Latvia - Getting Oriented

Arrival
Coming to and going from Latvia is, all and all, comparatively trouble free. This is true at all the entry and departure points, but especially true at the airport. In short: there’s no need to fret in advance about whether you’ll manage ok. You will.

To and From the Airport: The Riga International Airport, the country’s main travel hub, recently underwent multi-million-dollar renovations. More are planned, but it is already a spectacular contrast to its former gray-and-concrete self. This now modern, Western-feeling Riga airport (or lidosta) is a close 10 kilometers from the city center, and it’s fairly small and rarely crowded; so getting here and getting around is generally a piece of cake.

The airport is divided into two main levels, a lower floor and an upper floor. The lower floor is the arrivals hall; there is a currency exchange here, a variety of money machines, a post office, car rental booths, tourist info desk, bathrooms, a bar and a place to order taxis. The main parking lot is just outside the doors.

The upper floor is the departure area. There aren’t that many flights on the hour, so finding your check-in desk here should be a cinch. There’s an info office, internet access, a bar, café, and a newspaper shop.

While currency rates at airport exchanges aren’t always the best, you might want to exchange some money at the airport to carry you over until you reach your hotel.
Finding your way to (or from) the city center is quite simple. Buses #22 and #22A run about every half hour between the airport and the city center; it costs a cheap 40 santims. Bus tickets are available directly from the bus driver.

To and From the Train Station: The central train station (or centrala stacija) in the very heart of the city -a few minutes’ walk from the old city. Many of the most notable Riga hotels are a five- or ten-minute walk from these central stations. There are money exchanges here, money machines and an array of shops and quite good eateries.
Getting to the city center poses few challenges. If you’re traveling light, just walk. Just head out the front doors and go through the underpasses.

You can also grab a cab or flag one down from the busy roads skirting the station, but beware of overcharging cabbies. A cab ride to the city center shouldn’t cost more than 4 lats.

To and From the Bus Station: The bus station (or autoosta) is just a few hundred meters to the southwest of the train station. So, again, it’s already in the middle of Riga and so should pose few challenges. Head for the pedestrian tunnels the slip under the traffic-congested 13 Janvara road; the old city’s just on the side. The No. 7 tram will take you further into the city center; go just one or two stops. You can also grab a cab. Bus station is open 05-24.

Taxis

As a general rule, the quickest way to catch a cab is to flag one down. Also, avoid taxi stands in front of major hotels. They tend to charge more than average. In all taxis, always make sure the meter is actually running. Otherwise, the driver will just approximate, inevitably in his own favor. More and more taxis accept credit cards; look for your card’s sticker in the window.

Some suggested taxi services:
Bona-M: tel. 8000-5050.
Riga Taxi: tel. 8000-1010 or 8000-0006.
Rigas Taksometru parks: tel. 8000-1313.

Tourist Info
Riga’s Tourism Information Center has two outlets: in the old city, in the House of Blackheads complex, at Ratslaukums 6 ; tel. 6703-7900, fax 6703-7901; tourinfo@rcc.lv; and also at the bus terminal, at Pragas 1, tel. 6722-0555. Open:10-19. www.rigatourism.com

The info at the Riga International Airport, tel.6720-7005, fax 6720-7100; tourinfo@lgs.lv. The official Latvian tourism board website is www.latviatravel.com.
You can get detailed information about accommodation in the countryside at www.country.holidays.lv

Money
In cash-strapped developing countries the national currency, the Latvian lat, is often distinguished by large denominational values, sometimes in the millions. The opposite phenomenon prevails in Latvia, where the money has unusually small denominations: one Latvian lat equals 1,5 euros. This can sometimes lead you to fool yourself into thinking that you’re getting something dirt cheap when it’s really costing you an arm and a leg.

Note that almost all major hotels and restaurants accept credit cards these days. Latvia Tours, at Kalku 8, tel. 6708-5001, is the representative for American Express. They can issue traveler’s checks and replace them, but they don’t cash them here. Most major banks are able to cash traveler’s checks. There are plenty of ATM machines around the city.

Time
Latvia is on Eastern European Time. It’s two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time in winter and three hours in summer. A good website that always has the right Latvian time, plus Latvia’s time relative to other countries, is www.worldtimeserver.com.

Telephones
The phone system is reliable and easy to use. See YELLOW PAGES towards the end of the Riga tourist listings for more details about how to call in, to and from Latvia.
If you need to make phone calls from a pay phone, you should purchase a Lattelekom phone card—available at newspaper kiosks, post offices and some stores. For international calls, buy an international phone card. www.lattelekom.lv

Post Office
The main Riga post office is conveniently located at Stacijas laukums; tel. 6701-8801. You can send telegrams 24 hrs. at tel. 9000-2178. In addition to a range of other services, you can also make international calls, and send and receive faxes. There are also post offices at Brivibas 19, tel. 6701-8738; and at Elizabetes 41/43, tel. 6733-1609.
Information about postal services at tel. 8000-8001 and at www.riga.post.lv.

Emergencies
Fire: tel. 01
Police: tel. 02.
Ambulance: tel. 03.

As in all big cities, travelers must be alert and use common sense when it comes to potential crime. Muggers and pick-pocket certainly aren’t unknown to Riga, though the incidence of such crime isn’t much greater than in other big European cities. Do make sure you park your car in a guarded and well-lit lot at night; car theft is still relatively common.

Medical Help
There are increasingly professional options to general care. Some Western-trained doctors have set up shop here. Some Western-trained doctors have set us private practices in Riga, for instance.

AIDS Center: Klijanu 7, tel. 6737-8278 or hotline 6754-3777. www.aids.lv

ARS Clinic: Skolas 5. Has a 24-hour service in English, tel. 6720-1001. For emergencies at home, call tel. 6720-1008.

Children’s Republican Hospital: Vienibas 45, tel. 6706-4400. Open 24 hrs.

Gaileziers Hospital No. 7: Hipokrata 2, tel. 6704-2424. www.gailes.lv

Republican Dental Outpatient Hospital: Dzirciema 20, tel. 6781-5320. www.st-inst.lv

Tips and Explanations
An outstanding place to begin getting a sense of Riga, especially if you’ve never been here before, is from atop the sky-scraping Reval Hotel Latvija at Elizabetes 55; by looking out the tall windows of both side of the eagle’s nest Skyline Bar, you can see virtually the whole of Riga.

There are several good reference points to keep your bearings straight in and around the old city, including: the imposing Dome Cathedral, in the middle of the old town , and the Freedom Monument.

Hitchhiking is fairly common-but carries the usual risks. Tallinn-bound hitchhikers often start at the end of Brivibas, near the McDonald’s. To Vilnius, a good place to start is the Katlakalns turnoff on the main Vilnius road.

A good meeting place is the rectangular-shaped Laima clock on the eastern edge of the old city where the Brivibas and Aspazijas boulevards meet. The clock, advertising Laima chocolate, has long been a favorite rendezvous point for Rigans.

Drinking Riga tap water should probably be avoided. It’s not the worst, but bottled water’s better.

Riga drivers seem to have a death wish and aren’t pedestrian-friendly. Walk defensively.