There are few areas of the European Union which have been explored much less via global visitors than the 3 Baltic States of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. While Tallinn, Estonia has seen a massive inflow of tourism in recent years due to its potential as a cruise deliver port and Riga, Latvia has expanded in reputation as Ryanair began to offer reasonably-priced connections from different principal European cities, the rest of the Baltics continue to be basically untouched by means of foreign tourism. The sheer lack of tourist crowds can make Baltics tour an attractive option for those looking to get absolutely off the overwhelmed route in Europe.
This Baltics journey guide will cover the simple statistics wanted which will start to plan your Baltic journey. Topics consisting of forex, transportation, finances and accommodation statistics, safety issues, religious and cultural nuances, and local delicacies are all things worth thinking about before you embark upon your adventure thru these 3 undiscovered international locations.
Disclaimer: This manual carries affiliate hyperlinks. That manner in case you click on a link and make a buy, we make a small fee at no more fee to you. For extra information, see our privacy coverage.Baltic Countries
Located in Northeastern Europe and bordering Poland to the south, Belarus and Russia to the east and the Baltic Sea to the north, the Baltics international locations contain the nations of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Distinct in subculture and culture, these nations are fantastic to go to as one block or in my view and you may without problems spend months exploring and gaining knowledge of them.
If you need a few country-unique statistics rather than the greater holistic view of the region as mentioned in this Baltics journey manual, you can browse publications and articles especially for Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania under.Planning a Baltics Route
Though the Baltics are handiest constituted of 3 international locations, making plans the appropriate path thru them can absolutely be quite a bit of an task. While lots of the ones touring this awesome region will plan to go to handiest the capital cities of Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius and fail to department in addition, that is also a massive mistake.
There is so much to see and experience in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia which you really want to ensure that you put in an amazing amount of time to plot your path. While the capitals are lovable, dynamic and diverse and very a lot worth travelling, you furthermore may can not miss the smaller cities and cities, both.
If you need to plan out an appropriate Baltics itinerary to fit your travel fashion or are uncertain which capital city to prioritise then ensure to have a have a look at our exact articles under.
Places to Visit in the Baltics
While maximum extraordinary for their capital cities, there is lots more to the Baltic states than just the foremost metropolitan areas. From 2d cities like Kaunas, Lithuania and Tartu, Estonia to beachy wonders like Liepaja, Latvia or the terrific Curonian Spit in Lithuania, the Baltics have a lot to offer site visitors beyond the capitals and top traveler websites and it’s far well worth taking the time to are searching for them out.
So if you’re surfing this Baltics journey manual to be able to determine out where to head on this lovely region and to step a chunk beyond the well-trodden traveler path, then have a browse thru a number of the articles below. Here we define a way to dig deeper in the capitals along with what to do in some of the lesser-visited towns!
Best Time to Visit the Baltics
Elsewhere in Europe we commonly advise travelling the shoulder seasons of March-May and September-October so that you can get proper climate while heading off traveller crowds.
However, arguably the nice time of year for Baltics tour could be in the high season months of June-August. Because the Baltic countries are to date north, they see disparate temperatures — iciness highs fall properly underneath freezing and both autumn and spring and be quite cold and rainy as nicely.
If you clearly need to get the maximum out of your Baltics itinerary, going within the summer months is quite endorsed, in particular in case you want to revel in the pristine coastline and white-sand seashores that rival lots of the ones located inside the tropics.
The climate is slight and in no way receives too warm, but be warned that there are mosquitos! We each had been feasted upon while within the Baltics in July, so come armed with a few computer virus spray in case you don’t need to be protected in itchy welts for the majority of your holiday.
There aren’t massive vacationer crowds within the summer season, both, specially if you assignment outside of the capital towns. Another gain to journeying in the high season vs shoulder or off-seasons is that each one of the exciting traveler points of interest, museums, and tours can be fully operational.
Many companies catered towards tourists near from October-May due to a loss of crowds, so in case you want as a way to enjoy the whole thing the Baltic countries should offer, travelling in summer season is the fine decision!
There is some thing to be said for journeying the Baltics in December, but. The snow-blanketed cities and towns appear like some thing out of a fairytale and there are Christmas markets to rival the ones of Bavaria — simply ensure to package up!
Autumn can be any other attractive time to go to the Baltic States if you don’t thoughts a touch little bit of rain and cold. Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia are rather inexperienced international locations (all three have gone thru a massive length of reforestation on account that gaining independence from the united states) and the autumn foliage is any nature-fans dream! Just make sure to percent as it should be.Old City Walls in Tallinn, EstoniaCost of Travelling to the Baltics
Just one factor at the lengthy listing of execs for Baltics tour is that they’re pretty probably one of the maximum affordable areas inside the EU. Your money can pass a protracted way in all 3 nations and the affordability of the vicinity can permit even the most miserly of finances travellers to live a piece extra luxuriously.
Every thing of a tour budget is incredibly discounted in the Baltics compared to many different EU countries and one ought to effortlessly get through on a every day stipend of €35 – forty according to day with out sacrificing any activities.
It is really worth noting in any Baltics travel guide, however, that costs inside the Old Towns of Tallinn and, to a lesser quantity, Riga can see fees which might be nearly double than what you could locate in much less touristy regions of the city. These are honestly the most effective regions where you would possibly want to penny-pinch.
If you are attempting to store cash, we propose staying far from the visitor centres inside the capital towns where charges can be very excessive. Find accommodation outdoor of the Old Towns and search for restaurants that cater to locals as opposed to vacationers. This will not best assist you persist with a good price range however can even provide you with more perception into how and in which citizens of whichever city you’re visiting stay on a daily basis.
Read More: Baltics Travel: How Much Does it Cost?Main Square in Tartu, EstoniaCurrency within the Baltics
Unlike traveling in the Balkans or even backpacking via Central Europe, in which maximum international locations use exceptional currencies, all the international locations within the Baltics use the Euro! Estonia turned into the primary to undertake the Euro in 2011 at the same time as Latvia and Lithuania accompanied in 2014 and 2015 respectively making changing and changing forex a breeze while visiting through the Baltic states!
ATMs are also generic and smooth to locate wherever you may be in the Baltics so you must haven’t any hassle retreating coins, and it is usually foremost to go along with this course as opposed to relying on exchange cubicles with their much less-than-savoury costs and prices. It is recommended which you discover a debit card that refunds ATM fees and doesn’t rate for overseas transactions.
Credit playing cards are also widely prevalent in most main institutions, which removes the want to hold large sums of coins in any respect. Again, just make sure that your card doesn’t charge foreign transaction charges and you should have a unbroken and low-priced experience to the Baltic states!The Riga CathedralBaltic Cuisine
Baltic food is exceptionally diverse and attracts sizeable influences from its neighbours inclusive of Russia, Poland and Nordic countries.
Plenty of dishes you’ll encounter all through your Baltics tour could be very similar to other Eastern European international locations which includes potatoes, pelmeni (dumplings), rye bread, dairy merchandise and soups.
What sets the Baltic states other than other Eastern European countries is their geographic location at the Baltic Sea meaning there may be lots of fish included into their eating regimen, consisting of smoked salmon and pickled herring!
Apart from general beverages along with beer and vodka, it’s worth sampling nearby spirits along with Black Balsam (natural liqueur) in Latvia, Vana Tallin (rum liqueur) in Estonia and Krupnikas (honey liqueur) in Lithuania. Fermented smooth beverages made from rye bread referred to as Kvass in Latvia and Gira in Lithuania also are well worth trying and flavor similar to root beer.