Best Baltics Airport?

All three airports about the same. We had no issues with any of them. English is spoken in all three countries and is not an issue. Are you thinking of traveling to all three cities?

Riga is the most modern, Tallinn is a close second. Vilnius was more Sovietesque. (But also the smallest terminal of the three so easiest to get in and out of.)

Fly into one and out of another. If you are visiting each capital then it makes sense to go in one direction and not backtrack. So either fly into Talinn and out of Vilnius or vice-versa.

How are you getting between capitals?

Thanks!

I am trying take my kiddo to a concert toward the end of the trip. Plan is to fly in to Vilnius then travel by train or bus. Aiming to spend a couple of days in each city with a travel days added in.

Days 1-2: Fly from US to Vilnius
Days 3-4: Vilnius x2
Day 5: travel to Tallinn
Days 6-7: Tallinn x2 (concert on last night)
Day 8: travel to Riga for (possible bonus concert on first night)
Days 9-10: Riga x2
Day 11: Fly home from Riga to US

You should consider flying to Tallinn first. Then fly from Tallinn to Vilnius. Then take the train from Vilnius to Riga. Traveling from Vilnius to Tallinn by train or bus is going to be a long day.

You make an excellent point. The trip is longer than I anticipated. Rush planning is not fun!

However, the concert was the impetus for this trip. It must happen, ideally twice. I'll keep brainstorming

Thinking I'll just enjoy a longer stay in Lithuania, then travel to Latvia for a longer stay, capped off by the concert. We'd miss Estonia, but possibly see more/enjoy more of the areas we visit.

Thinking I'll just enjoy a longer stay in Lithuania, then travel to Latvia for a longer stay, capped off by the concert. We'd miss Estonia, but possibly see more/enjoy more of the areas we visit.

I like that approach, there is a lot to see and experience in both towns. Sometimes less is better when planning a trip.

I would also think 2 of the cities would fill your time. You did say that the concert in Tallinn was the impetus for the trip, though. That changed?

All three capitals are interesting and can easily fill several days, but picking only 2 gives you time to not rush. If you feel like you need to, you can throw in a day trip from each.

Great point about day trips!

The band is touring & performing in both Tallinn & Riga, so we can just catch the Riga performance. Twice would've been nice, but I'm a novice traveler so paring down is likely wise.

What’s the band’s name?

As much as I'd love to answer you, my privacy instincts feel like I've revealed too much. I can update upon our return, though

If you ARE a novice, then I think you are wise to pull back to two. They are all 3 delightful locations. I did a loop through last fall. Here’s my report, in case it’s helpful
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/baltics-september-2024

CWSocial did a trip (with a trip report) in 2023 that was very helpful to me (but I don’t have the link handy).

Thanks so much! I have a lot of prep to do in very few days, so I truly appreciate each of you

I have flown in and out of Vilnius and in to Tallinn. Both airports are small and close to the center of town. The airports are easy to manage. Only speaking English will not be a problem. I hope you enjoy your trip. We loved all 3 cities plus smaller towns on both trips.

We are home from our trip! Air Baltic was a bit tedious (like a Jet Blue style airline) & didn't allow online Check In. The app and website kept failing my attempts to check in instead of telling me I wasn't permitted to check in remotely. Note they only allow 8kg total carry-on weight (but you can pre-pay for 12kg) and measure size as well. We added a return trip checked bag for our souvenirs. This add-on is done online, but only by submitting a form and waiting for an emailed payment link. This change might be why we had to check in at the ticket counter, but the internet indicates that all who travel to the US need to do an in-person check in. Silver lining: our items were weighed at check-in and then tagged, allowing us to board a bit faster.

Everyone was very nice and English was indeed easy. The few communications barriers were easily resolved. Of the two cities, we preferred Vilnius. We left just before their Christmas market opened, but we heard the Riga markets were better anyway. Wonderful decor and food at Riga's Christmas market.

The band is Katarsis. They were Lithuania's 2025 Eurovision entry and have become relatively popular in Europe, selling out small venues. My teen daughter is a big fan. Not only teens or girls in attendance, but the ones who were there seemed like they were attending a Beatles concert!

Thanks for reporting back! Interesting flight observations - I have only flown Air Baltic a couple of times (shorter flights) but neither flight was actually booked through them. The last plane was relatively new and roomy (for economy). I hope your daughter had a wonderful time at the concert. :) I will be in Riga for a few days next week, mainly to see their Christmas markets but won’t make it to Vilnius to compare.

I booked through KLM & their app told me I could not check in online. I should've listened to them! There are options on the Air Baltic website that KLM does not mention, such as purchasing extra kg for your allowances.

My family highly recommends the Ukrainian counter at the Riga market - it was delicious! A lovely man who speaks very little English was one of our favorite people. It could be fun if you tell him hello from the American family who paid with a watch. Anything to get him talking will likely be worth your time. I hope you have fun!

And thank you, yes. She was anxious before, crying with awe & joy during, and glowing for days after the concert. A parenting memory I can treasure.

Ukrainian counter at the Riga market - it was delicious! A lovely man who speaks very little English was one of our favorite people. It could be fun if you tell him hello from the American family who paid with a watch.

Consider it done!