The airport (lidosta) is some 10km southwest of Riga's city centre. Once you’ve got your bags and you've cleared customs you can rent a car, change money, have a drink at Costa Coffee or visit the Welcome to Riga airport information centre in the arrivals hall. An ATM and a post office (open 08:30 - 13:00; 14:00 - 17:00; closed Sat, Sun) are also available as well as toilets. If you’ve departed from a non-Schengen country such as Ireland, the UK, the US or Uzbekistan, you will arrive in a different terminal at the north end of the airport building. Car rental and currency exchange are available here, but you might want to leave the terminal, make a right and then enter the Schengen arrival hall because it offers more services.
Getting to town: A queue of eager taxis will be waiting for you outside. Now strictly regulated, only BalticTaxi and Red Cab companies are permitted at the arrivals area of the airport. A typical ride to Old Riga or the city centre should cost no more than €15. You can also download the Bolt (bolt.eu) ride sharing app and order a car for a fraction of the price of a taxi with your mobile phone. The only catch is that you have to wait for your car on the second level departures concourse. Bus N°22 (get off at 11.novembra krastmala for Old Riga or at Centrāltirgus for the city centre) costs €1.15 (€2 if you buy a ticket from the driver) and departs for the city centre roughly every 10 - 20 minutes between 05:45 and 24:00. Express mini-bus N°322 costs the same, but doesn't stop as often and will take you as far as the Central Station from 06:30 - 21:30. Exit the airport arrivals hall and walk across the parking lot to find the bus stop and ticket machine. You can also buy tickets at airport newsstands like Narvesen. For more information visit www.riga-airport.com.
Comments
Ken
If you need to get into the City from the airport the city bus 22 is a good option if you do not have luggage. With luggage the Airport Express would probably be the better option. When in the centre of the City it is far better to walk.
Brian Aslak Gylte
The Airport Express shuttle is a good option. You can buy shuttle bus tickets online at the Air Baltic website, so you don't have to worry about having Lats on you as soon as you arrive.
Paul
That's true. It's better NOT to take taxis in Riga. Most of them shamelessly cheat and so far the authorities haven't been able to do anything to improve the situation. In any event, most of the sights in downtown Riga are easily reachable by walking, and if you need to get to the airport, just take a city bus 22 or some hotel shuttles. The trip shouldn't take more than 15-20 minutes
Jorge Pante
WATCH OUT... TAXI DRIVERS Cheat on you.. They all do.. It is really sad because the city is really nice, but unfortunatelly even the taxis the we requested from the Hotel, tried to charge us more.. Even the Hotel explained that they have different meters (for locals, for tourists and for drunk tourists).If you go to Riga, try to walk and not use Taxi.