Riga Airport (RIX) to the city
Bus 22 costs EUR 1.81 and the driver accepts bank cards only, so arriving with euro notes and no card leaves you unable to buy a ticket.
- The driver takes bank cards only. Rigas satiksme states it plainly: a ticket bought from the driver on bus 22 is paid for by card, not cash.
- A single is EUR 1.81 and the ride into the centre takes roughly half an hour.
- This is the reverse of Kaunas, where the airport bus driver takes cash only. The Baltic capitals do not work the same way.
- The e-talons is the alternative - Riga's reusable card, sold at Narvesen kiosks and machines, and worth it beyond a day or two.
- Validate every time you board. Riga inspects and fines.
Bus 22, and the payment rule
Riga Airport is about 10 km west of the centre and bus 22 is the way in for a fraction of any other option.
- A single ticket is EUR 1.81.
- Bought from the driver, it is paid for by bank card only. This is the operator's own rule, not a quirk of one driver. Euro notes will not buy you a ticket on board.
- Pre-purchase avoids the issue - a ticket or an e-talons card from a Narvesen kiosk or a machine works regardless.
- The journey is around half an hour, depending where you get off.
The Baltic contrast worth knowing
- Riga: card only, no cash.
- Kaunas: cash only, no card, and the driver may not have change.
- Tallinn: no cash at all, contactless or app, and the city's famous free travel is for registered residents rather than visitors.
Three capitals within a few hundred kilometres, three incompatible ways of paying for the same short bus ride.
Taxis and ride-hailing
- Bolt is cheap and is what residents use.
- Airport taxis have a reputation for overcharging visitors, which the FCDO's Latvia advice mentions among the things travellers run into. If you take one from the rank, agree the fare or insist on the meter first.
Comments
No comments yet. Share the first one.
Share a tip
Sign in to continue.