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8/11/2019 Trains in Lithuania

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cheap and decent

Travelling by train is easy to and around Vilnius. As a student with an ISIC card you get 50%discount. But it is already cheap without discount. ou can get !ro" the airport to Vilnius# you haveto buy a tic$et in the train. I! you did not buy a tic$et at the station where it is possible you get a

penalty o! 5 t.

Trains to other cities

by &i$ebond 'ritten (ul )# *0+,

Although the ithuanian railways are -uite li"ited and so"e trains are a bit old# train is still the!astest "eans o! transport to "ove throughout the country.

ro" Vilnius# you can ta$e the e/press train to laipeda# calling at Siauliai and other "inor towns#or one o! the newer regional trains to aunas.

Vilnius Train Station

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Vilniaus gele1in$elio stotis# or Vilnius Train Station# is located at 2ele1in$elio gatv3 +)# south o!the city center. 'hile buses are "ore popular and !re-uent to "ost destinations# trains are a viableoption to get to so"e other parts o! ithuania# such as Tra$ai# aunas# and laipeda. There aredaily connections to &oscow# St. 4etersburg# &ins$# and aliningrad# but no direct connections to'arsaw or iga as o! *0+*. 678T9: there is an 9; pro<ect underway to create a rail lin$ !ro"

Tallinn to 'arsaw through iga and aunas# with a pro<ected co"pletion date o! *0*0= A dayti"econnection to 'arsaw is possible with a change o! trains in Sesto$ai and aunas# travel ti"eappro/i"ately > hours. I! you want to ta$e the train to iga# an overnight stay in ?augavpils# atviais re-uired.

Inside the station# there are so"e services# to include tic$et windows# a tourist o!!ice with e/tre"ely!riendly but not terribly $nowledgeable sta!!# and a gru"py @travel agent@ whose sole purpose is tosell visas to those wishing to go to ussia and or Belarus.

2round transportation at the train station is plenti!ul. The pla a in !ront o! the station entrance isserved by Trolleybuses +#*#5# #+)# and *0# as well as Buses +# +A# ,# +*# +,# +)# +># *,# *)# ,+# ,D#

D+# D*# 5D# and 5. are starts at *.* itas with a preEpaid travel card 6These can be purchased "anynews stands and $ios$s !or D itas=. Alternatively# you can purchase a singleEride tic$et !ro" thedriver !or *.5 itas.

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To get to Vilnius Airport 6oro uostas=# you have the choice o! Bus + outside the station runningroughly every +5 "inutes# or an @9/press train@ running every D5E 5 "inutes to the airport. are !or the train is *.5 itas.

The Lithuanian railways.

I used the train to get !ro" aunas to Vilnius. The <ourney was an +h *5"in pleasant ride andcosted only +5 tl which is FD 9uro.I post the lin$ to the railway co"pany here:

Train Vilnius to Airport

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'e decided to return to the airport by train as it was -uic$# cheap and we wanted to travel on a trainin ithuaniaG

'e understood that you could purchase tic$ets on board# but were directed to the tic$et o!!ice by thewo"an at Tourist In!or"ation.

uc$ily there wasnHt a -ueue as our train departed in <ust over 5 "inutes ti"e. 8ur !are was *.50 teach !or the "inute <ourney.

The in!or"ation board was -uite easy to read# but the tic$et seller shouted and raised !ingers toindicate the plat!or". 'ell we got there with a !ew "inutes to spare and settled into our seats. Thetrain was noticeably very clean.Surprisingly this ietuvos gele1in$eliai service runs <ust once every hour# although we had allowed4 97T o! ti"e to get to the airport E D hours as it turned outG

The train departed on ti"e# and we were soon pulling into the airport station E 8ro ;ostas. It was ashort wal$ !ro" the station to the departures hall o! the airport# on a canopied path

Train



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i$e "ost o! the Baltics# ithuania doesnHt have an e/tensive train networ$. &ost o! your <ourneysare best ta$en by bus. But the station is convenient !or a couple o! places: ?aytripping to Tra$ai andthe short trip on the new railway line to aunas. The train I too$ to aunas was brand new# clean#co"!ortable and on ti"e.

A note !or those with wheelchairs or pra"s: The station does have an elevator# but good luc$ gettingaccess to it. 'e happened upon it by chance by as$ing at the in!or"ation des$ 6to a wo"an whospo$e only ussian=. A!ter shouting at "e in ussian 6I didnHt understand= she begrudgingly sent !or another wo"an who $indly showed us the li!t. It was behind a loc$ed door. A!ter the loc$ed doorthere was a sign# i"possible to see !ro" outside the loc$ed door# written only in 9nglish and

ussian 6not ithuanian=# saying @as$ at the in!or"ation des$ !or access@.

The station is a !air wal$ !ro" the centre# about +0E+5 "inutes# but can be reached by pretty "uchall the buses that pass near the old town. (ust loo$ out !or the Stotis stop.

Train from Kaunas to Vilnius

Travelling by train between the * largest cities in ithuania is -uite si"ple and straight!orward.ou need to $eep an eye on the ti"etables though but they see" to run to schedule pretty well.

There are two types o! train. A !ast one and a slow one and the ti"es vary between <ust over an hour to + , D hours !or the sa"e <ourney depending on which train you get.

There is a price di!!erence o! + ita !or the !ast train to +).,0 !or a slow one.I too$ both types o! trains and theyHre both !ine but the !aster one "a$es "ore sense i! youHve got ali"ited a"ount o! ti"e and "ore co"!ortable E unless you get one at a busy ti"e.

To Vilnius by train

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8n our !irst day in August *00) we le!t Vilnius by regional train to aunas. This route is served"ore than +0 ti"es per day. The trip too$ about +#5 hours and cost +0#D0 itas 6about ,#+0 9uroJ*00)=.

8ther do"estic trains go to laipeda 6 h=# Siauliai 6D#5 h= and Tra$ai 6D0 "ins=. Internationalservices include &ins$ 6B =# 'arsaw 64 =# St. 4etersburg and &oscow 6 ;S=.

VilniusH train station 62ele in$elio Stotis= is located south o! the 8ld Town# <ust ne/t to the busstation.

Perfect for Budget Travellers.

Vilnius is the per!ect hub to e/plore the rest o! ithuania# and the train is the best way to do so.Cheap by Canadian A"erican Austrailian British 9uroEusing 9; citi en e/pectations# and veryco"!ortable. Kas a very e/tensive interEcity networ$# and there are currency e/changes AT&Snearby !or various international currencies. I also used it to get to the airport# although I donHt

believe the train is as e/tensive as the bus trolley networ$ within Vilnius.

Train from Vilnius to St Petersburg

I! youHre headed to St 4etersburg !ro" Vilnius 6or the other way around=# be prepared. irst# itHsi"portant to note that only one train leaves !ro" Vilnius to St 4etersburg daily. 8n evenEnu"bereddays# the route goes through Belarus# and you "ust have a Belarusian visa to ta$e this train# even i!youHre <ust passing through on the way to St. 4etersburg. A "uch better option is to leave on an oddE

nu"bered day# when the route goes through atvia instead# so no visa is re-uired 6e/cept to enterussia# o! course=. The train ride ta$es appro/i"ately +D hours and goes over night. 'ith all the

border stops and passport visa chec$s# donHt e/pect to get a lot o! sleep.

A warning: we had a very di!!icult ti"e !inding so"eone at the Vilnius train station who spo$e9nglish. 2o in with so"e basic phrases ready and your in!or"ation written down in ithuanian# i!

possible 6date traveling# destination# +st vs. *nd class wagon# etc=.

&y L+ reco""endation: pay the e/tra "oney !or a +st class sleeper cabin. 'e went !or *nd classand couldnHt as$ what this would be li$e because train station e"ployees spo$e so little 9nglish. The*nd class sleeper is nothing "ore than D0 or so bun$ beds in an open wagon. There is absolutely no

privacy# and we were nervous about sleeping with our belongings out in !ull view. This didnHt endup being a proble"# but IHd still highly reco""end the upgrade. I! you do end up in the *nd classwagon# at least as$ !or a botto" bun$# which will "a$e li!e easier.



mproving train services

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ithuania see"s to be investing heavily in their rail networ$. 'e saw e/tensive trac$ upgradingwor$ on our visit. ;sed the train to visit Tra$ai# all went according to plan. 8 # not the !astest or"ost "odern trains you will ever see but they get you there in reasonable co"!ort# tic$ets are note/pensive either. Vilnius rail station is pretty "odern and easy to negotiate# trains to "ost parts o!the country# also several international services.

Train to Kaliningrad

The !astest way to get !ro" Vilnius to aliningrad ussia is to ta$e one o! the !ew trains that leaveat a reasonable hour !ro" Vilnius "ain train station.

A train L > that orginates in St 4etersburg# departs Vilnius !or aliningrad at +,0+ hrs 6 T TI&9= itarrives in aliningrad at +>*D hrs 6 aliningrad ti"e=. Al"ost + and hal! hours are spent at bordercontrol as there are two inspections one by ithuanian border control and +0 "inutes later by

ussian Border police. The train departs !ro" plat!or" 5 at Vilnius# access is by way o! anunderground subway in the "ain building. The border control at the station was not "anned so i

<ust <u"ped on the train. &A 9 S; 9 8; KAV9 A ;SSIA7 VISA.The cost !or a single trip in a Coupe is +*). 0 itas. ou can save so "uch by travelling secondclass pla tcart. Its a good idea to ta$e so"e !ood 6enough to share=# drin$s# toliet paper andhandwipes along on train trips in ussia and a good boo$. I !ind train travel the best way to getaround and i always see" to "eet interesting and !riendly people this way.

go to vilnius by train.

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vilnius is very well served by train to all itHs neighbouring countries.i !ound the trains running in and out o! vilnius -uite !ine even i! so"eti"es a little old# but that <ustadd to the char" i! you as$ "e.i also !ound the level o! in!or"ation at the train station -uite good.



I went to Vilnius with an overnight train !ro" 'ars awa# which was really good and co"!ortable 6, beds couchettes=. I arrived in the "orning in Vilnius with no proble"s.The station is -uite s"all but nice and "odern# there are "any baggage loc$ers inside in di!!erentdi"ensions.

ro" the station to the old town itHs <ust a "atter o! !ew "inutes on wal$# anyway there are ta/is#trolleys and buses <ust in !ront o! the station.There are national trains to aunas# Siauliai and laipeda# as well as international trains to &ins$#'arsaw# iga# &oscow and St.4etersburg.

Vilnius was connected by direct trains with neighboring countries:E 4oland 6'arsaw E al"ost +0 hours=#E Belarus 6&ins$ E appro/. D hours=#E atva 6 iga E al"ost ) hours=#

E ussia 6 aliningrad E al"ost hours# St# 4etersburg E al"ost *0 hours# &oscow E al"ost +hours=#and with ;$raine 6 iev E + hours# Si"!eropol on Cri"ea E D0 hours :E=Chec$ the 9uropean train schedule here.

eep in "ind that generally trains are slow or very slow in this part o! our globe# always slowerthan a car and so"eti"es even slower than a bus. And travelling by train around Baltic states is veryslow and there were no direct trains between iga# atvia and Tallin# 9stonia. ro" Vilnius to Tallinyou "ust ta$e a train via St. 4etersburg# ussia 6 ussian visa neededG= and it ta$es , .5 hoursGAdditionally trains are "ore e/pensive than buses.

The railways and bus stations were located close# south o! the old town. I was driviing there and itwas not the best area o! Vilnius... h""... li$e usual areas around "ain train stations or bus ter"inals

but not that bad E the building o! the railway station was renovated recently.