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The Baltic capitals are now linked by train!
In December 2023, Lithuanian Railways (LTG Link) introduced a daily Vilnius-Riga train which has been so successful it has surprised LTG Link themselves. The train is smoother and faster than the bus and I'll take an LTG-Link bean-to-cup latte over the bus company's instant coffee, any day!
Then on 6 January 2025 train travel in the Baltic States took another step forward: Lithuanian, Latvian & Estonian railways co-ordinated their timetables to create a daily Vilnius-Riga-Tallinn train service with one easy cross-platform change at Valga, with through ticketing between all three Baltic capitals possible using the LTG-Link website. Riga-Tallinn takes longer by train than by bus, but (having done both) it's far more enjoyable and gives more of an insight into Latvian and Estonian life.
Train times 2025
How to read these timetables: Read downwards. Each column of times is a train you can take. A horizontal line means you need to change trains.
How to check these train times: Check Vilnius-Riga-Valga-Tallinn times at ltglink.lt. You can also check Riga-Valga at vivi.lv, click EN for English top left. Check Valga-Tallinn times at elron.ee, click EN for English top right. In Estonian, Riga = Riia. Times sometimes vary, always check.
At Valga it's a quick & easy cross-platform interchange, see the photo below.
Vilnius to Riga is 348 km (216 miles). Vilnius to Tallinn is 789 km (490 miles). Riga to Tallinn is 441 km (274 miles).
How much does it cost?
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Vilnius to Tallinn (or vice versa) costs €39 in 2nd class, fixed price.
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Vilnius to Riga (or vice versa) costs €9.60 to €24 in 2nd class (it varies), or €34 in 1st class (fixed-price).
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Riga to Tallinn (or vice versa) costs €30.50 in 2nd class, fixed price.
How to buy tickets
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Buy tickets at ltglink.lt
You can buy tickets between Vilnius, Riga & Tallinn in either direction at Lithuanian Railways ltglink.lt.
Booking opens 60 days ahead for Vilnius-Riga, 1 month ahead for Riga-Tallinn. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
You should book in advance if you can because a seat reservation is included on the Lithuanian train between Vilnius & Riga and it can sell out. There are no assigned seats on the Riga-Valga sector or on the Estonian train between Valga & Tallinn, you sit where you like.
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Buy tickets at elron.ee
You can also buy Vilnius-Tallinn or Riga-Tallinn tickets (but not Vilnius-Riga) in either direction from Estonian Railways at elron.ee.
Bookings only open 7 days ahead, but Elron has its own allocation of seats on the Vilnius-Riga-Valga train, so you may find tickets available at elron.ee even if tickets are sold out on ltglink.lt.
You can also book Tartu-Tallinn tickets and 1st class Valga-Tallinn tickets using elron.ee.
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To travel in first class
You can book first or second class tickets between Vilnius & Riga using ltglink.lt. 1st class gets you an assigned seat and complimentary water, chocolate brownie and coffee on this sector. However, only 2nd class tickets are sold to/from Tallinn, so here's the workaround:
If you want to travel 1st class on the Vilnius-Riga part of a Vilnius-Tallinn journey, split the booking: Book Vilnius-Riga 1st class using ltglink.lt, then Riga-Tallinn 2nd class also at ltglink.lt. The Vilnius-Valga train operates as 2nd class only between Riga and Valga, so you can remain in your first class seat on the Riga-Valga sector.
There's relatively little difference between classes in Estonia, even if I did find the 1st class seats on Elron's trains more comfortable than 2nd. But if you insist on travelling 1st class on both the Vilnius-Riga and Valga-Tallinn parts of a Vilnius-Tallinn journey, you'll need to split the booking into three: Book Vilnius-Riga 1st class at ltglink.lt, then Riga-Valga 2nd class at www.vivi.lv (booking opens 9 days ahead) then Valga-Tallinn 1st class at elron.ee (booking opens 7 days ahead).
If you want to travel 1st class on the Valga-Tallinn part of a Riga-Tallinn journey, you'll need to split the booking: Book Riga-Valga at www.vivi.lv (booking opens 9 days ahead) then book Valga-Tallinn in 1st class at elron.ee (booking opens 7 days ahead).
Interrail & Eurail
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Eurail & Interrail holders need a reservation between Vilnius & Riga, this can be made online as shown on the passholder reservations page.
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No reservation is needed between Riga, Valga & Tallinn. Just board the train and sit where you like. Show your pass when asked.
Pets & bikes
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Vilnius to Riga: Bicycles carried for €10. Small pets in containers free, larger pets €5.
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Riga to Valga: Bikes & pets carried for a fee, add a baggage ticket when booking.
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Valga to Tallinn: Bikes carried for a fee (free November to March), add a bike ticket when booking.
Pets carried free, in the train's C-area marked with a pet symbol. Pets not allowed in 1st class.
Route map
What's the journey like?
1. Vilnius - Riga - Valga by Lithuanian train
The train is operated by LTG-Link (Lithuanian Railways) with a Pesa 730 diesel unit, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pesa_730M. It's air-conditioned with comfortable seating in 1st & 2nd class, drop-down tables, toilets, large luggage racks, free WiFi, wheelchair space and accessible toilet, see virtual tour at traukinyje.lt/pesa730ml. Between Riga & Valga the train operates under contract to Vivi (Latvian Railways) so is designated 2nd class only on this sector.
Hot & cold drinks (including an excellent bean to cup latte or cappuccino), snacks and sandwiches can ordered from a menu and brought to your seat by the train staff working out of a small catering compartment. The Vilnius-Riga 1st class fare includes complimentary water, chocolate brownie and coffee. 1st class seats are assigned, you sit where you like in 2nd class, but only a finite number of places are sold so tickets can sell out. Book ahead!
The Vilnius-Riga-Valga train ready to leave Vilnius station platform 1, track 1.
Your first view of Riga, on the left as the train crosses the Daugava river into Riga Central Station. If you're stopping off in Riga you can climb the tower of St Peter's church (on the right) for superb views over the old town.
The Vilnius-Riga-Valga train at Riga, platform 2, track 1. What's not to like about a train with a knight in shining armour on the side?
Riga Central Station, platform 2, track 1.
At Valga, it's an easy cross-platform change: That's the Lithuanian train arrived from Vilnius & Riga on the left, the Estonian train for Tallinn on the right.
2. Valga - Tallinn by Estonian train
Operated by Elron (the Estonian passenger train operator), these smart air-conditioned local trains have on-board information screens, free WiFi & power sockets for laptops & mobiles. This train does not have assigned seats in 2nd class, you sit where you like. In theory 1st class seats are assigned and so limited tickets are sold, but in practice no-one takes much notice of their seat number! If you want 1st class, you'll have to book Valga-Tallinn separately at the Elron website.
The Estonian train for Tallinn, at Valga.
Arrived at Tallinn's Balti Jaam (Baltic Station), just 8 minutes walk from Tallinn's town hall square in the old town.
VIP lounge at Vilnius station
The VIP lounge at Vilnius station offers a peaceful environment with chairs, tables & free WiFi, with hot drinks & snacks to buy, open at all times the station itself is open. You can use the lounge for up to 2h before or after your journey if you have a 1st class ticket, you can also use the lounge if you pay €4 for lounge access on top of a 2nd class ticket, if you book on the LTG link website or app. More info at ltglink.lt.
Hotels in Vilnius, Riga, Tallinn
Hotels in Vilnius
The highly-rated but inexpensive Grotthuss Boutique Hotel (pictured below) is in a historic building on a medieval street in the old town, just 11 minutes walk from Vilnius station, see walking map. I found this hotel delightfully quirky, I had a large room with old-school comfort. The hotel has a small wine bar next to reception, a welcome feature! Or try the Shakespeare Boutique Hotel, housed in a renovated 17th century palace in the old town 50m from Cathedral Square, also with great reviews. It's a 26-minute walk from the station or take a taxi.
At the upmarket end, the Radisson Blu Royal Astorija Hotel (pictured below) gets great reviews and is just a 13 minute walk from the station, see walking map. A classic building dating from 1901, today the hotel comes complete with indoor swimming pool.
Hotels in Riga
Here I recommend the venerable Metropole Hotel, currently branded Eurostars Metropole. Located in the old town, it's a 7-minute 450m walk from Riga Central Station see walking map. Inexpensive by western standards, it's Riga's oldest continuously-operating hotel, first opened in 1871, with large and comfortable rooms.
Hotels in Tallinn
In Tallinn I recommend the Nunne Boutique Hotel, perfectly located 5 minutes walk from Tallinn railway station (see walking map) and just 4 minutes walk from Tallinn's old town square, see walking map. The hotel has beautifully modernised rooms and a decent restaurant and bar too. Try their Blue Marguerita!
Stopover in Valga?
There are other trains between Tallinn & Valga, so you can stop off for a few hours if you like, check times at elron.ee.
Valga in Estonia and Valka in Latvia were one town until 1920. Now twin towns, the station is in Valga on the Estonian side. It's reportedly not a bad place to spend a few hours. Estonia and Latvia are in the Schengen area so there are no border controls, you can walk back and forth across the border. Indeed, there's an International Swing on a pedestrian bridge over the border in Valga town, you can swing back and forth between countries!
There are free luggage lockers in the station hall, they just require a €1 or €0.50 coin as deposit.
The main departure board at Valga only shows Estonian trains, not the Latvian train to Riga, so don't worry when you don't see it listed! You'll recognise the Latvian train from the photo below, it typically leaves from platform 2.
Restaurant Lilli (www.lilli.ee) a 14 minute walk away and is a good place to go between trains, see walking map. A menu is available in English.
Stopover in Tartu?
Tartu is a university town, an Estonian Oxford or Cambridge. With a lovely old town, river, and great atmosphere (and a wonderful wooden railway station), it's well worth a stop. Estonia isn't just Tallinn! Below, the kissing students sculpture, Tartu town square.
