Getting around Lithuania: transport and apps

Buses and trains

• Buses cover more of the country than trains and are the default for intercity travel.
• LTG Link runs the railways and the main line Vilnius to Kaunas to Klaipeda is comfortable and cheap. Vilnius to Kaunas takes about an hour.
• Book online for the coach network through the national system; walk-up is possible but weekend services fill.
• Vilnius to Riga or Warsaw is a straightforward coach journey of four to six hours.

The Curonian Spit

• Klaipeda to Neringa is a ferry crossing - there is no bridge, and the ferry is the only way on with a vehicle.
• The Curonian Spit National Park charges a vehicle entry fee. Pay it at the barrier; enforcement is real.
• Book the ferry ahead in July and August if you are taking a car. Foot passengers and cyclists rarely have a problem.
• Cycling the spit is the better option anyway - it is flat, forested and the road is quiet.

Driving

• Winter tyres are compulsory from 10 November to 1 April.
• Headlights on at all times, all year.
• The drink-drive limit is effectively zero and enforcement is strict.
• Speed cameras are common on the Vilnius to Kaunas and Kaunas to Klaipeda motorways.
• There is no motorway vignette for cars - unlike Slovakia, Czechia or Austria, Lithuania does not charge private cars for motorway use.

In the cities

• Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipeda all run on JUDU-style contactless ticketing.
• Vilnius old town is walkable end to end and is a UNESCO site; you will not need a bus inside it.