Riga has 7 tram lines, 18 trolleybus routes and 51 bus routes that operate from as early as 05:00 to as late as 01:00, depending on the route. You can buy €1.15 tickets at designated Riga Transport (Rīgas Satiksme) ticket offices, at public transport ticket machines or at Narvesen newsstands, post offices and Rimi supermarkets. You can also buy a ticket from the driver (on old trams) but it will cost you €2. New trams offer ticket machines on board. Passengers have a wide variety of ticket options including tickets for one (€1.15), two (€2.30), four (€4.60), five (€5.75), 10 (€10.90) and 20 (€20.70) rides or tickets good for one (€5), three (€10) or five (€15) days of travel.
The tickets are valid for trams, trolleybuses and city buses. Press the ticket against the electronic ticket readers on the bus or tram as soon as you board the vehicle. The green light will flash and the display will show you how many more rides are left on the card (e.g. Atlikums: 9). You are no longer required to cover your nose and mouth onboard with a mask or scarf, but we recommend that you do to protect yourself and others from Covid-19.
You can also take a mikroautbuss or mikriņš, passenger vans that list their destinations and route numbers on their windscreens. They are a scourge to urban transit as they’ll basically stop anywhere along their routes to pick up or drop off passengers causing delays and traffic jams. Pay the driver the fare, which varies depending on the route.
Read more about routes and exact departure times in English on the Riga Transport Authority’s website www.rigassatiksme.lv.