I am planning a Baltics trip in November.
I found a pretty cheap flight to Vilnius, and was wondering what is the most scenic mode of travel from Vilnius to Riga (bus or train), and then from Riga to Tallinn (bus or train). On the return, I’d probably just fly back from Riga to Vilnius to save time.
I’m familiar with both buses and trains in Europe and am not worried about price. My question is really which mode will provide the most scenery?
Other than the fact that I just left this area a week ago, I don’t know why I am answering - because I drove, so did neither. The scenery was nice in September- not sure how it will be in November.
Thank you for posting. The bus would follow the same roads you did so that at least tells me something. In my experience, trains can be hit or miss regarding scenery.
The bus would follow the same roads you did
That may indeed be the case here, but not always. In my experience commercial busses will use the fastest most convenient route between two places. Cars on the other hand may deviate from the fastest most direct routes and take slower more scenic routes.
Just sayin'.
I took the LuxExpress bus between Vilnius and Riga in May. It was a very nice ride. The train and bus route aren't much different. I chose the bus because, if I remember, there was only one train per day but numerous coaches.
The bus was very comfortable, had wifi, toilet and free coffee and tea (self service.) I opted, for a few euros more to get the upgraded seat.
Between Vilnius and Riga I don't think there is any real difference in scenery. The bus and train use the exact same route but travel through the same kind of landscape so the views will be pretty similar. My choice would be the trains as it is a bit more comfortable, but the drawback of the train is that there is only one daily departure and it leaves Vilnius at 6:30.
From Riga to Tallinn the bus is faster as it uses the coastal more direct route unlike the train that runs via Valga (where you need to change) and Tartu. So if you want to see the Baltic sea, take the bus and sit on the left side of the bus.
I connected Tallinn to Riga to Vilnius using the Ecolines bus--it was quite affordable, very efficient and a surprisingly good experience in terms of comfortable seats, having wi-fi and toilets (I don't think anyone used them) and my fellow passengers were quiet and pleasant. I thought I'd get some sleep or reading time, but found myself enjoying the scenery through the countryside far too much--it was late April and the fields were full of one of my favorite birds, storks.
