Transportation in Latvia

Latvia's transport backbone is the inter-city coach network, clean, punctual, and cheap enough to make car rental feel optional. Within Riga, trams and trolleybuses thread the old town and suburbs. Buy an e-ticket (e-talons) card at any Narvesen kiosk and tap on board, cash is no longer accepted. For islands and coastal towns, passenger ferries run from Riga's central pier; they're a scenic splurge compared with the bus but still a fraction of a private tour. Taxis are plentiful. Yet Bolt and Yandex apps undercut curb-side rates by roughly half, use them unless you're stranded without data. First-timers should note that trains exist but serve fewer destinations than coaches. Check the station boards before assuming rail is faster. Skip the "tourist" airport shuttle vans parked outside arrivals, locals ride the direct city bus (No. 22) to the center in the same time for bus-fare change. If you land late, the official taxi rank inside the terminal is the only reliable option. Insist on the meter or pre-book via Bolt to avoid fixed-price surprises.