Bus 22 is the cheap way into Riga at EUR 1.81 - but the driver takes bank cards only and will not accept your cash.
Riga Airport (RIX)
- The airport is about 10 km west of the centre, so this is a short transfer by European standards.
- Bus 22 runs from outside the terminal to the centre, taking roughly half an hour depending on where you get off.
- A single ticket is EUR 1.81.
- The driver accepts payment by bank card only. Rigas satiksme states it plainly: on bus 22 a ticket bought from the driver is paid for by bank card, not cash. Arriving with euro notes and no card leaves you unable to buy a ticket at all.
- Buy before you board if you can - a pre-purchased ticket or an e-talons card avoids the issue entirely, and the e-talons is what residents use.
The e-talons
- The e-talons is Riga's reusable transport card, sold at Narvesen kiosks and machines.
- It is worth buying if you are staying more than a day or two, and it works across buses, trams and trolleybuses.
- Validate on boarding, every time. Riga inspects and fines.
Taxis and ride-hailing
- Bolt is what people actually use and it is cheap. Yandex-linked apps also operate; choose Bolt.
- Airport taxis have a poor reputation for overcharging visitors. If you take one from the rank, confirm the fare or insist on the meter before you get in.
- The FCDO's Latvia advice names taxi overcharging among the things visitors run into in Riga, so this is not folklore.
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