baltica, a new standard-gauge line linking Warsaw with Kaunas, Riga and Tallinn, is targeted for the end of this decade.
- Do I need a vignette or pay tolls in the Baltic states?
- Not for a car. Latvia is the exception for campervans: its road user charge applies to any single vehicle over 3,000 kg gross weight, below the three and a half tonne line people expect. Poland does charge tolls on parts of its motorway network, so plan for that leg of the drive.
- Do Germans need a passport for the Baltic states?
- No. All three are in the European Union and the Schengen area, so a national identity card is sufficient, there are no border checks, the currency is the euro throughout, and German mobile plans roam free.
Need a hand getting around?
Tell us where you want to go and we will sort the transfers, drivers and timing. A real person replies within one working day.