Latvia or Lithuania?
The practical differences, drawn from our own write-ups rather than from a brochure. We are not going to tell you which is better - they are different trips. What follows is what actually changes between them.
Places written up here 47 48
UNESCO listings among them 6 5
Cost level Mid-range Mid-range
Busiest month in our write-ups August August
Currency Euro (EUR) Euro (EUR)
Plugs and voltage C, F - 230 V C, F - 230 V
Everyday languages Latvian Lithuanian
Driving side right hand side right hand side
Region Northern Europe Northern Europe
Capital Riga Vilnius
Latvia
Reserved and quiet-spoken until trust forms, then dryly funny and deeply loyal.
What we have written up
- Abava Valley trail
- Academy of Sciences Panorama tower
- Aerodium Sigulda theme park
- Aglona Basilica church
- Araisi Lake Fortress archaeological site
- Bauska Castle castle
Worth knowing before you go
- Cards and contactless work almost everywhere - even many stalls at Riga's Central Market take them
- Tipping is appreciated rather than expected - 5-10% in restaurants is generous and rounding up covers taxis
- Midsummer - Jani, June 23-24 - empties cities as the whole country heads to the countryside
Lithuania
Reserved at first and warm once trusted - small talk is skipped but sincerity is not.
What we have written up
- Anyksciai Treetop Walking Path trail
- Aukstaitija National Park national park
- Cepelinai dish
- Curonian Spit national park
- Devils' Museum museum
- Druskininkai Aqua Park water park
Worth knowing before you go
- Cards and contactless work almost everywhere - Vilnius buses even take a bank-card tap for tickets
- Tipping is around 10% in restaurants for good service, not an obligation
- Weekday lunch specials (dienos pietus) are the best-value meal in any city
Counts describe this site, not the countries: "places written up here" means how many pages we have finished, and it keeps growing. Currency, plugs and languages are practical facts and change rarely; check anything visa-related with the relevant official source before you book.