My wife and I are 71 and 81, in reasonably good health. We're about to plan a two-week, July or August trip beginning in Krakow, then continuing north to Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn. Our first concern is whether to do this by rental car, train or bus. Hoping some well-experienced travelers to these countries can tell us which method - or combination - is "best" in terms of convenience and price.
1) By car would normally be my preference, but we've been shocked to see Sixt and Enterprise adding upwards of $ 1,800 to $2,000 in "taxes & fees to the rental charges on top of the add-on charges for travel to another country and dropping the care there. Did I understand these charges correctly?
2) Trains would probably be our second choice. But I can foresee possible confusion and hassles with scheduling, switching trains, etc.
3) Riding by bus is probably our least favorite method -- but we don't know about bus service/accomodations in these countries. And I read somewhere that a bus may be preferable to the trains, and definitely cheaper?
4) Can anyone tell me if the train service between Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn is like the flexible Eurail system of travel, allowing on and off to explore each city?
Our main goals are to see the old towns and cultural attractions of the Baltic capitals, along with one or two possible side trips that might be done by bus. We would deeply appreciate advice from anyone who has "been there and done that". Thank you!
Posted by
Ottawa, Canada
244 posts
I haven’t been to Vilnius, but I have visited the other three cities you mention, so I’ll chime in with my two cents’ worth. Yes, car rental companies charge large additional drop off fees when the car is returned in a country other than that in which it was picked up. If you haven’t yet checked Autoeurope, you might find a better price there. But regardless of the cost, if your primary interest is in the main cities a car is not really necessary, and may in fact be more trouble than it’s worth. There are trains linking Krakow and Vilnius, as well as the other cities. The Krakow-Vilnius run is 10+ hours however, with changes in Warsaw and/or Mockava. If you plan to stay in Warsaw as well, the train trip from there to Vilnius is a few hours shorter. Otherwise, you might want to look into flying from Krakow to Vilnius.
Seven years ago, my wife and I travelled from Tallinn to Riga via a “transfer tour”. The company, rigatraveller.com, runs mini-bus transfers/tours between Tallinn and Riga, as well as between Riga and Vilnius, with multiple stops along the way to visit places of interest. The trips take about 12 hours compared to 4-5 direct driving, but provide a great way to see some beautiful places that you would not likely see otherwise. The diver was fluent in English, and both informative and entertaining. It’s a minivan, so they have a maximum of seven or eight passengers, although I believe they also offer private transfers if you want to pay for them. It’s worth a look, and if you don’t think it’s for you, there’s always the train.
Posted by
Virginia, USA
6489 posts
Have you considered flying from Krakow to Vilnius? Depending on the day, WizzAir and Air Baltic have non-stop flights and it would save you the long train ride /drive.