3 Weeks 4 Capitals - solo (after Warsaw) in 3 Baltic Capitals

WHERE I STAYED: Vilnius 🇱🇹
Hotel Vilnia

My splurge on a Superior Room with balcony has my requested view of the 3 Crosses Monument on the hill.

It's a lovely building with well appointed rooms with lots of storage and plenty of outlets. Including in the bathrooms, where the large double sinks actually close.

Bernardine Gardens 🇱🇹

My hotel is directly across from the main entrance to the Bernardine Gardens, which are stunning, with wide walking paths, fountains, playgrounds, lots of benches and a cafe. In the evenings, there are food trucks.

I've been coming here twice a day, joining locals in a stroll.

There are smaller gardens off the big garden and stone bridges crossing over lily ponds. The park sits inside the curve of the river, with a leafy path alongside it lined with benches, small tables with built in chess boards (bring your own pieces) and kids splashing at the edge of the water.

If you didn't bring your own chess pieces, the other side of the park has a huge board on the grass with bowling pin sized pieces - all there.

I met a family who just sent their son off to California for a student exchange program. They were nervous anyway; the hurricane heading for Southern California isn't helping. They told me there will be music and food trucks in the park tonight.

WHAT I DID: Vilnius 🇱🇹

I did still get out to see the tourist core of Vilnius, rambling through the lanes and popping into various churches and the Cathedral.

After checking in, I headed out to hike up to their small castle, only the tower of which is open. It's a steep climb, or you can take the short funicular up/down for €1 each way. The 360 view of the city is the reward.

Vilnius With Locals Tour

This tip-based tour is led by certified tour guides (who occasionally are stopped for credential checks) with lots of local and historical knowledge. It was just the right 2.5 hour intro to the city, showing things that - without a Rick Steves guidebook - I'd never discover on my own.

Medieval Fair

This fair happens to run this weekend, with craftspeople in each little hut displaying old time crafts of weaving, wood carving and others. I dropped in for a presentation of 14th century costumes and another of 17th century dancing with performers in period costumes.

Museum of Occupations

The Museum of Occupations tells the tragedies of back and forth Soviet and German Occupations of Lithuania. It's truly a wonder their culture and traditions have survived.

The grandmother of the dog owner I met in the park was born in exile in Siberia. Her family returned and she saw Lithuania for the first time when she was 7.

There are flags of Ukraine flying almost anywhere that there is a Lithuanian flag. Lithuanians are very supportive of countries under threat or siege by occupying forces.

Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania

Visiting this large Palace is like walking through a colorful encyclopedia of the history of the Kingdom of Poland and Duchy of Lithuania. The history is told as you wander through remains of the earliest castle walls and remnants of centuries of life there, including 3D models showing the changes in layout.

Visiting Tip: You could spend days here, reading every exhibit, all available in English. It's no wonder they sell 4 different ticket options for different routes through the Palace. It's a lot for one viewing. I had to pick up the pace to make it through all 4 sections in 2.5 hours. It might be better to split them up, with Tours 1 and 2 by far the most substantial.

WHERE I ATE: Katpėdėlė (Vilnius) 🇱🇹

I ate several times at Katpėdėlė on Pilies Street, 1 minute from Cathedral Square, trying different things every time.

It's been hot this week and they have one of the largest shaded patios. I got to know the waiter, who gave me free chocolate cake for my birthday!

Everything has been good: glazed pork ribs, breaded pork chop, potato pancakes, and tonight Chicken Patty "Astra." Meals with a soda, dessert and coffee have run less than €18.

ARRIVAL IN VILNIUS 🇱🇹

I flew LOT Airlines from Warsaw to Vilnius. They had a bag sizer with built in scale at the gate, which at one point they made available to passengers. They didn't seem too interested in using it themselves.

My hotel is 2 km from the central bus station, so I took a Bolt car for €11.2. It's like Uber, but invented in Estonia.

I installed the Bolt app and set up my account before I left home. If you've used Uber, you'll know exactly how it works. And you could just use Uber. I wanted to try the local version!

So glad you have arrived in Vilnius and have such a delightful (and well situated) hotel !

Bolt is my preference here in Paris since Tocard from the Forum opened my eyes to it. Much more reliable here than Uber is.

Good to know about Bolt, thanks Kim.

And, to your point, the Vilnius Airport has a special area marked for Bolt rides, just outside arrivals off to the right a bit.

And I just can't say enough good things about this hotel!

Excited for the continuation of your journey! Vilnius aka Wilno another Baroque gem from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth days. One of the greatest Polish royal dynasties were Lithuanian, the Jagiellonians, from the area. Trakai Castle, just outside of Vilnius has been on my list of places to visit for a long time, the ancestral home of the Grand Dukes of Lithuanian, built in the Teutonic Knights style.

Well, Carlos, I won't make it to Trakai this visit, but this afternoon I visited the Palace of the Dukes of Lithuania and caught up on my Polish and Lithuanian history.

For someone who hated history enough to drop the class in high school, the history presented in the Palace sure kept me fascinated. I love how they intertwined the physical history of the Castle with the political history of the region.

Thanks for the report and the tip about Bolt at the airport! I’m arriving Vilnius in just a few weeks - as you know, always a week or two behind you but in the same vicinity somehow:(

So if we arrive Vilnius and just walk out the door - and assuming I’ve installed Bolt - we’ll have no problem getting a ride to our hotel?

Valerie, one of these trips, we'll be in the same city instead of leaving footprints for each other!

My Bolt ride was flawless. The app shows you everything you expect - where your driver is and when he'll arrive, car make, model and license, driver name.

The first driver contacted must have declined the ride (as can happen with Uber.) Maybe they didn't want to go into the city center. The app told me this and seamlessly told me it was connecting with the next driver, who was 2 minutes away.

My car was a Prius with plenty of room for 2 or maybe even 3 people with luggage.

Exiting the front door of the small airport, look across the driveway towards your 2 o'clock and you'll see a green striped area of the pedestrian barrier that says Bolt. The cars pull up in the parking lot just on the other side of that barrier.

The driver dropped me in front of my hotel and kindly showed me exactly where the door was.

ETA: the timestamps in my pictures tell me it was 28 minutes from not-yet-at-our-gate to waiting in the Bolt area with my luggage. Twenty minutes later I was at the door to my hotel room.

Collection of Vilnius Tips 🇱🇹

Airport ATMs: after baggage and customs, in the main arrivals hall, there were 3 Bank ATMs: Swedbank, SEB and Luminor.

Water Bottle Refills: all around Vilnius are stations to refill your water bottle. I used one and drank the water, just like a local.

Thanks for this report! Lots of good info I will use for our planned trip next year. If you didn’t have time for Trakai at your pace, I guess it will be crossed off of our itinerary as well so we can enjoy the gardens at our leisure. I will make a note of the restaurant; it sounds delicious! It seems that Vilnius was just what you needed.

Great report. I just visited Vilnius and second the hotel..fabulous staff, rooms and location. We did go to Trakai and it was Beautiful
. We loved it so if you have time it's worth it!!!

Hooray for gardens, shade, and trip reports :) Keep them coming!

Interesting about the pricing, Tom_MN. I was quoted €11.2 and billed exactly that. No price ranges.

The Bolt app showed a New feature: in-app tipping.

Possibly differences by country....

I'm really enjoying your trip so far!
All countries that I have not been to, but absolutely ought to now!

Annie, you are so right about the staff at Hotel Vilnia. Superb in every way.

The breakfast room staff keep the buffet stocked and the tables tidy. Dishes get whisked away while you're up getting another cup of coffee.

Trakai sounds like an excellent reason to come back. As if I need a reason!

Hike / Stairs to 3 Crosses Monument 🇱🇹

I waited until the cooler evening to take the hike / stairs up to the 3 Crosses Monument. The reward was a 180 view with sunset over the old town center, looking down on the castle hill that I'd hiked up to the first evening.

Getting there: enter the park at the main gate, go left to the river and walk left along it to cross the only foot bridge. Turn right to walk back along the other side of the river until you see a path up to your left, eventually with gazillions of metal stairs. Then follow the wooden signs.

Or just plug it into Google Maps.

Time: for me, with stops, 15 minutes up and 10 down.

Tip: if you save this for last, you'll be able to pick out all the places you've visited.

Bernardine Gardens After Dark 🇱🇹

Back in the gardens, it's the first time I've been here after dark. (Technically, at 930pm, it's still dusk.) There are old timey street lamps that make it even more wonderful than during the daytime.

The fountain is choreographed. Right now it's choral music. Earlier it was Andrea Bocelli. As I was leaving it was a Lady Gaga cover.

I ❤️ Vilnius!

It seems that Vilnius was just what you needed.

Excellent observation, Carol. I didn't know this in advance, but you are so right.

Thanks, S J, the Baltics are all new to me as well. Vilnius wasn't in my 2020 trip plan. I'm sure glad I added it in for 2023!!

That's actually really good information because I'll be in Budapest in October. So it's interesting that I can use Bolt in the way you've described. I've copied your note into my OneNote notebook for Budapest.

And you're right, they're not yellow taxis here.

In France, you can definitely tip the Bolt driver through the app. So there are differences in different countries.

Not to derail the thread, but just to give information in case anyone wonders about Bolt !

Ok back to our regularly scheduled enjoyment of CWSocial's Baltics report !

Transfer: Vilnius to Riga

Feel free to talk amongst yourselves for a bit while I scoot on over to Riga, by means of a Discover Lithuania sightseeing transfer.

For €75, it is a 9 hour transfer in a minivan, with 3 self-guided sightseeing stops along the way.

I also bought a €7.50 ticket for the 4 hour journey by Ecolines regional bus, in case there weren't enough people for the transfer to go. Discover Lithuania did tell me they are guaranteeing departures.

And checking now, there are still seats available for €16.10 for the regional bus tomorrow. So that backup bus ticket wasn't necessary. This time. (Riga to Tallinn is a different story.)

Wonderful reporting, we hope to get to these areas someday!

Love your trip reports!
I'm interested in what you see and do in Riga since I was there for a couple of days in 1990 just a few months before they separated from the USSR.

Swedbank ATMs are in all the Baltic countries. I've used two without being charged a fee. I don't know whether that's the standard situation with all ATMs.

Keep including those links and the dining descriptions too!

Thanks, diveloonie, I'm very glad I revived this trip from 2020. It's been fabulous so far!

SharYn, I can only imagine the differences from what you saw. In Vilnius, the guide pointed out the "Communist era architecture" vs the older buildings. She had to show us clues to see the differences, which weren't as stark as usual.

avirosemail, I know you're my food audience. I need to walk a lot today, after last night's extended dinner.... more on that later.

Reasonable Baggage for 2 Whole Weeks?

The sightseeing transfer was a great way to go from Vilnius to Riga. They say they will take you and "reasonable luggage" in a minivan

Well, "reasonable" means different things to different travelers!! One couple (he just turned 60) from NJ showed up with...

....a 42" bag each - overstuffed - and a 22-ish" bag each plus a backpack or purse. When the driver commented (grumbled, really) they said it was because "we're traveling for 2 whole weeks."

I kid you not!

Vilnius 🇱🇹 to Riga 🇱🇻

The Discover Lithuania sightseeing transfer takes you and your (reasonable!) luggage from Vilnius to Riga (or the reverse) with stops at:

Hill of Crosses: estimates are in the hundreds of thousands of Crosses

Rundale Palace: the girl from Munich wasn't impressed with this castle, but I could have happily spent the day going through the restored Palace with period furnishings, extensive and perfectly manicured gardens and having lunch in their nice (and inexpensive) cafe.

We had 2 hours, which was still nice, but twice my pace.

Bauska Castle: it's 10 minutes from Rundale, so worth a stop to see this fortress style castle. You can climb to the tower on rebuilt stairs that smell like new wood.

The sightseeing transfer was billed as "self-guided" and rightly so - our driver was a rather brusque logistics manager. (It didn't help his attitude when the couple showed up with all their luggage!!)

I quite enjoyed it as a way to see some places between cities without renting a car.

WHERE I STAYED: Riga 🇱🇻
Wellton Riverside Spa Hotel

I booked a room with a river view and scored a corner room, with 2 full walls of windows overlooking the river and the lovely bridge.

It's a spa, with a pool and spa treatments, including some billed as Haamam treatments. The hot and cold buffet breakfast is huge and there is an adjacent outdoor dining patio.

Tip: if you're taking the Discover Lithuania Transfer to or from Riga, their pickup/dropoff point is around the corner from the hotel, a quick 240m walk.

Thanks for the info on the transfer to Riga. I hope we can use them next year. Looking forward to the rest of your trip report.

a Riverside Spa Hotel. Man you live such a hard life. Do you have an angel on your shoulder smoothing everything out? Such a shame you have to walk so far to work off that breakfast...

Carol, I just walked over to the bus station where I'll catch the bus to Tallinn. There are road works between the hotel and the station that double the distance of the walk. Hopefully those will be cleared up long before your trip.

Nigel, if so, I wish my angel could smooth these road works away by Friday!!

Sigh. You are making my already long list even longer.

TexasTravelmom, excellent, it worked! And these are countries that sang their way to freedom. I can totally see your group here.

WHERE I ATE: Riga 🇱🇻

These are each in the tourist center, with typical local dishes:

Petergailis - a nice covered patio that protected from a sudden downpour

(I'll add more.)

Museum of Occupations of Latvia 🇱🇻

For an extra €5, the guided tour was my best programming decision of this trip.

I came away with my eyes opened to a new understanding of the back and forth Nazi and Soviet occupations of Latvia, and the resulting continued complexities.

items on that menu remind me of varnishkes and kasha and bowties,
but luckily all the meat choices would distract me from those, ha.

avirosemail, nothing has distracted me from the meat dishes either!

WHAT I DID: Riga, day 2 🇱🇻

Beautiful gardens make my day, so I'm going to stop planning my itineraries around 1 museum visit and start planning around 1 garden visit.

Gardens at Freedom Monument, Riga

• Perfectly manicured gardens and canal on both sides with 50 minute canal boat rides for €18
• National Opera House on one side (noted for when I come back during ballet season)
• Nativity of Christ Orthodox Cathedral - one block beyond the Freedom Monument, strict dress code

This afternoon I'm taking the Art Nouveau in Riga walking tour, €25 booked direct, $35 through GetYourGuide.

WHERE I ATE: Libertá, Riga
Best potato pancakes and salmon of the trip (nicely crisp, not drowning in oil) at Libertá.

Beautiful gardens make my day, so I'm going to stop planning my itineraries around 1 museum visit and start planning around 1 garden visit.

great idea!

PANORAMIC VIEW: Riga 🇱🇻

There's a church in old town where you can pay for a city view from the tower. Or, for free, you can take the elevator in the Radisson to their 27th floor Skyline Bar.

Directions:

• go in the main door of the hotel
• ahead and to the left (or was it right??) find the elevator signs for Skyline Bar
• go to the 27th floor and have a look around
• left side tables face old town
• there's also a great view of old town from the ladies room

Stay for a drink and dinner like I did and you can turn it into a €30 view 😅

When you're ready to go back down, take the opposite elevator to get a different view.

Stay for a drink and dinner like I did and you can turn it into a €30 view

I like your style !

Kim, 👍👍!!

I am so glad you figured out where you were! 🤣

Hah, me too!

On that, I can't tell where I am based on what language is being spoken because I can't tell them apart!

Latvians and Lithuanians (the 2 Baltic languages) say they can understand some words of the other, but it "sounds funny." Estonian is more like Finnish and they can't understand it at all.

I can't recognize any of them!

Easy To Get Around In English

Native Latvian speakers all learn English in school (as do Lithuanians) from a young age, so it's easy to get around in English with hotel staff (fluent in many languages) and restaurant and shop workers. Even people I've chatted with during meals or sitting on a park bench speak very good English.

If you're thinking of visiting the Baltic countries, language is not a barrier.

Euro and ATMS
Nor is currency a barrier because, of course, they're all on the Euro. There are plenty of bank ATMs - Swedbank and Luminor in old town.

Not Much Use For Cash

I haven't needed much cash, so I haven't used ATMs. If I'm buying a postcard or small souvenir, I've used cash. I've usually put restaurant tips on credit cards and the staff have assured me they will get them promptly.

Solo Travels Feel Safe and Easy

I have felt 100% safe wandering around in the day and evening by myself in Vilnius and Riga. I could probably set my purse down on a bench, go take a few photos, and find it undisturbed a few minutes later.

I've definitely run into restaurants in the Baltic countries where tips can't be put on a credit card. It seems to depend on the individual restaurant.

I'm having trouble keeping €1 and €2 coins on hand between the restaurants and the donation boxes in the many, many churches here in Vilnius. I'd be happy to hop into one of the little supermarkets and buy a banana or two for breakfast to get change, but that fruit is missing at least sometimes from the selection in the Rimi Expresses here in Lithuania. Odd. I had no problem in Latvia or Estonia.

I've found the English facility of the locals to decline a bit as you move south from Estonia to Latvia and on to Lithuania. Not a problem, but even printed materials here in Lithuania are sometimes worded oddly. My guess is that Estonia began starting English lessons at a very young age a bit earlier than the other two countries. An Estonian told me they start in Grade 2; I don't know when they introduced that schedule.

It should be noted that all three Baltic countries have high percentages of native Russian speakers as a result of the post WWII USSR policy of deporting troublesome (educated and nationalistic) locals to Siberia and importing workers from Russia. It must be a bit of a challenge to find folks with good language skills for customer-facing jobs when the native population itself speaks two different languages.

Well, nuts, acraven, we must have passed each other between Riga and Vilnius. Or maybe even on the streets in Riga.

Interesting that the English may get better as I continue on to Estonia tomorrow.

The thing that I found most surprising is that the native Russian speakers, a large group in Latvia, attend all Russian schools. They don't learn Latvian. Though that is a very current topic of conversation. Especially with political discussions of deporting those who cannot demonstrate proficiency in Latvian.

I'm having trouble keeping €1 and €2 coins

Postcards are to me as apparently bananas are to you. A way to get some coins, though some of the shopkeepers get grumbly. At the small grocery stores in Vilnius (which might have been Rimi Express) I found self serve checkouts where you can insert a bill and get change... with no grumbling.

Independence Day of Ukraine 🇺🇦

Today, August 24, is a Ukrainian state holiday in commemoration of their Declaration of Independence of 1991. There are events planned this afternoon in Riga, including a sunflower relay with the flowers being handed across the city in a chain of participants that will end at Riga's Freedom Monument.

I've read there will be concerts and booths with Ukrainian foods and products.

They're also filming scenes for a movie near the Freedom Monument. I see Trabant cars, period costumes and German soldiers.

ETA: and now I see Russian soldiers (actors.)

CW--

I've enjoyed your posts throughout this trip. I've been to all the cities where you've been (and will be) except Vilnius. Riga very much impressed me. The architecture... the gardens... the flowers everywhere. Just lovely. I unintentionally arrived on the first day of the song and dance festival that is held every 5 years. On that day, there was a parade through the streets of the city of joyful, singing, dancing Latvians from all over the country wearing the traditional dress of their area. It was super cool.

I too did an art nouveau architecture tour; it was excellent. I spent some time at the Freedom Monument with its Wikipedia entry to learn about its components. I also paid for the tour at the Museum of Occupations -- definitely a good use of money.

I spent a morning at the enormous market hall sampling products with my excellent guide Santa. We also took a trip outside Riva to (1) Cēsis Castle, a 13th century castle of the German Livonian Order that came to Christianize Latvia by the sword after kinder means did not work, (2) a Cold-War-era underground bunker that was to house a post-nuclear war Latvian government, and (3) the town of Cēsis itself, where Santa grew up.

Thanks for bringing back some great memories!

You may already have your Estonia plans in place, but I wrote this in my trip report for one Tallinn activity:

I really enjoyed the KGB Tour at Hotel Viru in Tallinn. It’s a little
kitschy, but I found it fun. The views over Tallinn from the 23rd
floor of the hotel are super. The balcony that overlooks the old town
on the 23rd floor is not accessible on the tour, but the smoking
balcony on the 22nd floor is just beneath it and offers the chance for
really great pictures of the Old Town from above (no smokers there
when I was there).

A restaurant I enjoyed: https://restaurant.farm/eng

More and more very appealing things for my list - and close to me in England

I unintentionally arrived on the first day of the song and dance festival that is held every 5 years.

Dave, I remember reading this in your report and thinking how lucky! I missed it this year, as it was held in June.

dancing Latvians from all over the country wearing the traditional dress of their area

My idea of travel heaven!!

I spent some time at the Freedom Monument with its Wikipedia entry to learn about its components.

This is an excellent idea! And very timely as I'll be heading back over there in an hour or so for the Ukrainian festivities.

spent a morning at the enormous market hall

I've just come from the Market Hall. You're right, it's enormous!! I had seen the pictures of the 5 hangars, but didn't really get it until I went there. A sign pointing from one hangar tells you that the next is for vegetables. Massive cases of cheeses, olives, spices, fish. It's like nothing I've ever seen. No wonder there are tours of the place!

Art Nouveau in Riga 🇱🇻

I took the Art Nouveau Architecture tour yesterday in Riga, fearful of today's rain, which has come in short downpours. It was really good, as Dave also said.

Armed with what our guide taught us to look for, I went back today by myself to admire even more buildings at my leisure.

I also went to the Riga Art Nouveau Centre, of which the furnished art nouveau apartment is the centerpiece. After enjoying the architecture, it was a nice complement to see the furnishings.

Ooooooh love Art Nouveau.

Too bad you are not zipping over to Helsinki after Tallinn!

Anyway yes I am another one sighing reading your trip report, wanting to get back to Warsaw, Vilnius, and Riga !

Kim, I did think about it. My 2020 trip would have been the RS tour that did go to Helsinki.

Who knows, I might just zip over on the day the 2 cruise ships are in Tallinn!

Dave, I think I've done the worst job of researching Tallinn because my 2020 itinerary was mostly taken care of with the RS tour. At least for Tallinn, I've got the RS walks in the guidebook we had already received.

We had also bought KGB tickets for a pre-tour day. Oh my, those were a nightmare to refund because they would only do it via wire transfer. But they did it

Thanks for reminding me to get it back on my itinerary.

The Farm restaurant looks fabulous, thank you! And just 5 minutes from my hotel.

Google Pay and Google Fi

There's a thread "5 years anything new?" about what's changed in 5 years in travel.

For me, two notable technology changes this year:

1. Google Pay - I haven't taken out my physical VISA card this entire trip, nor during my previous trip to Bulgaria.

2. Google Fi - this is my first year of not having to get a local SIM card. Just walk off the plane and it has worked flawlessly in Germany, Bulgaria, Serbia, North Macedonia, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. I'm optimistic for Estonia tomorrow.

I also like my new featherweight travel clothesline, but that's not exactly a game changer 😄

I don't know exactly where you're staying, but Gelato Ladies may be convenient for you. It's at Uus 28-1 in the northeast part of Old Town. The flavor selection isn't terribly large, but they seem serious about gelato.

I ate at least twice at the Indian restaurant, Chakra, not too far away on Bremeni kaik. It's not truly exceptional, but I thought it was good. All the other recommendable places where I ate were in or near the Rotermann Quarter. I can provide the names if you're staying in that area. None were special-occasion spots, though, just places I'd have been happy to revisit.

I'm staying near Freedom Square in Tallinn, so it looks like Chakra and Gelato Ladies are both close. And Gelato Ladies sounds like it's worth a few extra steps even if they weren't close.

Thanks, acraven!

That's a completely different part of Tallinn than I stayed in. But just in case you want to check out Rotermann, which is very close to the Viru Hotel:

ROST Bakery (there's a slash through the "O") on Stalkeri kaik has good cardamom buns and cheese gougere, plus other things I didn't try. Lots of people were buying coffee there, so I guess theirs is good. They were not yet open at 8:15 one morning, but the street smelled of baked goods, so I'm guessing they may open at 8:30. There's usually a line, but it moves pretty fast, considering almost everyone is ordering coffee.

Bruxx, also on Stalkeri kaik, is Belgian. I see only their beverage menu on line. I know they have something besides mussels, because those don't thrill me.

There's a chocolate shop right nearby that I never had a chance to try because it was closed every time I walked past, including once at about 1 PM...Jeff de Bruges. It has a Google rating of 5.0, so I'm guessing it's good.

Orangerie, on a different street unhelpfully labeled "Rotermanni" along with many other walkways in the area, has a small menu, so be sure there's something you're in the mood for before committing.

Far less likely to be convenient for you is the bakery/cafe La Boulangerie, which is north of Rotermanni and most useful for people staying at Citybox or walking to or from the nearby ferry dock. ROST's baked goods looked a bit better to me, but this place has slices of quiche and for about €1.50 extra will add some green salad.

It sounds like when I go to the Viru Hotel for the KGB Museum, I should make time to snack/look around.

Thanks, acraven!!

Ecolines Riga to Tallinn

I'm on the Ecolines bus to Tallinn, heading due north along the Gulf of Riga.

A few facts because I know some of you are weighing options for Baltic transfers:

• we left 1 hour late
• the bus is full, seats are like airplane economy, including the guy leaning back into my seat mate's space
• the power is configured like an airplane, with USB on the entertainment screen and 220V behind my knees, working perfectly
• I'm on their wifi, which seems to be holding up
• announcements are not in English
• tickets were less than €20, started at €7.50 a few months ago

Luggage: despite the website having very precise weight and size limits, absolutely no one cares. The ticket checker was very busy with that job and didn't even glance at carryons. The overhead bins run the length of the bus, but they are slim. I squished my 7" deep backpack to fit.

Seats
- I'm upstairs
- the 4 front seats (seats 1-4) have panoramic views
- seats 5 and 6 have a stairwell in front of them but no storage space, like bulkhead

Facilities
The onboard bathroom is tiny, a bit smaller than an airplane. Our midpoint stop was 5 minutes - there is no way I would have left the side of the bus. All he did was honk and leave.

My Opinion
Although it's slower than flying, or perhaps a tossup, I prefer the scenery and lax luggage requirements.

I would have preferred the sightseeing transfer, but there weren't enough people for it to go.

Who's On The Bus?

That is the more interesting part of this journey. There are a lot of Ukrainian and Russian speakers on the bus.

While waiting for our delayed bus, I chatted with:

An Italian 3rd year student attending University somewhere outside St Petersburg. He was very careful to say that he wouldn't comment on who's right about the war. He's studying to be a translator.

A twenty something Ukrainian girl whose husband is Belarusian, so he can't go back to Ukraine with her. And he can't go back to Belarus because he "attended some meetings" in Ukraine. They are living in Tallinn while her parents are still in Ukraine.

The war in Ukraine has personal impact on the lives of people on this bus.

WHERE I STAYED: Tallinn 🇪🇪

My City Hotel

This is where our 2020 RS tour would have stayed. It's a classic Rick Steves hotel, in the midst of old town Tallinn.

Room tip: my room faces the cute little square, and the building facing that, which is now a movie theater. The double windows are darn good, and most nights were quiet. But when Oppenheimer got out on Saturday night (about 1 or 2am) I heard all the chattering.

If you're a light sleeper, request a room that doesn't face the pretty square. Or go to the theater!

WHAT I DID: Tallinn 🇪🇪

KGB Museum
Dave, I did the KGB tour today, which was fun. And the views of Old Town were fabulous!

Ticket tip: I bought my ticket at 1pm for a 230 tour. Before 230, tickets were sold out.

Rotermann Quarter

acraven, while I was waiting for my KGB tour, I visited the nearby Rotermann Quarter, developed from prior industrial buildings. So cool how they've incorporated the old industrial brick structures into hip new shops and eateries.

Kalev Chocolate Shop

They were open!! I learned that the chocolates are made there, in the industrial building behind the store. I bought a mix of candies to bring home as gifts. Thanks for the recommendation, acraven!

Where I'll Stay Next Time: Tallinn 🇪🇪

Nunne Boutique Hotel

I walked past this boutique hotel on my way to the Baalti Jaam central Market and stopped in. They've just opened August 11 and the manager gave me a tour of the property and some rooms.

Wow! Brand new, beautifully decorated rooms and interior spaces that have incorporated sections of the stone town wall into the architecture. One suite incorporates the curved stone wall of one of the towers.

I was afraid to look at the prices, but I could stay in one of their courtyard rooms tonight for less than €100. Historical rooms are €135-ish and the medieval suite is priced for lords and ladies around €270.

It's a 3 minute walk to Balti Jaam station and market and maybe 5 minutes back to the town center.

Oooh that sounds fabulous ! How cool that you got them to take you on a tour !

The Telliskivi Creative City was every bit as fun and colorful as Sheila says in her thread. It starts out the back door of the Baalti Jaam Market, though it would have been a lot for me to visit both in the same day.

If I had gone sooner to Telliskivi, I would have gone back there more often to eat in the casual eateries outside of the old town.

Which Museum in Tallinn?

The Tallinn Museum of Occupations was too in depth for me, and I spent hours at POLIN in Warsaw and other occupation museums.

I preferred the Tallinn City Museum, which tells the story of the craft and trade guilds. Maybe because it was different than museums I'd been to in Vilnius and Riga.

Glad you enjoyed the KGB tour and the view!

I went to the city museum, too. I like going to city museums… gives insight into what the city thinks is important about its history.

And the Tallinn City Museum makes good use of its location in the Old Guild Hall, showing off parts of the old structures. And a very cool exhibit of coins and bills through their history. It's amazing that they have examples from each period - all neatly cataloged and displayed - including coins from their early centuries!

My Favorite Things

I don't think I can pick a favorite city - and I probably wouldn't tell if I could. My ideal city, compiled from this trip, would have:

Warsaw's ease of transit and passes, and long-stay variety

Vilnius' Bernardine Gardens, right next to the river and steps from old town (and my hotel)

Riga's Art Nouveau Architecture district

Tallinn's main square, reminiscent of Krakow but more intimate and, with the summer pop up seating, inviting you to linger. And the Baalti Jaam market, if I were staying in an apartment.

I just had ice cream in Ukrainian colors from Gelato Ladies. Between that and chocolate from Karu talu šokolaad (amazing vegan chocolate) it's been a sweet day!!

CWsocial, you are so good at conveying the best of touring, you are a flaneur (or possibly it should be flaneuse, the feminine version) in the best sense of the word. Thanks so much for sharing, I’ve loved tagging along. Although thanks to you, I’m now very much thinking I need to start working on a Krakow and Warsaw itinerary I never knew I needed! Adding to a too long list already. Ah well, better to dream and plan, eh?

Well, Lynndash, if any of my wanderings have inspired your own, then I am very happy about that! This Tallinn visit felt a little bit like Krakow and makes a very nice bookend with my start in Warsaw. Now I need to dream and plan Gdansk into a trip!

Yet another lovely trip indeed!

And time to follow along wistfully on yours until we meet again in Budapest!

Tallinn Planning Tip

Thanks to the forum, I knew to check Cruise Mapper to know when the cruise ships would be in port. Fortunately, it was only two ships on one day.

When they are in, you may wish to choose your own itinerary from among places where cruisers would be unlikely to make it in their onshore excursions:

• Balti Jaam Market
• Telliskivi Creative City
• Rotermann City and KGB Museum
• Estonia Open Air Museum
• Museum of Occupations
• Lahemaa National Park
• Ferry to Helsinki

Or grab a drink and a front row seat in the square and watch their fun!

Thanks CW, a great report from a great trip! A pity we rescheduled for different months. But now I have lots to add to our itinerary!

We're having a bit of a heat blip here in NorCal so it's nice to have our attention redirected to your adventures to keep our cool...

Carol, yes it would have been so fun to have dinner together! The restaurant we had planned has permanently closed, otherwise I had intended to go there. I heard that's a regular thing in Riga.

It will be fun to compare notes when we get together back home!

avirosemail, that is precisely why I traveled in August this year, different than my norm, to get away from the heat at home.

Even with their own warmer temperatures, these Baltic capitals have been a relatively cool summer getaway - with, I estimate, 20 to 30F degree lower temperatures than ours. It's been excellent tourism weather!

WHERE I ATE: Rataskaevu 16, Tallinn

There are a dozen or more restaurants circling the Tallinn Town Hall Square: Italian, Indian, and a Russian restaurant (Troika) that I ate at a few times and really liked.

An upscale restaurant that you might not find, just 200m off the square, is Rataskaevu 16, named for the address at which it is located.

This was undoubtedly the nicest meal of my trip, and the most expensive at €50 for a main course, drink, dessert and coffee. The service was elegant and still friendly. I don't know how she pulled it off, but it was superb.

My braised elk roast with blackcurrant sauce was beautifully presented. The rhubarb and strawberry ice cream that was served with my bread pudding with salted caramel dessert tasted like the flavors were bought at the Balti Jaam Market that morning.

Highly recommend!

That sounds great for dinner -- but did you forego the dessert wine?

I think I started with their rhubarb sparkling wine, which became a favorite during this trip. In fact, I need to look for it here at home!