LITHUANIA | Travel | General information
Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a European country situated along the south-eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, sharing borders with Latvia, Belarus, Poland, and Russia. Lithuania is a member of NATO and the European Union. Its population is 3,4 million. The largest city and capital is Vilnius.
You can find a detailed map of Lithuania here: http://www.maps.lt /
Arriving in Lithuania
You can come to Lithuania by plane, car, bus, train or ferry. Lithuania has three international airports in Vilnius, Palanga and Karmelava (Kaunas region).
There is a state seaport in Klaipeda http://www.portofklaipeda.lt /
Travelling by bus
Trips by buse are more popular than by train in Lithuania. There is 50 percent discount for students; it is a cheap and comfortable way of travelling. Besides, minibuses often run between Kaunas and Vilnius, they are fast and comfortable. Buses marked as express go faster, because they do not stop in stops between big cities. You can buy tickets from a bus driver or in a bus station.
More detailed information is provided in:
- Vilnius http://www.autobusai.lt /
- Kaunas http://www.kautra.lt /
- Klaipëda http://www.klap.lt /
Travelling by train
Compared with other European countries, the train infrastructure in Lithuania is not developed, the majority of trains is old, though the journey is cheaper, but not as comfortable and fast as with buses. The only one, more comfortable and faster train is the train "Klaipeda-Siauliai-Vilnius". You have to purchase tickets in the ticket office of the train station. Tickets can be: piece-rate – for one passenger and for a single travel; group – for a passengers group of over 6 persons for a single travel; time-limited – one-way or round-way for one passenger (to travel in the 3rd class coach) for a certain period. There is 50 percent discount for students.
More detailed information you can find in http://www.litrail.lt /
Travelling by car
Lithuania is not a big country, so it is comfortable to travel by a rented car. The price of the car rent for one day is about 150 Lt. When you are renting car for a longer period the price gets lower. There are companies which offer to rent a car in Vilnius and Kaunas airports. For additional price you can get your car in any place around Lithuania, you can rent a car with a driver, etc.
There are three types of road in Lithuania: main roads, national roads and regional roads. There are two highways in Lithuania: Klaipeda-Kaunas and Panevezys-Vilnius. They are four lane roads; the maximum speed during summer season is 130 km/h, during winter season – 110 km/h. The majority of national roads are two lane roads; maximum speed allowed for travelers is 90 km/h.
More detailed information is provided in:
- http://www.autobanga.lt /
- Lithuanian roads: http://www.lra.lt /
Travelling by taxi
In Lithuania there is an opportunity to travel by taxi. Price for one kilometer is from 2 to 4 Lt. You can rent minibuses in taxi companies as well. It is very comfortable, very fast and not so expensive way of travelling (particularly for groups of people).
More detailed information is in http://www.taksi.lt /
Transport system
Intraurban as well as interurban bus service is well developed in Lithuania. Travelling by train is not as popular in Lithuania as it is in majority of European countries.
Motor vehicles run on the right side of the road. It is necessary to use seat-belt while travelling. Travelling in highways is free of charge.
Speed control in Lithuanian roads:
- 50 km/h in towns;
- 90 km/h out of town on national roads;
- 110 km/h (November 1 – March 31) and 130 km/h (April 1 – October 31) on highways, unless traffic signs specify otherwise.
Technical assistance 24 h x7 days: telephone 1888.