Travel to Estonia, Lativa, and Lithuania

We have traveled by bus between Tallinn, Riga, Klaipeda, and Vilnius. The buses were good vehicles and the schedule was kept. We had been told that the trains in those three Baltic countries were not as reliable; others on this board have maintained otherwise. For bus transportation see: http://www.luxexpress.eu/en Hotels: I don't know the comparative costs in those months, but consider the Domus Maria Guesthouse and the Litinterp Guest House in Vilnius (both are in old town). We stayed in the old town in Tallinn but I don't recall the hotel name. Check the RS Scandinavia guidebook for Tallinn hotel suggestions. inyourpocket.com publishes guides to the three cities. Have a great trip.

I too think that bus is the way to go. Wasn't even sure there was a train linking these cities. It seems like the Tallinn - Riga run has only recently started though I would think the bus is much faster. http://seat61.com/Estonia.htm#Tallinn%20to%20Riga,%20St%20Petersburg%20or%20Moscow And there does not see to be any train between Riga and Vilnius. Check out seat61.com for more info on trains.

John, I must second Galen's suggestion of getting familiar with what is on www.InYourPocket.com. I came across it years ago when I visited Vilnius, Trakai, and Kaunas. They had maybe 8 or 10 guides then, dozens now. I remember some higher priced (but still reasonable) accoms on the north side of the river, the newer section of town. There are some sites (museums, churches, etc.) worth a visit. I stayed in an older Soviet-built place across the park from the train and bus stations, about a mile south of the river. At US$16 a night, THEY might have gotten the bargain, so I won't even name it. The old town south of the river is where I spent most of my time. The main east-west street has plenty to see. Hiking the hill to see the city from the castle is worth it. There was a good Mexican restaurant just a couple blocks west of the National Gallery and the Cathedral, if I remember correctly. A little farther west, maybe a block to the south of that main drag is a museum worth an hour or so where Nazis kept political captives until the Soviets came through, then it was the Communists' turn to hold prisoners. Some of the signage was in English back then, probably much better now. I found that refreshing my German was useful for my visit. As I didn't hang in many of the touristed places, English was not widely spoken. Russian is tolerated in the capital city, but not so much farther out of town. Given time, for sure head the 15-20 miles west for a 1/2 day or so in Trakai. Given more time, drive/bus the 60+ miles west to Kaunas and enjoy that, too.
Happy travels. I've never heard anyone say they were disappointed travelling the Baltic area.

How long would you set aside for Lithuania? I am considering going this year. When you say that Russian is not tolerated outside the capital, what instances do you mean? Would broken German be better than fluent Russian? Did you find the airport easy to fly into/out of? Thanks for any info. I'm thinking about visiting a friend there (outside the capital) who probably won't stand having guests for more than a few days, so I am trying to decide if it is worth it to make the trip as the end leg of an Eastern European visit.

Hi, Paula, It's a good thing I came back to amend my comments earlier, and saw your follow-up. First my revisions. When I mentioned THEY got the better deal, that was mostly for the facilities. The people were great, but the in-room shower leaked water into the hallway and I never learned how to turn the heater on, surprising needed evenings and mornings in September. And the US$16 a day? That included US$2 toward breakfast, which often covered all that I ate. I, too, was there for friends. I visited a first pen pal who was native Lithuanian, living in Vilnius. She provided transport by car from and to the airport, then to and from Kaunas. The rest of the time, I was on foot. I remember buses sitting at the airport, so that looked easy enough. On my departure day, they picked me up maybe an hour ahead of the flight, which I though might be too tight, but I had plenty of time. There are maybe 8 gates, as I recall. Since I dropped trying to learn Russian and started on Lithuanian, I only have the comment from my pen pal as to the tolerance for Russian. Your friend nearby might be a more source for clarification. Then again, my second pen pal came into town for a one-day visit with me. She is native Russian, had been in the country many years without learning Lithuanian. She was "imported" as a German translator/interpreter in a town farther north.
With a little planning, you can cover Vilnius in three days, I would think. I arrived Sunday, left on Friday, and that worked for me.

The Russian presence is much smaller in Lithuania than in the other two Baltics (especially Estonia, where there are lots of people still who think of themselves as Russian). Hence the tolerance in Lithuania is actually greater! They feel little resentment for the few Russians in their midst. We, with a small group of friends, hired a van and driver in Vilnius and went to the other two Baltics as well. The driver spoke Lithuanian, German, and Russian. So he communicated with the one fluent German speaker in our group. And with our contacts in Latvia and Estonia, he spoke the one language they had in common -- Russian. I think people in the tourist industry use whatever works!

Hi John! Lithuania is a fabulous county with a rich history. Vilnius is the capital. The old town or Senamiestas was included on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1994. It is one of the largest in Eastern Europe. It is located between two riversVilna and Neris. The city is very multicultural and has great architectural diversity. It can be described as southern architecture beneath the northern sky! The ruins of castles, network of meandering streets, church spires, bell towers, and red tile roofs make Vilnius a charming city just waiting to be discovered! Tourist say that Vilnius looks like Prague or Rome. You will experience Gothic, Baroque, Neoclassical and art nuavuo architecture. It has the largest Old Town of the Baltic capitals. Best Airline Rates: Finnair/ Lot Polish Air (My trip April 2012 Finnair ticket $888 USD round trip) Best Travel Guides: Brandt Best Hotels Narutis Hotel (Best **) Rudninku Vartai () Grybas Namas () Rinno Hotel () Hotel Tilto (***) Best Restaurants: Zemaiciai (Lithuanian) Lokys (Lithuanian) "FORTO DVARAS" on Pilies gatve (Lithuanian) TORES Restoranas (Panorama view of Old Town) Prie Katedros (European) Bunte Gans (German) Best Cafes: Bistro 18 Balzac Markus Ir Ko Ida Basar What to See: Vilnius University Genocide Museum St. Anne's Cathedral Vilnius Cathedral Presidential PalaceB Valdoviu Rumai (Will open in 2013) Lower Castle Gediminas Tower Saint Casimir Church Major Streets: Gediminas Prospectas
Pilies Gatve

Hello again John: Here is information about Riga and Tallinn Riga is the largest city of the Batlics. The Old Town in know as the "Paris of Eastern Europe" The city is famous for it's art nuoveau architecture. Many tourists are from England. (Usually Bachelor parties) Riga is known for it's great nightlife.) Must See: House of Black Heads Tallinn is the smallest of the Baltic capitals, but its well maintained and renovated. It is a cozy walled medieval city along the Baltic sea. Must See: Alexander Nevsky Cathedral For MORE suggestions go to www.kofl144.weebly.com Click on the travel tab and the links of interest.

Spelling Correction! The Best Travel Guide for the Baltics : Bradt

We lived in Klaipeda, a beautiful coastal city for 5 months last year, and urge you to add that city to your trip. We found train travel between Villinus and Klaipeda easy and pleasant. We stayed in Mano Lisa Guest house in Vilnius several times and loved it, by the way. It is also easy to train from Vilnius or Klaipeda to the Hill of Crosses, a must see. We took the bus from Klaipeda to Riga. We also took the bus from Klaipeda to Palanga and a ferry and then a local bus to the Spit. Don't miss the Spit! Lithuania is a very affordable vacation spot at any time of the year, and the people are friendly and helpful. It is a beauriful country, well worth a visit!

@ Betty...Good to hear that you enjoyed your stay in Klaipeda (Memel) and had the chance to see some of that former Memelland. The city also has a ferry connection...to Kiel.