Riga → Vilnius
One direct train a day runs from Riga to Vilnius, leaving in the late afternoon and arriving in the evening, and the coaches take about four hours throughout the day. Both are cheap and comfortable, and the table below sets them out. A private car is for the traveler who wants the day itself: collected from the Riga hotel, the palace and the crosses on the way, and delivered to a door in Vilnius rather than a bus station.
We head south out of Riga to Rundāle Palace, the baroque house in the Latvian fields, then Bauska for lunch. Across the border the road bends west to the Hill of Crosses near Šiauliai before turning for Vilnius. You arrive with the luggage carried and the route explained along the way.
How the options compare.
| How | Time | Cost | In practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Train | About 4 hours | From about 10 EUR per person | One direct LTG Link train a day, leaving Riga in the late afternoon and reaching Vilnius in the evening. Check ltglink.lt before you plan around it. |
| Coach | About 4 hours | From about 12 EUR per person | Lux Express, Ecolines and FlixBus, several departures a day, with wifi and reserved seats. |
| Plane | Under an hour in the air, about 3 hours door to door | Usually more than the coach | A few airBaltic flights a day, and the airports take back most of the time. |
| Private carWith us | 3 hours 30 driving, about 5 with stops | $417 (≈ €356) sedan, up to 3 travelers, total | Riga hotel to Vilnius door, leaving when you like, with Rundāle and the Hill of Crosses on the way. |
Stops we can build in.
- Rundāle Palace (optional)
- Latvia's baroque showpiece, by the architect of the Winter Palace in St Petersburg. Leave Riga after breakfast and you arrive around opening time. Add about ninety minutes for the rooms and the formal gardens.
- Bauska
- A small Latvian town a few minutes from the palace, with a castle above the meeting of two rivers and an easy lunch before the border.
- Hill of Crosses
- More than one hundred thousand crosses on a low hill near Šiauliai, left by pilgrims for two centuries. Twenty quiet minutes, no ticket needed.
What the price covers.
- Private sedan or van, with fuel, tolls and parking
- English-speaking driver
- Hotel, airport or cruise port pickup in Riga
- A relaxed stop at the Hill of Crosses
- Bottled water and child seats on request
- Door delivery to your Vilnius hotel
Comfort for the distance.
Sedan for up to three with luggage, van for up to eight. Both carry full-size cases easily. Tell us your group and case count and we send the right vehicle.
- How do I get from Riga to Vilnius?
- Four ways. The coach takes about four hours and runs several times a day. One direct train a day takes about the same, leaving Riga in the late afternoon. A flight with airBaltic takes under an hour, about three hours once the airports are counted. A private car takes three hours forty-five without stops and can visit Rundāle Palace and the Hill of Crosses on the way.
- Is there a direct train from Riga to Vilnius?
- Yes, one a day. LTG Link's direct train leaves Riga in the late afternoon and reaches Vilnius about four hours later, in the evening. Second-class fares start around 10 EUR. Timetables change, so check ltglink.lt before you plan around it.
- Can we see Rundāle Palace on the way?
- Yes, and heading south it falls naturally in the morning, a little over an hour from Riga. Allow ninety minutes for the state rooms and the gardens. We build in the time and you buy entry on arrival.
- Can you collect us from Riga Airport or the cruise port?
- Yes. Tell us the flight or the ship on the form and we meet you there instead of at a hotel.
- Is this the Vilnius to Riga transfer in reverse?
- The same road and the same price, driven the other way. Heading south the palace comes first, while the day is fresh, and the Hill of Crosses after lunch.
- How many people and how much luggage fit?
- A sedan takes three travelers with cases, a van up to eight. Note any oversized items such as skis or golf clubs on the form so we send the right vehicle.
- What does the price include?
- Fuel, tolls, parking, the driver, and door pickup and drop-off. Palace entry and lunch are extra and optional.