TIPS FOR A TRIP TO THE BALTIC CAPITALS (TALLINN, RIGA AND VILNIUS)

Send

Are you looking for a destination full of charm and original where to spend your vacation? Do you want to get away from somewhere in Europe that is not very touristy and you don't know where to throw? In this post we talk about an area that we just visited and that surprised us (for good): Baltic countries. We pass through its capitals, combining it with a trip through Russia, quite calmly and enjoying its corners, its cuisine and its charms (which are not few). To help you plan this trip for free, let's give you a few tips for traveling to the Baltic capitals (Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius). Ready? Here we go:

If you find it difficult to put on the map Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius, don't worry: you are not alone! Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania They are 3 of the most unknown countries in all of Europe. They are located in the northeast of the continent, embedded between Russia, Belarus and Poland. They have a glorious and bloody past in common (they became one of the most prosperous commercial areas in Europe to be invaded by the Nazis and the Soviets). They did not reach their desired independence until 1991. Today they are 3 of the fastest growing countries in Europe!

Clarification: technically among the Baltic capitals are also Stockholm, Copenhagen, Helsinki and St. Petersburg.

From the medieval streets full of charm of Tallinn, to the art nouveau buildings of Riga and the local air and nothing tourist of Vilnius ... We did many things in the Baltic Capitals. We leave you 3 articles where we talk in detail about each one of them:

What to see and do in Tallinn
What to see and do in Riga
What to see and do in Vilnius

Keep in mind that we came from Russia and Finland. So, in our case, the logical thing was to take a ferry from Helsinki to Tallinn and from there start the itinerary.

If you fly from Spain, our advice is that you arrive in Tallinn or Vilnius and from there you go by bus. There are two companies that have regular services and with different schedules between these three cities: Ecolines and Lux Express. The prices are similar and, in principle, the second one has some more comfortable buses. Although we made both trips with Ecolines (the schedules were cooler) and we have no complaints (you can choose a free seat, do not hesitate and catch the two ahead to see the panorama better). Prices vary depending on the season in which you travel (since September there were very good offers), although it calculates about € 15 per way per person.

So the ideal route It would be this (or vice versa):

Flight from Spain to Vilnius. Direct from Barcelona, Madrid and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Compare prices
Vilnius → Riga(4 hour bus, € 10-20 per person)
Riga → Tallinn (bus 4.5 hours, € 10-20 per person)
Return flight from Tallinn to Spain. Direct to Girona, Malaga and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Compare prices

Unless you live in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, you will have to include a flight with a stopover in the round trip (if routes are not extended, of course). You can try to find flights to / from Kaunas (near Vilnius), or include in the trip a visit to Helsinki. The ferry from Tallinn to Helsinki only takes 2 hours (costs € 19, you can book with the company Eckeroline). Here we tell you everything to see and do in Helsinki.

For things of destiny, the Baltic Capital with greater direct connections with Spain it is ... Riga! You hit! There are flights to Barcelona, Madrid, Malaga, Seville, Valencia, Girona, Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Palma de Mallorca. We invite you to take a look at these flights, and if you find a cheap option, rethink the route.

Another VERY good option, if you have at least 15 days of time, is to rent a car and explore more corners of the Baltic countries such as:

Lahemaa National Park (Estonia)
Saaremaa Island (Estonia)
Gauja National Park (Latvia)
Jurmala (Latvia)
Isthmus of Courland (Lithuania)
Trakai and Kaunas (Lithuania)

We took it quite calmly and we were 3 days in Tallinn and Riga and 2 days in Vilnius. In our opinion it is more than enough time, moreover, it could be cut and left 2 days in Tallinn and Riga and 1 day in Vilnius. Now ... if you have more time, much better: you can take advantage of excursions and visit more attractions in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

The truth is that each station has to have its charm. If the cold does not scare you, visiting these cities in winter when (most likely) they are covered with snow, it will have its roll, in addition to its Christmas markets (did you know that the Christmas tree has its origin in this area?). We decided to go in midsummer (late August) and, unlike Russia, we did NOT find much tourism (except for Tallinn where, being a cruise port, during the day there was a lot of movement).

Fall and Spring They also look good, although temperatures can be quite low. Keep that in mind.

Let it go ahead that each one has its special touch. Objectively, we would say that the prettiest is Tallinn: As you have read in many places, it is a fairytale city! But RigaPersonally, we were very surprised: we found it a very lively city, with many things to see and an absolutely wonderful art nouveau architecture. Y Vilnius It has its grace if you are looking for a little trite destination, where to spend a quiet and pleasant day.

Yes, both in Estonia and in Latvia and Lithuania the official currency is the Euro, so you will not have exchange problems! If you are going to be a few days, we recommend you go with cash (or pull card payments), but if you think you are going to have to take out pasta during the trip, it is best that you take out the Bnext card and / or the N26 card, since they do not charge commissions. If you extend the trip to Helsinki, you will not have to worry about money either because the € also works there (well, the worry will be that everything is quite expensive!).

The three Baltic Capitals of which we speak to you seemed affordable cities, not even Tallinn that has the reputation of being a medium-free destination, goes out of budget. Obviously and as anywhere, the trip can be very expensive if you stay in luxury hotels and eat in high-end restaurants. But if you're better off staying at an average hotel or on an Airbnb pool and worry a little about finding restaurants with good prices, you're not going to spend a lot of pasta.

The most expensive flight will be almost certain (although out of high season you can find many offers).

Removing transport prices, which depend a lot on the season and the route you decide to do, the average expenditure per person and day It could be something like this:

accommodation in Airbnb (whole floor) or hotel room: 25€
Food in local restaurant: 6-10€ (We often ate outside and having a kitchen floor we had breakfast and dinner at home).

We will save you the process of searching restaurants Good, beautiful and cheap:

Restaurants where to eat well and cheaply in Tallinn
Restaurants where to eat well and cheaply in Riga
Restaurants where to eat well and cheaply in Vilnius

Although religion is an issue that young people spend more and more (this area is no exception), we find differences between each of these three countries. Estonia it has a 60% atheistic population (one of the highest proportions in the world), while in Latvia They are of Lutheran majority, followed by the Catholic and Orthodox religion. LithuaniaOn the contrary, it is a country Catholic, of which you can give faith walking through the streets of Vilnius, known for being the city with more churches per inhabitant. Although you will also find Orthodox and Lutheran churches. We recommend you to take a look at several churches of different cult and look at their details and differences.

- Being part of the European Union, you will not need a visa To enter these countries. Now, if the one who reads us is a citizen from outside Europe, you will have to take a look at the visa for the Schengen area.

- Luckily you won't need to buy a local SIM either, because now no roaming in Europe and you can use it quietly your mobile rate, both to call and to connect to the internet. That means you can call and receive calls to / from Spain, but DO NOT call local numbers, for which a serious supplement will apply.

- Usually they have a good level of English and you can communicate with them in this language (there is also the possibility to learn their very complicated languages ...).

- The public transport It is quite cheap but, the truth is that to visit the main tourist places, we always walked: they are very affordable cities. Of course, if you need to make longer transfers you can opt for the Uber or Bolt option (We do not pay more than € 3-5 per way, even from the center of Vilnius to the Airport). Here we leave you a discount to use on your first trip (it is very good to go from the station to the accommodation!).

- In the historical centers have common sense and don't leave your belongings uncontrolled. We did not see any pickpocket or at any time we had a feeling of insecurity but, as always, better to have our eyes open and use common sense.

So far our recommendations and tips for traveling to the Baltic CapitalsIf you have more questions leave us a comment and we will try to help you as soon as possible. Enjoy this trip a lot!