Trains in Latvia | PolishTrains

At a glance

• Trains from Poland to Latvia require one change at Mackow, with the final destination being Riga
• The EC 144 Hancza is the key train for Poland-Latvia travel, departing from Krakow Glowny
• The full journey from Krakow to Riga takes over twenty hours, offering ever-changing European scenery
• Average ticket price for the EC 144 Hancza is around 148 zloty, plus approximately 64 zloty for the Vilnius-Riga leg
• Departure points include Krakow, Kielce, Radom, Warsaw Centralna and Suwalki
• PolishTrains offers discounts for seniors, students, pupils and families with children on international routes

Travelling abroad by train in Poland has never been so easy. PolishTrains has a wide range of connections from Polish cities either directly or with a convenient change of train to popular European destinations such as Vienna, Budapest, Munich, Berlin, Paris or Ostrava. Planning does not require much effort - just choose the direction you are interested in and buy a ticket. There are various discounts available at www.polishtrains.eu that you can take advantage of and pay cheaper. These include discounts for seniors, families with children (Cheap with Relatives offer) or students and pupils. In addition, tickets can be purchased in Polish currency, so there is no problem with exchanging money. What is more, when getting on a train, you do not have to worry about finding a parking space or the high cost of fuel. PolishTrains allows you to travel by train starting from the city centre, thus avoiding complicated airport transfers or parking fees.

Such an easy process is also available in the case of connections to northern Europe, where Latvia becomes the main destination. Trains in this direction allow you to take your time and enjoy the scenery beyond the windows of the gliding vehicle. The journey usually lasts more than twenty hours, so the views change every now and then. With such a journey, it is possible to explore not only Latvia and its cities, but also Europe itself, enjoying its beauty and diversity.

There are several options for getting to Latvia, depending on the starting station. Here are a few examples of connections offered by PolishTrains:

• Kraków - Riga - choose train EC 144 Hańcza, which starts at Kraków Główny station. This journey requires a change of train, so after travelling more than six hundred kilometres, get off at Maćkowo and head for the train towards Vilnius. There are the following stops on the route:

• Kraków Główny at 3:47

• Kielce Główny at 5:40,

• Skarżysko-Kamienna at 6:16,

• Radom Główny at 6:43,

• Warszawa Zachodnia at 7:42,

• Warszawa Centralna at 7:48,

• Warszawa Wschodnia at 8:01,

• Białystok at 9:48,

• Suwałki at 12:11,

• Maćkowo at 13:35 (change),

• Kaunas at 16:40.

The train arrives in Vilnius at Vilnius (LT) station at 17:29. The cost of a ticket is about 148 PLN on average. After a 13-hour journey, change to a train heading towards Riga, the capital of Latvia. In this case, it is necessary to use the Lithuanian and Latvian timetables - the Vilnius-Riga train leaves the station at 7:05 a.m. The journey takes 3 hours 59 minutes, so the vehicle finishes at 11:04 a.m. The reverse journey takes 4 hours 8 minutes.

Although Latvia's location makes it less popular as a tourist destination than neighbouring Estonia or Lithuania, the country undoubtedly has assets that attract travellers and encourage them to settle down. These are primarily monuments and attractions, but also very good administration, economy or transport. The latter focuses primarily on trains.

The railway in Latvia operates mainly as the agglomeration railway of the state of Latvia. Trains run very frequently on short distances around Riga, but much less frequently on longer distances. Long-distance connections are few and far between, especially for international journeys. The state railway in Latvia offers regular trains between the following cities:

• Riga - Yelgava,

• Riga - Zilupe; it runs via Stirniene, Velonya, Rzezhitsa and Ludza,

• Riga - Yurmala - Tukums (the most popular route among tourists); the train stops at Zasulauks, Lielupe, Majori, Dubulti, Sloka and Kemeri, among others,

• Riga - Lipava; the route includes stops in Olaine, Dobele, Broceni and the town of Skrunda,

• Riga - Dyneburg; the route passes through Salaspils, Ogre, Lielvarde, Plavinas, Livani, among others.

Of the international connections, the following can be mentioned:

• Riga - Valga (Latvia-Estonia) - runs twice daily,

• Vilnius - Valga (Lithuania-Estonia) - runs via Riga,

• Riga - Vilnius**- Cracow Glowny** - runs once a day, a change of train in Vilnius makes it possible to reach a station in Poland,

• Vilnius**- Riga - Tallinn -** the train allows you to reach a number of Latvian stations, including Koszedary (Kaišiadorys), Šiauliai or Dorpat (Tartu).

Remember to buy your ticket before you travel. The surcharge for issuing a ticket directly to the conductor is €0.50. You also need to bear in mind that the size of the luggage you carry must not exceed 40 x 60 x 20 cm (length, width and height) and 20 kg in weight - otherwise you will need to purchase an additional ticket to carry it.

There are no toilets on most trains. Railways in Latvia provide them for free at stations. However, you should be aware of this before travelling. There is an option to buy an all-day ticket, so that if you have a need or physiological problem you can get off the vehicle and wait for the next one, trains run practically every 5 minutes.

Railways in Latvia cover as much as 2216 kilometres of railway lines. The state-owned carrier is Latvijas dzelzceļš (LDz), based in Riga. The railway lines are very well connected in the country's main cities and are constantly being modernised.

Mention should also be made of the construction of the Rail Baltica project to establish rail links for the Baltic countries. This investment is underway with the aim of further developing train travel in this region of Europe.