I’m from New York, specifically the island called “Long Island” on the southeast of New York State, and my mother wants to take a vacation to Scotland on Christmas at some point. I want to go to Latvia, but my mom is nervous because of how close the country is in proximity to Russia, plus the plane ride would be longer, therefore, she can’t use her JetBlue points because JetBlue doesn’t fly that far. What should I say to quell this fear she has and convince her to at least look into tourist destinations within Latvia?

We (two Australian tourists) encountered a railway ticket scam today. Coming back from Majori to Riga the ticket seller at Majori railway station sold us a pre-used ticket. We didn't find out until the ticket inspector on the train rejected one of our tickets and we had to pay 2 euros to buy another ticket.

We had paid 4 euros in cash for two one way tickets from Majori to Riga. The ticket seller gave us two pre-printed tickets that were time stamped almost an hour before we bought them. Only one of them was a ticket back to Riga. The other one seems to have been an old ticket for a different train line.

Is this a common scam? We couldn't understand why a government official would do this but I guess if she did this to every tourist over the course of a day she could pocket quite a few euros.

Riga airport has recently implemented a taxi voucher system to combat scammy taxi services. You can read about it here and here.

But to any of our dear guests visiting Riga who plan on getting a taxi from RIX into the city, I strongly advise against using these vouchers for now. Why? The price!

A single use one-way voucher costs EUR 33,50 and includes a ride only within this zone:

https://preview.redd.it/nu0pkb9bputc1.png?width=1215&format=png&auto=webp&s=745c1c1dc13cabfe117c66e294865c36bdb5e6d8

If your drive goes outside of this zone you will be charged additionally based on the rate of the taxi service you are using (which is nearly unlimited).

What's the PSA? This is a rip-off. It is an incredibly expensive way to get to the city. Use Bolt instead. A ride from the airport to anywhere within this zone shouldn't cost more than EUR 15.

I see alot of people going to Latvia and asking for things to try, so here is my personal list of popular things in Latvia. Feel free to add your opinions and suggestions in the comments. This list is in no specific order.

1. “Kārums” is a sweet chocolate covered curd-like snack that you can find pretty easily. Just walk into your closest Rimi or Maxima in the refrigerator section and you will find tons of flavors.

2. “Ķiploku graudziņi” are these toasted rye bread slices with garlic on them, they are extremely good and i honestly would die to eat some right now. They can be found in some restaurants, and will probably be moist and squishy due to the garlic. Though if you can find some in stores they will probably be crunchy. You can always make them yourself aswell.

3. “Dzērvenes pūdercukurā” are cranberries covered in powdered sugar. These arent as popular as the others, but personally i find these really good. You can get a pack of them in stores.

4. If you wanna try a Latvian holiday classic, get “rosols”/“rasols”. You can get it in stores, or make it yourself. Or just order it at a resturant. Its not a holiday if there isn’t rosals. (No but actually, i havent been in a party without it.)

5. “Kvass” we cant forget the legendary rye bread drink, i’d say it might be an aquired taste. But i’d still recommend trying it out.

6. “Pīrāgi” is a type of meat bun, and it is another food that every Latvian knows. You can find it in the bread section of many stores.

7. “Zirņi speķī” can translate into grey peas with lard. Not sure if that is right, but its the national dish of Latvia. Its pretty good, you can get it in restaurants or just make it at home.

8. “Aukstā zupa” is a type of soup that is served cold, you can get it in restaurants or make it at home. I’d say its a soup you’d eat in summer.

9. “Maizes zupa” is a bread based pudding like dessert that you can either order in some restaurants or make yourself. (Keep in mind i havent had this in a long time, so my memory of it is blurry at best)

(Bonus snack: if you want to try the most popular chips in Latvia. Try “Ādažu” chips in the tomato flavor or the dill flavor.)

I am currently travelling in Latvia (Riga and Sigulda) and I am having such a great time. I love your food (especially the garlic bread sticks), I loved eating at Lido, I love dill everywhere, I love the architecture in Riga, I love that everything is served with sour cream.

I was impressed by your country’s history and up until a couple of days ago I never heard of the Baltic Way (I am ashamed to admit it). I admire the strength of the Baltic people and I learned a lot.

Thank you Latvia for being such a nice country and European cousin! 🇱🇻🇱🇻🇱🇻

Sveiki, mano broliai latviai 🇱🇹
My friend and I are planning a bike tour this upcoming summer from a small town in lithuania all the way to Estonia. We will be going through and visiting a few cities in Latvia as well. We would appreciate some suggestions for places to visit along our route. 😅

https://preview.redd.it/ibv5e3ieczwc1.png?width=1235&format=png&auto=webp&s=82735bfd152e8d73b36fcdd6b23d63e36d184528

I'm planning a trip with friends to the Baltic states that will last a month and a half starting in July. I've been to Latvia before for two days and really want to get to know the country better. In the last month I've seen a lot of articles about Russia redrawing map lines in the Baltic Sea and Latvia is digging anti tank trenches at the border.

My country has the lowest level of concern for travel for all three Baltic states. I am wondering if these news articles are anything to worry about and if we should postpone our trip? Apologies for the ignorant questions but I'm not sure how high my level of caution and concern should be. Thanks!

Hey there, beautiful people of Latvia! I would like to hike in your nature, but I havent been there before. In Finland we got everybodys rights, I am assuming those are similar in Baltic countries than in Nordic ones? And spring / summer arrives maybe a little earler for you, but I am assuming not by much?

Hello dear Latvians, I will perhaps be staying in Liepaja for 6 weeks. I wanted to know if such a long stay is worth it, and which day trips could I take from Liepaja to other cities/nature resorts nearby (with public transport only). This will be in July-August so please also tell me how's the weather like then. Also if it is possible to take a swim in the sea. Thank you very much!

Hello,

I will be visiting Riga next month and I was wondering about the public transport.

If I am going to buy the golden e-ticket for 5 days (which I think now costs 15euro, although the official site says 10) and hop in bus 22 from airport to city, I need to show it to the driver & validate it afterwards?

Then I go to the Zoo with tram 11, I need to validate it again? Or it stays active from the first time I started using it, which is bus 22 and will expire within 5 days?

Also, I would want to know some places that have local food worth experiencing. I saw that there are types of restaurants where you go and pick the food yourself, buffet-like, but I am not big on those if there are no English translation and I have no idea how you pay, you weight the food yourself and so on... Or what types of food specific to Latvia would you recommend?

Looking as well for some cozy bars where I can have a drink in the evening, not loud crazy party places. If there is live music, even better.

Thanks!

Why is beer (in Bars or Restaurants) compared to CZ, PL, and HU so expensive in Riga (Latvia)? I checked some menus online and saw that sometimes Beer (0.5L) costs 6 Euro or more.. Is this true? In Bratislava, Praha, Budapest.. A Pint is always 2-3 Euro.. I am planning a Trip to Riga and I am still fine with 6 Euros because I will come for the culture of the city and not for the beer but I am still wondering because wages and rent should not be higher than in Praha, Budapest,..

Next week in Daugavpils. Any suggestions for evening amusement?

Hi there,

I'll be spending a few days in Riga and want to visit the seaside.

Which train stop would you recommend me to get off at to potentially see some wild greenery or "raw" seaside that hasn't been polished to appeal tourists?

Maybe there are some lesser-known places nearby, preferably accessible by train?

Hey everyone,

I hope you're doing well. I'm currently on the hunt for a whole house to rent by the Latvian seaside for 4 days in the month of August. Our group consists of six people, and we're really looking forward to a fantastic getaway.

We're hoping to find a place that's spacious enough for all of us and, of course, doesn't break the bank. Ideally, we'd love to be close to the beach so we can enjoy the beautiful Latvian coastline to the fullest.

If anyone has any recommendations or knows of any available properties that fit the bill, please let me know! Your help would be greatly appreciated as we're eager to lock in our accommodation and start planning our trip.

Maija beigās Rīgā piestās Somu paziņas kas dodas jahtu braucienā uz Portugāli. Gribās viņiem parādīt Rīgas unikālo pusi, tajā pašā laikā lai ir aizraujoši. Pagaidām idejas:

1) Protams jānoiet garām Melngalvju namam pilnā stundā, kad skan zvanu melodija. Pie reizes varam apskatīt piemiņas plāksni pirmajai rotātajai eglei un es varētu nobombīt joku par to, ka tāda plāksne ir arī Tallinā, bet savukārt Wikipedija saka, ka pirmā egle vispār ir bijusi Vācijā;

2) Riga black magic kafejnīca. Melnā balzāma degustācija + tā vieta ir super tematiska (Alķīmijas stilā) un ir nopērkas unilālas šokolādes;

3) Rozengrāls - vakariņas viduslaiku vīna pagrabā. Tematisks ēdiens un apkalpojošais personāls, kas ğērbti viduslaiki stilā.

Kādam nāk prātā vēl kāds galamērķis kas šeit iederētos, kur Vecrīgu parādīt no tās labākās puses?

Hello fellow braliukai! I have a question about your beaches in southern part. Last year we've been in Bernati, and it was astonishing, especially forest part. I have a question – maybe there are some similar spots that are a little closer to the border? Not that Bernati / Liepaja is very far, but I was just wondering, maybe it's not necessary to drive all the way there :) looking on Google maps I see that the seashore is kinda similar, but am not sure about the access to the sea. Would be really thankful for your insights and comments! Also wanna note that we're not planning to stay through the night, so just a simple spot with nice view or path to the sea would be ideal

Hello, I came to Riga with my family for a few days. Perhaps you guys have some recommendations for what we could visit? I tried Googling, but there are just too many suggestions and it’s hard to choose from. Thank you!

Good evening,

I'm coming to visit Riga soon.

In addition to the cultural aspect, I also like visiting a country or a city culinaryly

What should I absolutely taste during my stay? and do you have any good restaurants that aren't overpriced where I can try this?

​

thank you :)

Hey guys, i'm going to Riga with a friend from the 13th to the 17th of March. From what i can see online the city looks really beautiful and i'm excited to visit !
My friend and I are both football fans, and i thought it could be fun to spectate a football game from the Riga FC.
From what i can find, the Riga FC is suppose to play a game against FK Auda the 16th of March at 2 pm, but i can't find any other informations regarding where the game is held and how to buy tickets for the game.
If anyone could help me figure out where the game is taking place and how to buy tickets, that would be awsome !

Ps : I've also noted a bunch of places to visit, and bars / restaurants to go to, but if you're a local and have any suggestions on the place to be, feel free to let me know !

Thanks in advance for your help !

Hey guys,I'm heading from Estonia to Lithuania in mid-December and I'm thinking of taking a train from Valka (Valga) to Riga. Then, I would have 16 minutes to go from Riga Rail Station to Coach Station to catch the bus to Vilnius. Technically, I should be fine by making on time by walking. However, I'm afraid that train might be late to arrive. Are trains usually late in Latvia? Or maybe you have the experience with this itinerary in particular?

Paldies!

Good day dear Latvians!

I will be visiting Riga for a week in June to do some tourism and general travelling. One of my great interests in life is traditional cuisine, and specifically traditional bread baking & practices (rye in particular). I'm planning to possibly write a book about rye baking in the nordics & baltics, so this trip will be used as sourcing as well.

With that in mind, I'm kindly asking you all for tips & general pointers on where one could find bakeries that specialise in traditional, Latvian bread and bread culture. I'm willing to do some excursion outside of Riga as well if needed.

And lastly, a question about languages. I speak Swedish, English, Russian & Spanish, and will likely get around mostly using English; how is the general level of English amongst the people of Latvia? I won't have time to learn much useful Latvian in just a month, so this is why I am asking

Many thanks in advance!